FAU HOSTS THIRD ANNUAL WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

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by Kelsie Weekes | Monday, Apr 02, 2018

More than 80 aspiring women leaders recently attended Florida Atlantic University’s third annual Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI), where they heard from a diverse group of speakers and engaged in discussions on current women’s issues. WLI is organized by FAU’s Weppner Center for LEAD and Service-Learning.

The annual event has a goal of empowering women and raising awareness of critical issues that face women in leadership, and providing them the skills to turn this awareness into action.

“Working with the LEAD & Serve team challenged me to become a better leader and facilitator,” said Samantha Hurley, an FAU student minoring in leadership studies who helped organize the event. “I learned skills and techniques for event planning I would not have learned without this opportunity.”

This year’s speakers included Lawonda Warren, an assistant city attorney for the city of Delray Beach; Jumorrow Johnson, victim services practitioner for the state of Florida; and Andrea Oliver, Ed.D., associate vice president for student outreach and diversity at FAU.

For the first time this year, WLI provided separate opportunities for FAU faculty and staff to participate in breakout sessions on topics such as navigating politics and personal finances.

“It was tremendous to have an advisory board of students and staff create such a remarkable program that engaged students, faculty and staff,” said Katie Burke, Ph.D., assistant dean of FAU’s Weppner Center for LEAD & Service-Learning. “It was great to see everyone come together to get informed, get empowered and get involved.”

Following the speakers and panel sessions, WLI concluded with a simulated women’s march and a networking reception held in FAU’s Ritter Art Gallery.