[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 132 (Friday, August 2, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN & HI TECH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 2019

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
the 20th anniversary of the Indiana based nonprofit, Women & Hi Tech. 
Founded in 1999, the organization seeks to promote the participation of 
women in science and technology fields, and to ensure that 
opportunities in STEM jobs are equally inclusive for all. The 
organization has demonstrated consistent leadership in our community 
and helped open doors for many women. The people of the Fifth 
Congressional District are grateful for Women & Hi Tech, and it is my 
pleasure to congratulate the organization in celebration of this 
special occasion.
  In 1999, two women leaders in our community, Joyce Gustafson, a 
scientist working for Eli Lilly, and Georgia Miller, an academic at 
Indiana University, discovered that there were few women like 
themselves working in high tech jobs in Indiana. Together, they sought 
to create an organization that would fill the gaps they saw in women 
leaders in the Indianapolis area. Their initial launch saw much support 
from the community, including many professionals in a wide variety of 
industries. The first Board of Directors of Women & Hi Tech included 
Jennifer Sander, Donna Gastevich, Jamie Eicher, Lisa Robertson, 
Jennifer Scheerer, Sue Ream, Suzanne Nutter, Cindy Royer, and Julie 
Nahvi. Other significant contributions to Women & Hi Tech in its 
infancy were provided by Susan E. Ziel, Esq., a female attorney who 
drafted and filed the organization's incorporation documents, and other 
women and men who have served on the organization's all-volunteer Board 
of Directors over the years.
  With a mission to make careers in STEM equally inclusive to all, 
Women & Hi Tech has grown its membership to nearly 2,000 professionals 
and students. Their focus is broad. Some programs support girls as 
young as kindergarten, while others support women in academic careers 
and on to their professional lives. Programs like Passport to Hi-Tech 
and Ignite Your Superpower (IYS) teach young girls about the wide 
variety of opportunities available to them in science and technology 
fields, while simultaneously connecting them with leaders already 
working in those fields. Other programs including OperationAll, 
Executive Women's Forums and the Leading Light Awards focus on working 
professionals, educating and empowering them to achieve higher in their 
careers. They also hold seasonal networking events, which are held at 
notable locations around Indiana like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 
and serve to reinforce their already robust series of education and 
empowerment programs.
  Women & Hi Tech continues to invest into the future of our community 
through their efforts to build lasting partnerships with local 
businesses. These partnerships give the organization a unique ability 
to support women in a wide variety of industries, and for a wide 
variety of purposes. For example, as part of their #WHT20for20 
campaign, Women & Hi Tech will be donating over $30,000 in scholarships 
and grants to Indiana women and girls pursuing STEM. Directed primarily 
at women pursuing academic goals, these funds open doors and provide 
opportunities that are of immense value. It is programs like this that 
allow the organization to attract a large number of professionals and 
students, from across many sectors of our economy, to its ranks.
  Women & Hi Tech has done, and continues to do, great things for the 
people of Indiana. Under the leadership of President Angela Freeman, I 
am confident that the organization will continue growing and 
succeeding. Many of the most influential leaders in our community give 
their time to help this organization succeed, and it is my great 
pleasure to congratulate Women & Hi Tech on 20 years of service. I 
commend them on their continuing mission of empowerment of women 
leaders in our community, and I wish them all the best in their future 
endeavors.

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