Here is the text of the brief address I made at the first meeting of SacWomen on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 wherein I tried to answer the question - why SacWomen?:

Welcome to the first SacWomen event. Thank you so much for being here. The last time anything this surprising happened to me – meeting-wise - was in 1973 when as Vice President of Programs and Education for Parents Without Partners and the monthly bulletin deadline looming I decided (in desperation) to list a Women’s Conscience Raising Group meeting. 70 people showed up at my apartment on the appointed night. I am glad I am a little more prepared tonight.

That core group of 10 from that initial night continued to meet from the next 20 years. We nurtured and supported each other. Later it was women I worked with, the very few women I served with on Boards, and even more recently a book club I started here in Sacramento – several of the fabulous members of which are here tonight.

And through all of this I cherished the friendship and the support and marveled at the influence we could exert to help each other’s causes – we recommended people for jobs, we supported each other’s philanthropic efforts, we mentored and coached, and we even got a ballot measure passed with more than 70% of the vote.

So, this is what I hope will come from SacWomen, starting tonight. A ground swell of support for each other – personally, politically, economically, academically, philanthropically, culturally, socially, environmentally - and any other way we can think of to include.

Please read the SacWomen blog, check out the Power Women 50 where we compare the stock price of women-led public companies with the S&P in general. Please comment on and contribute to the blog, and please tell your friends and acquaintances about SacWomen as we begin this exciting new step in an on-going journey for women in Sacramento.

This journey picks up from a few years ago when we all got so much out of another extraordinary organization – the Sacramento chapter of Web Grrls – started by Vicky Blocker, whom I am delighted to say is here tonight…

And let me also recognize Susan Wheeler and JT Long, whom I met through WebGrrls and whom, when I suggested recently I wanted to start another women’s group in Sacramento, didn’t act like I was crazy, but instead actively encouraged me. Thank you.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen