Keynote Speaker: Peggy McCormick President of the Atlanta Development Authority
Office of Mayor Shirley Franklin Thursday, April 3, 2008 Kennesaw State University Center (off campus)
3333 Busbee Drive Kennesaw, GA 30144 Buy tickets here Download two-page brochure Download one-page flier
Economic Empowerment of Women “Empowerment” is a popular phrase. How can you advance more effectively and at a faster rate, especially "economically?"
President of Atlanta Development Authority Peggy McCormick will tell you to get into the arena ...and will share her story of how she advanced as a leader by being true to herself. This conference will help and motivate you to seek positive outcomes in every endeavor in your achievement of short and long-term goals. The phenomenal women leading concurrent sessions will look at economic advancement through: opportunity, participation, political empowerment, health and well-being, and educational attainment.
This conference focuses on your empowerment to:
Get into the arena you want to be in--and advance by being true to yourself;
Expand your freedom of choice and social inclusion; Remove barriers to increase your access to assets and opportunities;
Enhance your capabilities and incentives engage, influence and hold accountable the institutions which affect you;
Inspire your strategic life choices where this ability was previously denied or diminished because of gender.
Many thanks to all who have helped make this conference possible. We thank UPS Inc. for their gift in 2007 that has supported women's development initiatives through the Siegel Institute and has helped us plan the 2008 conference.
SPEAKERS: Some of Atlanta's best political leaders, authors, entrepreneurs, media and public relations practitioners, corporate executives, personal coaches, and women’s activists will lead discussions relevant to aspects of economic empowerment that will bring guidance and wisdom gained through experience. The sessions are offered from the perspective of three tracks--leadership, ethics, and character--what the Siegel Institute is all about. LUNCH features great food and facilitated networking. CLOSING: Author Myra McElhaney's ending keynote will wrap up the day's conference. RECEPTION: At 5:00, join the reception where the nominators and nominees of the Phenomenal Women's Awards will mingle with friends at the fountain atrium. GALA DINNER AND AWARDS: At 6:00, Mistress of Ceremonies Deborah Schwartz-Griffin will usher in the celebration of the 8th Annual Phenomenal Women's Awards beginning with a gala dinner of excellent cuisine in a Park Avenue setting. She and Elisabeth Williams-Omilami will present the 2008 Awards to the Phenomenal Women of Leadership, Ethics and Character. Half of the proceeds for the dinner will be donated to Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless.
9:30-10:00am Continental breakfast, registration and networking
10:00-10:15 Opening welcome by Dr. Betty Siegel
10:15-10:30 Introduction of keynote speaker by Deborah Roebuck
10:30--11:30 - Keynote - Peggy McCormick- The Economic Empowerment of Women
11:45-12:30 - Concurrent sessions on Character Phyllis Carrera - Women's Real Power Candace Long - When the Vision Dies Karla Sinclair - Working Within Your Giftedness Debby Stone - Values: Your Decision-Making Divining Rod 12:30-1:30- Lunch with facilitated networking
1:45-2:30- Concurrent sessions on Ethics Corbette Doyle - Reality vs. Rhetoric: The Business Case for Gender Diversity Dee Ann Turner and Lynn Chastain - Three Keys to a Phenomenal Life: Purpose, Parnership, Prosperity Gwyn Newsom - Reclaiming Women's Economic Power: One attorney's struggle to help women reclaim the economic power taken from them by sexual exploitation and other forms of gender discrimination Astrid Pregel - FEMINOMICS: Empowering Women (and men) by Successfully Challenging Our Unconscious Gender Biases (Yes, Ladies, we have them, too!) 2:45-3:30- Concurrent sessions on Leadership Patricia Harris - Empowering Women Microentrepreneurs to Reach the Next Level
Alicia N. Ingram - Bold and Brilliant: What Happens When Women Lead Rona Wells - Corporate Boards: We've Come a Long Way, Baby. Or have we? Organization Presidents' Panel Discussion
3:30-4:30-
Closing keynote: Myra McElhaney - Legacy of Leadership: From the Achievements of First Women to the Advancement of Today's Women
5:00-6:00pm- Reception for nominees, nominators, and all dinner guests. Special music by award-winning songwriter Candace Long.
