“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

– Dolly Parton

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”

-Sheryl Sandberg

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

– Eleanor Roosevelt

“I was smart enough to go through any door that opened.”

– Joan Rivers

“Change equals self improvement. Push yourself to places you haven’t been before.”

– Pat Summitt

    Executive Women’s Association

    Executive Women’s Association (EWA) was founded in 1979 for the purpose of affording mutual support; facilitating common education from sharing information, experience and ideas; enhancing the potential of women executives; enabling women to attain leadership positions in the community; and encouraging women to aspire to the highest career goals. When EWA was founded, there were very few professional women in the Knoxville area. Our original membership consisted of approximately 15 to 20 members.

    Today the makeup of Knoxville’s workforce has grown to include many more women in top ranking positions and EWA has grown to include more than 180 members, but our organization’s primary purpose remains the same – to provide networking opportunities for professional women. We take in no more than 10 new members each year, and selecting the top 10 candidates is always challenging because we have so many strong nominations.


    Things to Know About EWA
    • Membership is by invitation only. Nominations may be made by current members in good standing and are accepted from November through January. No more than 10 candidates will be permitted to join in any calendar year.
    • The EWA mailing address is: P.O. Box 50873, Knoxville, Tennessee 37950
    • Members are expected to attend at least four meetings per year, and EWA’s year runs from July – June.
    • The cost for guests and emeritus members is $40.00 per meeting. Guests may only attend at the invitation of a current member.
    • Members who make reservations but are unable to attend will also be expected to pay $40.00 to cover the cost of lunch. Each member will be allowed one “free” missed reservation each year. The cost for other missed meetings will be billed at the conclusion of the fiscal year.