--- title: "Monday Buzz: The Women Who Rule DC" id: "31000" type: "post" slug: "monday-buzz-the-women-who-rule-dc" published_at: "2015-11-16T21:16:59+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T15:01:07+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/11/16/monday-buzz-the-women-who-rule-dc/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/11/16/monday-buzz-the-women-who-rule-dc.md" excerpt: "Association executives take a bigger role on a magazine's list of the powerful women in Washington, DC. Also: How one museum got beacons working." taxonomy_category: - "Executive Leadership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Leadership" - "Washington" - "women in film" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Monday Buzz: The Women Who Rule DC What do the leaders of the National Restaurant Association (NRA), CTIA: The Wireless Association, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the American Public Power Association (APPA), and the American Beverage Association (ABA) have in common with Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser? Simply put, *The Washingtonian* says they rank among the “most powerful women in Washington.” The chief executives of the groups—the NRA’s Dawn Sweeney, CTIA’s Meredith Attwell Baker, GMA’s Pamela Bailey, APPA’s Sue Kelly, and ABA’s Susan K. Neely, CAE—are among the many leading executives within the association space that hold a spot on the magazine’s latest edition of the list. (Many of the leaders also have direct ties to ASAE: Sweeney and Neely are also ASAE board members, and Neely is ASAE’s immediate past chair of the board.) The list could be seen as a sign of the expanding role and influence of female leaders within the association space; the last time *The Washingtonian* compiled this list, in 2013, just GMA’s Bailey was included. “It’s no surprise that Washington produces, attracts, and rewards smart women,” [the magazine’s Leslie Milk wrote (opens in a new tab)](http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/power-players/the-most-powerful-women-in-washington-dc.php) . “What is surprising is the number of new women in power positions since Washingtonian’s last list of most powerful women in 2013.” This year’s list also features association leaders prominent within the Washington local area, such as Northern Virginia Technology Council President and CEO Bobbie Greene Kilberg, as well as some successful lobbyists, such as Alissa Fox of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Check out the full list [on the Washingtonian website (opens in a new tab)](http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/power-players/the-most-powerful-women-in-washington-dc.php) . ### Making Beacons Work > Interesting look at real-world [#iBeacon (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/iBeacon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > deployment at [@brooklynmuseum (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/brooklynmuseum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > – [https://t.co/A6beJU2Wbp (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/A6beJU2Wbp) > > via [@shell7 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/shell7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/jsv0iWcx7s (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/jsv0iWcx7s) > > — Rob Whiting 📓 (@whitingx) [November 16, 2015 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/whitingx/status/666322626525175808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **In the event space,** beacons that directly interact with smartphones have been a buzzy idea for a while, though the complexities of making them work have made uptake relatively slow. If you’re thinking about trying something similar at your own event, you may want to check out what the Brooklyn Museum [says about its experiences with installing the devices on a wide scale (opens in a new tab)](https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2015/02/04/the-realities-of-installing-ibeacon-to-scale/) . Simply put: It’s harder than it looks. “In trying to install beacons throughout our building we’ve faced many challenges,” writes Shelley Bernstein, the museum’s vice director of digital engagement and technology. “While the solution remains lightweight and flexible, there’s a lot of overhead to deal with.” Nonetheless, the museum’s experience could prove fruitful for those looking to experiment with the technology themselves. ### Other Links of Note **It’s all about the words you use:** Over at Frank J. Kenny’s blog, Christina Green suggests you use [“trigger words” to drive membership (opens in a new tab)](http://frankjkenny.com/using-trigger-words-to-increase-chamber-membership/) . **“So in case you were wondering,** there is actual historical theory that explains the generations.” Author and consultant Jamie Notter [explains some of that theory (opens in a new tab)](http://www.socialfish.org/2015/11/jamie-post/) on *SocialFish*. **Like living on the edge?** If so, you might be interested in downloading the beta version of Chrome for iOS, which Google recently made available. [LifeHacker explains how you can get a copy (opens in a new tab)](http://lifehacker.com/sign-up-for-the-chrome-beta-on-ios-1742356574) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Washington](https://associationsnow.com/tag/washington/) [#women in film](https://associationsnow.com/tag/women-in-film/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoAmerican Geophysical Union: Standing Up for Science: AGU’s Year of Action for Scientists and SocietySeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-geophysical-union-standing-up-for-science-agus-year-of-action-for-scientists-and-society/) - [VideoInt. 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