6:00-9:00pm - Gala Dinner and Phenomenal Women Awards Presentation Mistress of Ceremonies:Deborah Schwartz-Griffin, VP of Membership Services, Georgia Restaurant Association Presentation of Awards:Elisabeth Williams-Omilami, Director of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless and 2007 Phenomenal Woman Award recipient
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About the speakers and their topics:
Keynote Speakers
Peggy McCormick - Opening Keynote: The Economic Empowerment of Women From the Office of Mayor Shirley Franklin, President of Atlanta Development Authority, Peggy McCormick, is known as a woman who has been helping to shape Atlanta's future. She brings extensive experience in building public-private partnerships to her presidency. Her loves include working with the Mayor, leading others, influencing outcomes, and helping people achieve their goals. Before leading the ADA, she served as Director of Economic Development at ADA since 2004, overseeing the growth of new jobs through collaboration with economic partners across the city. A veteran of the private sector, she spent the first 25 years of her career in accountancy with Deloitte & Touche from Atlanta to Houston and Tehran.
Myra McElhaney Closing Keynote - Legacy of Leadership: From the Achievements of First Women to the Advancement of Today's Women Corporate executives, politicians, builders, mountain climbers, engineers, surgeons, lawyers, and others shared stories of their struggles, defining moments, and secrets for success with Myra McElhaney. She has interviewed over 100 women who were "the first woman" in a variety of achievements as part of her research for an upcoming book: Women Who Were First: Stories of Modern Day Pioneers Inspire You To Blaze New Trails In Your Own Life. In this presentation, Myra will share some of their inspirational stories and what these modern-day pioneers have taught her about accomplishment. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and will be inspired to blaze new trails in their own lives. Myra McElhaney, a corporate trainer and writer, is a frequent speaker for corporate meetings and conferences. Investor’s Business Daily, The Employment Review, Woman’s World, and other renowned publications quote her frequently. Her articles have appeared in various publications including Atlanta Woman, Customer Relationship Management, Competitive Edge, and US Industry Today. Myra currently serves on the board of The International Alliance of Women and The Possible Woman Foundation International. Her professional affiliations also include membership in the National Association of Female Executives, the National Speaker’s Association and the Atlanta Alliance for Women.
Concurrent Session Speakers
Phyllis Carrera, Founder and CEO of HumanArts Women's Real Power This interactive session inspires women to redefine their understanding and use of power—moving beyond hierarchical models of “power over,” to relational models that draw on women’s authentic experiences. Using a six-stage model of personal power and stories of amazing women from “her-story,” participants are encouraged to break through barriers that limit their success and to strengthen their “inner authority.” Phyllis Carrera is founder and CEO of HumanArts, a human development company dedicated to helping people actualize their potential through empowering choice, while leading their lives and organizations with integrity. She specializes in women’s empowerment and personal and workforce integration. As a former victim of domestic violence, and as an advocate for women’s issues for over 16 years, Phyllis’ life work has fostered a deep knowing and desire to help people, especially women, reframe their experience and use of power. After a successful 20-year career in education and business, she left her job as Senior Leadership Development Consultant in a Fortune 100 company to travel solo around the world. Transformed by this experience, she authored A Journey of My Choosing: Traveling the Creative Path of Life. She’s a recognized coach to executive women and individuals in transition, gives voice to our brilliance, and inspires us to embrace courageous change.
Lynn Chastain, Senior Vice President, Chick-fil-A Three Keys to a Phenomenal Life: Purpose, Partnership, ProsperityDefining your purpose is the first step to a truly phenomenal life. Selecting the right partners along the way to help you achieve your dreams is essential. The truly prosperous person is one who is able to combine achieving the desires of her heart and sharing the bounty of her efforts with others. Discover how to enjoy a phenomenal life by finding your purpose; fulfilling in partnership with others and enjoying the prosperous rewards of a life well lived. Lynn Chastain
is Vice-President and Assistant General Counsel for Chick-fil-A, Inc, in Atlanta, Georgia. She joined Chick-fil-A 17 years ago after working as a Real Estate Counsel forTroutman, Sanders law firm in Atlanta. Since 2003, Lynn has been actively involved with the work of The Kenya Project, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote health, education and spiritual development of the children of Kenya. In 2007, Lynn led a team of 12 women to Nakuru, Kenya, where they were able to raise money for the completion of a new dining Hall at Mountain Park Academy and bring their message of prayer, purity and purpose to over 2000 young women in local Kenya high schools. She received her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1984. She holds a M.Ed in Counseling from the University of Georgia, and received her B.S. from Georgia State University.
