Co-founders Pauline Shirley and Teresa Smith founded WOVI, Inc. in July 2001 as Women of Vision International. (In October 2003 the Executive Committee formally approved the name change to WOVI.) WOVI is an organization of and for women offering mentoring, education and leadership development.
Our mission is to inform, enhance, enrich, and inspire the promotion of women throughout the world.
It is the vision of WOVI to be a worldwide organization developing, distinguishing and promoting women around the globe. Meet our dynamic and illustrious founders.
Pauline Shirley, President of Leaders on Fire, a company dedicated to the mission of motivating, inspiring and educating leaders to bring out the best in themselves and others, is a leadership consultant and speaker. A member of Toastmasters International, she served as International President in 1994-95 — the second woman to hold that position. She is a member of National Speakers Association, Director and Board Member of NSA/NT, Member of ASTD, and 2004 President of Dallas ASTD, She and her husband, JD, have a daughter, Terri Shirley-Summerhayes, a son, John D. Shirley, Jr., and eight almost perfect grandchildren.
Teresa Smith is employed by Southwest Airlines and is based in Orlando, Florida. She is certified in business etiquette and owns her own company called Professional Etiquette Solutions. She has served on the Board of Directors for the American Society for Training and Development – Dallas (ASTD-Dallas. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Relations and Business and a Master of Arts degree in Professional Development. She resides in Orlando, Florida with her husband, Sean.
The Founding Advisory Board brought WOVI to an exciting beginning in October 2001 and a successful formal inauguration in January 2002.
In addition to the Co-founders, the members of the Founding Advisory Board are: Ellen Biggs, Mary Boyd, Pat Gallagher, Jennifer Johnson, Sandy Palisch, Diane Sajwaj, Angela Warr, Janet Wilemon, Evelyn Young.
