Greenville Businesswomen Recognized for Achievement

Several area businesswomen have been recognized by the Business and Professional Women's Club of Greenville.

The BPW of Greenville held an awards luncheon Tuesday at the Lazy Goat in Greenville.

Maria Meinke began the Greenville chapter of BPW last year and serves as the group's president.

The mission of all BPW chapters is "to empower working women to achieve their full potential and to partner with employers to build successful workplaces.”

Chapters work to accomplish mission and help working women become successful by providing career advancement resources, work/life strategies and personal and professional connections.

Nika White, VP of Diversity and Inclusion, Greenville Chamber of Commerce was named Career Woman of the Year.

“I'm really honored,” White said. “I'm really appreciative of the opportunity and to be among so many great and accomplished women who are doing some great things in our community.”

Her position at the Greenville Chamber gives White a chance to “live out every day something I'm very passionate about.”

“Advocating for those groups that are underrepresented and I certainly include women among those groups,” White said. “I look forward to contributing to this organization and continuing to be a voice in the community that can allow women to be proud and women to have doors open for them for great opportunities, whether it's for economic prosperity for women business owners or women leadership opportunities.”

Nancy King, Senior Sales Representative, Morris Business Solutions, was a finalist for the award.

Taryn Scher of TK Public Relations was named the BPW of Greenville's Young Careerist.

Rachel Nelson, Mary Kay Independent Consultant and Erin Hawn, Team Leader at BB&T Insurance Services, were finalists for the award.

The finalists competed in a speak off.

Organizations like the BPW “make such an impact,” Scher said.

“Women getting together and having a safe place where you can talk about some of the things that a man might roll their eyes at like, 'My kids got sick yesterday and I had to leave work early' ,” she said. “How do you deal with that? This is the place where you need to be coming, to have those conversations and have the support system around you . Even if it's five women getting together for lunch once a month or if it's 50 like this, find a network of women who understand and can relate to you because it's the best thing you'll ever find.”

Scher will represent BPW of Greenville in the State Young Careerist competition.

“We encourage the Young Careerist to represent the BPW and encourage younger women and promote the BPW to younger women to try to raise our membership of the Millennium generation,” Meinke said.

The Young Career Award is open to those women age 21 to 35, who have been employed in business or profession with a minimum of one year of full-time work experience and who “understand and support the BPW mission and vision.”

“Let's hope we have more women like this stepping up to lead,” Meinke said.

Sara Newton with ReWiGo Ministries was named Woman of Accomplishment.

“The Woman of Accomplishment award is to recognize … someone whose built their career from the ground up,” Meinke said. “They've built their business on grit and determination to succeed.”

Estlean Cook with Trebling, Inc., Greenville Magazine Publisher Lori Koon and Toni Coggins with New York Life Insurance were finalists for the award.