Corbette Doyle, Chief Diversity Officer, AON Reality vs. Rhetoric: The Business Case for Gender Diversity This session will discuss the hard facts about why companies do—or should—care about gender diversity, best practices that make a difference in women’s progress, and tips to either identify an employer that “gets it” or to help your employer get on the band wagon. Since joining Aon 14 years ago to launch a company-wide healthcare industry practice, Corbette Doyle has made significant achievements on the company’s behalf, including quintupling Aon’s revenues in the health care sector in seven years. In 2006, she was appointed the company’s first chief diversity officer, reporting to Aon’s Chief Executive Officer. In the role, Doyle has revamped the firm’s leadership strategy, co-led a process to revamp Aon’s flex strategy, contributed to the development of a companywide mentoring program and rolled out an advanced development program for the firm’s top 30 women around the globe. She continues as chair of Aon’s National Healthcare Practice.
Patricia Harris -CEO, The Edge Connection Empowering Women Microentrepreneurs to Reach the Next LevelWe will address how The Edge Connection and the Small Business Administration (SBA) Women’s Business Center assist women entrepreneurs as they boldly go forward with their businesses even when encountering obstacles and prejudice. We will discuss how The Edge Connection educates women on the advantages that benefit them and enlightens them on the day-to-day business challenges. Patricia is the Executive Director and CEO of the Edge Connection, a non-profit entrepreneurial center located at Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University. Her mission is to assist women and men in the start-up, expansion, and growth of micro-enterprise and small business ventures. Patricia has helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs in the Atlanta area create revenues of over $20 million and leverage over $4 million in access to
capital and loans to grow business ventures. She was recently named a YWCA of Greater Atlanta’s 2007 Academy of Women Achievers, and is nationally recognized for her efforts in economic development.
Alicia N. Ingram -CEO, ANI Communications Bold and Brilliant: What Happens When Women LeadAs more women become leaders in their communities, the nation and the world, what steps do they take to ensure success? Is their value noted as authentic and effective leaders? The session will explore ways women can leverage their resources and know-how to become bold and brilliant leaders. President and CEO of ANI Communications, Alicia N. Ingram is a communications specialist with expertise in marketing, public affairs and diversity communications. ANI Communications specializes in local and national strategy development and versatile writing solutions. Her client roster includes Business and Professional Women/USA, edu-tainment company Homemade Jamz, DeKalb County and The Atlanta Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. She serves on the Board of Directors for The Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. She is also a proud graduate of The White House Project’s 2007 Georgia Go Run, Go Lead Program. Her passion to help women succeed fuels her desire to ensure the voices of women are heard throughout the nation and the world. A graduate of Michigan State University, she holds degrees in Journalism and Social Policy.
Candace Long - Founder, Creativity Training Institute When the Vision DiesSurviving this experience is THE refining fire that produces character and builds leaders. Candace Long will relate her personal story of how she became a “woman of vision,” what gave her the inner confidence to raise venture capital and mount the world premiere of her musical, A Time To Dance, and how she survived watching the “death of her vision” when the premiere date fell on the ill-fated September 11, 2001. The production was forced to close, and Ms. Long was left financially and personally devastated. Her subsequent 3-year wilderness was so life-changing that it resulted in her ground-breaking book, Wired For Creativity, and the founding of Creativity Training Institute to help empower others to unlock their personal “visions.”
Candace Long has worked as a creative for over 30 years. An award-winning songwriter and radio/television producer, she has also written six screenplays and two books. In 2001, she produced her award-winning theatrical musical, A Time to Dance. She is President of Creative Concepts Advertising, Inc., a full-service advertising/marketing agency serving Georgia-based businesses since 1983. Candace has served as President of Georgia's Women in Film, Vice Chair/Communications for Women in Film & Television International, and was a member of the Georgia Film, Video and Music Advisory Commission. She currently serves as President of the Atlanta branch of the National League of American Pen Women.
