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“Surviving (and Thriving) in Unsettling Times” will be the topic of the keynote address for the 15th annual Celebrate Women virtual conference on Friday, March 19, 2021. The conference is free of charge with registration.

Alison Levine, American mountain climber, sportswoman, explorer, leadership consultant and best-selling author, is the keynote speaker. Levine knows what it’s like to survive (and thrive) in the world’s toughest environments. She served as team captain of the first American Women's Everest Expedition, scaled the "Seven Summits," and skied to the North and South Poles — making history along the way.

In addition to climbing mountains, she also spent time climbing the corporate ladder in sales, in marketing and then on Wall Street after earning her MBA from Duke University. In her New York Times bestseller, On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Everest and Other Extreme Environments, Levine asserts that the principles that apply to the world of extreme adventure also apply to demanding business environments.

“We are very excited to have Alison Levine as our keynote speaker this year. This is always an uplifting and enlightening event and I think we are all ready for some connection and positive, creative energy,” said co-chair Pamela A. Kaylor, Ph.D., Communication Studies/Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Professor of Instruction at 51���� Lancaster. “This year, we have about 50 speakers presenting educational and inspirational topics. Even for Celebrate Women, this is supersized.”

The five regional campuses of 51���� have joined forces to host the 15th annual virtual conference. Celebrate Women has devoted more than a decade to providing community and business leaders, campus and community members, and students with the opportunity to learn, share ideas and network with one another. This year the theme, 15 Years of Celebrating YOU!, commemorates their anniversary and celebrates the support of participants and sponsors by offering the virtual one-day conference free of charge with registration.

The day will begin with an opening panel, Cultivating Confidence and Courage to Lead, with panelists Dr. Elizabeth Sayrs, OHIO’s provost; Erin Carlson Mast, president/CEO, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation; and Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, president-elect, American Osteopathic Foundation. Concurrent session highlights will include community women as champions of causes, celebrating Appalachian stories, how to build effective teams, celebrating wellness, exploring imposter syndrome, building personal brands and strategies, cultivating influence, inspirational messages and stories of women as activists, networking, practicing self-care during the pandemic, women who write, female leadership, women in technology, reclaiming hope in 2021, living a more fulfilling life, exploring Alice Walker’s writings, and others.

The last presentation, Spunkifying Your Life, will be presented by Cynthia Mendenhall, author, speaker, adventuress, and career and leadership coach at 51���� Chillicothe. To conclude the conference, participants can attend sponsor hour to learn about organizations and have the opportunity to win door prizes.

The purpose of Celebrate Women is to encourage and enhance gender equity by honoring the past, present, and potential accomplishments of women from diverse ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds through education, enlightenment, and inspiration. This event is planned in conjunction with National Women’s History Month.

The sponsors for Celebrate Women this year are the 51���� Alumni Association, EQT Foundation, OHIO Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Fairfield Medical Center, Citizen’s Deposit Bank, Health & Safety Sciences, LLC, Fairfield Federal Savings and Loan, Krile Communications, Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Park National Bank, Quality Care Nursing, Inc., The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, 51���� College of Business, OUL Friends of the Library, OHIO Women’s Center, and the OHIO Multicultural Center.

For more information, email dawes@ohio.edu. To register for Celebrate Women, visit ohio.edu/Lancaster/community/celebrate-women.