The Advocate

After receiving the 2003 Virginia Women in Business Advocate of the Year award from the Small Business Administration in late May, Claire Guthrie Gastańaga began her acceptance speech by saying, "it's nice to be told for once to stand up for something rather than to sit down and be quiet."

Gastańaga is the principal of CG˛ Consulting, a firm that provides services such as consulting and training for schools, nonprofit organizations and trade associations, business representation and business development for women and minority-owned businesses and government relations. She received a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, served as Deputy Attorney General for the commonwealth from 1986-1993 and from 1993-1994, she was the first woman to serve as Virginia's Chief Deputy Attorney General. She has served as interim president of Chatham College in Pennsylvania and she is a founding member of the boards of two statewide women's organizations in Virginia – Make Women Count, a bipartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to assuring that women have a voice in Virginia government, and The Virginia Foundation for Women, a nonprofit organization that promotes the welfare of women and girls through education, collaboration, outreach and leadership. In addition to the SBA award, Gastańaga assumed the role of president of the Richmond chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners on June 10.

Coming from a lineage that includes a grandmother, for whom she is named, who was the first woman to serve as a statewide committee member for the Republican Party in New Jersey and a father who was recognized for his advocacy for women and minorities in the military, Gastańaga considers herself an advocate by blood and by upbringing. The eldest of six children, Gastańaga was born in London, England and says she grew up with the Army. She attended elementary school in Annandale at a time when schools were racially segregated and graduated from Annandale High School at a time when Virginia colleges were gender segregated.

She made time in her schedule to talk with us about some of her accomplishments. What does this award signify?

For me, personally, I thought it was great that the SBA recognized that advocacy was a good thing. It's obviously quite flattering because it's qualitative meaning that my advocacy has been effective and has made a difference. What was your role and your motivation for helping to form Make Women Count and The Virginia Foundation for Women?

In both instances I was one of a number of women who got together and saw a need to create the organizations. I think that having women participate in making public policy makes a difference. To have a discussion about important issues whether it's tax reform or parole reform, women deserve to be at the table so that their different perspectives can be represented. With Make Women Count, a legislative study of the barriers to the formation, financing and operation of women-owned businesses was conducted and followed by legislation to implement the results of the study. What was the purpose of that study?

The purpose of the study in 1995, was to find out why women-owned businesses did not seem to be growing like their counterparts in other states. One of the things the study identified as a problem was access to capital. This continues to be an issue today. That's why Richmond NAWBO supported legislation in 2000 calling for a new study of the effectiveness of Virginia's women's business certification and advocacy programs. Subsequently, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance established a women's business advisory council to evaluate the needs and challenges facing women-owned businesses.

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You have been involved with the Richmond chapter of the National Association of Women Owned Businesses (NAWBO) for the past five years, serving as a member, government relation’s chair and as international chair. Was becoming president a natural evolution for you?

I was asked to serve as president-elect. Becoming president was sort of automatic after that. To have the confidence of your peers is always the highest compliment you can receive. What are some of the objectives of NAWBO?

NAWBO’s goal is to fully represent the diverse make-up of the women business owner community through increased representation within ethnic and minority communities and to expand access to leadership opportunities. We also help our smaller business retail members connect directly with members of the public in terms of bringing their services direct attention. We don’t limit any kind of business. Have you seen noticeable progress in access for women-owned businesses since you started your work?

It's an ongoing process. There's a clear recognition both in public and private procurement that companies and agencies haven't done a good job. What I'm hoping to do this year is to raise the issues of the challenges that women-owned businesses face. What has been your greatest accomplishment to date?

Being a college president at age 32 was probably a pretty remarkable thing.