Women in Business Conference with Elgin Area and Illinois Chamber of Commerce

Description

VIRTUL AND/OR IN PERSON 8:00am - 8:30am REGISTRATION & NETWORKING

8:30am - 8:35am WELCOMING REMARKS
Laurie Silvey, President, Center for Business Management, Illinois Chamber of
Commerce

8:35am - 9:35am CO-EXISTING WITH YOUR CO-WORKERS – Morning Keynote
Elaine Hand, Owner, InnerView Inc.
Elaine will kick off our conference with an uplifting discussion about returning to work and getting along with your fellow employees. This will include teambuilding exercises to take back to the office.

9:35am – 10:20 am WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC – Panel Discussion focusing on personal wellbeing
(Moderator) – Jynnifer Cotharn, Partner, Inman Fitzgibbons
Panelist – Melissa Woessner, Wahl Clipper
Panelist – Chelsea Allison, Director of Human Resources for IL, KS, MO, United Parcel Service
Panelist – Meghan Woltmann, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Advocate Aurora Health
The COVID-19 pandemic presented everyone with their own variety of unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Businesses had to pivot quickly. This panel discussion will center on the good, the bad, and the ugly impacts the pandemic had on businesses of all kinds. Tips for disaster planning and more.

10:20am – 10:40am NETWORKING BREAK

10:40am – 11:25am OBESITY: WHY IT MATTERS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION – General session focusing on personal health
Kathy Brady, Founder, CBM Health Inc.
Focusing on Personal Health - Obesity is a serious, prevalent disease and  rates continue to rise in America. Join us for a powerful review and discussion  about the science of obesity, employer cost related to the disease, the importance of a comprehensive obesity program targeting all populations in the treatment and prevention of the disease. Our speaker, Kathy Brady will provide an in-depth look into: National & state obesity rates and the effects obesity may have on your workforce and the bottom line; The science of obesity; Why it is important to implement a comprehensive obesity management program; Studies related to weight, weight bias, employer cost, obesity treatment and obesity prevention; Valuable, shareable tools and resources for care along the weight management continuum.

11:25am – 12:10pm FINANCIAL WELLNESS - Panel Discussion focusing on personal wealth
(Moderator) TBA
Panelist – Miranda Johns-Cumming, Assistant Vice President, Private Client Advisor, Commerce Bank
Panelist – Danielle Marshall, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones
In addition to taking care of physical and mental health, taking care of our financial wellness is absolutely essential. This panel will discuss financial health and wellness, including planning for difficult times as well as your future retirement.

12:10pm – 12:30pm NETWORKING BREAK

12:30pm -1:30pm REMARKS & LUNCH

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Lori Healey 
Senior Vice President and Operations and Implementation Lead for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC), Obama Foundation

In December 2020, Lori Healey joined the Obama Foundation as Senior Vice President and Operations and Implementation Lead for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC). She is leading work to build and operate the OPC, a 19.3-acre campus within Jackson Park, that includes a Presidential Museum, Auditorium, Restaurant, retail store, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, playground, lush parkland and greenspace, and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library. 

She previously served as President of Clayco’s Chicago Business Unit. In that role, she led enterprise activity for development, design, and construction related activities in the greater Chicago area and surrounding region. Prior to joining Clayco, she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), owner of McCormick Place and the 1,258 room Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. During her tenure, Ms. Healey oversaw the development of the 10,000 
seat Wintrust Arena and the 1,205-room Marriott Marquis Chicago. 

Ms. Healey served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tur Partners LLC (“Tur”), a firm founded by Chicago’s former Mayor Richard M. Daley, which partnered with leaders and innovators to drive growth within global urban markets. She also served as Principal in the Development Group for the John Buck Company, focused on growing the firm’s private real estate and infrastructure-related transactions. 

Ms. Healey coordinated the organizational and planning activities for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago, acting as Director of the NATO Host Committee. Additionally, in 2009, Ms. Healey was appointed as President of Chicago 2016, where she was responsible for co-leading Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games. 

