Women in Leadership Symposium 2025

May 16, 2025

Virtual Symposium

This event is virtual only

*Items subject to change

Friday, May 16, 2025

Price: FREE

Want to Sponsor?

  • $150, $300, $500 and $1000 options available

  • What are some benefits for sponsoring?

    • Advertising/Marketing on our website and symposium materials
    • Special exhibitors and demos will be available with attendees and special guests

    If you are interested in sponsoring, please reach out to Linda at: LCrerar@pierce.ctc.edu

Want to join our planning team?

Photo of Women in Leadership Symposium 2024 crew

Join us for another successful year at our Women in Leadership Symposium!

Participants will have the opportunity to connect, explore, and engage, with a focus on empowering women to assume leadership positions, advance their careers, and enhance their overall well-being.

Melissa Margain, Workshop Leader/Facilitator

Melissa has led transformative workshops that empower people to own their stories and embrace authenticity.  Virtual work shop is from 8:00am to 2:30pm with a break at noon for lunch.    The session will involve Melissa’s presentation and a facilitated breakout discussion and feedback sessions.

Workshop Objectives: Through the Fire: Transformational Leadership – How We Lead, Rise, and Redefine Power

Objectives of this session:

  • Identify the personal and professional impact of outdated leadership norms
  • Reimagine leadership as a practice of authenticity, balance, and self-awareness
  • Learn actionable strategies for setting boundaries and leading with intention
  • Create a personal leadership vision aligned with purpose and wellness.
REGISTER HERE

Women in Leadership Symposium 2025 Agenda

Friday, May 16, 2025 – Virtual  

Time Agenda Item
8:00am – 8:10am Arrival and introductions of our speaker & workshop facilitator Melissa by our COE Advisory Board Co-Chairs, Curry Mayer and Brittany Barnwell
8:10am – 8:20am Music & Intention Setting

Purpose: To center the space with grounding music, reflection, and authentic participant presence. Fosters psychological safety and connection.
8:20am – 9:00am Session 1: Unlearning Burnout – The Cost of Traditional Leadership

Purpose: Explore how societal systems and identity-based expectations shape burnout, emotional labor, and unsustainable leadership patterns. Sets the foundation for personal and collective unlearning.
9:00am – 9:45am Breakout #1: Boundaries & Balance

  • Purpose: In small groups, participants reflect on real leadership moments and identify where healthier boundaries could have supported their well-being. Builds relational empathy and applied insight.
9:45am – 10:00am Break
10:00am – 10:10am Mini Lesson: The ‘NO = Not Only’ Framework

Purpose: Redefine “no” not as rejection, but as alignment. Equips participants with a mindset shift to reduce guilt and reclaim personal agency.
10:10am  – 10:40am Breakout #2: The Courage to Say No (Role-Play Practice)

Purpose: Practice applying the “NO = Not Only” framework using real-world scenarios in a safe, supportive format. Encourages skill-building and reflective self-awareness.
10:40am – 11:00am Large Group Debrief: Saying No with Compassion

Purpose: Surface group insights and emotional responses to the role-play. Normalize discomfort while reinforcing boundaries as a leadership act.
11:00am – 11:30am Lunch + Guided Journaling Prompt (Offline)

Purpose: Restore and reflect. The prompt invites internal clarity on leadership habits participants are ready to release.
11:30am – 12:15pm Leadership Manifesto Creation

Purpose: Each participant formalizes a personalized leadership manifesto. This serves as an internal compass and external declaration of how they intend to lead from here forward.
12:15pm – 12:40pm Head-Heart-Feet Reflection + Virtual Wall Share

Purpose: Integrate intellectual, emotional, and behavioral takeaways. Public or private sharing options honor all processing styles.
12:40pm – 2:00pm Closing Affirmation Circle + “NO = Not Only” Commitment Cards

Purpose: Affirm the growth, clarity, and collective courage cultivated. Ends with an empowering mantra and mutual acknowledgment of resilience

Thank you for your participation and our the Center staff and I will be asking for your feedback about our Symposium and what you would like to see for next year’s 2026 Women In Leadership event.  Linda Crerar, Director, lcrerar@pierce.ctc.edu