[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16220-16221]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO HEDY RATNER AND CAROL DOUGAL

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to thank two exceptional 
women who have been strong advocates for social justice and for the 
advancement of

[[Page 16221]]

women's business ownership in the State of Illinois, across America, 
and beyond.
  Hedy Ratner and Carol Dougal have recently stepped down after working 
27 years as the founders and co-presidents of the Women's Business 
Development Center, WBDC. The WBDC is the first, and largest, nonprofit 
organization that provides services to encourage women's business 
ownership across the United States.
  When the WBDC was founded in 1986, less than 10 percent of the 
businesses in the United States were owned and operated by women. 
Today, thanks in part to the leadership and encouragement provided by 
Hedy and Carol, there are over 8.6 million women-owned businesses 
throughout the country, generating over $1.3 trillion in revenues this 
year and employing nearly 7.8 million people.
  As a champion for women's economic development, the WBDC has worked 
to assist tens of thousands of women in entrepreneurial efforts 
nationwide. From business certifications to financial assistance 
workshops, the WBDC provides women business owners with the training 
they need to establish and expand their businesses. By providing women 
with essential resources to become successful business owners, the WBDC 
has empowered women and helped them achieve economic independence 
through entrepreneurship.
  Since its founding in 1986, the WBDC has expanded in size and scope 
from a two-person operation seeking to address the lack of 
representation of women in the business sector, to a staff of 24 full-
time employees and contractors that now influence policies on the 
federal, State and local levels. The achievements of Hedy and Carol are 
significant, and the positive role of the WBDC in supporting women's 
entrepreneurship is evident.
  On behalf of the people of Illinois, I thank Hedy and Carol for their 
27 dedicated years with the WBDC and congratulate them on their many 
contributions for women in the business sector. I wish both of them the 
best as they continue to inspire and provide leadership for women's 
entrepreneurship in the years to come.

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