Brief History of IWF Georgia
In 1974, therenowned writer, civic leader and philanthropist, Elinor “Elly” Guggenheimer, founded the Women’s Forum of New York. The stated goal: “Bring together women of diverse accomplishments and provide them with a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences. By thus becoming aware of their counterparts in all fields, and of mutual interests and attitudes, they can, when desired, speak in concert on issues confronting the total community.”
Due to the strength and growth of the founding Forum, women around the country voiced the need for a national network that would allow women of significant achievement, across all sectors, beliefs and backgrounds to unite under a common purpose. In February 1988, Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter convened a symposium in Atlanta, Georgia to focus on women and the constitution. Co-conveners were former first ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, and Pat Nixon. The symposium drew over 1,500 women from every state in the nation and ten countries. “Women and the Constitution: A Bicentennial Perspective” was a huge success with such notables as Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, and Coretta Scott King addressing participants. Dayle E. (Powell) Spencer (The Carter Center) was organizer and director of the symposium. Sponsors were The Carter Center of Emory University, The Carter Presidential Library, and Georgia State University. At the success of the symposium, officers of the National Women’s Forum (launched in 1979) approached Dayle E. (Powell) Spencer and asked that she launch a Women’s Forum of Georgia. She agreed and the first meeting was held October 1988 at The Carter Center. Dayle E. (Powell) Spencer served as founding president. Among the 15 other founding members were first lady Rosalynn Carter, Coretta Scott King, Amanda Brown-Olmstead, Liane Levetan, Wicke Chambers, Christine King Farris, Shirley Franklin, Alice Parsons, Judith Sans, Ruth Schmidt, Leah Ward Sears, Betty Siegel, Cathy Steinberg, and Betty Talmadge. The Women’s Forum of Georgia initially organized to identify and nurture local female leadership. It was a new network of executive level women, invited across careers and cultures to come together and share experiences. It started as a small organization whose meetings could be accommodated in homes of the members, and this is how members met for several years. Over time, the goals of the organization evolved and expanded, and membership grew. However, the original purpose of enhancing each member’s leadership capacities has never changed. In 2011, as part of a branding campaign of the International Women’s Forum (now 6,200 members from 74 forums, 33 nations, and six continents,) the Women’s Forum of Georgia became the International Women’s Forum of Georgia. <February 2016 – Complied From Oral History and Recorded Documents> |
Presidents:
1988 – 1990 1991 – 1992 1993 – 1994 1995 – 1996 1997 – 1998 1999 – 2000 2001 – 2002 2003 – 2004 2005 – 2006 2007 – 2007 2008 – 2010 2011 – 2012 2013 – 2014 2015 – 2016 2017 – 2019 2020 - Present |
Dayle E. (Powell) Spencer Liane Levetan Holly Gardner Amanda Brown-Olmstead Ann Wilson Cramer Nathalie Dupree Valerie Richardson Jackson Julia Sprunt Karen Duckett Penny Brown Reynolds Julia Emmons Roxanne Douglas Annette Cone-Skelton Christine St.Clare Kathy Bremer Belinda Stubblefield |