Gwyn Newsom - Attorney Reclaiming Women's Economic Power: One attorney's struggle to help women reclaim the economic power taken from them by sexual exploitation and other forms of gender discrimination Ms. Newsom will share her 16-year history of fighting for women who have been sexually exploited in the workplace, discussing her belief that women's ability to seek full redress for gender discrimination is at the heart of true gender equity and that, at present, our current legal system falls far short of providing that opportunity. Women still face an incredibly uphill battle when they suffer the life-altering loss of a job and/or loss of personal integrity, dignity, and peace of mind as a result of unwanted sexual coercion and abuse by male superiors. Bringing a gender discrimination case is extremely expensive and emotionally debilitating, particularly when the already limited protection and remedies provided to women by Georgia law is being eroded each year, and protection provided by federal law is largely unattainable because of a hostile judiciary determined to dismiss most of these claims before a woman has a right to a jury trial. Even when the case makes it to a jury, public misperceptions about the abuse of power wielded not only by the male perpetrators but also by the institutions that employ them often lead to jury verdicts that fail to fully compensate women for their losses. When a woman does succeed in achieving a fair jury verdict, federal law mandates a cap on every verdict for gender discrimination, wiping out any adequate recovery, and adverse tax law further erodes a woman's ability to achieve full recovery for losses caused through no fault of her own. Gwyn Newsom has maintained her Columbus, Georgia solo law practice since 1991, focusing on holding employers and others in positions of power and responsibility accountable for the dignity, honor, and economic status they have taken from women through sexual exploitation and/or gender discrimination. She has successfully tried numerous cases in both state and federal courts, including achieving a $2.1 million verdict in a single-plaintiff pregnancy discrimination case against a major media company in March 2005. She has long supported organizations advancing women, including the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (GAWL), the American Association of University Women (AAUW). She’s a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, Georgia Chapter, the Board of the Columbus Truancy Intervention Project., the State Bar of Georgia, among others. She holds an A.B.J. degree from the University of Georgia, a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and an M.A. in English from Colorado State University.
Astrid Pregel - President, Feminomics FEMINOMICS: Empowering Women (and men) by Successfully Challenging Our Unconscious Gender Biases (Yes, Ladies, we have them, too!) It’s astonishing that the U.S. ranks 23rd in the world in achieving equality between men and women, and 65th in political and senior business leadership. How is this possible in a country that has been working on women’s “liberation” issues for more than a century and where women have been taking two out of three jobs since the 1970s? New research from Harvard, MIT, Sweden and elsewhere confirms that both men and women carry deeply ingrained, largely unconscious culturally-imposed biases and prejudices about gender roles. These biases are strong yet so poorly understood that they influence not only how others view us but how we view ourselves. If American women are to truly achieve the leadership levels to which we aspire, we need to understand how this “androcentric gender lens” works against us, and how we can best remove its negative influence on our ability to achieve the leadership levels that should be our (and our daughters’) true destiny. Astrid Pregel is president of Feminomics of Atlanta, and concurrently serves as an associate with the Institute of Leadership and Entrepreneurship at the School of Management at Georgia Tech. She capped her 25-year career in Canada’s Foreign Service as the first woman appointed to the Canadian Embassy in Washington and the first woman Canadian Consul General to the Southeastern U.S. She served as the first woman president of the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF) in 2005, a membership organization that advances global understanding and the competitiveness of its members through unique resources, educational experiences and relationships. In 2004/05, Astrid served as the acting Executive Director of the Georgia Council for International Visitors, the official representative in Georgia, for the State Department's International VIP Visitors Program. The focus of GCIV is enhancing global citizenship one handshake at a time.
Karla Sinclair - VP for Operations and Managing Editor, Atlanta Daybook Working Within Your Giftedness If you are struggling economically or feeling pigeon-holed by your job, learning to work within your “giftedness” can make a dramatic difference. Everyone has special gifts whether we recognize all of them or not. Learn how to recognize the subtle signs of your giftedness and work with, not against, them. This session will include exercises in recognizing your gifts and leveraging them to put passion and success back into your work and the rest of your life.
Karla Sinclair is the Managing Editor of Atlanta Daybook, the local soft newswire in Atlanta. With a background in technology, Karla has held senior management positions with several software and professional services companies in Atlanta over the years. In her current position, she interacts with Atlanta's journalists and PR and marketing professionals each day and also helps clients connect the dots between people, technology and processes in creative projects. Her passion is thinking outside of the box and helping those who must function within a box rebuild their box to better suit them. Karla serves on the Board of the Atlanta Women’s Network and is the incoming President for 2009.
