Women of Achievment honoree #2: Kim Knopf

Meet Kim Knopf, the second of this year’s 2009 YWCA Women of Achievement honorees and the second in our 4-week series of blog posts leading up to this inspirational event on February 19.

KIM KNOPF personifies the recipe for business success that says “take an idea and run with it.” Her drive and initiative shone through even in her high school years, where she was elected President of Student Council her senior year. After high school, she pursued a BA in International Studies at the University of Kentucky and involved herself in many social organizations including the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.

Kim’s innate entrepreneurship bloomed right out of college, when at the age of 23, she began to consider starting her own business. She answered an ad looking for people to sell mattresses and started investigating the bedding market. Spotting an untapped market in West Virginia, she moved to Charleston in August 1983 and opened her very first store in October of that year.

Knopf knew most businesses fail because they are undercapitalized, and she wanted to be sure she had sufficient capital. Her first investors were the parents of her then-boyfriend, whom she later married. She began with one small store, and had no full-time employees for the first full year. It was the first specialty sleep shop in the state – offering brand names, on-hand inventory, good service and the guaranteed lowest prices. Soon a buzz began to build about this unique store, and the rest was history.

For more than two decades, Kim has combined her innovative ideas and strong marketing presence with her dedication to customer service and community involvement. Today her company, Innovative Mattress Solutions, is a regional powerhouse – operating more than 75 stores in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. Kim has always believed in serving her community – holding leadership roles for several organizations including the Putnam County Rotary, the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, the Putnam Chamber of Commerce, and served in the Young President’s Organization for over twelve years.

Growing her business from the ground up has presented challenges, but Kim views challenges as opportunities to grow and learn. Her success has landed her profiles in several business publications, including Nation’s Business. Recently, she was chosen as a recipient of the 2008 Who’s Who in West Virginia Business and is a finalist in the 2008 Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Entrepreneur of the Year.

Women of Achievement honoree #1: Anita Casey

Meet Anita Casey, one of this year’s 2009 YWCA Women of Achievement honorees and the first in our 4-week series of blog posts leading up to this inspirational event on February 19. This year marks the 13th annual YWCA Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon, honoring the outstanding women in our community whose personal and professional achievements inspire and empower other women to strive for their highest goals.

Anita Casey boldly went where no woman had gone. Last year, she became the first female Executive Director of the West Virginia State Bar, following her successful 25-year law career. In her early years, this Charleston native received undergraduate degrees in english and education and a master’s degree in library science at the University of Kentucky. After working as a librarian early in her career, her growing interest in law landed her at WVU where she earned her law degree in 1982.

As a partner at what became MacCorkle, Lavender & Casey PLLC, Anita focused primarily on civil defense litigation and worked extensively as a mediator. She has conducted hundreds of mediations and arbitrations, both in her private practice and while serving as a panel member for United States Arbitration and Mediation, Resolute Systems Inc., JAMS/Endispute, and Justus/MANA. Her dynamic personality and unprecedented expertise landed her countless speaking engagements at the National Business Institute, WVU College of Law’s Continuing Legal Education Program, the WV State Bar, WV Trial Lawyers, the Defense Trial Counsel of WV, and Kanawha County Schools, among others. She was selected as a “Super Lawyer” in the West Virginia Super Lawyers magazine and was recognized four consecutive years (2005-2008) as one of the Best Lawyers in America.

Apart from her work in and out of the courtroom, Anita regularly volunteers with her church and her son’s Boy Scout troop. She also served as an officer for various athletic organizations and on the Keep-A-Child in School board of directors. Anita’s view of volunteerism as a natural extension of a lawyer’s responsibilities has prompted her to encourage more public service from the State Bar’s 6,300 members.

A Dream Realized

It took 25 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous speech “I Have a Dream” for his dream to become America’s reality. One day after we celebrate the brave and inspiring work of Dr. King, Americans will share in watching his dream come alive at our nation’s capital when president-elect Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.

Before we witness this historic day, we can celebrate Dr. King’s good works by attending one of many local events:
Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Rotunda “The Dream is Alive”
The Commisison, West Virginia State University, and West Virginia Division of Culture and History present an evening of entertainment in music and oratory to commemorate Dr. King’s dream and his legacy. Reception to follow.
· Monday, Jan. 19 at 8:30 a.m. there will be an ecumenical service at Asbury United Methodist Church, 501 Elizabeth Street
· Monday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. Governor’s Inaugural Parade - Ecumenical service attendees will join the Governor’s Inaugural parade at the corner of Elizabeth Street and Kanawha Boulevard.
· 1 p.m. Governor’s Inauguration Ceremony - There will be a bell ringing ceremony in remembrance of MLK Jr. will take place at the State Capitol. Reception to follow in the Cultural Center’s Great Hall.

It’s an encouraging day for us at the YWCA as we continue to work toward a world without racism. This Inauguration Ceremony is a tangible victory for civil rights leaders of the 60s and those of us today who continue striving to eliminate racism. The YWCA has a rich, proud history in our work of eliminating racism. On the national level, the YWCA’s efforts to eliminate racism date back to 1934 when the organization lobbied for members to speak out against lynching and mob violence, for interracial cooperation and for the basic civil rights of African Americans.

