Rockford Sun

March is National Women’s Month and not only are there a number of events happening to honor the great women of Illinois, Rep. Tony McCombie is also accepting nominations to honor those who have done so much for the state.

“It’s national women’s history month and to honor that, I am going to recognize exceptional women in our community who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in our state,” McCombie wrote on Facebook. “I know we have an amazing network of women who are working hard every day to make positive change; the goal of this event is to not only recognize that, but celebrate it.”

McCombie is accepting nominations until April 1, which can be sent to her office by email at McCombie@ilhousegop.org. The email should include the nominee’s name and relation to who they are nominating, the nominee’s name and contact information including phone and email, and also a description for the reason for the nomination. The subject line should be “Women’s Recognition Event.”

According to Enjoy Illinois, Women’s History Month started when Congress asked that President Ronald Reagan declare the week beginning March 7, 1982, as Women’s History Week. Five years later in 1987, the National Women’s History Alliance petitioned Congress to name the month of March as Women’s History Month.

There are a variety of events occurring across the state in honor of Illinois women, according to the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. Some include DCEO Women HERstory Month Events, which include “women trailblazers who are leaders of industry, ranging from academia, financial institutions, hospitality, government, manufacturing, non-profits, and telecommunications.”

On March 23 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. there is a free virtual panel called “Empowering HER with Resources: How Illinois Supports Women-Owned Businesses.” It is moderated by Valeri Werpetinski, who is the associate director of Entrepreneurial Education for the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business, Origin Ventures Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership. There will be a number of participants including Goldman Sachs representatives, U.S. Small Business Administration, the Women’s Business Development Center, the Illinois Small Business Development Center (IL SBDC) and the Refinecltv.

A list of events can be found at cms.illinois.gov.