The Alternative Press

AAUW-NJ state President Sally Goodson was proud to give recognition to Sparta resident and AAUW Sussex County Branch member Sylvia Montero at the Hamburg Cava Winery on September 30th. “Make it Your Business Dare to Climb the Ladder of Leadership” is a book that Sylvia Montero has written about - her personal life’s journey.  It starts from the family’s plantation shack in Puerto Rico to the Projects of the Lower East Side of New York.  Montero talks of her rise to the highest ranking Latina in the history at Pfizer Inc, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, as head of their global Human Resources Unit. Her story speaks of challenges she had to overcome such as immigration, learning a second language, being a minority, poverty, failed marriage, single motherhood, failure, and layoff.  She also condensed her 30+ year career in Human Resources into themes that illustrate how to succeed in climbing this corporate ladder.

AAUW has acclaimed Sylvia Montero’s book nationally in their ¡Adelante! –  Book of the Month Club Selection for National Hispanic Heritage Month.  !Adelante! was launched in 1996  as part of AAUW's diversity outreach program.  

This is the second state AAUW event NJ state President Sally Goodson has organized at Cava Winery in Hamburg, NJ.  The northern area of AAUW-NJ has made some great accomplishments recently and Goodson felt Cava Winery provided an ideal atmosphere and location to celebrate.  Sally Goodson states owner Anthony Riccio has been very accommodating. Besides AAUW members, this recognition brought out members of many Sussex county area groups both political and nonprofits interested in diversity and women’s platform issues.   

President Sally Goodson states that besides having a local presence in the communities and counties of New Jersey with AAUW Branch locations, AAUW is gaining recognition on a national level and in cyber communities too.  All AAUW locations have ongoing interaction and a strong connection with their national headquarters in Washington DC who keeps them focused on their mission and designs and helps fund programs to be promoted through diverse venues nationwide.  AAUW is now a women’s empowerment organization that has a nationwide community of more than 150,000 members and supporters. AAUW's activism is galvanizing support for their work on issues that have been highlighted recently in many state and national political platforms.  AAUW gathers social activism on topics such as pay equity, access to health care, sexual harassment at work and school, student debt, bullying, sexual trafficking, the promotion of women in STEM fields and in elected and appointed public office.   Goodson further states AAUW affiliation has a big appeal to people who care about these issues and are seeking online ways to get involved.  AAUW provides social media channels and online outreach tools such as Care2, Change.org, and Two-Minute Activist, which allow supporters to take immediate action. AAUW's vision gives voice to their concerns and in turn their voices increase AAUW's power to effect change.  These venues are available as an AAUW benefit.   More information about AAUW can be found on-line at aauw.org