The St. Bernard Business and Professional Women honored three Model Working Women during National Business Women’s Week at the club’s 50th anniversary party on October 17 at Sebastopol Plantation. “National Business Women’s Week is a nationwide celebration started in 1928 during the third week of October. St. Bernard Parish government issued a proclamation for the parish at its October 4 council meeting to acknowledge the important role women have in the community’s economy. According to the BPW Foundation, nationwide there are 7.2 million majority-owned, privately-held, women-owned businesses. These firms employ 7.3 million people and generate over $1.1 trillion in sales.

“Each year our committee seeks role models of working women who live and/or work in St. Bernard Parish and possess the qualities we admire,” says club president, Bethanne Trahan. “It’s also a week to facilitate discussion on workplace issues and raise awareness of the resources available for working women. Our members range from new graduates to retirees and include small business owners to executives in government and private sectors, so we benefit from that diversity when we network together.”

The three Model Working Women for 2011 selected by the Model Working Women committee Angelle Lailhengue, Rebecca Martin, and Cynthia Bacas Ryckaert.