Date:   Friday, May 21, 2010
Time:  8am -7 pm
Location:
Kensington Court
610 Hilton Blvd
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Cost:
$75.00 early bird registration through May 1, 2010
$95.00 registration fee starting May 2, 2010

WXW is hosting its dynamic, fun-filled, all-day forum for women business leaders. The day-long event provides an interactive and lively experience with regional speakers, workshops, breakout sessions, and networking activities. Our mission is to engage the business community and work through the common issues women business leaders face in their efforts to grow and improve their companies.

This year we are offering our third annual conference.  After feedback at last year’s May conference, WXW attendees told us they wanted “more, more, more!” So this year we are doubling the number of workshops you can attend. In the morning, we’ll host intensive and interactive 2-hour workshops facilitated by amazing local business leaders, who are prepared for your burning business questions. Then, we’ll hear from a panel of the region’s leading business women. After lunch attendees will then have the opportunity to choose another workshop and one of eight different breakout sessions. And finally we’ll wrap up with a happy hour that includes wine, food, music, and the best networking opportunities in the state.   We expect 300 attendees from the Ann Arbor area, Southeast Michigan, and Northeast Ohio.

WXW Forum 10 Agenda
8-8:30am Registration & mingling
8:30am Welcome
9-10:45am Jump Start! Morning Workshops
11-12:15pm Panel of Women Business Leaders
12:30-1pm Lunch & Announcements
1:15-3:15pm Keep It Going! Afternoon Workshops
3:30-4:30pm Exchange Sessions 4:30pm Wrap-up
5-7pm Happy Hour

MORNING WORKSHOPS – (Choose 1 while registering)

CREATING YOUR DREAM BUSINESS: REACHING FOR THE SKY WITH YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND
Did you ever get excited about a vision for your company and then watch it get lost in the distractions of everyday life?  Or  lose its luster and become “just more work”?  At this workshop, you will explore how to keep your vision alive and create a pathway of concrete steps to bring it to fruition.  You will leave the session with a draft of your personal vision, clear metrics to define success in reaching it, and the steps you’ll take on the pathway to manifest your dreams.

CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH: FLIGHT PLANS NOT FAIRY TALES
Just where do you think you’re going? And how are you going to get there? In this session, participants will engage in an interactive exercise of charting your career: from the past, to the present and into the future. Connect with and hear from three women with non-traditional perspectives of navigating the highs and lows of piloting your own true course. Participants will leave with a renewed vision and plan for their individual career choices.

CONNECTIONS THAT WORK: STRATEGIC NETWORKING AND PARTNERING
Networking can help you to find the right employee, partner, or otherwise expand your business horizons. But in a room full of likely looking people, how do you focus your efforts and make your precious time more valuable? And what do you say to “the one” contact you need to make? The key to networking is taking the initiative and refining your conversational skills. Participants will leave this session with a list of steps they can follow to network like a pro and build their bank of business relationships.

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? USING YOUR STORIES TO INFLUENCE AND CONNECT
You have been moved, inspired, informed and influenced by the stories of amazing people. With rapt attention you drink in the details, ride waves of emotion, discover common truths and when the story ends find yourself changed. And thinking perhaps, I could never do that. Yes you can. In this workshop, you will explore the art and practice of organizational storytelling including two types of powerful leadership stories that can help you to build trust, credibility and influence with your audience of one or one thousand. You will leave with a fully developed “who I am” or “who we are” story, the tools to identify, develop and position a suite of stories, and the confidence to wield this ancient leadership tool from boardroom to blog.

GETTING OFF THE GROUND WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
You hear it everywhere you go: you’ve got to be in social networking and social media! So why haven’t you taken the plunge? It’s ok! Come on in, the water’s warm. We’ll take you on a tour of the major social sites, learn what to get out of each one, and avoid the pitfalls. Sure, it is time consuming and often one can get side tracked, but if you want to be proactive in the hunt for new clients, maintain current clients and rebuild relationships with past clients, social media is a great, free, easy way to network with people already engaged with your product or service. Participants will leave the session with a completed workbook to use as a guide as they set up and use their social media profiles.

THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT: HAVING THOSE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS
Let’s face it. It can be a daunting task to delve into the deep recesses of difficult conversations. Intention, meaning and good will can get shanghaied by feelings, personal and relationship history and stress. In this workshop, you’ll learn the tools, tips, do’s and don’ts and get lots of practice to help you navigate the muddy waters of productive communication, where reality is created. Upgrade your conversational style, dazzle others with your newfound skills, and delight in how your professional and personal life shines like the sun on a crisp spring morning.

