EDWARDSVILLE – The Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce welcomed over 100 attendees to the fifth annual Women’s Conference.
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, students, employees and business owners came to The Outlet Event Center in Edwardsville for a day-long conference titled “Women’s Conference: Be the Change: Transforming Generations.” Attendees could learn about working in a male-dominated industry, using AI as a tool and working with different generations.
“I think things went wonderful. I wouldn’t have changed anything,” said Dawn Mushill, CEO of the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce. “Lots of energy in the room and lots of people who wanted to come and learn and then a wide variety of speakers and topics. You had to be able to find something here.”
The event began at 8:15 a.m. with opening remarks and a panel titled “Successful Women in a Male-Dominated Industry.” From there, attendees could choose three breakout sessions to attend, including “Breaking Imposter Syndrome,” “Step Into Your Domme Power,” “Why Are Women Perceived Bossy Instead of Decisive,” “Emotional Intelligence – Understanding It and Using It,” and “Shared Leadership: How To Influence Culture From Every Position on the Organizational Chart.”
The day concluded with a speech about how to use AI as a tool and a panel titled “Bridging Generations.” Speakers included Tracy Bianco, Wendy Symer, Jeff Koziatek, Michell Stockmann, Joe Harris, Carol Sparks, Linda Manley, Lisa Philipson, Jennie Bellinger, Megan Martin and Beth Newcom.
In addition to business owners and employees, the Gateway CEO program and students at Triad High School also attended the conference. There were over 100 people in attendance.
Emily Gretak, office manager with the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce, expressed her appreciation for the successful event. She noted that the Chamber has been planning the Women’s Conference since last year.
“I’m very happy with how this day went,” Gretak said. “I’m very happy with all the attendees who came, and I think our speakers were just wonderful…Thank you for the continued support. We wouldn’t be here without it.”
The Chamber of Commerce will host its holiday luncheon on Dec. 3, 2024, at The Outlet. For more information about the Chamber and its upcoming events, visit the official website at TroyMaryvilleCoC.com.
“It’s important because it brings women together,” Mushill added of the Women’s Conference. “I think women together are empowering.”
