On November 17, 2023, 305 women across the state of Minnesota gathered at Hamline University for the annual Women in Public Service Conference. These women came ready to learn and ready to network and connect with each other. It's safe to say everyone did just that! We had amazing speakers and panelists join us to lead inspiring, insightful and educational sessions throughout the day.
We kicked off the conference with our keynote speaker, Hennepin County Sheriff, Dawanna Witt! Sheriff Witt shared her experience in her career and all of the hardships she's endured to get to where she is now! We then transitioned into a powerful panel with United States Air Force Col. Gia Wilson Mackey, Minneapolis Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Melanie Rucker and Sheriff Witt. These women shared their passion for their field, how they got to where they are now and their commitment to building a community as women leaders. I think everyone in the room learned that it's okay to cry sometimes, no matter your position or rank.
We ended the morning by awarding the Lifetime Achievement Award to two incredible women who have done so much for public service. We first honored Victoria Reinhardt, a Ramsey County Commissioner, who has served on many committees, such as the Energy and Land Use Committee and the U.S.E.P.A Local Government Advisory Committee, to name a few. We then honored Anne Jackson, a professional and principal engineer at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency until her retirement in August 2023. Anne was a part of the team that led Minnesota to become the first state to adopt air rules regulating mercury and banning onsite waste incinerators. We thank them for their years of service and commitment!
The conference then broke out into three different breakout sessions for women to attend and listen to various speakers. Shaneen Moore, Kristie Gordy, Erin Frisch and Kate Cooper Richardson led their session titled, "Women in Leadership, Bypassing the Roadblocks to Leadership Success." Trish Perry led her session, "Conflict Transformation: Embracing Healthy Dialogue." Dr. Jennifer Waltman led a session titled, "Changing the Way We Lead Post Pandemic Workplaces."
Just like in the morning sessions, we had some stellar afternoon sessions for the attendees to join. There was a panel on the "Paid Family Leave Act" with panelists Maureen O'Connell, Mary Jo George, Bethany Winkels and Kris Norman as the moderator. Dr. Rashida K. Fisher led a session on "Embodying Resilience: Mental Health and Well-Being for Women in Public Service." Sally Mueller and Krista Margolis led their session titled, "Menopause and Work."
To end the day, we were fortunate to have Dr. Janel Anderson lead the closing plenary with her session titled, "Reconnecting in a Disconnected World." She had every every woman in the room reflect on how they connect with others and even challenged them to connect with someone they wouldn't normally connect with. You can also hear more of Janel at her podcast called "Working Conversations."
