Registration open for
2012 Women in Leadership Conference
Jan. 26, 2012
Lock Haven University and Gannon University Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are presenting the fifth annual Women In Leadership Development (W.I.L.D.) Conference in Erie May 10-11.
Lock Haven University and Gannon University SBDCs recognize the national growth of women-owned/led businesses. The conference is a celebration of this entrepreneurial trend while emphasizing the concept of women-helping-women through knowledge, energy, and passion.
The W.I.L.D. conference is designed to help career-focused individuals achieve professional success. Business executives, administrators, business owners, nurses, teachers and aspiring entrepreneurs are especially urged to participate.
This year’s conference committee consists of several professional planning volunteers who are extremely excited about hosting this national event.
Highlights of the conference include keynote speeches by two highly successful women.
Speaking on entrepreneurship will be Peggy Klaus, President of Klaus & Associates. Klaus has been seen on Nightline, the Today Show, and 20/20. Her advice also appears in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Newsweek, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and O magazine. She is sometimes referred to as the “brag lady” or -- as one newspaper called her, a "bragologist” -- because of her book, “BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It” (Hachette Books Group, Hardcover 2003, Paperback 2004). She is equally well known for the soft skills she promotes in her second book, “The Hard Truth About Soft Skills: Workplace Lessons Smart People Wish They’d Learned Sooner “(Collins, January 2008).
For more than a decade Klaus has provided communication and leadership training programs, keynotes, and executive coaching at leading corporations and organizations worldwide. Her client list reads like a who’s who of Fortune 500 companies, including firms such as JP Morgan Chase, MasterCard, Computer Associates, Chevron Corporation, Deloitte, General Mills, Goldman Sachs, the National Football League, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, American Express, Mattel, Booz Allen Hamilton, Kaiser Permanente, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, among others. She reaches thousands each year through her workshops, keynotes, and executive coaching. More information on this presenter is on her website at http://peggyklaus.com/
Speaking on the topic of leadership will be Grace Killelea, a successful executive, speaker and coach. She has devoted her time, energy and passions to helping women live their best lives. A sought after speaker on the topics of leadership, personal branding, defying gravity and resilience, Grace is a natural story teller. She has worked with and spoken to thousands of leaders in her career. Her goal is to continue to move beyond the barriers, both real and imagined, that she and others have in their lives. More information on this presenter is available at her website: http://www.gracekillelea.com/
In addition, national, state and local businesses will exhibit their products and services throughout the day and there will be several opportunities to learn from the speakers regarding the knowledge, energy and passion of women helping women.
The mission of the Women in Leadership Development (W.I.L.D.) is “to empower professional and enterprising women with knowledge, energy and passion.” The W.I.L.D., founded in 2008 by the Gannon University SBDC, is a celebration that recognizes, supports and promotes women in business through women helping women. This concept of connectivity is achieved by encouraging networking, and by providing leadership opportunities and mutual support. In 2012, it is anticipated that 700 women will attend. In past years, W.I.L.D. attendees have traveled from all over Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Indiana to attend.
The Conference will be held at the Sheraton Bayfront Convention Center, Erie.
Participants will leave Lock Haven at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 10. Lunch will be on-your-own at a halfway point. They are scheduled to arrive at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel at 2:30 p.m. Dinner will include an exciting program to kick off the conference. Friday, May 11 will be a full day of events, with registration beginning at 7:45 a.m. A continental breakfast and a lunch will be provided. Participants will leave after the conference at approximately 4 p.m. Dinner will be on-your-own at a stop agreed upon, and participants will arrive back in Lock Haven no later than 10 p.m.
Those who are interested in attending the 2012 W.I.L.D. can register online at www.lhup.edu/sbdc or by calling 570-484-2848. Deadline for registration is March 30. The registration fee of $350 includes transportation, overnight accommodations, dinner Thursday evening, continental breakfast and lunch on Friday, and a survival satchel.