14th annual Celebrate Women conference slated for March 27 on Lancaster Campus
In a month dedicated to women’s history and a year celebrating the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, Ohio University Lancaster is proud to be hosting its 14th annual Celebrate Women conference.
Scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 27, on the Lancaster Campus, this year’s Celebrate Women conference is themed “Vision 2020: Women Organizing, Mentoring, Empowering and Networking.”
Open to everyone, the Celebrate Women conference seeks to bridge relationships across professions and communities and enhance gender equity through a day dedicated to honoring past, present and future achievements of women. The event is organized by Ohio University Lancaster faculty, staff and students and sponsored by the Ohio University Alumni Association.
Molly Bates embraces a friend during registration at the 2019 Celebrate Women conference. This year’s conference will be held on March 27 at Ohio University Lancaster. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ ’14, MA ’17
“Celebrate Women is such a wonderful opportunity to spend the day engaging with other women, listening to new ideas and feeding our spirits,” said Pam Kaylor, an associate professor of instruction at Ohio University Lancaster and one of the conference organizers.
Keynoting this year’s conference will be singer-songwriter and motivational speaker Kat Perkins. A stand-out performer and finalist on season 6 of NBC’s “The Voice,” Perkins’ first single, “Fearless,” was No. 5 on iTunes after its release, and her latest single, “Drive,” has also climbed the charts.
Perkins’ success has inspired her to help other aspiring artists through her nonprofit, The Rising Star Foundation, which provides scholarships and other opportunities to musicians while also giving back to her community. Her keynote address is titled “Living a Fearless Life.”
The conference will kick off with an opening panel moderated by Laurie Lach, director of development and external affairs at Ohio University Lancaster. The featured panelists are:
- Sandra Anderson, BSC ’73, a former member and chair of Ohio University’s Board of Trustees and a current board member of The Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees, the Legacy Fund of the Columbus Foundation, and The Matriots.
- Debra Smith, BA ’74, a retired assistant professor at Ohio University and a certified trainer for Bridges Out of Poverty.
- Ronette Burkes-Trowsdell, deputy director of reentry for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
More than 30 additional speakers will present throughout the day in 18 different break-out sessions designed to examine and honor women’s accomplishments and inspire future successes. In between sessions, attendees will gather for a Celebrate Women luncheon and recognition of the 2020 Jane Johnsen Women of Vision Award recipient.
In the afternoon, storyteller Bette Lou Higgins will perform “Feisty Females from Ohio,” an Eden Valley Enterprises production that shares stories of courageous and outstanding Ohio women.
The 2020 Celebrate Women conference welcomes all those interested in facilitating meaningful relationships and honoring the accomplishments and capabilities of women.
For more information and to register for this year’s conference, click here.
To see coverage of last year’s Celebrate Women conference, click here.