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Jun. 27--Women business owners should leverage their strength in business for greater political clout, said speakers at the Women's Business Enterprise National Council on Monday.
The Washington D.C.-based organization, which certifies businesses as women-owned to help them obtain contracts with corporate America, is holding its annual meeting this week in Miami Beach.
"People know we're the go-to organization," said Susan Phillips Bari, founder of the group. Since 1977, the organization has certified 6,000 U.S. businesses as at least 51 percent owned by women. That certification has helped Miami-based Mercedes Electric Supply expand its business.
Mercedes LaPorta, president and majority owner of Mercedes Electric Supply, said her participation with the organization has led to business with national office supplier Office Depot, based in Delray Beach, a sponsor of the conference.
Another benefit, LaPorta said, is mutual support. Many members buy and sell goods and services from each other. "This is the good ol' girls network," she said.
Speakers on Monday included former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, the first woman appointed to the position; former U.S. Rep. Susan Molinari and Melanie Sabelhaus, former U.S. Small Business Administration deputy administrator.
"We're going to have a woman president in my lifetime," Reno told the women business owners. Reno, who ran for governor of Florida in 2002, urged the group to look at politics as "how can we reach out and help ourselves and help others."
Molinari, a member of Congress from 1990 to 1997, said she fears greatly "for the world I will be leaving my two daughters." She said while there still are not enough women in Congress or on the Supreme Court, her larger concern is there are not enough young women in the pipeline to get jobs of the future in science, engineering and mathematics.
Successful women business owners, not elected officials, "are going to create the powerful parity for women in the next generation," she said.
Sabelhaus, now a strategist for Women Impacting Public Policy, told the women business owners that they need "to get involved now in who is in public office -- before they get into public office." Women will be a powerful force in elections, she said, because they are the fastest-growing segment of business owners. "We're in a position to leverage this leadership."
The conference continues on Tuesday with a session on bidding for corporate contracts. On Wednesday, the organization holds its business fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center; small-business owners not already registered for the conference can do so at the convention center. For ticket cost, visit www.wbenc.org.
Marcia Heroux Pounds can be reached at mpounds@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6650.
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Copyright (c) 2006, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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