In our own community, the YWCA has joined other local organizations to host open forums to discuss issues of race, tolerance, peace and acceptance. This month, the YWCA is hosting an eliminating racism art contest. Some of the entries will be on display at the Clay Center for Arts and Sciences during Black History Month (Feb. 11-15).

As we near this historic day, many are reflecting on this day’s significance and how it affects them personally. The Charleston Gazette recently posed the question, “What does it mean to you to see the first black president of the United States?” to 25 members of our community. Their views are interesting. We encourage you to listen to their response and then answer the question yourself.

“What does it mean to YOU to see the first black president of the United States?”

Congress to Vote on Fair Pay

As one of the first actions of the new 111th Congress, the House is expected to vote on two important pieces of pay equity legislation in the very near future: the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. The national YWCA asks all supporters and advocates to please contact your Representative and tell them to vote yes on these important bills.

Though the Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1964, pay discrimination is still prevalent, and the Supreme Court has recently taken a backwards approach to handling these claims. Pay equity legislation is necessary to allow individuals to better fight pay discrimination strengthen penalties for violation, compel employers to explain wage gaps, and develop training for women and girls about salary negotiation.

With a record 70 million women in the workforce, wage discrimination hurts the majority of American families. In addition, wage discrimination lowers total lifetime earnings, reducing women’s benefits from Social Security and pension plans and inhibiting their ability to save not only for retirement but for other lifetime goals such as buying a home and paying for a college education.

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Labor unemployment statistics show that women tend to be hurt first and worst during economic downturns. Promoting the economic security of all Americans is critical, especially in these tough times, and equal pay for equal work is a necessary step towards achieving this goal. Passage of both the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would go a long way towards ensuring pay equity for American women and families.

Action: Call the Capitol Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative. Click here to find the name of your Representative.

Message: “My name is ____________ and I am a constituent. I strongly urge the Representative to vote yes on the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act when they come to the floor this week. I also urge you to vote against any attempts to weaken these bills, including any motion to recommit. Thank you.”

Using Art to Fight Racism

The following post was written by guest blogger Jeff James - Chairman of the volunteer action group Create WV and CEO of Mythology Marketing in Charleston. When Jeff heard about the upcoming YWCA Eliminating Racism Art Contest, he immediately posted the the entire event press release along with the following post on the Create WV blog, which is read by individuals across West Virginia and beyond.

The YWCA of Charleston is so grateful to Jeff and the Create WV team for their dedication to building and fostering creative communities across the state for success in the new economy. Their initiatives of entrepreneurship, arts and culture, education and talent, tolerance and diversity, technology, and quality of place, tie directly into the ideals of the YWCA of Charleston. With partnerships like this, we truly can make West Virginia a better place.

Using Art to Fight Racism - Many of us on the Create WV team believe that art can play a much more significant role in our state. At its best, art can not just affect the emotions and thoughts of individuals, but of entire communities or even societies. Art can tell the truth and rest untruth in ways that everyday conversation can't.

That's why we're excited about the way the YWCA of Charleston has decided to tap the power of art to achieve one of their organizational objectives, to eliminate racism. The team at the YWCA has shown their creativity and resourcefulness in many ways over the years, so this innovative event doesn't surprise us. But we do think its a good example of how we can all embrace the arts to spark change.

Please support this event, or better yet, steal it for your organization in your community! Great work YWCA.

Want to submit your artwork to the YWCA Eliminating Racism Art Contest? Read the event details here and download the submission form here.

• Age categories: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, College, Adult
• Art specifications: Any 2-dimensional piece of artwork no larger than 11" x 17" is eligible for the exhibit – including (but not limited to) paintings, sketches, posters and photography
• Artwork must be dropped off at the YWCA with a completed and signed submission form by Friday, January 30 at 5 pm.
• Prizes: A panel of three judges will choose a winner from each age category based on the piece’s creativity and representation of the theme. The overall "Best in Show" winning piece will be featured on the cover of the spring YWCA newsletter.

A little help from your friends

From time to time, we all need a little help from our friends. Here at the YWCA, we're very grateful for the support we receive all year from our friends at V100 radio station. Each January, Ric Cochran and our friends at V100 promote the annual Capitol Market & V100 Clothing Drive to benefit the YWCA Sojourner's Homeless Shelter.

Beginning Jan. 5 and running through Jan. 17th, Capitol Market will accept donations of like-new clothing, toys, food and home goods for the YWCA Sojourner's Shelter. On the 17th, a UPS Freight will deliver the goods -- generously donated by the community -- to Sojourners.

For the second year, Ric Cochran and friends will also support Sojourners with a benefit concert. The "Bread for The Journey" concert will feature the wonderful sounds of The Carpenter Ants at Baptist Temple Fellowship Hall on Friday, Jan. 9 from 7-9 p.m. Enjoy live music while you dine on brown beans and corn bread, all while knowing you're supporting homeless women and children in our community. Tickets are just $20 and can be purchased by calling Polly Robson at 757-6761 or the church office at 346-9627.

cutline: Ric Cochran and friends perform at the Lighthouse Cafe at Baptist Temple.