Debby Stone - Founder and President, InterVisioin Group, LLC Values: Your Decision-Making Divining RodImagine making decisions based upon what is truly important to you. It’s possible if you are clear about your values. In this interactive session, certified coach Debby Stone will guide participants in excavating their individual values and in creating personal definitions of success based on those values. With the clarity provided by these personal definitions of success, even the most difficult decisions become clearer and easier to make. Isn’t it time you began making your decisions by design rather than by default? Debby Stone is the Founder and President of InterVision Group, LLC, a coaching, consulting and facilitation company located in metro Atlanta. Debby is a certified coach who provides values-based coaching to business leaders, lawyers and entrepreneurs who want to discover and implement practical strategies for success.She just launched Look Before You Leap (http://www.lookbeforeyouleap.biz), a tele-seminar series designed specifically for people who are considering starting their own businesses. This 10-session series, delivered entirely by telephone conference calls, will be highly interactive and filled with all the information and tools that any new business owner would want and need. She also works with corporate teams and non-profit boards to improve leadership, interpersonal effectiveness, and productivity. She holds both undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees from Duke University. Debby’s background includes management consulting experience, 16 years practicing law, and over 13 years as an entrepreneur. She received her certification as a professional co-active coach through the Coaches Training Institute. Debby served as the 2008 Co-President of the Georgia Coach Association. She speaks to groups throughout the country, has been quoted in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, and is a contributing writer for a variety of business and lifestyle publications.
Dee Ann Turner - Senior Vice President, Chick-fil-A Three Keys to a Phenomenal Life: Purpose, Partnership, Prosperity Defining your purpose is the first step to a truly phenomenal life. Selecting the right partners along the way to help you achieve your dreams is essential. The truly prosperous person is one who is able to combine achieving the desires of her heart and sharing the bounty of her efforts with others. Discover how to enjoy a phenomenal life by finding your purpose; fulfilling in partnership with others and enjoying the prosperous rewards of a life well lived. Now Vice President of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Human Resources, Dee Ann Turner began working at Chick-fil-A in 1985. As VP, she is responsible for recruitment, selection and retention of over 500 corporate staff and over 800 Chick-fil-A Unit Operators. During her 22 years at Chick-fil-A, she has been innovative in developing selection processes to handle Unit Operator applicants and staff applicants that inquire each year to Chick-fil-A. She also consults Operators in recruiting and retention issues. Her current focus is developing a People Strategy for the next phase of Chick-fil-A as it heads towards $3 billion in sales. Prior to her Chick-fil-A career, she worked in advertising. She received degrees in Journalism and Christian Education from Cincinnati Christian University, a degree in Management/Human Resources from Clayton State University in Atlanta, and completed the Management Development Program at Goizueta School of Business at Emory University. She serves on the Boards of The Kenya Project, as chairman of the personnel committee on the board of Eagle Ranch and secretary of the board of directors for Burning Hearts Ministry.
Rona Wells -Executive Director, Board of Directors Network Corporate Boards: We've Come a Long Way, Baby. Or have we? Just what are the facts about women’s representation on corporate boards of directors in Georgia; in the U.S.; and in other countries? What are the reasons for more women to serve and what are the trends? Why would you want to serve on a board? How do you prepare and how do you get in the pipeline for candidacy? Then how do they choose and how do you decide to say yes (or no)? We will explore these questions and more.
A retired vice president and corporate officer of Kimberly-Clark, Rona Wells is currently President of Wells Holdings, a holding company for Rona Wells’ personal angel investments in private companies and public venture capital firms and funds, which also provides mentoring and operations management for selected individuals, entrepreneurs, organizations, and officers of Fortune 500 companies. She is on the Board of Directors of the $5 billion in assets Bank of North Georgia, the board of the Board of Directors Network, a non-profit organization focused on the representation of women on corporate boards and executive leadership; and the board of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Rona is a graduate of and currently a faculty member of the college on board directorship held by the Terry College of Business, University of Georgia and the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors. She earned her B.S. in Systems Engineering from Southern Methodist University and is a licensed professional engineer. Honors include becoming a member of Sigma Tau Engineering Honor Society and being listed in Who’s Who in Finance and Industry and Who’s Who of American Women among several other biographical publications.
