History

EWI of Richmond was chartered June 6, 1967 with Mrs. Lucylle F. Gordon as President and 22 Member Firms. Of those 22  original firms there are only two remaining; Universal Leaf Tobacco Company (now Universal Corporation) and the Richmond Chamber of Commerce (now Greater Richmond Chamber).

As of April 2010, the Chapter directory lists 30 diverse member firms, 30 fist representatives, six second representatives,four sustaining members, and four life members.

Representatives from Member Firms annually elect a ten-member Board of Directors who serve from October to the following September. The responsibility of the Board is to administer Chapter business affairs, and provide leadership and assistance in establishing and carrying out the goals of the Chapter.

Community

EWI of Richmond generously supports and contributes to the community by supporting Corporate Philanthropic Programs as follows:
  • EWISP (EWI Scholarship Program): Provides three $2,500 Scholarships to successful High School Juniors.
  • ASIST (Adult Students in Scholastic Transition): Provides ten $2,000 Scholarships to  successful candidates.
  • Reading Rally (Literacy): The Richmond Chapter conducts a Reading Rally in the fall every year,  to give children of the inner city a day of fun. Arts and crafts, activities ( to include musicians, dancers, etc), and lunch are all provided. Prior to leaving the festival each child receives a goody bag filled with a book, crayons, ruler, colored paper, etc.
In addition to supporting the Corporate Philanthropic endeavors, the Richmond Chapter also has a literacy program working specifically with the Southside Unit of the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond. Their Mission Statement reads "To inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens." EWI of Richmond hopes to inspire the love and value of reading in the young elementary age students we meet with each month thereby contributing to their successful future. Our literacy hours are spent reading a book or short story together followed by hands on craft and discussion time. Special programs take place throughout the year culminating in a Reading Rally during the fall.

Membership

EWI offers many benefits to both the representative and the company. Women who participate in EWI have access to a variety of events and programs, and their companies benefit through the professional connections and the recognition as business leaders in their communities.

With the expansion of our new website currently under way, EWI Richmond Chapter will soon be able to provide active Chapter members access to "members only" features including:
  • Online Member Directory
  • Document Repositories
  • Member Job Board
  • Chapter Reference Library
  • Featured Articles by Member Representatives
  • and much, much more.
For detailed information about EWI Membership please see our Membership page.

Meetings

All Chapter meetings are open to members only; all guests are by invitation only due to our non-compete rule. Business dress is appropriate for EWI monthly meetings.
  • Meetings are held on the evening of the second Thursday of every month in the Officer's Dining Room at the SunTrust Headquarters downtown.
  • The format includes a networking reception from 5:30 to 6:00, followed by dinner and a relevant program.
  • Current  monthly meeting fees to attend is $25.00.
  • For attendance purposes, Representatives must sign in at the hospitality table at each meeting.
  • The Chapter provides each Representative with a name badge to be worn at Chapter meetings.
  • A raffle is held at most meetings, donated by our member firms.