Ms. Healey held several senior leadership positions for the City of Chicago under the administration of Mayor Richard M. Daley, most recently acting as Mayor Daley’s Chief of Staff. She earlier served as Commissioner of the City’s Department of Planning and Development. Her previous experiences also included time as a principal at Perkins + Will, and as Deputy Director for Business Development of the (then) Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs. She began her career as a 
policy aide to former Governor John Carlin of Kansas in 1983. Ms. Healey holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Public Administration from Kansas State. 

1:30pm – 2:15pm EQUITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Alana Banks, Board Member, Decatur Public School District

2:15 pm - Drawings for door prizes, closing remarks – Laurie Silvey, President, Center for Business Management

2:30pm Adjourn 

 

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC - Panel Discussion Focusing on Personal Wellbeing     Jynnifer Cotharn - Moderator Partner, Inman Fitzgibbons   Jynnifer Cotharn has been with the firm since 2007 and practices in the areas of workers’ compensation defense and general liability. Her practice includes client consultation on reporting and investigating claims as well as advising on strategic measures to reduce risk and liability for employers and insurance carriers. She represents clients at the arbitration, Commission and Circuit Court levels. Jynnifer received her Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.     Melissa Woessner - Panelist Chief Accounting Officer, Wahl Clipper   Melissa is an Illinois State University graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a Minor in Business Administration and is a CPA. She interned at AE Staley in Decatur, IL. After graduation she worked there for a year as a Staff Accountant in the Commodities Division, responsible their four southern grain elevators.  She and her husband Ray and son David then moved back to Milledgeville, IL. Melissa then joined the public accounting firm of Lindgren, Callihan, Van Osdol. One of her clients was Wahl Clipper. She spent five years with the Firm before joining Wahl Clipper as Controller. Through her career at Wahl, Melissa was promoted to Corporate Controller and then to Chief Accounting Officer. Melissa has been with Wahl Clipper for 25 years.     Chelsea Allison - Panelist Director of Human Resources for IL, KS, MO, United Parcel Service   Allison has been with UPS for over 22 years and has held numerous positions during that time. She is currently HR Business Partner for Central Plains District (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas), responsible for over 25,000 employees. Chelsea leads programs for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, both internally and externally with UPS Employees, Suppliers and Customers. A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Chelsea received a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and Human Resources from Michigan State University. She began her career with UPS in 1999 while attending Michigan State University, as a package handler. In addition to her UPS responsibilities, Chelsea has served as an Executive Board Member for the American Heart Association’s, Go Red for Women, United Way, and NAWBO. She also has served on the advisory board for Western Michigan University, a non-profit helping business students develop interpersonal and professional skills as well as leadership attributes and professional competencies through co-curricular programming. She enjoys volunteering and spending time traveling with her active family. Chelsea and her husband, Damon, have been married for 19 years. They have four children, daughter Taja, son DJ, and twin boys Jayden and Kalen.     Meghan Woltmann - Panelist Chief Government Affairs Officer, Advocate Aurora Health   Meghan is a health policy and industry expert working to improve the nation’s health care delivery system by advancing Advocate Aurora Health’s legislative and regulatory agenda in Washington, Chicago, Springfield, IL, and Madison, WI. A leader at Advocate Aurora and Advocate Health Care since 2006, she has 20 years of experience in public affairs, advocacy and civic engagement. Meghan is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Board of Directors for the Civic Federation of Chicago and the Board of the Chicago and Cook County Flexible Housing Pool. She is a 2020 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and a member of the Illinois Government Affairs Group. Meghan completed her master's degree at Saint Louis University through a research fellowship focused on political rhetoric and journalism and earned her bachelor’s degree from Saint Louis University in communication and marketing.     Register Here       Contact Information:         For any questions on events or assistance registering please contact:   Kirsten Constant, Business Services Coordinator at: (217) 522-5512 ext 227 or kconstant@ilchamber.org.