Women
to unite at annual conference
By Jill Thomsen
On-line Forty-Niner
More
than 10,000 women will gather in downtown
Long Beach Tuesday for the 16th annual Governor’s
Conference for Women, a day-long event featuring
speeches by ABC news co-anchor, Cokie Roberts
and “The World” magazine reporter, Rebecca
Roberts, will be among notable speakers.
The theme for this year’s sold-out conference
is, “Celebrate the Past Create the Future.”
The conference offers a chance for professional
women to network and explore issues and
challenges facing women today.
The Cal State Long Beach President’s Commission
on the Status of Women will have a table
in the exhibition hall, keeping with the
commission’s statement to “ensure that the
university responds to the needs of women
by removing inequities and providing a supportive
educational, working and social environment
for women.” Commission Chair Sharon
Guthrie says the conference offers and opportunity
to stay on top of women’s issues.
Several CSULB faculty and administrators
will attend the conference including, Women’s
Resource Center Assistant director Lynne
Coenen, who said the conference, “helps
me to stay up to date and gives us an opportunity
to provide greater resources at the center.
Hearing professional women talk about the
paths they’ve taken is extremely valuable
to students.”
Eight different seminar tracks, designed
by women, are offered throughout the day
on topics such as leadership, health, wellness
and business today. The 83 seminar
panelists and moderators range from city
of Davis Fire Chief Rose Conroy to supermodel
Emme. The diverse lineup also includes “The
Dive from Clausen’s Pier” author Ann Packer
and Shari’s Berrie’s founder and CEO Shari
Fitzpatrick —just two of the 11 speakers
who will address the Entrepreneurial Spirit
session of the conference.
Coenen hopes to attend the session regarding
Strategies for Success, so that she can
bring back the information to students,
whose focus is on careers and making connections.
“We use the lunch hour to meet people and
talk about our program,” she noted.
A non partisan and non profit event, the
conference is hosted by Gov. Gray Davis
and first lady Sharon Davis, both of whom
will speak at the event. Other speakers
include Carol Bartz, president and CEO of
Autodesk, Inc., one of the world’s largest
PC software companies, and Lorraine Moore,
founding principal of the Frederick Douglas
Academy in Central Harlem.
More than 500 high school students will
attend the event as part of the Youth Leadership
Program. The fully sponsored students will
participate in a seminar track designed
especially for them.
The California Governor’s Conference for
Women will be held Tuesday at the Long Beach
Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Ave. For
program information see www.cgcw.org
or call (650) 548-2424.
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