The first time I met Mrs Wolfensohn was shortly after her arrival in Washington. As the new Honorary Chairman, she graciously accepted to attend our Annual Luncheon meeting of the Representative Council being held at my house. This was a chance for her to meet the leaders and coordinators of all our various activities. Although she did not mention it, it was also the day she was moving to her new home. I remember that during the meeting she received an urgent call from the Office of the President to which her reply was: "I can't come right now as I am in a meeting with some very important women." At this point I realized that from the very start that she was taking WBVS seriously and that we had in her a committed ally.

At the time of my tenure as President of WBVS we were dealing with some very important issues concerning: spouse pension rights on divorce and the work/family agenda. I believe that the fact that we made progress on these matters was due, in no small measure, to Mrs Wolfensohn's interest and influence.

Mrs Wolfensohn had a drive and commitment to include us in what the Bank was all about. I remember at the end of one of our EC meeting she was leaving to attend a World Bank Conference where Mrs Clinton was the main speaker. She took some of us along with her and waived us firmly through security and protocol, and here we were sitting listening to Mrs Clinton, thankful for this rare opportunity.

These are only some of my remembrances of her as a warm and effective person, one who contributed to the growth and importance of WBFN

I remember vividly the day Mr. Wolfensohn started his tenure at the World Bank. It was the first days of June 1995 and Katie Doyen, then President of WBFN was having a big thank you luncheon for the Representative Council at her home. I happened to be seated near Elaine and during the conversation I learnt that this was “moving day” for the Wolfensohns. The movers were at their house and Elaine had already plunged into her “duties” as Honorary President of the organization!.. and that was just the beginning !!..

Elaine proved to be much more than an “Honorary President”. In the past ten years, in spite of her many duties, responsibilities and travels with Mr Wolfensohn, she immersed herself relentlessly in her advocacy role on behalf of Bank families. She played a defining role in WBFN’s history by instilling and projecting professionalism in the substance and tone of WBFN’s programs. This was instrumental in further strengthening the work/family agenda in the Bank, giving WBFN’s leaders a “seat at the table”, and making them the voice for families with Bank management.

Among the more memorable achievements of WBFN during my tenure was the initiation of a dialogue on subjects long considered taboo at the Bank. Between 1996 and 1999, spouse pension rights on divorce came into effect after long years of negotiations and release of benefit information and garnishment of wages were worked out in a way that did not violate the Bank’s immunities. These achievements laid the basis for the introduction by HR of services to support spouses that were subject to domestic abuse.

Under Elaine’s stewardship and guidance, WBFN’s stature and programs were strengthened to the mutual benefit of Bank spouses and staff alike.

I have many fond memories of the years I worked with Elaine but, at the end of the day, they will always be linked to the fight against domestic abuse in the Bank community. I particularly remember how shocked she was (weren’t we all?) to learn that domestic abuse was a reality among us. We were at lunch in the MC dining room when we told her of the formation of the WBVS Domestic Abuse Task Force. As always, when the meeting ended she said “Keep me posted”. Within three weeks of that meeting, WBVS (now WBFN) had received a $50,000 grant from Mr. Wolfensohn’s Discretionary Fund. That grant enabled us to hire our researcher, document the problem, and provide educational materials, the purpose of which was “to inform family members of staff of their individual rights”. From that came the domestic abuse brochure and the rest, as they say, is history.

Once Elaine attended a symposium on domestic abuse in New York, and brought me back a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Love is not abuse”. The back of the shirt says “Awareness + education = prevention. Be part of the equation”. That saying exactly describes Elaine’s approach: raise awareness, stress education and be part of the solution to the problem. I remember sitting in the audience at the Breast Cancer Awareness Symposium when she got up, identified herself as a survivor and talked about the difficulties she had faced. I can only imagine the effect that talk must have had on those in the audience, who were coping with the same problem. Elaine was always extremely supportive, always on the lookout to make connections between WBVS and the people and resources she thought would be helpful to us. She backed us when backing was needed, and celebrated with us when we had occasions to celebrate. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have occupied the president’s chair during her tenure as Honorary President.

Despite her many commitments within and outside the World Bank Group, Elaine always made time for members of the then World Bank Volunteer Services (WBVS)—now the World Bank Family Network—and provided us guidance and support at critical times.

Early during my tenure as the President of the WBVS, we were confronted by the 9/11 tragedy. Even as we came together as a Bank (and Washington) community, we hosted events that allowed Bank families to continue to express our diverse points of view on culture and religion. I very much appreciated Elaine’s insights into the most appropriate way in which to achieve this balance in what were very difficult circumstances.

