Press Contact:
Renee Maler
for Women in Consulting
925.968.9495
rmaler1@comcast.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Women In Consulting Names 2005 Board of Directors

Bay Area professional organization gathers strength and attracts high profile directors

SAN MATEO, CA, February 22, 2005 — Women in Consulting (WIC), a San Francisco Bay Area umbrella organization of seasoned professional consultants, today announced its 2005 Board of Directors including key reappointments of its senior leadership who have been credited with establishing WIC as a premiere resource for both consultants and companies seeking expert business assistance—particularly valuable in a still-recovering economic region.

On the board this year are new additions, as well as familiar names, that represent some of the best in consulting today, as WIC's popularity and presence continues to grow and attract tier-one talent. Serving for two-year terms on the all-volunteer board are the following:

• President – Deborah Henken returns for her second year at WIC's helm. Henken is a 20-year marketing veteran and president of the Highland Team, a marketing consulting company specializing in launching and growing businesses;
• Vice President – Karilee Wirthlin also returns to continue evolving the organization and raising its visibility in the business community. Wirthlin is the principal of KL Consulting, a web site strategy firm specializing in facilitating client adoption of web content management systems
• Secretary – Sherry Prescott-Willis also continues on the board, as principal of Prescott Marketing, a consulting firm focused on start-up and early-stage companies needing strategic and product marketing program development;
• Treasurer – As an experienced WIC board member but new to the position this year, Jennifer Berkley is owner and founder of The Insight Advantage, a customer research firm that helps companies gather and use customer feedback;
• Director of Marketing – New to the board, Andrea Butter is principal of Vekia, a management consulting firm offering services as interim VP of marketing for start-ups and aiding companies to create and accelerate customer loyalty and word of mouth;
• Director of Membership – New to the board, Patrina Mack is managing partner of Vision & Execution, a firm that brings customer focus, market understanding, and business process expertise to assess market opportunities, develop strategic initiatives, and implement pragmatic, results oriented programs for technology and healthcare companies; and
• Director of Alliances/Partnerships – As a new board position, Julie Merrill will be leading this important area. Her firm, Change Catalysts, orchestrates changes and mitigates risk and resistance for mid size businesses during growth, consolidations and major transformations.

"We have made significant inroads in building out and promoting our organization last year," said Henken. "With a reenergized board and membership this year, we look forward to continuing our success by reaching out to the business community and have exciting outreach activities planned in upcoming months."

Now in its eighth year, WIC has become an important resource for both consultants and Bay Area companies seeking experienced professionals to serve in a wide range of disciplines, including marketing, organizational development, human resources, financial planning and more. WIC's free online directory of members is the one place that companies can go to identify a variety of potential consultants without paying finder's fees common with other professional consulting networks.

For its members and guests, WIC has an active schedule of networking and educational events, as well as a multitude of online resources for managing a consulting business. In addition, WIC's email community boasts more than 1500 professionals who use the forum daily to find partners, subcontractors and other resources.

About WIC
Women in Consulting is a dynamic organization of over 200 seasoned professional consultants in more than 30 specialties, ranging from engineering to financial advising and marketing. Our dual mission is to provide companies seeking consultant talent with access to a premier resource of top tier consultants and to provide a forum for consultants to share information and to effectively manage and grow their consulting practices. A non-profit corporation, WIC was established in 1998 as a collaborative community to foster successful consulting practices for its members. For more information, visit www.womeninconsulting.org.