Inaugural event offers variety of workshops

PROCTORVILLE — It’s a chance to learn while having some fun and sharing experiences unique to women. That’s the basis of the upcoming women’s conference at Ohio University Southern Proctorville Center set for Friday, May 13.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to be able to recognize the strength that all of us have as women,” Dr. Kristi Barnes, one of the conference organizers, said. “It’s to build off of each other’s experiences and skills. It appeals not just for students, not just for faculty, not just businesswomen, but women of all the community, whether they are working or staying at home.”

The one-day conference will offer eight workshops, two sessions will run at the same time. Session topics are women and wellness, women and fitness, self-esteem, tea tasting, women and finances, self-defense, getting organized and work and life balance.

“We want to have something specifically for women,” Dr. Miki Crawford, another conference organizer, said. “Some of these are very informative such as women’s wellness and finance. But we also wanted to have something on the light side like tea tasting.”

Each session will be 50 minutes with a 10-minute break in-between. At noon a catered sit-down luncheon will feature WSAZ-TV anchor Melanie Shafer as the keynote speaker.

Cost for the conference and luncheon is $25 with students for $15. All proceeds will go toward the creation of a scholarship.

“One of our overall goals is to have a scholarship,” Crawford said. “The money we are getting will pay for the luncheon. Everything left over we will put into a scholarship for a women, someone going to college.”

Those serving on the conference committee along with Crawford and Barnes are Jodi Rowe-Collins, Cathy Burns, Evelyn Capper, Viviane Vallance, Sharon Walker and Stephanie Burcham.

“I am really excited,” Crawford said. “This is the first women’s conference. We are hoping to have it every year.”

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the first session to begin at 9 a.m. Reservations for lunch must be made by May 9 by calling OUS-Proctorville Center at 886-7655.