Featured Speakers:

We are excited to present two prominent women in the world of business as featured speakers:

Sheila C. Johnson will serve as the opening speaker for the conference. Johnson, an impassioned philanthropist with a unique talent for creating successful businesses, is CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, President & Managing Partner of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and a partner in Lincoln Holdings, LLC. She also serves as a Global Ambassador for CARE, a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. In this role, she acts as an integral part of the organization’s “I Am Powerful” campaign, designed to encourage women of all ages to become catalysts for change and vital members of impoverished communities throughout the world. She received a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Illinois, as well as honorary degrees from numerous other institutions.

Elizabeth A. Smith (A&S '85), President of Avon Products, Inc., will also be featured. She is responsible for Avon’s world-wide product-to-market processes, infrastructure and systems, which includes Global Brand Marketing, Global Supply Chain and Global Information Technology. Additionally, she oversees North America operations. Ms. Smith joined Avon in January 2005 as President, Global Brand and was given the additional role of leading Avon North America in August 2005. Prior to joining Avon, Ms. Smith worked for 14 years at Kraft Foods Inc, where most recently she served as the Group Vice President and President of the U.S. Beverages and Grocery. Before working at Kraft, Ms. Smith worked as a financial analyst in private placement at Paine Webber, Inc. Besides her degree from UVa., Smith also holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University

Invited Panelists & Moderators:

Friday, September 26 – 2:15 – 3:30 p.m. (Newcomb Hall)

Women’s Entrepreneurship
Allison Jones Evanow (A&S '86) – Founder and CEO, Square One Vodka
Barbara Taylor (Commerce '77) – Founder and CEO, IB Interview Ready
Lynn Van Dermark (Nursing '87) – Founder and CEO, MedTrials
MODERATOR: Elizabeth Thurston – Assistant Professor, McIntire School of Commerce

The Environment & Sustainability
Deborah Lawrence – Associate Professor, A&S Department of Environmental Sciences
Sylvia Smith (Architecture '79) – Senior Partner, FXFowle Architects
Jill Tietjen (SEAS '76) – President and CEO of Technically Speaking Inc.
MODERATOR: Andrea Larson – Associate Professor, Darden School of Business

Trends in the Media
Donna L. Byrd (College '92) – Publisher, TheRoot.com
Diane Naughton (A&S '83) – Independent Writer and Film Producer
Gretchen Tibbits (A&S '89) – Vice President, Hearst Business Media
MODERATOR: Andrea Press – Professor, A&S Department of Media Studies

Friday, September 26 – 3:45 – 5:00 p.m. (Newcomb Hall)

Global Action
Meredyth Gilmore (A&S '10) – President of U.Va. Chapter, Building Tomorrow
Mary Ann Leeper (Adjunct Faculty in Darden School of Business), Senior Strategist and former President and CEO, the Female Health Company
Carolyn Miles (Darden '88) – Executive Vice President & COO, Save the Children
MODERATOR: Carol Ann Spreen – Assistant Professor, Curry School of Education

Educating the Citizens of Tomorrow
Georgia Arrington Booker (Curry, EdD '80) - Former Director of Counseling Services, DC Public Schools; Special Projects/Counselor, Fairfax Public Schools
Edith ‘Winx’ Lawrence – Professor General Faculty, Curry School of Education Department of Human Services
Esther Vassar (Curry, MEd '71) – Commissioner and Board Chair of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
MODERATOR: Nancy Deutsch – Assistant Professor, Curry School of Education

Women in Sports
Val Ackerman (A&S '81) – President, USA Basketball
Lea Ann Parsley (Nursing '92) – Olympic Silver Medalist, Skeleton
Debbie Ryan – UVa. Women's Basketball Head Coach (Invited)
Debby Stroman (Curry '82) – Former student-athlete; CEO, Soulful Golf, Inc.
MODERATOR: Jane Miller – U.Va. Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Programs

Saturday, September 27 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (Darden School of Business)

The Resilient Leader
Victoria Harker (A&S '86) – Executive Vice President and CFO, AES Corporation
Barbara Jeremiah (Law '77) – Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Alcoa Inc.
Elizabeth Twohy (Commerce '74) – President, Capital Concrete
MODERATOR: Elizabeth Powell – Assistant Professor, Darden School of Business

Health Care Outreach
Panelists TBA

Challenges in the Non-Profit World
Vandna Wendy Bhagat (A&S '91) - Senior Vice President & Executive Director of First Book National Book Bank
Cathy Gorrell (Nursing '79) - Board of Trustees, Nomadic Kenyan Children’s Educational Fund
Meredith Gunter (UVa. Parent) - Founder, UVa. Cancer Patients & Friends
MODERATOR: Sandra Stern (Curry EdD '85) – Board of Directors, Parkinson Disease Foundation

General Sessions – Saturday, September 27 (Darden School of Business)

Women in Politics (9:00 a.m.)
Karin Agness (A&S '06, Law '09) – Founder, Network of Enlightened Women
Jennifer McClellan (Law '97) – Virginia House of Delegates, 71st District; Democratic National Committee
Ellen Qualls (A&S '88) – Senior Advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Charmaine Yoest (PhD, A&S '04) – President, Americans United for Life

Women in Leadership at U.Va. (12:30 p.m.)
Adom Getachew (A&S '10) – UVa. Board of Visitors’ Student Representative
Yoke San Reynolds – U.Va. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Karin Wittenborg – University Librarian
MODERATOR: Suzan Garson (Conference Honorary Co-Chair)