Upper Keys BPW

Connection

November 2025

Our mission is to achieve equity for all working women through advocacy, education and connections.

President's Message  ~  Local Events  ~  BPW/FL Happenings 
Opportunities  ~ Public Policy Corner ~  Member News

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Hi {Contact_First_Name}, 

We've been busy creating fresh new programs here at Upper Keys BPW, and I'm delighted to finally share what's in store for our members and our community!

REEF Grant Partnership

We've teamed up with Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) to cohost a series of FREE community events designed to expand access to arts and cultural experiences for working women and their families. All events will take place at the beautiful new REEF Ocean Exploration Center in Key Largo.

Be sure to save these dates on your calendar:

• Community Art Workshop (Saturday, December 6) - Drop in any time from 1-4 p.m. for a hands-on workshop, open to all ages. Participants will create mosaic pieces that will be used in a collaborative community sculpture to be installed at REEF. Get more details and register here.
  
  
• Exhibit Opening and Artist Reception with Sonata (Tuesday, February 3, 6 p.m.) - Come view the completed mosaic sculpture by renowned artist Sonata! BPW members and guests will enjoy a private artist's reception before the event opens to the general public. More details to come soon.

• BPW Networking Event with Child Programming (Tuesday, April 7, 6 p.m.) - Parents, enjoy a BPW-hosted networking event while your children explore what the center has to offer with REEF staff as their guides.

• Lionfish Keychain Making Workshop (Tuesday, May 5, 6 p.m.) - Try your hand at creating a keychain using lionfish spines while learning about this invasive species. 

Many thanks to the Florida Keys Council of the Arts for supporting this partnership through an Art Builds Community grant and making it possible to offer these experiences at no charge!

Introducing EMPOWERYOU 

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 7, and plan to join us for the inaugural Upper Keys BPW EMPOWERYOU event - a full day devoted to connecting and empowering the women in our community!

This premier event for local women will also be held at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, and will include:

• An inspiring keynote address
• Educational breakout sessions on three tracks: personal growth, professional development and political advocacy
• A women's business expo
• Health and wellness activities
• A Shark-Tank style business idea competition
• A closing networking reception

Sponsorship packages are available now, including an exclusive Presenting Partner opportunity that comes with top billing in all marketing and promotions as well as at the event. 

More details about the speakers, business expo, business idea competition and tickets are coming soon - watch your email inbox for updates or keep an eye on the event information page.

All of this, plus our regular programming, too! Scroll down to learn about our upcoming November and December events and other opportunities from BPW.

See you soon! In the meantime, feel free to reach out @bpwupperkeys@gmail.com. 

With gratitude,

Patricia Milian

President, Upper Keys BPW
bpwupperkeys@gmail.com

‪305.767.3928‬

P.S. With all that's in the works, what better time to join Upper Keys BPW and support our efforts to empower women? Our special membership offer has been extended through November 30 -- see details below or sign up here.

Join us for a premier event designed to connect, inspire and empower Upper Keys women!

Saturday, March 7 @ REEF Ocean Exploration Center

LOCAL EVENTS

Noon-1:30pm
Captain Craig's Restaurant ~ Tavernier

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🍂 Latest Updates from BPW

🍂 New Member Induction

🍂 Gateway to Giving Season:
Hear from our Nonprofit Members

🍂 "Shares & Cares"
A chance for everyone to share
what's new and what you're grateful for,
while raising a few dollars for our programs!
(Optional donations of any amount are accepted.)

Thank you to our event sponsor:

Join your Upper Keys BPW friends
for a screening of Wicked for Good

Sunday, November 23
at the Tavernier 5 Theater
3:30 pm matinee

Buy your own ticket and meet us there!

 RSVP HERE
to receive an email reminder.

8 a.m. via Zoom

Start your day by sharing something good - and catch up on the latest news from BPW members and friends - while sipping your morning coffee. (Come as you are, even if that means pajamas and wet hair... this is a no-judgment zone!)

SIGN UP HERE

Sat, December 6 - Drop-In Event: Community Art Workshop

with renowned mosaic artist Sonata

1-4 p.m.
REEF Ocean Exploration Center ~ Key Largo

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FREE ~ ALL AGES

Register here to receive an email reminder.

This event was made possible through an "Art Builds Community" grant awarded by the Florida Keys Council of the Arts to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) in partnership with Upper Keys BPW. 

In case you missed it...

On Wednesday, October 15, Upper Keys BPW gathered at the Pilot House to honor National Business Women’s Week with an inspiring evening celebrating the accomplishments of working women in our community.

Members came together to recognize our 2025 Woman of the Year, Lori Bailey, and 2025 Business of the Year, Beyond the Barre Fitness (owned by Bernice Dionne), along with all of the deserving nominees and the recipients of our fall adult women’s scholarships. Click here to see more photos.

L to R: Patricia Milian, Upper Keys BPW President; 2025 Woman of the Year nominees Bernice Dionne, Adriana Cuomo and Elizabeth Brown; Lori Bailey, 2025 Woman of the Year; and Bonnie Barnes, Upper Keys BPW President-Elect.

Follow us on your favorite social media platform for the latest
news and event updates from Upper Keys BPW:

BPW FLORIDA HAPPENINGS

OFFER EXTENDED THRU NOVEMBER!

