GWA, Inc.'s purpose is to increase performance and effectiveness of organizations and individuals of corporate, non-profit organizations and government agencies to manage more effectively in today's dynamic work environment. Dr. Williams, President/CEO of Goeins-Williams Associates, Inc. is one of six business women profiled in the June Edition.   Got a Plan? If you are working from a strategic plan and you are part of a government, non profit or business organization in the region, chances are that Dr. Devona has had a hand in facilitating that planning process.  This year marks 20 years in business for Dr. Devona Williams who founded Goeins-Williams Associates, Inc., (GWA) in 1986 to “help organizations achieve greater productivity in strategic work environments”.  Headquartered in Clayton, Delaware, GWA has grown into a nationally recognized successful performance consulting firm with a team of associates and a host of other services in addition to strategic planning including: assessment, focus groups, facilitation, organizational and individual development. GWA has helped nearly 40,000 individuals in hundreds of organizations increase their effectiveness.   As a motivational speaker, author and consultant, Williams believes the most satisfying aspect of running her business is to help individuals and organizations overcome challenges by improving processes, and performance and seeing recommended changes implemented.  GWA is a result of her lifelong desire to succeed as a professional management consultant.  In her new book to be released this summer, The Intentional Consultant, Dr. Williams reveals her secrets to success and useful steps to consider for those who intentionally plan to have a career as a business consultant.  Dr. Williams Assumes Post as         Chair of Past Presidents, NAWBO- Delaware Chapter Dr. Devona Williams, President/CEO of GWA moves into her new role as Chair of the Presidents' Council of the National Association of Women Business Owner's (NAWBO) Delaware Chapter.  Williams transitioned into the new role at the Annual Meeting in May.  The role of the President's Council is to provide leadership and strategic guidance for the Chapter leadership. Williams was the 2008-2009 Chapter President of the Delaware Chapter. In 2006, Williams was named NAWBO Member of the Year with the NAWBO Denver Chapter where she served as a Director from 2004-2006. What do Nokia and Coca Cola have in common? Nokia, Finland and Coca Cola purchased the Spice of Life®,” Card Deck training tool for trainers and leaders of workplace diversity and inclusion.  Introduced in 2003 and now in its second printing, the SOL Diversity Card Tool with 48 cards in the deck fosters interactive dialog on work place diversity topics.  Most cards pose questions or prompt group activities in content areas: Knowledge, Understanding, Acceptance and Behavior.  The 24 page Expanded Facilitator's Guide, introduced in 2006, offers suggested answers to each of the cards. Users will be pleased to see numbered cards in the deck that correspond to the Expanded Facilitator's Guide for quick and easy reference.  The popular Ouch! card is now available in packs of 10. The Spice of Life card deck and Expanded Facilitator’s Guide can be ordered as a Trainer’s Kit and other products can be ordered on the new product website for only $59.95 from Goeins-Williams Associates, Inc., at: www.spiceoflife cards.com.  Sold separately, the Card Deck is $49.95 and Expanded Facilitator Guide is only $19.95.  Shipping and handling costs are free for all on line orders.  All major credit cards are accepted. Designed for adults of all ages and occupations, the Spice of Life diversity training products are easy to use in a group setting. Delaware River & Bay Authority Makes Diversity a Priority: Recent Training Underscores Financial Benefits Using a diverse pool of suppliers saves money and promotes small businesses. That was the message Delaware River & Bay Authority employees heard during a recent training session conducted by regional consultants Goeins-Williams Associates. (Dr. Williams with DRBA Cape May Ferry employees in photo). Nearly twenty percent of the 23 million small businesses in the United States are owned by minorities, according to U.S. Census data. “Despite economic challenges, minority- and women-business enterprises are growing.  Minority businesses, for example, represent a quarter of all firms yet receive only 1% of corporate procurement,” says Devona Williams, Ph.D., “Supplier diversity policies are good strategies that yield bottom line benefits to businesses and provide added opportunities to diverse suppliers.”  The Delaware River & Bay Authority (DRBA) owns and operates the Delaware Memorial Bridge and Cape May-Lewes Ferry and manages five regional airport facilities, including ones in New Castle County, Delaware and Millville, New Jersey. Goeins-Williams Associates Goes Green GWA is pleased to announce its Green Policy which it formally adopted in June 2008 in recognition of the need to preserve resources and to be kinder to the environment.  Here is our 5 point plan: GWA emails all invoices to its customers and pay all bills electronically whenever possible GWA delivers all proposals and customer reports including summaries, studies electronically in PDF format unless desired otherwise GWA schedules teleconference call meetings for selected project work and team meetings in lieu of face to face meetings when it makes sense and does not impact the quality of communication GWA stores customer files electronically GWA recycles and reuses paper and other consumable supplies and equipment   Follow us on FaceBook! GWA Named TOP 100 MBE in the Region Goeins-Williams Associates, Inc., (GWA) is proud to announce that Dr. Devona Williams and GWA was selected to receive the prestigious Top 100 Minority Business® Enterprise Award November 2009 which was presented in a special ceremony at the University of Maryland.  In its fourth year, this program is designed to acknowledge and pay tribute to outstanding women and minority business owners in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia.  A panel of distinguished judges chose GWA from fourteen hundred nominations.  Selection was based on entrepreneurs who demonstrated outstanding achievement in four key areas:  entrepreneurship, client satisfaction, professional and community contributions. One of only two national recipients of the 2008 Federal Aviation Administration’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Advocate and Partner Award, the DRBA has made supplier diversity a priority throughout the organization.  One component of their supplier diversity strategy was to raise awareness among front-line employees. The DRBA reached out to Goeins-Williams Associates, which specializes in strategic planning, organizational development and performance improvement.   “It was very important for us to get this right the first time,” said Michael Schirmer, a DRBA engineer and training participant.(Mike Shirmer in photo, far right with Dr. Williams, Center and Victor Ferzetti, DRBA). “Goeins-Williams Associates helped us to make our unique supplier diversity training initiative successful.”