“A wonderfully inspiring, fulfilling and positively fabulous women’s conference. Empowering and fascinating, a must for all area businesswomen!” ~ T. Fiedler, May Cookie Co.
Morning Panel Discussion
Courage and Commitment: Reaching to Achieve
A panel discussion moderated by L. Kay Wilson, Esq.
Noteworthy success often takes courage and that is the subject of this panel. The panelists will be invited to discuss moments in their career where they needed courage, and were able to rise to the occasion through commitment and reach. Kate Sims, Vice President of Operations at Eastern Connecticut Health Network, will discuss her rise as an executive while overcoming personal challenges along the way. Hon. Associate Justice Joette Katz, of the Connecticut Supreme Court, has had a remarkable career in the law and will reveal her most challenging moments as a successful trial attorney, public defender, judge and then Associate Justice. Teresa Younger, Executive Director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, will narrate her challenges and strategies to rise to the position as chief advocate for women’s issues in the State of Connecticut. Attorney L. Kay Wilson moderates this panel with anecdotes from her experience as a trial attorney, executive coach and advocate for social justice.
Moderator
L. Kay Wilson
L. Kay Wilson is an Advocate for female empowerment working to close the gaps for women and girls to achieve influence and positions of leadership in our schools, businesses, communities and governments. As a seasoned trial attorney, executive life coach and motivational speaker, Kay helps women attorneys, women running micro-enterprises and women prisoners to free themselves from the chains that hold them back. Kay leverages her mastery of substantive content, the language of persuasion and the power of stories to entertain, educate and inspire her audiences to action. Her most sought-after keynote/seminar is entitled Women, Power and Influence: Personal Leadership Essentials for Savvy Women. Kay recently innovated a new coaching program called, “Charm School for Mavericks.” She is a passionate and outspoken “womanist” thought-leader driven to leverage our greatest untapped resource: women and girls. To learn more, visit www.kaywilsoncoaching.com
Panelists
Kate Sims, Vice President of Operations at Eastern Connecticut Health Network
Kathleen L. Sims is the Vice President of Operations at Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN), where she is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations, financial management, and short and long-term capital planning for ECHN. Kate is also the site Administrator at Rockville General Hospital.
Kate received a Bachelors Degree in Healthcare Administration from National Louis University in Sarasota, Florida, and she holds an Executive MBA from the University of Hartford Barney School of Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance. In the midst of a fast-moving and very successful career, Kate also conquered a number of personal struggles, including a physically abusive first marriage and a cancer diagnosis. Using her passion, drive, and faith, Kate persevered through these challenges and is now a proud wife, mother of four, and cancer survivor. Kate’s story is one of strength and drive, inspiring women to reach for their personal and professional goals, no matter what tries to get in their way!
Gina Barreca
Regina Barreca, Ph.D. is a professor of English and feminist theory at the University of Connecticut. Her books include They Used to Call Me Snow White, but I Drifted; Perfect Husbands and Other Fairy Tales; Babes in Boyland; and I’m With Stupid, written with Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post. Gina has written or edited other books on vice, Victorians and sex, American humor, the erotics of instruction, The Sopranos, women’s humor, and Italian-American literature. She blogs about teaching, sex, humor, money, publishing, ambition, books, marriage, envy (professional and personal), politics (professional and personal), aging, and cartoons.
Associate Justice Joette Katz
Associate Justice Joette Katz graduated from Brandeis University and University of Connecticut School of Law. She then served as a public defender until she was appointed Chief of Legal Services for the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services, where she handled hundreds of appeals. Her Honor co-authored a textbook, the Connecticut Criminal Law Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide. In 1989, she was appointed to the Superior Court bench, and in 1992, she was elevated to the Connecticut Supreme Court, where she currently serves as an Associate Justice. She has been honored with many awards, including the National Organization of Women’s Harriet Tubman Award, the University of Connecticut School of Law’s Distinguished Graduate Award, the National Council of Jewish Women’s Women of Distinction Award, the Connecticut Bar Association’s Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award, and has an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Quinnipiac University School of Law.
