Brenda Jones Barwick of Oklahoma City named among ‘Enterprising Women’ awardees for 2020

RALEIGH, N.C. – Monica Smiley, publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women magazine, has announced the winners of the 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, an annual tribute to the world’s top women entrepreneurs. 

The only Oklahoman designated in the magazine’s listing was Brenda Jones Barwick, the founder of Jones PR, an intergrated communications agency. She and other honorees will be recognized at the 18th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration & Conference, to be held from Sunday, March 29 to Tuesday, March 31 at the Wyndham Grand in Clearwater Beach, Florida.


The Enterprising Women of the Year Awards is widely considered one of the most prestigious recognition programs for women business owners. To win, nominees must demonstrate that they have fast-growth businesses, mentor or actively support other women and girls involved in entrepreneurship, and stand out as leaders in their communities. Many of the honorees also serve as leaders of the key organizations that support the growth of women’s entrepreneurship.

Award winners were recognized in categories based on the annual sales revenues of their businesses. Brenda Jones Barwick and Jones PR were in the category for sales over $4 million and less than $5 million.  

Jones PR, and its founder, garnered wide-spread recognition for excellence over the past year. The Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Oklahoma City Chapter names the firm as the 2019 Agency of the Year during the 42nd annual “Upper Case Awards” last year.  (http://city-sentinel.com/2019/10/jones-pr-named-agency-of-the-year-wins-top-best-of-show-award/ )
Last spring, former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett joined Jones PR as executive counsel (http://city-sentinel.com/2019/04/former-oklahoma-city-mayor-mick-cornett-joins-jones-pr-as-executive-counsel/).

The 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration & Conference will bring together dynamic women business owners from North America and around the world for two-and-a-half days of top-notch workshops, networking opportunities, corporate sponsor exhibits, and awards presentations. The celebration will shine the spotlight on honorees, with award presentations at the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Gala Dinner. During the annual “Hall of Fame Luncheon,” one woman entrepreneur and one nonprofit leader will be inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame. 

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Enterprising Women magazine under the leadership of Monica Smiley, Publisher/CEO, 20 past recipients of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award will be honored with the Enterprising Women “Top 20 in 2020 Award” and recognized at a special reception held in their honor. 

The event is open to 2020 award honorees, alumni (previous) award winners, corporate supporters, members of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board, VIPs in the women’s business community, readers of Enterprising Women magazine, and members of the many partner organizations affiliated with Enterprising Women.


“The recipients of the 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards represent an amazing group of women entrepreneurs from across the United States and as far away as Japan, India, Turkey, Kenya and the UAE,” said Monica Smiley, publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women. “We are so proud to recognize their accomplishments as CEOs of fast-growth companies, community leaders, and role models and mentors to other women and girls. We look forward to shining the spotlight on them at our 18th annual awards event in March.”


About Sponsors and Supporters of the ‘Enterprising Women’ awards: Partner organizations represented on the Enterprising Women Advisory Board and supporting the 2020 event include:

    • The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO)
    • National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
    • Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
    • Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
    • National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC)
    • Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW)
    • The Global Initiative for Women’s Entrepreneurship Research
    • Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC)
    • Quantum Leaps
    • Springboard Enterprise
    • National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB)
    • Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC)/Women Entrepreneurs Inc. (WE)
    • Women Entrepreneurs GROW Global
    • Women’s Leadership Exchange
    • The International Alliance for Women (TIAW)
    • Asian Women in Business (AWIB)
    • eWomenNetwork (EWN)
    • Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)


Note: Patrick B. McGuigan, founder of the online news service CapitolBeatOK and publisher of The City Sentinel, contributed to this report.