Feb. 24, 2003 – Three Virgin Islands women will be honored on March 8 by the V.I. Women's Business Center in recognition of their individual achievements and as part of the world-wide celebration of Women's History Month.
This year's "Trailblazer" award recipients, are Judy Bain of St.Croix Handicrafts; Rosetta George of ByGeorge Advertising; and Gail Garrison of Island Fragrances.
Yvette deLaubanque, director of the V.I. Women's Business Center, announced the recipients Monday saying, "The honorees are always women who have either been in business in the Virgin Islands for a long time, women who have been the first in their field, or women who have overcome tremendous odds to succeed."
In a release from her office deLaubanque said, "This is a celebration of the accomplishments of our awardees, who, have accomplished so much in unprecedented and innovative ways, despite the hurdles and obstacles of today's sometimes vicious trading environment."
A founding member of St.Croix Handicraft Industries Inc. Bain has had wide and varied entrepreneurial experiences, deLaubanque said.
Bain is an occupational therapist by training and has published several professional papers in that field.
"This gave rise to her interest in the production of her now famous cultural basketry figurines,"deLaubanuqe said.
Garrison, has been mixing and blending scented products by hand as a micro business since 1985.
Despite challenges and hardships, Garrison has stuck to her path and her locally made products have been distributed throughout the territory, the British Virgin Islands, and Barbados, and Garrison said, "We're looking to go into other islands as well."
Of the challenges she said, "It's been the most challenging time of my life and yet the most creative."
George, as with many women business owners, wears more than one hat, deLaubanque said. She is the owner of ByGeorge Advertising and the founder and chief executive officer of vibride.com.
ByGeorge is a full service advertising and graphic design, business to business advertising agency. Before launching VI Bride George built a successful career in digital media production and management. VI Bride, launched in 2000, boasts over 100,000 hits per month, according to George. She believes that in total quality and consistency throughout each project is the key to her success.
The award luncheon ceremony will feature an address by Lauren C. Cragg, Managing PartnerL.C. Cragg & Associates "Transitioning and Retransitioning Realities of Women in Business".
Since October 1997, Lauren C. Cragg has served as the Managing Director of L.C. Cragg & Associates. In this capacity she provides consulting services for governmental entities and private companies including but not limited to strategic planning, re-engineering, risk management, resource maximization and process evaluation studies. Her expertise also includes strategic marketing studies for clients whose target market includes governmental and quasi-governmental entities.
Prior to her current position, Cragg served as the assistant risk manager on the largest public works project in North America, The Central Artery Tunnel Project known as the "Big Dig" in Boston.
In that role she provided consulting expertise which included but was not limited to, identifying areas for minimizing risk and maximizing resources, development of claims reporting policies including streamlining of procedures between intergovernmental agencies. according to the release.
Women's History Month is part of the Women's History Project, an educational nonprofit organization, whose mission is to recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information, educational materials and programs.
The Web site at www.nwhp.org
describes the origins of Women's History Month:
"In March of 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Message to the American people, encouraging the recognition and celebration of women's historic accomplishments during the week of March 8th, Women's History Week, " the Web site says, adding, "In 1987, at the request of women's organizations, museums, libraries, youth leaders, and educators throughout the country, the National Women's History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the national celebrations to the entire month of March. A National Women's History Month Resolution was quickly approved with strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate." The ceremony celebrating the month and the local women entrepreneurs will be held at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef Hotel, St. Thomas on Saturday, March 8 at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $40, and space is limited. Call 773-4995 for reservations.
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