Today we are highlighting DSC Community Partner, Women’s Business Council of Champaign County (WBC). We interviewed Carol Floyd, WBC President to learn more about the organization. Carol has been a member of WBC since 2016 and she served as the Vice President for two years, prior to stepping into the role of President in 2021.
History of WBC
Women's Business Council was formed in 1985, as a Committee of the Urbana Chamber of Commerce. In 1990, WBC became a Joint Committee of the Champaign Chamber of Commerce; thus providing their members more opportunities to assume leadership positions within the community.
WBC Mission
The WBC exists to be a resource for women in Champaign County to discuss career goals, foster leadership skills and increase their professional networking opportunities. Each month, members look forward to a luncheon, often with a guest speaker, as well as networking, social and service opportunities throughout the year. “As a female business professional, I can’t express enough the importance of being involved with a group like WBC. Women really need a network outside of the home and workplace where they feel like they belong, and where they can be real. Sure we talk about our careers, but we talk about all of the other stuff on our plates, too. We work alongside each other. We laugh (a lot) and sometimes we cry - we're there for each other. That’s what I was looking for when I moved to Champaign and got involved with WBC. We're a sisterhood and I am blessed to part of it,” said Carol Floyd, WBC President.
DSC Selected as WBC Charitable Partner of the Year
In 2020, after being nominated to apply by a WBC member and then being vetted through a selection process and approved by the WBC board, DSC was selected as the WBC Charitable Partner of the Year. Despite the pandemic, members of WBC found ways to contribute by giving financially and donating cleaning supplies to DSC, in addition to volunteering to help with the Virtual C-U Oktoberfest. Community Outreach Coordinator, Amy Braghini worked with WBC members to donate a raffle basket for the event on behalf of WBC, and members helped to promote and sell raffle tickets.
Although WBC typically selects a new Charitable Partner of the Year on an annual basis, with the continuation of the pandemic into 2021, this year the organization is focusing on the women within their own membership. “With so many of our members being small business owners, job losses occurring for many in our community, and the overall amount of stress on everyone, we decided it would be a great time for us to give back to our own members,” said Carol. Raising funds for WBC’s scholarship fund and reducing the 2021 membership fee are just two of the ways they’ve been able to do that.
WBC Scholarship Funds
WBC has been fortunate to leave a legacy among Champaign County women through scholarships. The organization has two scholarship funds including the Jump Start Fund for graduating high school seniors, and the Ruth B. Jones Fund, which is to assist WBC members in their career or educational endeavors.
Thank you, WBC members to for the impact you’ve had on DSC and our community!
