The American Business Women’s Association Iris Chapter in Griffin is celebrating 40 years of operation with a special women’s health focused event on Tuesday, May 6 in the evening. 

According to Event Chair Stephanie Windham, Attorney and Managing Partner at Beck, Owen and Murray, “We are celebrating with a big networking event. Women in the community have been invited to purchase tickets and to come as guests of members to network with other women.”

Windham shared that the event is co-sponsored by the WellStar Foundation and their subgroup, Women of WellStar.  WellStar is sending Dr. Paula Graves, in charge of women’s health initiatives for the WellStar Health System, to speak at the event. 

The women’s health focused event will also feature a service project for Harts of Teal, a local nonprofit organization bringing awareness to ovarian and other gynecological cancers that have easy-to-miss symptoms, and too often go underdiagnosed until late stages. All funds raised from sponsorships and tickets will benefit women’s health initiatives in the community. 

Windham said, “The money will go towards women’s services at Spalding Regional and also we intend to donate a portion of it to Harts of Teal.” 

Besides chairing the 40^th Anniversary event, Windham is this year’s Businesswoman of the Year for the ABWA Iris Chapter. She said the following about ABWA. “I think that the organization has value for women in the community because it provides a place where women can come and network. They can focus on their business and growing their business and also professional development in other ways such as improvement in public speaking skills, utilizing the resources from ABWA at the national level, such as their learning academies and courses that you can take for free. And locally, it establishes a camaraderie among women in the community that I think is so important. We need to support one another.”

Windham started her career out of law school at Beck, Owen and Murray and has spent 30 years with them, focusing her career first on real estate law, and now on local government law, as the legal counsel for Spalding County, the Spalding County Water Authority, the Griffin Spalding Development Authority , the Griffin Spalding Airport Authority and the Griffin Spalding Regional Airport Authority. She is the first female to be managing partner at her home in her firm, which has been in existence since 1888. 

About being a leader in the community, Stephanie Windham says, “Perhaps some people are born leaders, but I think the term leadership actually implies an evolution over time. And I feel like I personally and professionally have never felt that being a woman stifled my leadership abilities in any way. I have been surrounded by both men and women throughout my career who have supported me regardless of gender. So I feel like I’ve been very fortunate and have somewhat lived a charmed life and had a charmed career and I’m very grateful for it.”

Business Women interested in attending the ABWA Iris Chapter 40^th Anniversary can still find tickets available on Eventbrite. Tickets are $25 each. The event is Tuesday May 6 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m at Sanoah Springs in Williamson, Georgia. Tickets include food, door prizes and two drink tickets. 

Honored at the event will be the two remaining ABWA Iris Chapter charter members, Rita Whitehead and Susie Blackshear.

Another early member was Wanda Cronic Howell, who will be hosting the ABWA’s next event after the 40^th Anniversary, Good Clean Fun on Tuesday, May 20 at Cronic Nissan in Griffin from 6-8 p.m. Women from three business women’s networking groups will be invited to this event, which includes networking and a light dinner. Women are encouraged to bring laundry pods, to be donated to several local nonprofits. There is no cost to the event, but business women are asked to RSVP to [email protected].