Panelists include:

Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D.
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Michigan
CEO, University of Michigan Health System
On May 11, 2009, Dr. Pescovitz became the first female Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Michigan and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Michigan Health System. In this role, Pescovitz is responsible for the leadership and management of the Health System, which includes the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers, the U-M Medical School, clinical services of the U-M School of Nursing, and the Michigan Health Corp., the legal entity that allows the Health System to enter into partnerships, affiliations, joint ventures and other business activities.

 As CEO of one of the nation’s leading research institutions and a network of hospitals that is one of a few in the country – and the only one in Michigan – to be listed on the U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll 15 consecutive years, Pescovitz is responsible for oversight of a $1.8 billion operating budget and a Medical School with more than $300 million in NIH funding. She leads a number of major initiatives, including developing the 174-acre North Campus Research Complex (NCRC) into a national – even international – research hub and opening the new C.S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital in 2012.

Prior to taking the U-M post, Dr. Pescovitz had an extensive and successful career serving as executive associate dean for Research Affairs at Indiana University School of Medicine, president and CEO of Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis and interim vice president for Research Administration at Indiana University.

Dr. Pescovitz is a nationally recognized pediatric endocrinologist and researcher who has published nearly 170 papers and received numerous awards for her research and teaching. She has served as president of the Society for Pediatric Research, the nation’s largest pediatric research organization, president of the Lawson Wilkins (North American) Pediatric Endocrine Society, chair of the March of Dimes Grants Review Committee, and a member of the Ad-Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding, the board of the Hormone Foundation, the board of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI), and the board of the Children’s Miracle Network. Her awards and honors include a Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health, being named one of Modern Healthcare’s 2009 Top 25 Women in Healthcare, recognition as one of Crain’s 2009 “Women to Watch” and nomination for Modern Healthcare’s list of the “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare.”

Kristi Mailloux, President, Molly Maids
Kristi Mailloux was named president of Molly Maid in 2006. A 17-year veteran of Molly Maid, Inc., Kristi brings a franchisee-first attitude and high energy to her position. Those traits translate to results; in fact, consumer sales during Kristi’s leadership have reached record highs. Kristi’s career path has included several executive positions at SBI including President of 1-800-DryClean and Vice President of Operations for Molly Maid. She also served as Vice President of Operations of Service Brands International (SBI), leading franchise operations for all three brands.

Kristi graduated with honors from the University of Michigan. In 2003, she was selected as one of Crain’s Detroit Business’s prestigious “Top 40 Under 40” executives in the state of Michigan. Kristi is also actively involved with the International Franchise Association serving as a mentor for their “Women in Franchising” program, and has also assisted with various workshop panels and round tables.

Kristi lives in Brighton, Michigan with her husband and their two children and they also own and operate a Mr. Handyman franchise.

Diane E. Ward, Chief Executive Officer SE Michigan Red Cross Blood Services
American Red Cross Southeastern Michigan Blood Services CEO
Diane E. Ward became chief executive officer of the Southeastern Michigan Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross on May 1, 2003. She joined the American Cross in 1987 working in various Human Resource roles, including North Central Area human resources director.  In 1999 she was named director of donor services. During her tenure in that post, the region’s collections grew from 180,000 units to 225,000.  Prior to joining the American Red Cross  Ward held various human resources roles in health care, service, and manufacturing organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial psychology from Wayne State University and a master’s in business administration.

Moderator – Mary Morgan, Publisher of the Ann Arbor Chronicle

AFTERNOON WORKSHOP -(choose 1 while registering)

BEYOND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: EARNING CUSTOMER LOYALTY
Good customer service is the cornerstone of every business. But customer loyalty is the ultimate goal. During this workshop you’ll learn how to track customer service throughout your businesses at each customer touchpoint; discuss customer expectations and how to meet and exceed them; gain customer trust; and create customer loyalty. Participants will leave the session with a clear plan for implementing a customer service and loyalty plan for their business.

SELL LIKE A GIRL!
For many women, selling is nearly as scary as skydiving; but if you don’t get comfortable with selling, your company won’t survive. Despite what you’ve been taught, you don’t have to be a “power seller” who delivers a convincing pitch. When you sell like a “girl,” you are friendly, open, truthful, and nurturing which encourages your prospective customers to bond with you and share the reasons why they may or may not need your product or service. In this workshop, you will learn to tap into your “girl power” and use it to your advantage in sales. You’ll learn a process or “script” to help you guide prospective customers through the sales qualification process. In pairs, you’ll practice asking probing questions to determine if your product or service is a good fit for your prospects needs. As a group, we will do a lot of role playing, so you can practice techniques and respond to real life sales situations. Participants will leave the session with a completed workbook to use as a guide for their future sales endeavors.

