Terry Neese Meeting with Laura Bush, Obama Administration Official During Women’s History Month

Oklahoma City non-profit founder and CEO Terry Neese will participate on Friday in a special meeting and symposium on educating and empowering women in Afghanistan.

As a member of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, Neese will be attending the event in Dallas to participate with other Council members and representatives from Afghanistan, as well as leaders from the U.S. government. The group will join Bush and U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer in a discussion about the progress made by and the challenges still facing Afghan women and girls. President Obama appointed Verveer to this position at the U.S. State Department about a year ago.

“One of our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS graduates, Andeisha Farid, will be speaking to the Council, detailing her experience as a business owner and as someone who is making a real difference in her country,” Neese said. “Andeisha is the founder of several orphanages in Afghanistan and last August, Andeisha mentored with Freda Deskin, founder and CEO of ASTEC Charter School. Andeisha and Freda continue to mentor and find ways to help more Afghan people. I am very proud of Oklahoma women business owners who give their and energy to our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS students.”

The Council meeting and education conference will be held at the George W. Bush Institute on the campus of Southern Methodist University from 10:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, a 501(c)3 organization, created the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program, which provides long-term business training to female entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and Rwanda. Education is provided in both countries, as well as in the United States. Since the program’s inception in 2006, 150 women have been directly trained and educated.

Many Oklahoma women business owners have served as mentors, including Deskin, Nancy Hyde of Hyde & Company CPAs, Mary Melon of the Journal Record, and Angie Hendricks of Bentley Hedges Travel.

--------

About The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women: The IEEW is a 501(c)3 non-profit empowering women to grow their businesses, pursue greater entrepreneurial ventures and become more active public policy advocates. The Institute accomplishes this mission by focusing on education, mentorship and coaching women in the United States and abroad who are seeking to acquire entrepreneurial skills to help start and grow a business.