OSU Spears School of Business to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Women's Business Leadership Conference
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The 20th annual Women’s Business Leadership Conference will be presented March 8 and 9 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (formerly the Crowne Plaza), located at 100 E. Second St., Tulsa. This award-winning program is presented each year to help empower women in the workplace and to celebrate the accomplishments of women in business.
“Over the years, highly successful women executives, managers and business owners from around the world have spoken to more than 4,000 conference attendees,” said Lou C. Kerr, president and chair of the Kerr Foundation and founder and chair of the Oklahoma International Women’s Forum. “We are proud to offer this opportunity for Oklahoma business women and students to learn more about moving toward their career goals, developing themselves and others and enhancing their leadership skills."
The conference will kick-off the afternoon of Tuesday, March 8. Debra Nelson, award-winning OSU Spears School professor of management, will speak about “Emotional Intelligence” and Elaine Dodd, vice president of the Fraud Division of the Oklahoma Bankers Association, will present “Never Wear Your Gender on Your Sleeve.”
The March 9 presentations include Geraldine Knatz, PhD., first female executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. She will discuss how to motivate individuals and teams to embrace difficult challenges, overcome the impossible and thrive in the process. Becky Dixon, president of Taylor Communications and Dixon Productions; Carin S. Knickel, vice-president of human resources for ConocoPhillips; and Lindy Ritz, director of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center of the FAA, will serve on a panel.
Mary Fallin, Oklahoma's first woman Governor, will speak during lunch. Also, Sharon Lechter from Paradise Valley, Ariz., and founder of Pay Your Family First and YOUTHpreneur, will discuss a variety of topics including training yourself to recognize opportunities for success. Christy Martin, a compensation consultant in Seattle, will share her 25 years of experience in the world of company pay decisions, and Kristin Kim from Belchertown Massachusetts and founder of Sansori, will talk about how to make positive change in the world through fulfilling and financially rewarding work.
The conference is a cooperative effort of the Center for Executive and Professional Development in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University, the International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation, the Oklahoma International Women’s Forum and the conference sponsors. The sponsors include The Kerr Foundation, Inc., ConocoPhillips, KOSU Radio, Lakeside Women's Hospital, ONEOK, RAM Energy, Inc., Williams, Ann Alspaugh, Bank of Oklahoma, Citizens Security Bank & Trust Company of Bixby, Julie and Michael Dulan, The Journal Record Co., Mary Frances Michaelis, MGW Enterprises, Oklahoma State University and R.L. and Jeannette Sias.
Registration for the March 8 seminar is $135 per person or $110 for participants also attending the March 9 conference. Registration for the March 9 conference is $195 per person or $185 per person for five or more people in the same company. The first 400 registrants for the Wednesday conference will receive a copy of A Cup of Cappuccino for the Entrepreneur’s Spirit Women Entrepreneurs’ edition by Jeretta Nord and Lou Kerr. Sponsorships and booth space are also available. For more information, please contact Vickie Karns at 1-866-678-3933 or vickie.karns@okstate.edu, or visit http://spears.okstate.edu/epd/women.