BECOMING A GURU: BE KNOWN AS THE EXPERT YOU ARE
Have you ever wondered how people get picked for panels, interviews or how news outlets find their experts? No matter what kind of business you are in, your own expertise is a powerful marketing tool for you, your product, or your organization. You’ll leave this workshop with a plan for defining your area of expertise, sharing your expertise when and where it counts, and leveraging your new role as a guru to the max!

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR BUSINESS: TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
If you’ve been using social media for a while, but want to learn more about how to use it to reach your business goals, this is the workshop for you! This advanced workshop is for people who are already familiar with popular tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter but don’t have the time to spend hours every day keeping things updated. Participants will learn how to maximize their efforts by using time-saving tools, developing a defined strategy, and coming up with metrics to measure their success.

RIGHT PEOPLE, RIGHT PLACE: BUILD A GREAT TEAM IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Successful teaming is important, but especially during economically challenging times like these when your group’s bench-strength (collective talents and contributions) matters most. The most saavy leaders invest in strengths and surround themselves with the right mix of people in realizing their organization’s success. In this session we’ll explore what a strengths-based approach to building teams is and what the four major domains are to building a strong team. You will work with the concepts, practical tools and strategies that can help begin to leverage and maximize each of your team member’s talents. You’ll leave this session with a stronger sense of your own strengths and the resources and tools for how to begin to build the bench-strength of your team.

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF SO YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS
Enrich your lifestyle by learning, relaxing and/or revitalizing techniques for your mind and body. During this session, we will discuss the “Three Process Tools” that help us to change and regroup.  We will also experience several styles of gentle movement and stretches, meditation, and self-acupressure (light finger pressure and massage) techniques that promote the intrinsic vitality of peace and harmony.

These days our companies are trying to do more with less. We have fewer employees trying to do more work in less time. For your team to run at top speed, they need you to be an effective boss, mentor, and leader all wrapped into one.

But sometimes as women business leaders, we worry that “being the boss” means our team members will perceive us as overbearing, domineering, or even dictatorial. Because we’re afraid of being “bitchy,” we hesitate to take charge, give direction, track performance, or correct behavior.

Unfortunately, your team will never be truly successful until you accept your responsibility to be their leader, coach, motivator, and manager. It’s OK to be the boss! In fact, it’s critical to the success of your workplace and your company.

During WXW’s March 18th event, we will tackle this tough topic with practical advice and many opportunities to share ideas. The event will start with an interactive panel of three local business women who have learned to embrace their role as boss and are now leading their teams to success.

Then join us for our patented Exchange Sessions to talk about managing your own team effectively, creating a productive environment, and being the kind of boss that attracts and retains high performing employees.

Panelists include:
Terri Barlow, Vice President of Sales and Marketing atThomson-Shore, Inc.

Terri Barlow is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Thomson-Shore, Inc. (www.thomsonshore.com), a book manufacturer located in Dexter, Michigan serving the trade, religious, professional, and university press markets. She has worked in book manufacturing since 1984 and has been at Thomson-Shore since 1991. Over the years she has held various management positions before to moving to sales in 2002.

Her belief: “The Golden Rule”.
Her practice: “As close to the Golden Rule as she can get.”

Terri and her husband live in Dexter. She has three daughters and four grandchildren (with two more on the way scheduled to arrive this summer).

Megan Torrance, President at TorranceLearning

Megan began her career by designing & implementing changes to processes, teams and technologies…which almost always created a need for training and communicating with people throughout the organization, and all around the world. This is where TorranceLearning began to take shape. TorranceLearning is an elearning design & development company, located just outside Ann Arbor in Chelsea, Michigan. They partner with their clients’ subject matter experts to develop online training that is both engaging and effective. The team has produced courses on everything from how organic soy crisps are made, to CRM software, to spinal cord injury assessment, to marketing sustainability benefits, and the list continues to grow. The entire team is committed not only to delivering outstanding work to clients, but also creating a top-notch work environment based on trust, flexibility, compassion, and fun. (When we are happy, we are creative and efficient.) TorranceLearning is a Washtenaw County Waste Knot member, and has offset their annual carbon output through TerraPass. Visit the TorranceLearning team online at www.torrancelearning.com.