About the Presenters
Mistress of Gala Ceremonies
Deborah Schwartz-Griffin, VP of Membership Services, Georgia Restaurant Association Deborah Schwartz-Griffin is a dynamic, passionate and dedicated professional with expertise in marketing, business development, public relations, television news & production, and event management. She has built a reputation on her unusual ability to envision the unexpected—to see alliances that both surprise and benefit all those who participate. Among her current initiatives, she serves as the VP of the Georgia Restaurant Association.
Presentation of Phenomenal Women Awards
Elisabeth Williams-Omilami, Director of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless and recipient of the 2007 Phenomenal Woman Award Elisabeth Omilami's humanitarian work as CEO of The Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless, the largest African-American owned Human Service Organization in the Southeast, has won numerous acknowledgements including, from Mayor Shirley Franklin and the City of Atlanta, the prestigious Phoenix Award for Hurricane Katrina first responders, the Atlanta Urban League Jessie O. Thomas Community Service Award, and Atlanta Business League 100 Women of Influence, to name but a few. As the recipient of the 2007 Phenomenal Woman’s Award, she will present the 2008 Phenomenal Women’s Awards in Leadership, Ethics, and Character.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tickets Buy tickets here
Early bird discounted registration through March 3, 2008 General admission - $112
Phenomenal Women Awards Dinner - $40
Conference and Awards Dinner - $135
President's Panel Participants Conference general admission - complementary
Phenomenal Women Awards Dinner - $45
(Early bird discount of 10% off for registration through March 3, 2008)
KSU Campus Discounts Conference admission, faculty & staff: $99 effective March 4, 2008
(Early bird discount of 10% off for registration through March 3, 2008)
Phenomenal Women Awards Dinner - $45
Conference admission, students: $75 effective March 4, 2008
(Early bird discount of 10% off for registration through March 3, 2008)
Phenomenal Women Awards Dinner - $45
Dinner Table Discounts Reserve a table for 8 at the Gala Phenomenal Women Awards Dinner
Table for 8 - $300 for early bird registration through March 3, 2008
Table for 8 - $350 for general tickets after March 4, 2008
The Siegel Institute has been honoring women with an annual Phenomenal Woman Award since 2002. For 2008, the award categories were expanded to encompass the nuances of the Siegel Institute's purpose: Leadership, Ethics and Character.
Nominations of candidates will culminate in one finalist and two runners-up in each of the three categories. Each category designates women who have shown extraordinary accomplishments in their life, career, and/or community. Criteria for each of the three categories are:
1. The candidate has shown extraordinary accomplishments in her life, career, and/or community, including outstanding leadership and participation.
2. The candidate has distinguished herself in community service. Community may refer to local area or to activities on a regional, state, national or international scope. Has set examples of achievement in her realm of service.
3. The candidate has served as an exemplary role model to other women and has made a significat difference to women in her environment.
Each award category is defined here:
Leadership - An ethical leader is one who builds relationships with others while serving the common good. She embodies in attitude, behavior and action the five core beliefs of the Siegel Model of Ethical Leadership: Respect, trust and honesty, optimism, intentionality, and service. She sets the standard through words and actions that hold the same expectation for herself as well as her team. She inspires others by emphasizing positives, sees change as an opportunity for growth, and exemplifies loyalty through reliability and keeping commitments. She serves her institution by providing benefits to many and has a tremendous ability to positively affect society.
Ethics - A woman of ethics exemplifies a trilogy of actions in life: Critical thinking and understanding to help her identify and process the competing pressures she faces in making personal and organizational decisions; balancing self-interest and the interest of others and demonstrating this in her decision-making; understanding how her social environment is a source of opportunity as well as threat and considers the team, her stakeholders, and greater implications in her decisions.
Character - A woman of character understands and knows her values, beliefs, strengths, skills, and personality. She possesses a defining concept of who she is and what she stands for. Her character is the core foundation upon which her ethical leadership abilities are based. She willingly examines her own strengths, weaknesses, values and beliefs. She continually focuses on personal development in response to challenges and education, understanding her value system and caring how those values and beliefs impact her behavior and decision-making.
About the judges and the judging process
for the Phenomenal Women's Awards Nominations for the awards were open to the community through October 15, 2007. Deadline for applications from the nominees was December 14, 2007. All nomination applications received were categorized by Leadership, Ethics, and Character. The nomination applications are being reviewed in two stages by an appointed team of judges selected from the community. (Information about the judges is below). The "Stage One" judges reviewed all submissions in January, 2008 and selected three finalists for each category, nine total. The "Stage Two" judges will review the nine finalists, and will select one finalist for the Phenomenal Woman of Leadership, of Ethics, and of Character. One finalist and two runners-up in each category will be announced at the Phenomenal Women Awards dinner April 3.
