Date
Oct 09
"The person who knows the 'how' will always have a job. The person who knows the 'why' will always be his boss." – Diane Ravitch
Words of wisdom, empowerment and strength abounded at the first ever Meredith College Women’s Leadership Summit, held September 24-25, 2009. The Summit brought together some 400 eager, vibrant and excited women (and few men) in an effort to inspire each to be a “Catalyst for Change,” Meredith College and the Summit’s theme for 2009-10, to those around them.
The Summit kicked off Thursday evening with a conversation panel of local accomplished women - among them VisionPoint Marketing’s own Diane Kuehn. Along with Diane, Stephanie Counts, Co-Founder & CEO of the Women’s Inter-Cultural Exchange, Dr. Maureen Hartford, current president of Meredith College, Cynthia Marshall, president of AT&T North Carolina, and Donna Rhode, leader of Sales Planning and Operations for North America Sales at Cisco Systems all joined together with Mistress of Ceremonies and moderator Sharron Delaney McCloud for an evening of questions and answers. The women discussed topics ranging from advice they would give to different generations, to which past accomplishments from their career brought them to where they are today, to what advice would they specifically give to women looking to jump start their careers.
Meredith’s campus was filled with the hustle-and-bustle of women Friday, as the main events of the Summit began. Marie C. Wilson, president and founder of The White House Project and co-creator of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, began the morning with a warm welcome, inspiring words of wisdom and the encouragement for women to begin making a difference in their workplace today. Her advice was spot-on and her years of experience only added to her credibility.
Other keynote speakers from the day included Trenesa Stanford-Danuser, Vice President for Global Communications and Strategic Alliances for Origins Natural Resources and Ojon Corporation, divisions of the Estee Lauder Companies, and Dr. Deborah Kolb, a Deloitte Ellen Gabriel professor for women and leadership and a faculty affiliate at the Center for Gender Organizations at the Simmons School of Management, which offers the first MBA specifically designed for woman. The ladies were inspiring, each offering up tips and advice on how to succeed as a woman in any business environment.
In addition, the Summit offered attendees the opportunity to sit in on conversation panels regarding specific issues and obstacles that women face daily and one-on-one personal coaching from experienced executive coaches.
A wonderful day had by all, not even intense humidity and rain showers were able to put a damper on the first ever Meredith College Women’s Leadership Summit. As the Women’s Leadership Institute moves forward with their plans for next year’s Summit, they will have a lot to live up to.