Dr. Kay Woodiel, Director of Diversity & Community Involvement at Eastern Michigan University, Associate Professor, Eastern Michigan University

Kay is the Director of Diversity and Community Involvement and a tenured Associate Professor of Health Education at Eastern Michigan University.  In her current position, she supervises 9 professional staff, 4 graduate assistants and 40 student employees and volunteers.  Before coming to EMU, she enjoyed two previous careers, an Athletic Director and Coach at the university level and a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.  She believes that a work environment should be productive, cohesive, and fun.  She also values the teaching component of her role as the leader in these three professions. 

WXW Book Club:
Meeting: March 24th
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Nicola’s
Westgate Shopping Center
Jackson Av. & Stadium Blvd.
2513 Jackson Av.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Anyone who mentions the WXW bookclub when purchasing It’s OK To Be The Boss, will receive 10% off the book. Books will also be available for purchase at the workshop.

Other Related Reading:
“The Girl’s Guide to Being a Boss” by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio
“Lead the Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up” by John Baldoni

LOCATION SPONSORED BY:  

SPEAKERS COSPONSORED WITH:

WOMEN IMPACTING PUBLIC POLICY

FIND YOUR VOICE IN PUBLIC POLICY

DATE: February 12, 2010
TIME: 3:00 PM- 6:30 PM
LOCATION: EAGLE CREST CONFERENCE CENTER (Attached to Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti Eagle Crest Resort) 1275 South Huron Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
COST: $35.00

 Main Event Registration still available, Free procurment event sold out

If Women Business Owners were their own country, we would be the 5th largest GDP in the world! We have a strong collective voice that impacts government and public policy at a local, regional, and national level.

At WXW and WIPP’s (Women Impacting Public Policy) event, attendees will hear stories and lessons learned from a panel of well-known women who’ve held government positions.  The panel which includes Jennifer Bisceglie, President of Interos, Nicole Nystrom, CEO of Midwest Strategy Group, Debbie Dingell, President of A2 Strategies, and Shannon Garrett, Great Lakes Regional Director of The White House Project will be moderated by Mary Kramer, Publisher of Crain’s Detroit Business. 

After the panel, Barbara Kasoff, President of WIPP, will discuss how business women can become involved and politically active.

Attendees will then decide on their area of interest (energy, environment, procurement, local government, etc.) and attend interactive sessions with legislators and public figures.

Finally, we’ll wrap up the event with a happy hour full of hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and stellar networking…

** JUST ADDED! FREE Pre-Event Workshop: “An Introduction to Federal Procurement”**  (SOLD OUT)
(Offered from 2pm – 3pm before the main event)
Federal Contracting presents offers a tremendous business opportunity for women business owners to expand their business. In this special seminar you will learn if the Federal Government buys what you sell and it will help you understand what you need in order to navigate through the process. We will discuss registration on the CCR, how to use research tools and the importance of teaming.
NOTE: You can attend just the workshop for FREE, or just the main event for $35, or both events! Please select the appropriate ticket type above to help us plan for the right number of attendees at each.

Agenda:
PRE-EVENT WORKSHOP (SOLD OUT)
2:00 – 3:00: FREE Pre-Event Workshop: An Introduction to Federal Procurement — JUST ADDED !!
MAIN EVENT (Registration Still Open)
3:00 – 3:30: Arrival and Registration for Main Event
3:30 – 4:30: Panel Discussion – Mary Kramer, Moderator (Crain’s Detroit Business)
4:30 – 5:00: Speaker – Barbara Kasoff, President of WIPP
5:00 – 6:00: Breakout sessions (Healthcare, Access to Capital, Procurement, Taxes + more!)
6:00 – 7:00: Cocktails, H’ors D’oeuvres and Mingling
NOTE: You can attend just the workshop for FREE, or just the main event for $35, or both events! Please select the appropriate ticket type above to help us plan for the right number of attendees at each.

SPEAKER AND PANELIST BIOGRAPHIES

SPEAKER: 
Barbara Kasoff
The President and CEO, and Co-Founder,
of Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc.

Other companies that she has owned and managed are Voice-Tel of Michigan, the fourth largest voice messaging company in the United States, Voice-Tel of Central Michigan, and Voice Response Corporation, a telemarketing and database marketing company. Barbara also opened and developed Voice-Tel of Australia, a company with 11 offices throughout Australia and New Zealand for the Voice-Tel franchisor. Altogether, she has been a business owner and corporate executive for 20 years, and has successfully sold three of her four companies.  

