The Belizean Grove is an elite, invitation-only American women's social club, located in New York City. [1] [2] The club was founded in 2001 by Susan Stautberg, a former Westinghouse Broadcasting executive, and author and futurist Edie Weiner. [3]
Modeled after the San Francisco-based Bohemian Club [4] Belizean Grove formed to duplicate for women how the "old boy's network supported one another", stated co-founder Stautberg, [5] the membership of which was known to bond at annual retreats held at Bohemian Grove in California. [2]
The Belizean Grove meets annually in Belize or similar Central American locations. [6] They also meet in New York and other U.S. cities, for activities they describe as "a balance of fun, substantive programs and bonding". [7]
Members, known as "grovers", [7] numbered 125 in 2009, including military, financial and diplomatic leaders, [2] and 390 in 2015. [3] Members have included former General Services Administration Administrator Lurita Doan and U.S. Army General Ann E. Dunwoody. [2] [8] C-suite executives from Goldman Sachs, [9] Victoria's Secret, and Harley-Davidson also belong to the Grove, as do some ambassadors. [7] Other business leaders include Mary C. Pearl [10] and Christine Toretti. [11]
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is a former member of Belizean Grove. She resigned membership June 19, 2009, after Republican senators voiced concerns over the group's women-only membership policy. [12] [13] [14] [15]
The Belizean Grove is an elite, invitation-only American women's social club, located in New York City. [1] [2] The club was founded in 2001 by Susan Stautberg, a former Westinghouse Broadcasting executive, and author and futurist Edie Weiner. [3]
Modeled after the San Francisco-based Bohemian Club [4] Belizean Grove formed to duplicate for women how the "old boy's network supported one another", stated co-founder Stautberg, [5] the membership of which was known to bond at annual retreats held at Bohemian Grove in California. [2]
The Belizean Grove meets annually in Belize or similar Central American locations. [6] They also meet in New York and other U.S. cities, for activities they describe as "a balance of fun, substantive programs and bonding". [7]
Members, known as "grovers", [7] numbered 125 in 2009, including military, financial and diplomatic leaders, [2] and 390 in 2015. [3] Members have included former General Services Administration Administrator Lurita Doan and U.S. Army General Ann E. Dunwoody. [2] [8] C-suite executives from Goldman Sachs, [9] Victoria's Secret, and Harley-Davidson also belong to the Grove, as do some ambassadors. [7] Other business leaders include Mary C. Pearl [10] and Christine Toretti. [11]
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is a former member of Belizean Grove. She resigned membership June 19, 2009, after Republican senators voiced concerns over the group's women-only membership policy. [12] [13] [14] [15]