The Portland Chapter is one of ten chapters in Region 9, the largest geographic region in NAWIC. The region covers Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Over the years our chapter has chartered chapters in Eugene, Salem, and Vancouver and hosted various regional conferences for Annual Planning and Forum. Portland was also host to the 17th National convention in 1972.

NAWIC Portland Chapter 54 was established in 1961 by our life-member Rosalie Novak Hayward, six years after the National Organization was formed. The chapter was a result of a chance meeting in an airplane between Rosalie Hayward and then NAWIC President Martha Knowles. As Martha was disembarking in Dallas, Rosalie commented on the Dallas airport and mentioned the firm she worked for had worked on the airport in Portland, OR. This resulted in correspondence between the two women that eventually led to the Dallas, Texas Chapter #2 sponsoring the Portland Chapter on August 11, 1961. Rosalie, the chartering President, was an active member ever since, with a perfect record of meeting attendance until her passing July 6, 2009 at the age of 89.