WisBusiness: Advisory board focuses on women in the workplace

By Jo Ellen Amato
For WisBusiness.com

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton welcomed executives from some of Wisconsin’s foremost corporations to the inaugural meeting of the Wisconsin Women = Prosperity Corporate Advisory Board today in Madison.

During the press conference held at Covance, Lawton unveiled the formation of the board, which included leaders from corporations such as Harley-Davidson, Alliant Energy and S.C. Johnson, and asked them to combine their collective expertise to identify and share best practices regarding women in the workplace.

“Members of this Corporate Advisory Board have demonstrated that it is profitable to support women’s success in the workplace,” said Lawton, who added the selection of these companies to the board was based on their recognition as leaders in strong working environments for women in Wisconsin.

According to Lawton, current practices such as education and leadership training for women, flexible work schedules and lactation rooms for nursing mothers have helped these companies cultivate and retain professional women in their organizations and in the state.

“Everyone wins with this: employers and employees,” said Lawton, adding that its an economic win for the state with tax revenues growing as women earn more and are recruited to work in Wisconsin.

During the next few months, the board will work on forming an interactive network of these practices and deliver a report on their progress during the 2005 WW=P Wisconsin Women Forward convention to be held March 22 in Madison.

2005 WW=P Wisconsin Women Forward convention information

Full list of board members
Beverly Greenberg – Time Warner
Monique Heiser – Covance
Rhonda Gulbranson – Covance
Terri Bresenham – GE Medical
Ann Olson – Land’s End
Kris Rappe – WE Energies
Gail Lione – Harley Davidson
Harold Scott – Harley Davidson
Mary Strickland – Smith Barney
Jim Carlson – Smith Barney
Maria Campbell – SC Johnson
Martha Artiles – Manpower
JoAnne Burris – Maritime Insurance Group
Barbara Beck – Manpower
Melanie Holmes – Manpower
Barbara Swan – Alliant Energy
Sharon Canter – Milwaukee Women, Inc.
Pat Alea