Brenda Berkman

Pioneering Female Firefighter; Internationally Recognized Trailblazer for Women in Non-Traditional Employment

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New York, NY, USA
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Brenda Berkman Biography

Captain Brenda Berkman permanently changed the face of firefighting. A nationally and internationally recognised trailblazer for women in non-traditional employment, she won the US federal sex discrimination lawsuit in 1982 that changed history by breaking down barriers to women firefighters. She has founded and led several national organisations of women firefighters and has relentlessly fought sexism and gender stereotypes and was featured in the landmark PBS documentary Makers: Women Who Make America (2013).

From 1978-1982, she worked as a lawyer specialising in employment and immigration law, including pro bono representation of applicants seeking asylum. She gave up her career in law in order to become a firefighter. Despite the discrimination that was directed at her personally because of the lawsuit, Berkman was promoted to Lieutenant and then Captain in the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). She was the first woman firefighter to serve on several committees of the National Fire Protection Association. In 1996-1997, Capt. Berkman served as a White House Fellow, the first professional firefighter (female or male) to be awarded this prestigious leadership development fellowship in the history of the programme. A first responder on 9/11, Capt. Berkman led efforts to ensure that the role of female responders were recognised equally with their male counterparts.

Following her retirement after 25 years in firefighting, she continues to advocate for women firefighters locally, nationally, and internationally while promoting and supporting other non-traditional roles for women. Capt. Berkman’s pioneering efforts have been recognised through the many awards she has received and has been featured in many films, interviews and books.

Brenda Berkman Videos

  • Brenda Berkman Discusses Changing The Minds Of Those
  • Brenda Berkman: A woman who did a “Man's job”
  • Brenda Berkman Shares Her Experience On Joining The Force

FAQs on booking Brenda Berkman

  • How do I book Brenda Berkman to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Brenda Berkman for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Brenda Berkman, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Brenda Berkman or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Brenda Berkman

    Speaking fees for Brenda Berkman, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Brenda Berkman are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Brenda Berkman, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Brenda Berkman speak about?

    Brenda Berkman is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Influential Women, Inspirational, Motivational, Women.
  • Where does Brenda Berkman travel from?

    Brenda Berkman generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Brenda Berkman’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Brenda Berkman for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Brenda Berkman for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Brenda Berkman or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Brenda Berkman is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Brenda Berkman for your event is available upon request. Brenda Berkman generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Kristie Kennedy, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, Diane Guerrero, Robin Morgan and Becky Hammon. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Brenda Berkman for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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