Marta Escañuelas, MERCI Executive Director, will be installed as President of the East Los Angeles-Montebello Business and Professional Women (BPW) on Wednesday, May 28th dinner meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel Restaurant, 888 Montebello Blvd., Rosemead (Networking starts at 4:30 P.M. with dinner to be selected from the menu to start before 5:00 P.M. Price depends on what the person orders from the menu). The program and dinner is open to all interested people. Call or E-mail Linda Wilson (626) 307-5650 or lindalwilson@juno.com to make a reservation or for questions.

Marta Escañuelas has been the Executive Director of MERCI since 2005. MERCI provides people with severe to profound developmental disabilities an education in life skills and an opportunity to maximize their independence. Working with an architect and a construction company, last year she completed building a new group home. Next door is the partially completed classrooms and office buildings at MERCI’s 525 N. Chandler site in Monterey Park. She is continuing to work on raising $500,000 in funds to complete the other buildings with grants, fundraisers and donations. Escañuelas is a graduate of Chino High School, has a B.A. from California State University, Northridge and an M.B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management from American Jewish University.
Marjory Hopper, Vice President of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women, will be the installing officer. In addition to Escañuelas being installed as President, Nancy Arcuri, publisher of THE CITIZEN’S VOICE, will be installed as Vice President; Karen Roberson, Chair of the Board of Family Promise of San Gabriel Valley, will be installed as Secretary; Bea Palas, retired Stock Broker, will be installed as Treasurer. Sally McMahon, Public Policy Chair for the California Federation of Business and Professional Women and a member of the League of Women Voters, will do a pros and cons presentation on the two ballot issues on the State’s June primary ballot.

East Los Angeles-Montebello BPW is a member of the California Federation and also a member of EPW-USA and BPW International. BPW is the oldest organization of its kind in the world; devoted entirely and actively to the interests and needs of all women irrespective of their occupations and of their status. Our mission is to achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information. Today, we continue the fight for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, the ratification of the CEDAW treaty and equal pay for women. Membership is open to anyone who supports this and other items on our Public Policy Statement.