Equal Voice - Electing Women

California “Women for Women Forum” Speakers
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Debra Bowen, J.D., is California's newly elected Secretary of State, and one of only 6 women elected to state-wide constitutional office. She served two terms in the State Assembly for the 53rd District, and most recently, served two terms in the State Senate, representing the 28th District, where she has worked to restore faith in the electoral process by ensuring that electronic voting allows for paper audits. She chaired environmental committees in both houses and introduced the nation’s first privacy legislation to prevent businesses from using social security numbers as identifiers. She earned a JD degree from the University of Virginia, then started her own law firm in California in 1984 that specialized in small business startups, tax law, land use, and environmental issues. Born in Illinois, she holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.
Renee Fraser, Ph.D., President and CEO of Fraser Communications (the largest woman-owned ad agency in Southern California), was honored by Advertising Age as “one of the ten brightest women in advertising” and by the Los Angeles Business Journal as CEO of the Year. She founded her company in 1992 after a career at national ad agencies Bozell and Young & Rubicam. With a Ph.D. in psychology from USC, she is known for applying psychological analysis to marketing and advertising programs for clients that include American Airlines, MGM, P&G, UCLA Healthcare, Toyota, and others. She serves on the LA Chamber of Commerce Health Care Committee, is president of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)-LA Enterprise Institute and is a past president of NAWBO-LA. She teaches as an adjunct professor at the USC Annenberg School of Communications.
Marilyn D. Johnson is Vice President of IBM’s Market Development, in charge of strategy for and marketing to women-owned and women-led businesses, and businesses owned or operated by Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and women in the Americas. At IBM, she has served as director of financial services sector marketing, director of eBusiness infrastructure, and director of worldwide sales operations, and has had operational responsibility in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. She has held executive positions in the Systems Group, the Server Division, Printing Systems Division, the Distribution Industry. In 1999, she led the merger of IBM and Sequent Corporation Web server sales. Marilyn serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the National Council of Negro Women, the One World Theater’s Board of Directors, the Council of Better Business Bureaus Board, and is Co-Chair of the Women’s Leadership Exchange Multicultural Advisory Board. She holds two Masters degrees and has two children in the Los Angeles area.

New York “Women for Women Forum” Speakers
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Diane Farrell, Democratic candidate for Congress in Connecticut’s 4th district, has served two terms as First Selectman of Westport, having been elected with 71 percent of the vote, thanks to her appeal across party lines and participatory spirit of communication across town boards, committees, citizen groups, and neighboring towns. She chaired the Southwestern Regional Planning Association’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, working on transportation issues and expanding the role to focus on homeland security, economic development, open space preservation, and environmental quality. Priorities as First Selectmen included tax relief for seniors, public school funding, public safety, and improved infrastructure. She worked as a teacher and in advertising before entering public service. Among many awards, she has received the Woodlands Coalition Environmental Gold Award and the Upper Fairfield County Distinguished Leadership Award from The Anti-Defamation League.
Jean Hobby is Chief Financial Officer, PricewaterhouseCoopers, responsible for the US Firm’s financial and treasury operations and infrastructure. She has served as Regional Managing Partner for the Central Region - Assurance; Leader of the US InfoComm Practice; Leader of the Southwest Region Assurance TICE Industry Group, and Leader of Diversity - Assurance. Her clients have ranged from technology to infocom to entertainment. She has led the engagements of medium and large SEC reporting companies and provided merger and acquisition services to clients. She is a member of the PwC leadership team, of both the Arkansas and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Nancy Aber Goshow, AIA, is a registered architect with over 30 years of experience in architecture, landmarks restoration, and interior design. As Managing Partner of Goshow Architects, LLP, she is founder and co-owner of one of the largest woman-owned architectural firms in NYC and recently completed the renovation of 45 public schools for the NYC School Construction Authority, new offices for the Mayor of the City of New York, interior restoration of the Sanctuary of the historic Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, and the design of a new interactive children’s science museum for Brookhaven National Laboratories.

Chicago “Women for Women Forum” Speakers

Judy Baar Topinka is Illinois State Treasurer and the Republican candidate for Governor of Illinois. She began her career as a reporter, then became a public affairs executive and PR advisor to candidates. She ran successfully for state representative, serving for a decade, and then in 1994, ran for State Treasurer and has held the position for three terms. She holds a degree in journalism from Northwestern and has won over 250 awards from civic, business, professional, and social service organizations, including the National Association of Women Business Owners’ Hall of Fame and the Grand Asian Award from the Asian American Coalition of Chicago.

Margaret Garner is CEO and President of Broadway Consolidated Companies, providing construction and electrical services and specializing in projects that incorporate community stakeholders. Clients include Wal-Mart, the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Housing Authority. She was the first black woman hired by Wal-Mart to build a store. Garner managed the building of affordable housing for HUD in Pittsburgh, then at the Chicago Housing Authority. She holds degrees in business and economics and received the Black Contractors United Mentor/Protégé Award and the SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Susan Turnbull was elected Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee in February, 2005, having previously served as Deputy Chair, DNC Women’s Caucus Chair, and National Chair of the Women’s Leadership Forum. She is an active leader of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee’s Women’s Senate Network. A small business owner with a background in Urban Planning and Design, Turnbull has worked in a variety of legislative, governmental and design positions for more than 30 years. Honored as a "Woman to Watch" by Jewish Women International Magazine, she holds an M.S. from the University of Maryland.