By: Tracey L. Schroeder
Pictured above, left to right: Tracey L. Schroeder; Whitney K. Siehl; Lauren Tuckey; Lauren Witkowski; Chandler Caswell; Cristin Duffy
The WBAI was proud to support Women Employed (WE), an organization whose mission is to improve the economic status of women and remove barriers to economic equity. Several WBAI members attended WE’s signature fundraiser, The Working Lunch-Hybrid Edition, which brought over 600 leaders and advocates together in support of women’s economic advancement at the Chicago Cultural Center.
The focus for this year’s program centered around helping women emerge from the “shecession”–the economic downturn triggered by the pandemic, which has impacted women, and especially women of color, disproportionately–stronger than before. The dynamic lineup featured a keynote address from honoree, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Former Director, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). As head of IDPH, Dr. Ezike led Illinois through the COVID-19 pandemic, providing guidance for Illinoisans, and collaborating with businesses, community organizations, and healthcare institutions to ensure residents emerged safe and healthy. In addition to guiding the state through an unprecedented challenge, Dr. Ezike broke barriers as the first Black woman to lead the agency in its 140+ year history.
This article was originally published in the WBAI Fall 2022 Newsletter on page 39.