Teresa Younger
Teresa Younger is the Executive Director of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW). The PCSW has been the State’s leading force for women’s equality for 36 years. Prior to joining the PCSW, Younger was the Director of Affiliate Organizational Development at the American Civil Liberties Union National Office, where she assisted affiliates throughout the country with organization and management issues. Preceding her tenure with ACLU National, Younger became the first woman and the first African American to serve as Executive Director of the ACLU of Connecticut. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota.
Afternoon Panel Discussion
Stress Less: Reaching Your Wellness
Cheryl Jones-Reardon will moderate a panel discussion focusing on one of the most important determinants of health for women…stress! Our experts will inspire you to develop your own personal philosophy of wellness and to practice a higher level of self-care.
- Discover ways to bolster your immune system
- Build your resilience to negative stress
- Learn how to focus on the positive moments of your day to feel more energized
- Explore the connection between stress, your sense of authenticity, and health
The key to living with greater health and vitality lies in first understanding how stress impacts you. Then it’s about growing, learning, and practicing skills to help you better manage your health and wellness. This panel will help you do just that!
Moderator
Cheryl Jones-Reardon
Known best for her book/CD Mindful Exercise, former celebrity fitness trainer Cheryl is one of the most credentialed fitness and wellness coaches in the nation. Cheryl has worked with inspired individuals for more than twenty-five years helping them to achieve their fitness goals and adopt a healthier lifestyle. What makes her approach unique is mindfulness, which, simply put, means living with ‘present moment awareness.’
Cheryl holds a Master’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Connecticut and a Certificate in Spirituality from Saint Joseph College. She has completed extensive training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and is the author of Mindful Exercise.
Panelists
Dorothy Martin-Neville
Dorothy holds a PhD in Psychology and is a Diplomate in Comprehensive Energy Psychology. A psychotherapist in private practice since 1983, she is the author of three books, Dreams Are Only the Beginning, The Companion Book, and Your Soul Sings, Your Body Dances. An international lecturer, teacher, medical intuitive, and healer, Dr. Martin-Neville received National Institutes of Health grant funding to research her work in energy medicine focusing on the psycho/spiritual correlates of Fibromyalgia.
Dorothy believes illness begins on the spiritual level when we are betraying our true self. She teaches that to be truly healthy, we need to live life passionately and vibrantly, following our spiritual purpose and our soul’s longings.
Joan Pagano
Joan is certified in health/fitness instruction by the American College of Sports Medicine and is the owner of the Joan Pagano Fitness Group based in New York City. She is a best-selling author of fitness books, including Strength Training for Women. Joan is an authority on the benefits of exercise for women’s health issues such as pregnancy, breast cancer, menopause and osteoporosis, as well as strength training through the decades. She has contributed to publications such as SHAPE, health and fitness magazines, The Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Tribune; and has appeared on national and regional TV.
Terry Walters
Terry is all about good health –Body, Mind, and Soul. For the past 10 years, she has been teaching people to make delicious, healthy foods to nourish themselves and their families. Terry is the author of Clean Food, a seasonal cookbook and guide to eating close to the source. She is a holistic health counselor, food educator, and motivational speaker.
Terry draws from extensive educational and life experiences, including training from The Institute of Integrative Nutrition, The Natural Gourmet Cookery School and The Chopra Center. Terry resides in Connecticut with her husband and two children.
Anjanette Ferris-Senatus
Anjanette is a cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at The Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Dr. Ferris-Senatus co-authored Tracking Women’s Awareness of Heart Disease: an American Heart Association National Study, which was a major force behind the “Go Red for Women” heart disease awareness campaign.
Dr. Ferris-Senatus has received awards for her research into women’s cardiovascular health, and she currently serves as a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She believes in treating the whole person and emphasizes prevention by helping her patients adopt a healthy lifestyle.