Montague Rotary Club Celebrates Businesswomen and Welcomes JEDI’s Nancy Swift to Spotlight Women’s Business Center

At the Montague Rotary Club’s meeting on March 18, 2025, the club celebrated local businesswomen by presenting certificates of accomplishment to Snow Thorner, Maiyaj Vang, Katy Popa, Sandy Vang, Kris Taylor, Tristen Holden, Charlynn Wilson, Mindy Vela and Nancy Swift. These awards recognized their significant contributions to the Montague business community, showcasing their leadership and impact in the region.

The event featured a special guest speaker, Nancy Swift, Executive Director of the Jefferson Economic Development Institute (JEDI). Swift delivered a presentation about the Women’s Business Center (WBC), a program under JEDI’s umbrella focused on empowering women entrepreneurs. Since its founding in 1997, JEDI has been dedicated to enhancing the economic well-being of people and communities in Northern California. Swift highlighted JEDI’s impressive track record: serving over 14,500 clients, supporting the launch of 1,200 businesses, helping access more than $18 million in funding, and creating or retaining at least 4,500 jobs for business owners and employees. More details about JEDI’s mission and impact can be found at www.jedieconomy.org.

During her talk, Swift emphasized the free resources available through JEDI and the WBC, including tax services accessible via vitajedi.org. She also announced the upcoming opening of the Mt. Shasta Farmers Market in May, alongside other free events designed to support entrepreneurs, such as workshops on credit building, business formation, digital marketing, money management, and virtual marketing. Swift also promoted the Siskiyou County Capital Summit, an annual event scheduled for April 22, 2025, encouraging attendees to learn more at www.wbcjedi.org or by calling 1-888-926-6670.

The combination of honoring local businesswomen and Swift’s presentation underscored the Montague Rotary Club’s commitment to fostering economic growth and supporting women in business, aligning with Rotary’s broader goals of community service and empowerment.