For many years, Barbara has been an active supporter for small businesses, and women and minorities in business in particular. She continues this work both nationally and internationally. She has linked together thousands of small business owners  with her voice messaging network, enabling them to communicate directly with one another to improve their businesses, learn of programs, opportunities and appointments in the communities, improve the climate of entrepreneurship, and play a part in public policy making. Her efforts to unite various organizations, has enabled small business owners to share information with each other, learn from one another, and become better informed in economic and political issues.

Barbara was named on October 15, 2007 to the National Women’s Business Council for a Federal appointment of a 3 year term. In addition, Barbara currently serves as Co-Chair of the National Global Trade and Technology Board of Directors, whose mission is to help reverse the long standing trends in balance of trade deficits by making the task of finding, selling and delivering US products and services into global markets as simple as doing business next door. She is also a media resource for the White House Project and has been recently cited as CEO of one of the top 3 most powerful non-profits in Washington, DC.

In addition, Barbara has previously served as President of The National Association of Business Owners in Detroit, Vice President of Public Policy for the national NAWBO organization, SCORE and on various community Boards, including: Detroit Edison Community Relations Board, Forgotten Harvest, International Institute and Majority Business Initiative. Barbara has served on the national Board of Directors of the Women’s Leadership Forum for the Democratic National Committee and served as the Small Business Chair for Kerry for President.  She has helped develop new and closer relationships with the US Small Business Administration, Small Business Development Centers, Department of Commerce and local, national and international corporate leaders. She also advises for the Committee for Working Families for Wal*Mart. Barbara has served as a Delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business, was an invited delegate to President Clinton’s Midwest Regional Economic Summit and was the recipient of the State of Michigan Women in Business Advocate of the Year in 1995.  

Barbara and her family now reside in San Francisco, CA.

 MODERATOR:

Mary L. Kramer
Publisher

Mary Kramer was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is a graduate of Grand Valley State University and had 16 years of reporting and management experience at daily newspapers before joining Crain’s Detroit Business in April 1989 as editor.

Crain’s Detroit Business (CDB), which was launched in February 1985, covers business news in the five-county metropolitan Detroit area. Circulation is 30,000, with an estimated readership that brings the total readership to nearly 140,000 people each week.

In 1990, Mary was named associate publisher and was named publisher in 2005, responsible for sales, circulation and editorial operations.

In 1994, she was named a vice president of Crain Communications Inc.

Active in a number of personal and professional organizations, Kramer is a former president of the Alliance of Area Business Publications, a national trade association for regional business publications.

She is the first woman to be elected president of the historic Detroit Athletic Club. She holds honorary doctorates from Grand Valley State University, Alma College and Eastern Michigan University.

Her previous daily newspaper experience included editing positions at the Kalamazoo Gazette, Grand Rapids Press, Ann Arbor News, Greenwich (Conn.) Time, and Buffalo (N.Y.) Courier-Express.

PANELISTS:

Jennifer Bisceglie 
President Interos

She has more than 17 years of supply chain management experience in software companies and global distribution companies such as Manhattan Associates, Nine West Shoes (now Jones Apparel), and American Eagle Outfitters. Her team specializes in providing supply chain risk mitigation to help federal agencies optimize their programs and operations. Her clients include U.S. Navy, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Customs and Border Protection and other government contractors such as ManTech.

She serves on the Executive Logistics Council for National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and is an active member of Women in Defense (WID), Women Construction Owners and Executives (WCOE), and Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO). In addition, she is a founding member of The American Small Business Coalition (ASBC). She served on the Board of Directors and as Awards Chair for the International Society of Logistics Engineers (SOLE) from 2006-2007.

She is the recipient of Enterprising Women’s 2009 Enterprising Woman of the Year award as well as Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business award. She is a National Founding Member of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors, sits on the Board of Advisors, and is the National Chair of the Instant Impact Grassroots Committee. For her work with WIPP, Jennifer received the 2007 President’s Award.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from West Virginia University. Jennifer is a sought after speaker on Federal Government contracting as well as small business concerns as they relate to Federal legislation.

Debbie Dingell
President of A2 Strategies
Chair, Manufacturing Intiative
American Automotive Policy Council

Debbie Dingell is an active civic and community leader in both Michigan and Washington, D.C. and is a recognized national advocate for women and children. She recently completed a more than 30 year career at General Motors as a senior executive, where she headed the GM Foundation and public affairs.  Mrs. Dingell is now the chair of a new initiative on manufacturing.

