Ozarks Alliance of Professional Organizations

Mary B. Jackson (Republic BCW) 2001 to 2002
Deanna Ford (Greater Ozarks BPW) 2002 to 2003
Paula Dougherty (Junior League of Springfield) 2003 to 2004
Vicki Lindsey (ASWA) 2004 to 2005
Lisa Jones (Greater Ozarks BPW) 2005 to 2006
Donna Medlin (AAUW) 2006 to 2007
Debra Dickinson (AWC) 2007 to 2009
Colleen Neill CPS/CAP (Springfield Metro, IAAP) 2009 to 2010

Credit goes to Nancy Brown (Network) for the origin of Alliance. In March of 1986, when Network was sponsoring a presentation by Harriett Woods, they saw a need for a communication link and networking vehicle among the various groups in Springfield comprising primarily women. Nancy sent letters to several organizations inviting them to a meeting to discuss the formation of a "{Super Net", which when the bylaws were drawn up in August 1986, was called the Alliance of Professional Organizations.

Nancy Brown served as the founding chairman for two years. She was assisted by Jeannette Collins (LWV) as vice president and Pepper Colley (WICI) as secretary/treasurer. The purpose of the organization was not only to be a communication link, but also to serve as a means of identifying issues of interest to women. Its first officers saw it as having a potential for being a collective voice and a creative leadership in the community. Alliance served as a clearinghouse for information about the member organizations. Committees were formed to address a speaker's bureau, a directory, a networking event, a monitoring of current board openings in the community, and later a way of summarizing the scholarships that were available through member organizations. Twelve organizations participated in the initial formation of this new "umbrella" organization.

The first networking event took place in May 1987 as a part of Today's Woman Journal Expo. Since then, there have been many other Networking events. Several directories have been compiled, the first underwritten by Mary Jo Wynn (Network) of the Women's Athletic Department at SMSU. The bylaws were established in 1986 and were amended in 1988, 1991, 1992 and 1995.

In 1988, Alliance distributed a needs assessment survey and compiled the results for the Women's Committee for the Goals for Springfield, 21st Century. This demonstrated how Alliance could provide leadership in increasing the community's awareness of the current needs of women. Economic opportunities topped the list.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the focus of Alliance was primarily on collecting ands disseminating information concerning programs and services in the community of interest to women. Not-for-profit status was established for Alliance in 1991. In 1993-1994, a mission statement/Goals Committee, under the leadership of Nancy Southworth (WICI) reviewed the mission statements of all of the member organizations and pulled together a focus for the future direction of Alliance. In addition to spelling out a process for all member organizations to support policy activities, the committee developed a position statement on Gender Equity that was adopted in July 1994.

In 1997 an Alliance committee developed an audio-visual program on gender equity that was presented to requesting organizations. In 1998 Alliance began seeking support for producing a Women's Yellow Pages directory (to be produced in 2000 by Sunburst Media. In 1999, the Alliance Board began actively working for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in the Missouri legislature. In 2000, the board voted to become a major sponsor of the Girls Scouts Women of Distinction Awards program. Sunburst Media underwrote production of the latest member directory, completed in April 2000.

At least 26 organizations have at one time been members and/or continue to be members of the Ozarks Alliance of Professional Organizations:

ABWA (Heart of the Ozarks Chapter), ABWA (Missouri Ann Chapter)
Women's Division, Chamber of Commerce, Executive Women's Club
(later Prof. Development Committee), League of Women Voters,
Greater Ozarks Business & Professional Women, Forum
Greene County Medical Personnel Assoc. N. A., Women in Construction
Matrix, Southwest Paralegal Assoc.,
Women in Communications, Soroptomists International,
Am Society Of Women Accountants, Fast Break Club,
Am. Association University Women, Women in Architecture,
International Association of Administrative Professionals (Springfield Metro Chapter), Junior League of Springfield, Information Processing Association National Organization for Women,
MSU Gender Studies Committee, Republic Business & Prof. Women,
Republic Senior Center, Women's Council of Realtors, Decision Makers Network, Stone Soup Ministries, New Hope, JANE D.O.E.

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