Ms. Adair, wife of a Congressman, saw that many wives of ambassadors and other international officials, who had spent time in Washington, returned to their respective countries without ever having made American friends, or even had been in an American home (http://welcomeclubs.squarespace.com/about/). Similarly, therefore, she also felt the need to “promote understanding through friendship, and friendship through understanding” among International women.  Since then, affiliated clubs have appeared in many cities throughout the US and abroad. 

Padmini Durr (http://welcomeclubs.squarespace.com/wci-magazine/WCILink4-7_April2008.pdf) if you are interested, please click on the magazine and scroll down on April 2008, and scroll again you can read a short bio on Padmini.  She was a longtime member of the Welcome to Denver International Club. Before moving to Denver, she had lived in Chicago, Geneva and London where she was active in many international clubs. After moving here to the Tampa Bay area with her husband, she felt the need to establish here also a women’s club that has an international background.

Arnaz Marker, the wife of former Ambassador Jamsheed Marker, along with other local women strongly supported Padmini’s dream of starting this club in the Tampa Bay area http://www.sptimes.com/News/102801/news_pf/SouthPinellas/Welcome_Club_good_fit.shtml. WCI members from the Naples club and the Washington club encouraged us to start our local WCI chapter.  This is how initially WTBI was an affiliate of WCI.  In fact, Padmini was at one point president of WCI. 

Our club has grown significantly under the leadership of several presidents. Going forward, as we grew larger, the need to focus our club’s attention more on our Tampa Bay area has prompted renaming our club TBI.