Mrs. Dingell is also a national Democratic strategist, a member of the Democratic National Committee and has chaired numerous political campaigns.  She currently chairs several boards, initiatives and committees and sits on numerous cultural, health, social services and civic boards in both Michigan and Washington, D.C. Much of her recent work has been focused on ethical issues and social responsibility as it relates to government and business.  Last year she co-chaired One United Michigan, which sought to preserve and support affirmative action programs in Michigan.   A known “bridge-builder,” she continues to promote and lead efforts toward greater understanding among the Detroit area’s Mideast community.

 As a respected, bi-partisan voice, she is a regular contributor to the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, co-hosts “AM I Right” on the Detroit Public Television station, and is a regular roundtable Panel participant on WDIV’s “Flashpoint” as well as several other local media programs in Michigan and Washington, D.C.   She is included in Washingtonian’s 2009 100 most influential women in Washington, DC and Detroit Crain’s listing of the 100 most influential women in Michigan.

Mrs. Dingell is married to Congressman John D. Dingell of Michigan.

Shannon Garrett
Great  Lakes Regional Director
The White House Project

 A native of Holland, MI, Shannon returned home in 2008 after spending more than a decade building her political, legislative and legal skills in Washington, DC and Minneapolis, MN. She is committed to amplifying the political voice of underrepresented constituencies, and has a particular passion for advancing women’s leadership and civic engagement. To pursue these goals, Shannon has worked in a variety of government and nonprofit settings, including the Office of Congressman Sander Levin, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Alliance for Justice and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

In her work with The White House Project, Shannon will invite and equip Michigan women of all political parties to run for office at all levels of government.  In the fall of 2009, Shannon received the Edison Award from the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Greater Grand Rapids, recognizing her extraordinary leadership in innovation over the past year.  Shannon graduated from Alma College in 1994, earned a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2004, and is currently a member of the State Bar of Michigan.

Nicole Nystrom
CEO of Midwest Strategy Group

Prior to founding Midwest Strategy Group, Nicole G. Nystrom served as the Michigan Lobbying Director of the Government Policy Department for the law firm Dykema Gossett. In this position, Nicole lobbied before the Michigan legislature, regulatory agencies, and the Executive Office specializing in issues involving appropriations, economic development, state contract procurement, energy, financial services, health care, and education.

Before joining Dykema Gossett, Nicole was employed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation as the Vice President of Legislative Relations. Nicole worked with the Governor’s office and the legislature on the passage of economic development, community development, and travel/tourism initiatives, as well as various business tax issues. Nicole also worked hand in hand with prominent businesses throughout the State building coalitions to support, and successfully pass, business legislative priorities. Nicole has held the positions of Director of Legislative Affairs, Director of Community and Constituent Relations, and Treasurer while working for the Assistant Senate Majority Leader and Majority Floor Leader. Nicole also served as the former clerk for the Senate Committees on Financial Services and Gaming and Casino Oversight.

Nicole received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Theory and Democratic Law from James Madison Honors College at Michigan State University and has completed Strategic Planning and
Implementation Courses from the University of Michigan Business School. Nicole is a frequent presenter in the Tomorrow’s Political Leader’s Program, a branch of the Institute for
Public Policy & Social Research at Michigan State University, and serves on the Boards of various professional organizations, some of which include the Michigan Political Leadership Program, the
Children’s Trust Fund, and Michigan State University’s Spartan Child Development Center. Nicole has been honored by being inducted as a member in The Metropolitan Who’s Who Registry.

 Main Event Registration still available, Free procurment event sold out

Recommended Reading:
WISHCRAFT by Barbara Sher
2nd BOOK CLUB MEETING
January 27, 2010
Time: 6:30 PM
Location:  Nicola’s
Westgate Shopping Center
Jackson Av. & Stadium Blvd.
2513 Jackson Av.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Anyone who mentions the WXW bookclub when purchasing Wishcraft, will receive 10% off the book. Books will also be available for purchase at the workshop.

In January WXW offers an intensive, inspiring visioning and goal-setting workshop.

Get ready to connect with your true potential and accomplish marvelous things in 2010 by attending this intensive visioning and goal-setting workshop. WXW offered this interactive seminar at the 2009 WXW Forum in May and received such great feedback from participants that facilitators, Eleni Kelakos and Carrie Hensel, have agreed to do it again!

During this 2 hour workshop, participants will assess the vision and goals for their company, team, or career. They will learn how to articulate the vision in inspiring ways, set strategies and goals, and measure progress toward those goals. Participants will complete a visioning and goal-setting workbook and leave the session with plan to accomplish their goals for 2010.

Here are a few testimonials from previous workshop participants:
“One of the best events/presentations I have ever attended! Carrie & Eleni were superb!”
 
