Sedalia Business Women

The October Sedalia Business Meeting was under the direction of the Legislative Committee, Sara Bugg, chair. The guest speaker was Megan Page, Pettis County Clerk.

Governor Kehoe appointed Megan as Pettis County Clerk. She gave an interesting and informative presentation about her duties as Pettis County Clerk. The clerk has a long list of duties, in addition to elections. Some of the responsibilities included to sign and certify commission minutes, proclamations, monthly collector reports, school audit documentation, and many other duties that none of us suspected was a part of the tasks assigned to the office.

Megan donated her speaker’s honorarium to the Boys & Girls Club.

Dr. Brent Bates from State Fair Community College spoke about the upcoming tax levy. The tax levy will help the college obtain their mission and meet their goals and objectives.

SFCC serves as a source of solutions, opportunities, and community enrichment. SFCC students enter the job field equipped with the technical and essential skills employers seek.

Business Women’s Week will be celebrated October 19-26. The week will begin with the Annual Chicken Dinner Sunday October 19. Monday will be lunch with Rotary and the Mayor’s Proclamation signing. The past presidents’ dinner is on Tuesday. Wednesday is friendship lunch at Mazzio’s. Thursday is a pumpkin painting party at the Garlich Activity Center. Friday donations for the president’s chosen non-profits will be finalized. Saturday is a dinner social at the Sedalia Country Club. The week ends with church with President Debbie Ulmer at Broadway Presbyterian Church.

Photos from the Chicken Dinner and Business Women’s Week can be found on their respective pages on the Sedalia Business Women’s Website.

Paddle Party!

The September meeting of Sedalia Business Women was called to order by President Debbie Ulmer. Joyce Grinstead led the invocation.

After the Club Collect and the Pledge of Allegiance, Jamie Anderson introduced the guests.

Valerie Dent, chair of the Career Advancement Committee presented the SBW scholarships to Alyssa Fowler, Romina Sambilay, and Reginna Brennan.

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The scholarship recipients were the guest speakers. Alyssa Fowler obtained her Associates Degree in Health Science from State Fair Community College. After passing her Boards, she obtained her Bachelor’s in Health Science with Occupational Therapy Assistant from Belmont University. She is now juggling online classes with home life and travels to Nashville to complete labs and exams.

Romina Sambilay is a native of Guam and earning her Associates in Allied Health-Dental Hygiene from State Fair Community College. After obtaining her Bachelor’s in biology or chemistry, she plans to transfer to dental school to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS).

Regiena Brennan is a Smith-Cotton High School graduate and earned her BA in English Literature from Grand Canyon University. Her goal is to complete her post-graduate degree in teaching from Missouri State University.

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Debbie Fillinger was presented with a 50-year membership award of a Lifetime Membership. Congratulations, Debbie!

The September Dinner Meeting was under the direction of the Telephone Committee. Lori Haney drew the numbers for the Annual Paddle Party. The members were used their paddles to place fifty-cent bids on great prizes.

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The new logo was presented and passed around to the membership,

After several announcements, the meeting was adjourned.

The August 7 Dinner Meeting of Sedalia Business Women was under the direction of the Scholarship/Foundation Committee, Robin Balke and Valerie Dent, co-chairs.

Valerie Dent introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Brent Bates who is in his fourth year as president of State Fair Community College and his 23^rd year serving State Fair Community College. His career spans almost 40 years working as a community college faculty member and administrator.

Dr. Bates spoke about the educational opportunities for women. He said that 71% of the students were women. He said that the dental hygienist and health sciences were mostly women. The ROI (return on investment) on higher education is higher earning power for years of education. SFCC has a strong trades program. By 2030, 66% of jobs will require training beyond high school.

The Scholarship winners will be announced at the September 4 Communications Committee annual Paddle Party.

Debbie Ulmer called the July meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Joyce Grinstead gave the invocation. Debbie Ulmer led the Club Collect, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Lori Haney introduced the guests.

The July membership was under the direction of the Executive Committee chaired by President Debbie Ulmer. The Executive Committee is charged with enforcing all duties and responsibilities previously prescribed, exhibit leadership, educate members on club activities, illicit a spirit of cooperation among members, and mentor future leaders within SBW.

The guest speakers were the Committee Chairs. This was an opportunity to pass on information and learn the expectations of the position held and to exchange ideas. They gave new members ideas as to how to hold meetings and how to prepare. It was very informative.

Lori Haney made a motion to get bids for our rebranding. Debbie Ulmer will speak to the three vendors for the bids.

The next dinner meeting will be under the direction of the Scholarship/Foundation Committees, Robin Balke and Valerie Dent co-chairs.

The meeting was adjourned with the Emblem Benediction at 7:50 p.m.

The June meeting was under the direction of the Finance Committee, Michelle Franklin, chair. President Debbie Ulmer called the meeting to order at 6:30 at the Shrine Multipurpose Building. Joyce Grinstead gave the invocation. Carolyn Green introduced the guests.

