Second Annual Women’s Circle of Excellence Event a Success
May 1st, 2009
More than 90 women came together on April 23-24 for the second annual MSU College of Business (CoB) Women’s Circle of Excellence (WCOE) Conference at the Hilton Garden Inn. The event was packed with exciting speakers and interactive workshops and participants enjoyed an environment of mentoring, networking, education, inspiration and friendship.
The celebration for the 2009 College of Business graduates wrapped up the day. The graduates were welcomed into the WCOE by Susan Dana, CoB Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Director of the Bracken Center. Susan gave the congratulatory send-off to the group, many of whom had been her former students or advisees. The remainder of the celebration provided opportunities for the seniors to network and find potential mentors through the alumnae, businesswomen and faculty present.
Day two was equally power-packed, beginning with an energizing group session led by Mary Perry, Vice President of Promotions for Ryan Partnership. Her presentation, “The CEO of Me: How to Brand and Market You!,” helped participants see that they are a “brand” and need to present themselves in the way that they want to be seen in the marketplace. A variety of morning breakout sessions included, “Moving Up or Moving On,” “Work/Life Balance: One Size Does Not Fit All” and “Benefits of Charitable Giving.” The afternoon breakout sessions included “It’s 2009. Do You Know Where Your Web Identity Is?,” “Taking Care of You: Wellness and Stress Management” and “A Women’s Guide to Money Matters at any Age.” Two unique seminars were also offered during the afternoon. A panel of four women working in male-dominated industries presented “Leading Lady: Taking Care of Business.” There was also a roundtable session, where participants could ask additional questions or chat further with presenters from the event’s workshops.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Brenda Davis, past Corporate Officer for and Vice President of Technical Resources at Johnson & Johnson, touched lessons learned that contributed to her successful career. She shared the personal priority of her children and family throughout her career, emphasizing that there’s no easy way to have it all. She offered advice for all the participants depending on their career stage–recent college graduates entering the workforce, motherhood and work, women mid- and late-career, and those considering retirement or retired. Dr. Davis encouraged the participants to define their own purpose, consider their desired legacy and then to pursue those dreams whether they are at home, in the community or the workplace.
The conference concluded at the Riverside Country Club with dinner and entertainment by Broad Comedy. Those attending were able to discuss what they had learned during the conference and had opportunities to network during dinner, before Broad Comedy’s performance.
The WCOE conference was sponsored in part by RightNow Technologies, with additional support from State Farm Insurance. For a complete list of sponsors, please check our website: http://www.montana.edu/cob/Alumni_and_Friends/WomensCircle.html.
For more information about the WCOE, please contact Audrey Lee at audrey.lee@montana.edu or 406-994-7026.