“Visioning was great! Practical and inspiring at the same time. Carrie & Eleni rock!”

“Interactive, fun, informative.”

 ”Amazing & so inspiring”.

 “I can not help but reflect on the WXW forum and how impressed I was with the turn out and presentations for an event that is only in its second year. Well done! I am not sure what compelled me to participate in the “Creating and Executing Your Vision” but I could not have made a better choice. Meeting both of you (workshop facilitators Eleni Kelakos and Carrie Hensel) had a profound impact on me and made me realize what I need to do in order to succeed personally.” 

Date: January 21, 2010
Time: 11:15 – 1:30 (Please arrive by 11:15 am. Workshop will begin promptly at 11:30 am.  Lunch will be served during this workshop. )
Location: Polo Fields
Cost: $30.0o

FOOD SPONSORED BY:

Ring in the season with other women business leaders at WXW’s Holiday Mixer. This event offers non-stop networking, savory hors d’oeuvres, and tasty wine & beer. At 5:30 PM we will offer a celebratory toast to our attendees’ accomplishments in 2009.

Help support the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan(http://www.womenscentersemi.org/)

Please bring your gently worn business suits for donation to this local non-profit who helps disadvantaged women acquire job skills, coaching, and professional attire, so they can succeed in work and life.  All sizes welcome.

Join in the fun!

Merry Mingling Contest

Submit your best “Dress for Interview Success” tip to WXW and we’ll pass along your ideas to the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan. The winner will receive a free ticket to the WXW Goals Setting event in January.

Submit your tip by:
1. Posting on the WXW FaceBook wall
(www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13833494481)
2. Tweet your tip and include the hashtag #WXWcontest

 Entries are due December 11th

Event takes place December 8th - 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Location: Michigan Theater 603 E. Liberty Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Cost: $10.00

• Date: November 19th, 2009
• Time: 7:30 – 9:30 AM
• Location:  The Polo Fields Golf and Country Club, 5200 Polo Fields Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
• Cost: $25, includes breakfast!
• Sponsored by Eastern Michigan University’s Professional Programs and Training
• REGISTER NOW!

How does the leadership of a company guide the moral compass of a company and its employees?

How do you apply ethics and leadership in a company? What does this really mean in today’s world with the emergence of new social/business networks, blogging, internet information and misinformation, disappearance of traditional newspapers, emails, tweets and a whole lot more? How do you educate your current employees and what are institutions doing to teach the next generation?

Join the WXW Business Ethics and Leadership exchange session to explore what’s happening in education as well as practical application in a very successful business. Three highly recognized panelists will be joining us to answer your questions regarding ethics and leadership.

Panelists include:

Sandra Defebaugh, Associate Professor, Eastern Michigan University

Sandra Defebaugh is an Associate Professor at Eastern Michigan University where she teaches Employment Law, International Business Law, Law for Financial Professionals, Sports Law, E Commerce Law, Business Law and Ethics. She has also practiced business law as a corporate attorney and served in politics as Mayor and City Commissioner for City of Birmingham, Michigan. She has spoken on topics of professionalism, ethics and employment law at various international venues including as part of the Oxford Round Table at Oxford University in England, the Business and Economics Society International in Switzerland and the Academy of Business Administration International in Germany. She is a graduate of Michigan State University, College of Law. She is also co-author, with Dr. John Waltman, of the Eastern Michigan University online Professional and Ethics Training Modules, including the Business Professional Dynamic Model, Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and Professional Business Ethics.

Elaine Steig, Service Steward, Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

Elaine graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Elaine’s first job, while still in high school, was in Customer Service…and a career was born. Prior to working for Zingerman’s, she spent 10 years with an international big box retailer and steadily moved up through a variety of local, national, and international positions in Customer Service and Learning & Development.

When Elaine relocated to Michigan, the first place she had dinner was Zingerman’s Roadhouse. She was entranced with the high-quality, full-flavored food and exceptional service. Elaine instantly became a dedicated promoter and ordered her wedding cake from Zingerman’s Bakehouse 6 months later. Fate presented her with an opportunity for a career change. In thinking about her true career passion, she decided it remained customer service and training. Elaine knew Zingerman’s was passionate about both as well; the stars aligned and the new Service Steward position was available.

Elaine joined Zingerman’s as the Service Steward in 2008. Her primary role is to support each of the eight Zingerman’s businesses and Zingerman’s Service Network in delivering a great experience to internal and external customers.