Jeff Wimann of the Lions Club spoke briefly concerning the opportunity for Sedalia Business Women to have their name on a sign being erected on the west side of town on Highway 50. The City of Sedalia has donated land to the Lions Club for the “Welcome” sign with 12 service clubs listed. Sedalia Business Women can have their name on the sign for a one-time cost of $1,000. The Board recommended having our club listed on the sign and the membership unanimously voted to approve the cost of the sign.

The guest speaker was Dr. Misty Todd who presented an interesting and informative program. Dr. Todd is the program director for implementing Missouri’s first Rural Training Track Residency in Family Medicine Program, now in its fourth year at Bothwell Regional Health Center. Lori Wightman, CEO Bothwell Regional Health Center, also spoke briefly.

Michelle Franklin, Finance Committee chair, proposed the SBW budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.  After discussion, the membership voted to approve the budget.

New name tags have been ordered for the members with the new teal colored logo.

Jamie Anderson won the wreath donated by Krista Eschbacher. The $66 raised will be donated to Community Café.

The SBW social will be at the Wildlife Ridge Winery on June 28. The New Theater outing will be on September 20^th.

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Officers Installed

Debbie’s Presidental Message

I have selected Support, Encourage and Compliment as my theme for my year as your 2025-2026 President.

If you look in the dictionary, the word “support” means to agree with, approve of, or encourage someone or something. As members, we support each other through agreement approvement and encouragement.

The word “encourage” means to:

      1.         Inspire with courage, spirit, or hope; hearten.

      2.         Make someone more determined, hopeful, or confident.

      3.         Make something more appealing or more likely to happen.

I see the encouragement of our members by our involvement in so many community activities and increase in membership our members sponsor throughout the year.

The word “compliment” is an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration. It is a comment intended to express praise or admiration of someone. As members, we compliment each other by our involvement and input that has made and still makes our organization the success it has been since 1923.

The Organization has supported, encouraged, and complimented me to do more than I thought I ever could and I am humbled and proud to once again be installed as your president for the 2025-2026 year.

I would encourage you as members to support, encourage, and compliment each other, and let’s increase our membership through those very same words.

Thank you, Debbie Ulmer, 2025-2026 President

The 2025-2026 SBW Officers

The focus of the May 1 Dinner Meeting was the installation of the 2025-2026 President Debbie Ulmer and the officers.

This was Sedalia Business Women’s first meeting as a separate entity having left Business Women of Missouri.

Presiding over her last dinner meeting during her term as 2024-2025 SBW President Janice Cones gave the welcome to the May dinner meeting.

The 2024-2025 BWM President Michelle Sparks presented membership awards to members who had recruited new members. The SBW Club received a member retention award.

Former SBW President Lori Haney was the presiding officer of the 91^st SBW president, Debbie Ulmer and the officers.

 In honor of May Day, Rhoda Moore had prepared a May Pole and beautiful table decorations.

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The Business Women of Missouri Prayer Breakfast held a prayer breakfast Saturday, March 25, 9:30am, at the Fox Theater-104 E 5th St, Sedalia. Pastor Ann Kyle provided an interesting program about women’s role in church leadership.

The SBW 100-year anniversary celebration and Hazel Palmer portrait dedication was held Saturday, March 25, 10:30am, in the lobby of the Pettis County Courthouse. A sizable crowd attended the event at the courthouse.

Pettis County Historian, Becky Imhauser, portrayed Hazel Palmer to tell her life story. The chair on display during the event once sat in Hazel’s office.

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Representative Brad Pollitt presented President Robin Balke with a House Resolution applauding the history, goals, and accomplishments of Sedalia Business Women and conveyed the legislative body’s most heartfelt best wishes as we celebrated our One Hundredth Anniversary.

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Mayor Andrew Dawson presented SBW with a proclamation in honor of the 100-year Anniversary of the Club.

President Robin Balke and Committee Chair Dianne Simon unveiled the portrait of Hazel Palmer, a former BPW local president, state president, and national president. The 40×30 oil painting on masonite in a Louis XV-style parcel gilt and antique white painted frame, is based on a campaign photo of Ms. Palmer taken in 1958. Once completed, it hung in the headquarters of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women in Washington, D.C., before NFBPW gifted the painting to Pettis County in April-1991, in honor of Hazel’s esteemed career and accomplishments as a female trailblazer.

At the time the portrait was gifted to Pettis County, Hazel was 88 years old and resided at the Kensington-Bothwell, which was a senior living facility at that time. When Hazel died in May-2002 at the age of 98, her portrait had hung in the courthouse for several years until it was moved to the Pettis County Historical Society & Museum in the mid-2000s, along with artifacts from the courthouse lobby. The portrait was on display at the museum until returning to the courthouse Saturday, March 25, 2003.

Members of the Sedalia Business Women and the Business Women of Missouri were acknowledged. Missouri Senator Sandy Crawford, Representative Brad Pollitt, Pettis County Commissioners Israel Baeza, and Jim Marcum, Sedalia Mayor Andrew Dawson, and Sedalia Councilmen Tom Oldham and Chris Marshall, were in attendance, as well as current and previous judges and attorneys.

A light lunch was served at the Fox Theater following the courthouse program. Pastor Candice Fowler of First United Methodist Church sang an inspiring rendition of the Lord’s Prayer.