Accelerate your Excellence! Learn, Lead and Leverage at the 2008 Women’s Business Conference!

The Dallas Regional Chamber will present the 13th Annual Women’s Business Conference on October 14, 2008 at the Dallas Convention Center. The day-long Conference is filled with professional development, personal growth, and networking opportunities. CPE credits are offered to full-day attendees.

This year’s conference features keynote speakers, Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, as well as award winning actress, entrepreneur and author Jane Seymour. In addition, you’ll get to listen-in and participate in discussions covering everything from brain health to staying successful in a global economy. Speakers and sessions include:

• The Drum Café- an energy filled, team building experience! Hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, this interactive drumming troupe helps companies and their employees find their rhythm, create synergy, and come together to meet vital organizational goals.
• Maj. General (ret.) Mary Saunders - Executive Director, Texas Woman's University Leadership Institute. Saunders, a two star general, is the former Vice Director of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).  The DLA is the Department of Defense's largest combat support agency, providing worldwide logistics support in both peacetime and wartime to the military services as well as several civilian agencies and foreign countries.  While there, she was responsible for more than 22,000 employees and $28 billion in sales. Saunders topic will focus on leadership and what it takes to be successful in a global economy.
• Your Brain is Your Business - We are all victims of multi-tasking, but is it making us smarter and is it building a healthier brain? Sandra Chapman, Ph.D., Executive Director, and Jennifer Zientz, MS CCC/SLP, Head of Clinical Services, with The University of Texas at Dallas Center for BrainHealth, will lead this seminar which focuses on three pivotal brain functions that can make or break your productivity.
• Blah Blah Blah:  How to Stand Out and Be Anything But Boring - Do you make the most of your networking opportunities or do you gravitate towards people you already have relationships with?  Learn how to make the most of your networking opportunities in this interactive networking workshop led by Terri Langhans. Langhans is an author and the COE (Chief of Everything) at her company Blah Blah Blah.
• Women Working with Women - Unlock the critical cultural differences that males and females encounter and the genetic reasons why women may not always support one another.  This informative and humorous session is presented by Michele Hanson, CEO of ExecuInsight, LLC and founder of the Network for Executive Women in the Consumer Products and Retail Food Industry.
• Passion, Courage, and Faith:  Key Ingredients for Professional Distinction and Personal Achievement - Learn the seven crucial steps that lead to bold and personal distinction from former executive vice president of Diversity at MTV Networks Rosalyn Taylor O'Neale.  Taylor O'Neale is recognized as one of the top diversity experts in the country.
• How to Connect with Others Who are Not Like you – Technology is a blessing and a curse as it presents more opportunities for us to filter out the information and communication we do not want.  Kelly McDonald will show you how to connect with someone, and learn to tap into relevant beliefs, values or habits. McDonald is a marketing and advertising expert with more than 20 years of experience.

ATHENA® Award Presentation:
One highlight of the luncheon will be the annual presentation of the ATHENA® Award. The 2008 recipient is Suzanne Charriere, Retired Managing Principal, Corgan Associates, Inc. The Dallas sponsorship, provided by Chase and the Chamber, is part of the ATHENA® Award program recognizing the accomplishments of businesswomen. Ms. Charriere has been a shining example of a leader in her own profession as the first woman managing principal of a major architectural firm in the nation.

Conference Sponsors:
Jackson Walker L. L. P. and Wachovia Bank serve as platinum sponsors for this year’s event. Additional sponsors include American Airlines, Bank of America, Hunt Consolidated, Inc./Hunt Oil Company, Texas Instruments, and WFAA-TV.

For more information on the conference call 214-746-6787 or send an email to womenbiz@dallaschamber.org. Cost for attendance is $120 for Chamber members and $150 for non-members. Corporate sponsorships are still available. Reservations for the conference may be made on line at www.dallaschamber.org/womens.