Lynda James-Gilboe, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Customer Care, ProQuest

Lynda James-Gilboe is Senior Vice President of Marketing and Customer Care. She is responsible for managing global strategic marketing functions, as well as customer support groups. In this role, Ms. James-Gilboe creates marketing plans for all ProQuest product lines across multiple segments, and oversees external communications initiatives.

Ms. James-Gilboe joined ProQuest in 2001 as Vice President of Special Projects-Marketing and Sales. She then became Vice President of Inside Sales and Customer Support in 2003 and became Vice President of Marketing in 2004. Prior to joining ProQuest, she was Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at NewsBank/Readex.

Before this, Ms. James-Gilboe spent 21 years with The Gale Group, formerly a Thomson company. Ms. James-Gilboe served as Senior Vice President of North American Print Sales and Marketing. She was also a member of the Executive Committee for Gale Group, a senior leadership team. During her tenure, she led the sales and marketing integration of the Macmillan Library Reference into Gale Group by reconfiguring territories and compensation plans. She also held a number of senior positions in Marketing, Sales, and Creative services.

Ms. James-Gilboe is a board member of Washtenaw Literacy.  She received a B.A. from Michigan State University and is a 1984 Graduate of the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver, Colorado.

Special Offerings for Participants

 EMU STEPS IT UP WITH A PHENOMENAL GIVEAWAY!
Get your name added to the drawing for an EMU online Ethics Program giveaway Value of $159.00  One lucky winner will be chosen from the participants at the WXW November 19th Business Ethics and Leadership Event

EMU is offering a discount on online Ethics Program
Purchase online Ethics Program for a discounted rate
of $129 when you mention WXW during registration.

Zingerman’s is offering ZING TRAIN Seminars
Buy 1, get 1 for half off for any of their seminars thru
March, ‘10.  Mention “WXW” for discount when registering.

REGISTER NOW!

In business, it’s not just what you know, it’s WHO you know.  Back by popular demand, it’s WXW’s second speed-networking event.  Meet the area’s business leaders and engage in meaningful dialogue – in just 3 minutes.  Bring at least 50 business cards and be ready to meet new people, make connections, and maybe even swap a few referrals.

Date: October 15th, 2009

Time: 11:30 – 1:00

Location:  The Polo Fields Golf and Country Club, 5200 Polo Fields Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Cost: $25, includes lunch!

Join us for the first WXW event of the fall—Goal Setting WXW Style.

Date: Friday, September 18, 2009

Time: 7:30AM – 10:00AM

Location: Ypsilanti Marriott at Eagle Crest, 1275 South Huron, Ypsilanti, 48197

Cost: $30 Continental breakfast will be provided.

Set the stage to meet your goals in this interactive exchange session. You will learn how to set specific goals, develop a plan for implementation, and determine how to measure success.

The morning starts with a short panel of women leaders who will answer your goal setting questions. Panelists include:

• Merrill Guerra, Owner and Founder of RealKidz
• Susan Pollay, Executive Director, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority
• Mary O’Hare, Professional Development Coach
  
• Michele Shannon, Pre-Paid Legal Services – Independent Associate and CITRMS
  

Then choose one of four breakout sessions:

• Business Wise—Focused on setting goals for your growing business.
• Dot Gov—Designed for anyone working in government or a municipality.
• Be Your Best—Create a set of personal goals for yourself.
• Start Up Start Over—Created for career starters (younger women and women reentering the work force or women looking to start a business)

During the breakouts you’ll focus on setting specific goals. We’ll ask you to think about what you want to accomplish over the next 12 months. Then, we’ll help you create a set of actionable initiatives to help you attain your goals. By the end of the morning you’ll be ready for implementation and ultimately meeting your goals.

Don’t miss this exciting WXW event!

While attendance is free, please register!

The Summer Festival has lots of activites planned for the evening, so along with reconnecting with familiar WXWers, and meeting lots of new ones,  here is what you can expect:

Family friendly fun @ Top of the Park …

6:30-8pm KidZone (hands-on activities)

6:30-8pm Global Party (Pan-African Celebration)

7pm Bichini Bia Congo taking the stage (musical performance)

Adult activities @ Top of the Park …

8:30pm Tokyo Sexwhale taking the stage (musical performance)

10pm Film feature “Twilight”

Food will be for sale from the Top of the Park vendors.  For more information on Summer Festival directions & weather updates for the event visit: http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org/

So, wear your WXW orange or blue T-Shirt… What? you don’t have your shirt yet?? Contact Samantha (here) for pre sales, or shirts will be available for sale under the tent the night of the event.

And a big “Thank You!” to our amazing sponsors of this event…

Solutions First and The Whole Brain Group.