Elaine’s genuine concern for Bank families suffering from domestic violence led her to strongly support the path-breaking work undertaken by WBFN, led by my predecessor as the President, Barry McIsaac. With Elaine and Jim Wolfensohn’s support, WBFN was able to first engage the Office of the President and subsequently the Human Resources Vice Presidency, and we were able to convince the Bank to take on its institutional responsibility to support those affected.

Finally, Elaine appreciated the importance of having a full-time staff member to be the WBFN Coordinator and helped us achieve this goal.
The World Bank Family Network is strong and effective today because of the encouraging support of Mrs. Elaine B. Wolfensohn.

When I served as the last WBVS president, I often sought Elaine’s advice as to how to handle extremely sensitive situations where the future of the organization and the well being of its volunteers were at stake. Elaine was not only well aware of the challenges, but she knew right away what strategy would be best to use and in the wink of an eye would offer the practical help and unconditional support that was needed. Knowing we had her trust in our leadership and her commitment towards our mission helped us tremendously.

Elaine infused enthusiasm in all the activities of the organization and would challenge us to do more. The sky was always the limit. She taught us never to settle for less and not to be intimidated by administrative hurdles. And many a “bras de fer” was won due to her encouragement! She never failed to praise the expertise and many talents that spouses and partners of WB staff possess or to give a lot of confidence to the ones who attended her welcoming receptions and her informative meetings.

The WBFN is a dynamic and exemplary organization whose vision, mission and achievements serve as a reference for many sister organizations. I have no doubt that we could only reach that status because Elaine Wolfensohn supported and inspired many of our initiatives and ensured their realization.

On a personal level, I cannot emphasize how much I enjoyed my association with Elaine and appreciated her direct, purposeful style of communication and her quiet sense of humor. As they say, behind every successful man there is a great woman and Elaine certainly exemplifies this.

It’s a truism perhaps to say that no one achieves anything by oneself, alone. I would like to extend this analogy to our organization, the Family Network. Over the years, the WBFN has sought to build a better and stronger partnership with the Bank for the benefit of its many family members, whose talents and energy and legitimate needs deserve recognition and respect. Elaine Wolfensohn took the time to know the families, to understand their challenges, and to appreciate the mission of the WBFN—to support and embrace WBG families worldwide. Her active leadership as our Honorary President and her compassion inspired and supported us in our advocacy for family-friendly Bank policies. Families enjoyed her presence at many of our events; they felt that she cared about them.

As a volunteer myself, elected to be the president of a volunteer driven organization, I knew that I had much to learn and was greatly encouraged by and appreciative of Elaine’s “open door policy” and advice. She was always receptive to calls from me for guidance or help, both on behalf of individual families and on behalf of the WBFN Executive Committee facing a challenge. And, there were always challenges. Whether navigating communications inside the Bank or seeking ways to improve communications for members abroad, I increasingly appreciated Elaine’s vision and resourceful approach. She has contributed inestimably to WBFN achieving many milestones over the years. She helps us to see that all of us in this organization must communicate and work cooperatively to achieve our mutual and respective missions. Elaine exemplified and promoted this spirit of cooperation.

As the current WBFN president I feel privileged to acknowledge the wonderful support that our Honorary President, Mrs. Elaine Wolfensohn, has extended to the families of the Bank over the past 10 years.

From the very beginning Elaine has been open to spouses and families of the World Bank staff, understanding the important role they play in making the family/work balance more than just an ideal. Her efforts have helped the WBFN realize this ideal on behalf of families.

My first important meeting during my term, as WBFN president, was one where Elaine introduced me, as well as the WBNF President-Elect, to the newly appointed Human Resources Vice President, Mr. Xavier Coll. Mr. Coll has been very considerate and helpful in bringing our programs, our initiatives to the attention of the World Bank and the staff. Because of this meeting we now have an informal ongoing relationship which benefits all concerned.

Reinforcing this, an updated Memorandum of Understanding was signed on December 3, 2004 between the World Bank Family Network and the World Bank by Mrs. Elaine Wolfensohn, Mr. Xavier Coll and I. The Memorandum reflects the changes that have taken place during the last 14 years, affirming that the World Bank Family Network is a volunteer organization, funded by the World Bank. The MOU continues to outline the Bank’s support and recognition of WBFN services towards the spouses, partners and families of the World Bank Group.

The support of our Honorary President has contributed to WBFN’s ability to fulfill its mission: helping spouses/partners and families of WBG worldwide.

Thank you Elaine!