Judges, Stage 1
Ellen E. Langford Ellen Langford has served as the Executive Director of the Institute for Better Health in the WellStar Health System since 2007. She is the primary liaison to the Institute’s Board of Advisors, and leads the development of the Institute’s initiatives to enhance WellStar’s reputation as an innovator and clinical leader. Ellen began her career as a registered nurse in the WellStar Kennestone Emergency Department and in 1993 joined Cardiovascular Medicine, P.C., where she was the Director of Operations for a twenty-three physician group. Born and raised in Cobb County, she earned her Associate Degree of Nursing in 1989 from Kennesaw State University and returned to Kennesaw in 2000 to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In 2005 she was awarded a Master of Business Administration degree from the Cole’s College School of Business at Kennesaw State University. In her spare time Ellen enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two teenage children.
Catherine Lafiandra
Catherine Lafiandra has been practicing law since she graduated from Southern Methodist University and the University of Virginia Law School more than fifteen years ago. After being in private practice for five years, Catherine went to work with GTE Wireless Inc. (nka Verizon) rising to Assistant General Counsel. After GTE, Catherine joined Imerys S.A., an industrial minerals company operating in over 45 countries and headquartered in Paris, France. In her eight years at Imerys, Catherine served as the General Counsel for North and South America, Vice President of Global Human Resources and Environmental, Health and Safety and as Vice President and General Manager of Imerys North America and Europe Performance Mineral, a division of Imerys operating in over 18 countries with $500 million in revenues. Catherine recently resigned her position from Imerys at the end of 2007 and has chosen to spend time with her husband and three children ages 7, 11 and 13.
Ann Mann Ann Mann is an Emmy-award winning journalist who has been in broadcasting since the 1980s. She progressed from a weekend weathercaster in Rockford, Illinois to a news anchor in Montgomery, Alabama, a writer at CNN in Atlanta, and a Special Projects Producer and Executive News Producer and writer at Fox 5 News. Her work on a 1996 Olympics Broadcast resulted in her first Southern Regional Emmy Award. She went on to earn more Emmys as well as many other awards in her position as producer of various newscasts. One of her featured programs “Wednesday’s Child” led to an opportunity at the Georgia Department of Human Resources. While exciting, a changing political climate prompted an early departure from this opportunity. Now she is a senior sales consultant with Paychex, the leading provider of payroll for small business in America. While at Paychex, she has qualified for multiple trips based on sales excellence. Ms. Mann is also devoted to her community. She was named Ambassador of the Year by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce for 2007. This year she is serving as chair of the Ambassador Corps, a group of volunteer professionals devoted to helping new Chamber members assimilate into the community. She is also the co-president of the Sprayberry High School PTSA.
A) To register for the conference online, you can do that here--REGISTER.
This will open up your own personal registration page. On that page, you may select:
Type of payment. Your choices are American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, or bank account.
Your choice of concurrent sessions.
Your reservation for lunch
Your reservation for the reception at 5:00pm
Your reservation for the gala awards dinner
B) You may also register for the conference from the home page of www.siegelinstitute.org. Click on 2008 Phenomenal Women’s Conference. This will take you to your personal registration page.
NOTE: If you did not select your concurrent sessions at the time you registered online, you may also do so at check-in, however, please note that sessions may already be fully booked and seating may be limited in the session of your choice.
CHECK-IN AT THE KSU CENTER:
Please enter the KSU Center through the South entrance doors and proceed to the fountain atrium area where you will find the check-in tables. Check in at the tables and pick up your conference materials before proceeding to the conference rooms.
Kennesaw State University Center
3333 Busbee Drive, NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144
Directions:
Traveling from South of Kennesaw (Atlanta, Hartsfield Airport, Macon, etc.)
Take I-75 N toward MARIETTA / CHATTANOOGA.
Take the CHASTAIN RD exit, exit number 271.
Turn RIGHT onto CHASTAIN RD NW.
Turn RIGHT onto BUSBEE DR NW.
