If you are unable to attend the Conference, or if you did not pick up handouts from Senator Leahy's Information Booth, PDFs of the handouts are below: Health Care Reform and You Health Care Reform and Women Health Care Reform and Small Businesses Increasing Competition In Health Care Constituent Services Internship Information Heating Fuel Assistance Information Labor Projects Press Release

Dear Vermonter, This past year has been trying for Vermonters.  As a result many Vermont women have had to be flexible and adapt to the new economic climate, whether by choice or by outside forces.  As fall approaches I look forward to joining you at the 13th Annual Women's Economic Opportunity Conference to focus on the career and business development of Vermont's women.  This year's conference will focus on the universality of women and their ability to view themselves in many different career capacities.  Please join me on October 17, 2009, at the Vermont Technical College campus in Randolph Center. There is opportunity in Vermont for professional and business-minded women.  Vermont has a wide spectrum of industries, from the arts through renewable energy manufacturing, to value-added food and forest products.  Vermont's culture provides the needed space for creative entrepreneurs to carve out their niche.

Click here for Senator Leahy's invitation to the 13th Annual Women's Economic Opportunity Conference

I have great faith that the women of Vermont will continue to help drive Vermont's innovation and success in our small business sector.  According to a report in 2008 by the Small Business Administration, the growth of women-run businesses in Vermont grew by 11.5 percent between 1997 and 2002.  Female self employment also increased, reaching 19 percent in 2007.  We have made great strides forward, but there is still more work to be done.  It should continue to be a priority to widen the opportunities for leadership, training, and funding resources for Vermont's women.

I am proud to introduce this year's conference workshops.  We will focus on the many aspects of running a business, like marketing and enhancing a firm's productivity, as well as on sharpening specific personal skills that aid in gaining employment, like resume writing.  Some workshops will help you manage stress, while others can help you build personal strategies for financial success.  Our presenters are an excellent resource in supplementing both your career and your life, and they exemplify the contributions women make to Vermont's business sector.

It is also with great pleasure that I am able to announce that our keynote speaker this year is Lilly Ledbetter, for whom the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was named.  Lilly was a supervisor at Goodyear Tire and an employee there for more than 20 years.  She discovered through an anonymous note that her employer had been paying her significantly less than male coworkers with the same position, title, and the same or less seniority.  Because she was unaware of the inequitable pay for years, she did not file a claim for protection under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act until she became aware of the disparity.  A jury found that Ms. Ledbetter was owed an estimated $225,000 in back pay.  The U.S. Supreme Court overturned her jury verdict in a narrow 5-4 decision, taking from her any chance of recovering those lost wages.  Lilly's story is one that many women share, but because of Lilly, the new Congress this year achieved what could not be done last year: We have enacted legislation to remedy the Supreme Court's limited holding of the law and the immunity its decision gave to employers who covertly discriminate against their workers.  I was proud to stand beside Lilly as President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law -- the first bill that he signed as President.

Marcelle and I look forward to seeing you at this year's Women's Economic Opportunity Conference in Randolph on Saturday, October 17, 2009.

Sincerely,

 

 

PATRICK LEAHY

United States Senator