Join Upper Keys BPW by November 30 and get two extra months added to your first-year membership! Click here for more information.

Not an Upper Keys resident? Visit BPWFL.org to see the list of other local organizations around the state or join as a Florida member-at-large.

Applications now being accepted for
BPW/FL Education Foundation grants

These need-based scholarships, funded by the nonprofit arm of BPW/FL, are for women who live in Florida and are pursuing certificate programs at any Florida state college or university. Three grants are currently available for the Spring term (starting in January). Learn more and apply here. 

Members-Only
Book Club Meeting

Wed, 11/19 @ 6 p.m. via Zoom

Now available: 

BPW Florida t-shirts, water bottles, mugs, stickers and more! VISIT THE STORE.

OPPORTUNITIES

Co-sponsor our January 15 luncheon

$100 for members

$150 for non-members

To make event sponsorship affordable for small businesses, we're offering a co-sponsor opportunity for our January 15 luncheon, where the featured topic will be succeeding as a small business in the Florida Keys.

We'll welcome up to three co-sponsors, who will each receive:

• Prominent logo placement in all event announcements and the BPW monthly newsletter sent to our email list of 450+ members and local residents
• Brand mention and tags in our social media event pages and posts promoting the event 
• One promotional e-mail to our list before or after the event
• Opportunity to share promotional materials or samples on a shared table at the event
• Opportunity to speak to attendees (one minute each)  

Please note, entry to the event is separate.

Secure your spot by sending an email to: bpwupperkeys@gmail.com. 

Sponsorship fees support our Adult Women's Scholarship Fund and other BPW programs designed to empower local working women.

Send an email blast
to 450+ local residents

Got a business or product to promote? An event you want to get the word out about? Reach our active mailing list of over 450 BPW members and supporters in the Upper Keys. 

E-blast prices:

$25 - Members 

$40 - Non-members

Purchase your ad in our online store to get the process started.

Questions? Send us an email at bpwupperkeys@gmail.com.

PUBLIC POLICY CORNER

Public Policy Committee Update

The Public Policy Committee met this past week to revisit our goals and discuss opportunities to stay current on policy issues of interest to our membership. We agreed that continued education and awareness is paramount to our mission and invite any members who are passionate about these issues, and their impact on working women, to join the BPW Public Policy Committee to share your insights on this important work. 

BPW Public Policy Platform

As a reminder to members, the BPW/FL Public Policy Platform is reviewed annually by the state Public Policy Committee, and any proposed changes are presented for adoption at the annual State Conference in June. All members have the opportunity to participate in crafting the platform each year. This platform serves as a blueprint for our work in respect, justice and equality for working women.

The BPW/FL platform includes:

1. Economic Equity, Opportunity & Self-Sufficiency
2. Health Care
3. Voting Rights & Access

Legislative Update

The Florida School Readiness Program provides financial assistance to low-income families for early education and care so parents can work and children will be ready for school. Early Learning Coalitions, partner agencies and Chambers of Commerce across the state advocated for increasing the income threshold that determines eligibility for this program from 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 65% of the State Median Income (SMI), as SMI better reflects the trends of Florida's economy. However, as of the 2025 legislative sessions, the approved threshold is 55% of SMI, which does not cover families earning the minimum wage.

During a Monroe County legislative delegation meeting hosted this week by District 120 Representative Jim Mooney, Public Policy Chair Margie Smith advocated on behalf of Upper Keys BPW for increasing the threshold to 65% of SMI. While we appreciate the legislature's investment in early learning and workforce readiness, the 55% threshold leaves out many families earning minimum wage who need this support, especially in Monroe County. 

The committee will continue to provide updates in future newsletters to keep everyone informed.

Interested in joining the committee? Contact Margie Smith at the email address below or send an email to bpwupperkeys@gmail.com.

Margie Smith
Upper Keys BPW Public Policy Chair
margieinkeys@gmail.com

MEMBER NEWS

Atta Girls!

Do you know of a BPW member who recently achieved a personal or professional goal or milestone? (Maybe it was you!) We'd love to know about it so we can highlight it here. Send an email to bpwupperkeys@gmail.com.

Renewing Members in October 2025

Glad you're still with us!

• Whitney MacEachern, member since 2018
• Megan Scallan, member since 2024
• Lynda Weinstein, member since 2020
• Suzi Youngberg, member since 2015

New & Returning Members in October 2025

Welcome, we can't wait to get to know you!

• Erin Allison, Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center
• Terry Canto, Realtor
• Sophie Costa 
• Chesley Davis, REEF Environmental Education Foundation
• Gabriela Dominguez, Avanteins Insurance
• Cynthia Gephart, Impeccably Gourmet Catered
• Emma Haydocy, Tender Tides Birth
• Daniela Merrell, First Horizon Bank
• Manuela Mobley, Keys Weekly
• Lisa Siegel
• Kristina Selstrom Powell, KSP Summit Consulting
• Becky Wagner, Oracle

Members:

Do you need a BPW name badge?

If your BPW name badge is MIA or has seen better days -- or you chose not to order one when you first joined -- we have good news!

You can easily order a name badge for $18 via the link below (or from the "Contact" page on the website). Orders are placed once a month, at the beginning of each month.

Newsletter Archive

Access past issues in our Upper Keys BPW Newsletter Archive.

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