Tara Abraham, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Accel Inc., based in Columbus, Ohio, was appointed today to serve a three-year term on the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC). The NWBC is a nonpartisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners.
“Tara Abraham is a credible and knowledgeable leadership voice for women entrepreneurs and small business owners,” said Donna A. James, Chair of the NWBC, appointed by President Obama in October 2010. “She brings a valued perspective on the development and growth issues they face from start-up to success to significance. I look forward to working with Tara and the other women leaders of the National Women’s Business Council on the economic issues that matter most to women business owners.”
“I am honored to be appointed to the NWBC representing the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBENC),” Abraham said. “As a WBENC-certified Women’s Business Enterprise, and as a member of the WBENC Board, I have been immersed in key issues of women’s business opportunities and leaderships that drive women’s business success. It will be my privilege to discuss these issues with the distinguished and accomplished members of the NWBC and its brilliant leader and businesswoman Donna James.”
Members of the NWBC are prominent women business owners and leaders of women’s business organizations. The Council’s mission is to promote bold initiatives, and review policies and programs designed to support women’s business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces. The NWBC is composed of 15 members – prominent women business owners and leaders of women’s business organizations – who are appointed for three-year terms.
Abraham established Accel Inc. in 1995, an award-winning contract packaging company specializing in creating innovative packaging and assembly solutions. During her tenure in the beauty industry, Abraham saw a need for a reliable company that could affordably package her products on time, to the quality standards she set. She began assembling gift sets out of a 1,200 square foot warehouse in Ohio, and in June, Accel will move into a new state-of-the-art 517,000 square foot facility in New Albany, Ohio.
Accel Inc. was awarded Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Emerging Business in 2000 and has been acknowledged as a Top Woman-Owned Business in Central Ohio for several years as well as being named one of America’s Top 500 Diversity Businesses.
In addition, Abraham was recently elected to the WBENC Board of Directors for a three-year term, and also serves as the Vice-Chair of the WBENC Governing Group Forum, previously served on the National Association of Women Business Owner’s Advisory Board and is a member of Cosmetic Executive Women. Locally, she is on The Ohio Health Hospice Board and holds the position of the Chair of the capital campaign – recently achieving raising 23 million dollars to build a new hospice facility – The Chair of The Ohio State University Fashion and Retail Studies Advisory Board, member of the American Heart Association Circle of Red and 2014 Chair of the campaign, previously sat on the board of the American Red Cross for eight years and was founder and Co-chair for the Tiffany Circle Columbus Chapter, and board member of St. Stephen’s Community House, along with many others. She holds a Bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising with an emphasis in Marketing from The Ohio State University.