51ĀŅĀ×

51ĀŅĀ× Lancaster is gearing up for its 2019 Celebrate Women conference, a Womenā€™s History Month event dedicated to education, inspiration and connection.

The 13^th annual Celebrate Women conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 22, on 51ĀŅĀ×ā€™s Lancaster Campus and will revolve around the theme ā€œChallenge. Lead. Succeed!ā€

ā€œCelebrate Women is a wonderful springtime tradition where women are informed and inspired,ā€ said Laurie Lach, director of development and external affairs at 51ĀŅĀ× Lancaster. ā€œEntrepreneurs, trendsetters, barrier breakers and experts come together to share their knowledge and skills. The program serves to highlight and celebrate womenā€™s achievements and contributions today and throughout history.ā€

A highlight of this yearā€™s program will be keynote speaker and history-maker Eileen Collins. A retired Air Force colonel and retired NASA astronaut, Collins holds the title of the first female Space Shuttle pilot and commander. Among her accolades, Collins has been inducted into both the National Womenā€™s Hall of Fame and the United States Astronauts Hall of Fame. Her keynote address is titled, ā€œLeadership Lessons from Apollo to Discovery.ā€

The conference will feature enriching sessions, a Celebrate Women luncheon, recognition of female student leaders and remarks from the 2018 Jane Johnsen Women of Vision Award recipients, honored for their significant contributions to the local community.

There will be 17 informal workshops throughout the day addressing personal and professional development as well as different aspects of female leadership, including leadership in business, community, education and health. Among the speakers will be Chawne Kimber, a professor of mathematics at Lafayette College and a well-known artist who uses her artform, quilting, to address issues of race, language and womenā€™s rights. Dr. Kimberā€™s artwork will be on display at the conference, and she will discuss her work advocating for social justice through her craft.

The conference will open with a moderated panel discussion, featuring:

• Cynthia C. Calhoun, BSEE ā€™88, aerospace engineer supervisor at NASAā€™s John Glenn Research Center
• Heather Lawrence-Benedict, associate dean of graduate programs in OHIOā€™s College of Business and a Robert H. Freeman Professor in Business
• Jennifer Johns Friel, CEO of Mid West Fabricating Company, a family-owned and operated business founded in Fairfield County in 1945

The 2019 Celebrate Women conference is open to anyone interested in bridging womenā€™s relationships in the realms of community, university and professions. For more information and to register, click here. Early-bird pricing ends March 8.