Courtney Lynch, a best-selling author, nationally recognized entrepreneur and former Marine Corps officer, will offer practical advice about navigating the leadership path at the 16th annual Leadership Colloquium for Professional Women on Thursday, November 5 at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) Stafford campus.
The Colloquium also will feature a dozen seminars about a range of topics, including surviving a recession, how to run engaging meetings, time management and attaining optimal health.
The program will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UMW Stafford campus on U.S. 17. The registration deadline is Friday, October 23. The event is sponsored by UMW, GEICO, NSWC Federal Credit Union, MediCorp Health System, CVS, Childress Heating & A/C and Hilldrup Moving and Storage.
Lynch co-authored the best-selling “Leading from the Front: No Excuse Leadership Tactics for Women." An attorney, she co-founded the leadership development company Lead Star LLC. In addition, she served nine years as a Marine Corps officer, and she managed a software sales team. She received the 2006 Stevie Award for Best Female Entrepreneur.
The 2009 Colloquium features a variety of seminars, from which participants will choose three to attend. Here are some highlights:
• “Let Your Passion Lead You” will show participants how to apply creativity and leadership as they live their passion. Gaye Adegbalola, an award-winning teacher and internationally known performer, is the speaker.
• “Brand “U” will teach participants how to establish a distinguishing brand with proven strategies and the latest tools to improve a company or to brand themselves. The presenter is Susan Carol, head of Susan Carol Associates Public Relations.
• “ ‘Improv’ Your Life: Live in the Moment and Accept the Offer” will explore how spontaneity reduces stress while allowing more enjoyment of the present. Christine Walters, owner of ComedySportz Richmond, is the presenter.
• “Leading with Emotional Intelligence” will examine how to increase emotional intelligence to achieve maximum results as a leader. The presenters are Susan Garnett Spears, Fredericksburg chamber vice president of community and leadership development, and Jane-Alyse VonOhlen, MediCorp Health System director of talent management.
• “Mars vs. Venus: Avoiding Planetary Collisions” will cover the different ways the genders operate in business and will identify strategies to navigate planetary configurations. Linda D. Worrell, president of Worrell Management Group, is the speaker.
• “Strike the Right Match: How to Engage a Mentor” will show how to choose a mentor for professional and personal success and growth while learning skills and building self-awareness. The presenter is Janel S. Donohue, Rappahannock United Way vice president for marketing and development.
• “The Art of Communication: One Tough Conversation at a Time” will provide the foundation needed to have difficult conversations with colleagues or employees—with more confidence and control. Jo Ellen S. Armstrong, MediCorp Health System manager of associate development, is the speaker.
Visit www.umw.edu/lcpw, send an email to cgps@umw.edu, or call (540) 286-8000 or toll-free (888) 692-4968 to learn more and to register. If registration and payment is received on or before Thursday, October 1, the fee is $99. After October 1, the fee is $129. The fee covers continental breakfast, buffet luncheon, afternoon tea and all sessions and materials. The 2009 Colloquium has the theme “Lighting the Path Through Leadership.”
This year’s program will begin with a networking opportunity, "Get Connected.” The Colloquium will include the annual presentation of the Patricia Lacey Metzger Distinguished Achievement Award, which recognizes a past Colloquium participant for attaining a major career goal while upholding exemplary personal and professional standards.