About Us

Pensacola Women's Alliance was formed in 1982 by Diane Miller and Isabella Grimes, two women who had learned about a new business connection for women that was expanding across the country. It was first named "Networking."

Diane and Isabella each asked five women from a cross-section of the business and volunteer community to join them to discuss forming a local networking organization. The first meeting of these 12 women was held in the Nautilus Chamber, located inside of the University of West Florida Commons. 

These 12 women were vitally interested in this concept and voted to meet once a month for lunch on Saturday. 

Over the course of a year, this small group formed a non-profit corporation called the Pensacola Network of Professional Women. That core group of women invite other women, and soon membership grew to 25. 

The organization focused on the reality that when women join networks, and benefit from them, the act has a ripple effect. 

Women need to support and encourage each other. Each time you help another woman, not only do you help all women, you also help yourself. 

In years since this organization has formed, the membership has grown into what is now the current day Pensacola Women's Alliance. 

PWA established a mentoring program for young women, and strong scholarship programs at the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College. 

PWA is not a fund-raising organization, instead we pay annual dues, and these dues have accumulated over the years allowing our surplus of funds to be used to establish those scholarships and continue to make annual contributions.