Past ATHENA Speaks Events
ATHENA Speaks: On Telling Your Story - Wednesday, March 11, 2020
From left: Amanda Kochirka, Erie Regional Chamber; Marybeth Smialek, First Energy; Bofta Yimam, Keynote Speaker; Dave Zimmer, ERIEBANK; Tesha Nesbit, Erie Insurance; Linda Stevenson, ATHENA Erie
Photo Credit: RFrank Photography
Women are often faced with opportunities to tell their story for the purpose of taking on more responsibility at work, gaining a seat on a board, or asking for a promotion or raise. In order to be seriously considered for these opportunities, highlighting strengths, experience, and expertise is crucial. However, many women at one time or another have been told not to brag about themselves or talk too much about their accomplishments or risk being viewed as self-centered and intimidating. This phenomenon has made women apprehensive to share their own story in a meaningful and impactful way, which ultimately results in their elimination as a viable candidate for positions of leadership.
The major take away points for crafting your personal story provided by keynote speaker, Bofta Yimam, were:
Panelists Included:
Tesha Nesbit
Director of Diversity & Inclusion and Community Outreach
Erie Insurance
Marybeth Smialek
Director of Regional External Affairs
First Energy
Dave Zimmer
President
ERIEBANK
The major take away points for crafting your personal story provided by keynote speaker, Bofta Yimam, were:
- Claim It! Always open your story with owning who you are with a confident "I am..." Go beyond just your job title. What do you do? What is your purpose?
- Bridge It! Break down your transformation in a clear, distinct way that helps people understand where you were before, where you are now, and how you got there.
- Future It! Talk about where you're going, what you need to grow, and what you want to do in the long run.
Panelists Included:
Tesha Nesbit
Director of Diversity & Inclusion and Community Outreach
Erie Insurance
Marybeth Smialek
Director of Regional External Affairs
First Energy
Dave Zimmer
President
ERIEBANK
ATHENA Speaks: On the Gender Gap - Tuesday, December 3, 2019
A collection of photos from Sweetie Browne's visit to Erie where she served as keynote speaker for ATHENA Speaks and made visits to both Penn State Behrend and Edinboro University to meet with students.
Navigating a career as a young professional is challenging. Now add in the fact that gender gap is at an all-time high, further emphasizing the severe lack of women in STEM fields. We can change that. Keynote speaker Sweetie Browne, Program Manager, Strategy & Planning Connected Americas Sales at Cisco, covered ways to begin making that change and much more in her presentation for the third ATHENA Speaks event.
We need to challenge organizations to work collaboratively toward a single mission to emphasize inclusion. With this simple refocus, we can create opportunities for women in the workplace to fill gender gaps. By working together we can achieve ever greater professional success.
The next step is to build out a collaborative workforce, focusing on who is actually doing the work, how it is getting done, and where we need to insert inclusion. We want women to speak up and be heard, and men to help create opportunities for equality. Specifically with STEM, the roles are fast paced, tough and require high levels of intelligence – all things that women can excel in but need the opportunity. We need to work together to break through the barriers that we all/women today face.
You, as a young professional, have so much to offer, we want to help you navigate and rise up together to solidify your place in this industry.
Panelists Included:
Dr. Andrea Jeffress, MD, FACOG
OB/Gyn Associates of Erie
2019 ATHENA Award Recipient
Geri-Lyn Hoffman
Quality Director, Dynamic Systems
LORD Corporation
Cathy von Birgelen
Executive Director
eMarketing Learning Center
We need to challenge organizations to work collaboratively toward a single mission to emphasize inclusion. With this simple refocus, we can create opportunities for women in the workplace to fill gender gaps. By working together we can achieve ever greater professional success.
The next step is to build out a collaborative workforce, focusing on who is actually doing the work, how it is getting done, and where we need to insert inclusion. We want women to speak up and be heard, and men to help create opportunities for equality. Specifically with STEM, the roles are fast paced, tough and require high levels of intelligence – all things that women can excel in but need the opportunity. We need to work together to break through the barriers that we all/women today face.
You, as a young professional, have so much to offer, we want to help you navigate and rise up together to solidify your place in this industry.
- We strive for commonality among our diversity.
- Inclusive with a focus on opportunity and an equal playing field.
- The male dominated STEM industry is ready to be overturned.
- We want to own our power and make room to give ladies the chance to succeed
Panelists Included:
Dr. Andrea Jeffress, MD, FACOG
OB/Gyn Associates of Erie
2019 ATHENA Award Recipient
Geri-Lyn Hoffman
Quality Director, Dynamic Systems
LORD Corporation
Cathy von Birgelen
Executive Director
eMarketing Learning Center
ATHENA Speaks: On Board Balance - Wednesday, July 10, 2019
From left: Tina Donikowski; Christy Uffelman, Align Leadership; Linda Stevenson, ATHENA Erie; Khadija Horton, Esq, Erie County Public Defender's Office; Tim NeCastro, Erie Insurance; Amanda Kochirka, Erie Regional Chamber
Research shows that it is hard to find qualified women for board membership, so how do you know when you are ready to serve? How is the path different for a seat on non-profit board vs. a for-profit, or even for a public board? What skills, experiences and network do you need to achieve a seat at the table? This program offered answers to these questions and more.
The keynote presentation was given by Christy Uffelman, board member of NACD NXT’s Future of Board Leadership initiative in Pittsburgh and President of Align Leadership. Read Christy's bio.
Panelists Included:
Tina Donikowski
Retired Vice President of Global Locomotive Operations
GE Transportation
Khadija Horton, Esq.
Assistant Public Defender
Timothy NeCastro
President and CEO
Erie Insurance
The keynote presentation was given by Christy Uffelman, board member of NACD NXT’s Future of Board Leadership initiative in Pittsburgh and President of Align Leadership. Read Christy's bio.
Panelists Included:
Tina Donikowski
Retired Vice President of Global Locomotive Operations
GE Transportation
Khadija Horton, Esq.
Assistant Public Defender
Timothy NeCastro
President and CEO
Erie Insurance
ATHENA Speaks: On Law - Thursday, February 14, 2019
From left: Meredith Bollheimer, JD, Mercyhurst University; Linda Stevenson, ATHENA Erie; District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter; Amanda Kochirka, Erie Regional Chamber; Colleen Stumpf, Esq., Quinn Law Firm; Andrea Amicangelo, Esq., Amicangelo & Theissen
In follow up to the very successful screening of On the Basis of Sex with fellow ATHENA supporters, attendees of the first event in the ATHENA Speaks series heard from District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter and a panel of local female attorneys. Judge Baxter discussed the second wave of feminism in the context of the law.
Read Judge Baxter's bio here: https://www.pawd.uscourts.gov/content/susan-paradise-baxter-district-judge
Panelists Included:
Andrea Amicangelo, Esq.
Amicangelo & Theissen
Meredith Bollheimer, JD
Mercyhurst University
Colleen Stumpf, Esq.
Quinn Law Firm
Read Judge Baxter's bio here: https://www.pawd.uscourts.gov/content/susan-paradise-baxter-district-judge
Panelists Included:
Andrea Amicangelo, Esq.
Amicangelo & Theissen
Meredith Bollheimer, JD
Mercyhurst University
Colleen Stumpf, Esq.
Quinn Law Firm