Our Members Tell Our Story

Dianne Patterson: IWF has been a constant in my life since 1990 when I was inducted into the first class of the Dallas Forum. For 10 years, I served on that board in nearly every capacity ending my tenure as president during our 10th Anniversary Year, 2000. That decade took me to every national and international conference IWF held throughout the world. In that time, our amazing organization became a never- ending source of friendship and inspiration because of the outstanding members. Now I am retired, and my husband and I live in three cities: Dallas, New York, and San Francisco where I am a member of all the Forums. Read more.

Legacy Foundation

Giving as a Community: By coming together to share knowledge as well as our capital
Elaine Petrocelli joined IWF over 20 years ago and remains passionate about what IWF does for women. As a “woman who makes a difference,” Elaine believes that books provide a great way to connect women—in fact, she hosts The IWF Marin Book Club at Corte Madera Book Passage. Elaine presents over 1,000 author events per year at Book Passage! Elaine gives back to IWF in a very special way by hosting members at Book Passage in the Ferry Building each December and donating a percentage of the sales to the Legacy Foundation. Elaine deeply cares about “bringing women forward to knowledge” and she finds joy in supporting Legacy. Read more.