Beyond Cracker Barrel, you’ll see the KSU Center on your right. Turn RIGHT into the parking lot immediately past the KSU Center sign.
Traveling from north of Kennesaw (Cartersville, Rome, Jasper, Chattanooga, etc.)
Take I-75 S.
Take the CHASTAIN RD exit, exit number 271, toward I-575 N.
Turn LEFT onto CHASTAIN RD NW.
Move to your right hand lane on CHASTAIN RD.
Turn RIGHT onto BUSBEE DR NW.
Beyond Cracker Barrel, you’ll see the KSU Center on your right. Turn RIGHT into the parking lot immediately past the KSU Center sign. Enter through south entrance doors
OR
Take I-575 S.
Take the CHASTAIN RD exit, exit number 3.
Turn RIGHT onto CHASTAIN RD.
Move to the left hand lane on CHASTAIN RD.
Turn LEFT onto BUSBEE DR.
Beyond Cracker Barrel, you’ll see the KSU Center on your right. Turn RIGHT into the parking lot immediately past the KSU Center sign. Enter through south entrance doors
Hotel Information -- KSU Center vicinity
(All hotels are within 1 mile of KSU Center in Kennesaw, GA)
Be sure to ask for the Kennesaw State University special rates!
Closing Keynote - Legacy of Leadership: From the Achievements of First Women to the Advancement of Today's Women Corporate executives, politicians, builders, mountain climbers, engineers, surgeons, lawyers, and others shared stories of their struggles, defining moments, and secrets for success with Myra McElhaney. She has interviewed over 100 women who were "the first woman" in a variety of achievements as part of her research for an upcoming book: Women Who Were First: Stories of Modern Day Pioneers Inspire You To Blaze New Trails In Your Own Life. In this presentation, Myra will share some of their inspirational stories and what these modern-day pioneers have taught her about accomplishment. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and will be inspired to blaze new trails in their own lives. 
Three Keys to a Phenomenal Life: Purpose, Partnership, Prosperity 
Reality vs. Rhetoric: The Business Case for Gender Diversity 
Empowering Women Microentrepreneurs to Reach the Next Level
Bold and Brilliant: What Happens When Women Lead 
When the Vision Dies 
Reclaiming Women's Economic Power: One attorney's struggle to help women reclaim the economic power taken from them by sexual exploitation and other forms of gender discrimination 
FEMINOMICS: Empowering Women (and men) by Successfully Challenging Our Unconscious Gender Biases (Yes, Ladies, we have them, too!) 
Working Within Your Giftedness
Values: Your Decision-Making Divining Rod
Three Keys to a Phenomenal Life: Purpose, Partnership, Prosperity 
Corporate Boards: We've Come a Long Way, Baby. Or have we? 
Association 
Elisabeth Omilami's humanitarian work as CEO of The Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless, the largest African-American owned Human Service Organization in the Southeast, has won numerous acknowledgements including, from Mayor Shirley Franklin and the City of Atlanta, the prestigious Phoenix Award for Hurricane Katrina first responders, the Atlanta Urban League Jessie O. Thomas Community Service Award, and Atlanta Business League 100 Women of Influence, to name but a few. As the recipient of the 2007 Phenomenal Woman’s Award, she will present the 2008 Phenomenal Women’s Awards in Leadership, Ethics, and Character. 
Ann Mann is an Emmy-award winning journalist who has been in broadcasting since the 1980s. She progressed from a weekend weathercaster in Rockford, Illinois to a news anchor in Montgomery, Alabama, a writer at CNN in Atlanta, and a Special Projects Producer and Executive News Producer and writer at Fox 5 News. Her work on a 1996 Olympics Broadcast resulted in her first Southern Regional Emmy Award. She went on to earn more Emmys as well as many other awards in her position as producer of various newscasts. One of her featured programs “Wednesday’s Child” led to an opportunity at the Georgia Department of Human Resources. While exciting, a changing political climate prompted an early departure from this opportunity. Now she is a senior sales consultant with Paychex, the leading provider of payroll for small business in America. While at Paychex, she has qualified for multiple trips based on sales excellence. Ms. Mann is also devoted to her community. She was named Ambassador of the Year by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce for 2007. This year she is serving as chair of the Ambassador Corps, a group of volunteer professionals devoted to helping new Chamber members assimilate into the community. She is also the co-president of the Sprayberry High School PTSA. 
