Women's Leadership Luncheon Archives
The Women’s Leadership Luncheon is a School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) annual event. Started in the late 1990s, it takes place every spring across the Central Pacific Province; Dallas, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and St. Paul, Minnesota. The luncheons strive to inspire attendees to believe in themselves as leaders and to use their gifts and talents to create a positive change in their communities. As a result of the luncheons, relationships are formed and strengthened between SSND and the wider communities. The SSND goal is to educate, empower and recognize the unique leadership qualities of women throughout our communities.
Every year, a different theme or focus is chosen. Knowledgeable and local speakers enrich the event by sharing their story in hopes of inspiring the audience. The attendees can expect to walk away having learned and with a passion to bring change into their own communities.
2023:
The focus of the 2023 Women’s Leadership Luncheon celebrates the theme, Learning Today – Transforming Tomorrow. We aim to understand that mental health is a primary health concern that has far-reaching influence on society as a whole. We know that by building relationships and fostering a community approach to mental and behavioral health, we can change lives.
Featured Speakers:
Dallas Area:
Rosemarie Nassif, SSND, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Catholic Education, Loyola Marymount University School of Education in Los Angeles
“Trust Your Cape”
Milwaukee Area:
Amy Lovell, Founder, REDgen and Co-Founder, Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee
“The Power of Faith, Health and Leadership”
St. Louis Area:
Michelle Russo Steeg, MA, LPC, NCC, MCS Counseling, Notre Dame High School, Class of 2001
“Embracing the Swerve When it Comes to Mental Health”
St. Paul Area:
Louise Blissenbach Stemp
“Maintaining Good Mental Health While Living with Uncertainty”
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2022:
The theme for the 2022 Women’s Leadership Luncheon reflected how women met the challenges of the pandemic as courageous, compassionate and confident leaders. We thank the speakers for their wisdom and inspiration, the sponsors for their generosity and support, and all those who attended the luncheons for joining in the conversation.
Featured Speakers:
Dallas Area:
Mayra J. Thompson, M.D. FACOG, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Private Practice
“Graced Leadership: Women’s Unique Response to Urgent Needs”
Milwaukee Area:
Eve M. Hall, Ph.D., President and CEO, Greater Milwaukee Urban League
“A Title is Not a Leader”
St. Louis Area:
Aamina B. Akhtar, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Mercy Hospital South
“My Calling: The COVID-19 Pandemic”
Marsha Benney, Chief Financial Officer, Midwest BankCentre
“Leading Through the Pandemic and Into the Future”
St. Paul Area:
Jody Nelson, Ed.D., LMFT, Executive Director, Change Inc.
“Leading through Shaky Times: Leaning on the Power of Relationships”
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2021:
Care of Creation, the theme of the 2021 Women’s Leadership Luncheons, is not a new idea, but the urgency of the topic seems to grow every year. From recycling to using solar power, there are many ways to help protect the world in which we live. Our 2021 speakers are innovators and leaders in their communities, committed to caring for creation.
Featured Speakers:
Dallas Area:
Janette Monear, President/CEO of the Texas Trees Foundation
“The Symbiotic Relationship of Trees and People”
Milwaukee Area:
Dr. Marissa Jablonski, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin
“Be the Change: A Better Planet Starts With You”
St. Louis Area:
Shannon Hauf, Senior Vice President and Head of Seed Production Innovation, Bayer Crop Science
“My Leadership Journey: Five Miles of Dirt Road”
Wanda Kolo, LEED AP, Director of Sustainable Operations & Construction Management, Saint Louis Zoo
“Valuing Diversity in Nature & Society”
St. Paul Area:
Megan Schnitker, Owner and Indigenous Traditional Herbalist, Lakota Made, LLC
“Sharing the Voice – Women Caring for Creation”
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2020:
Diversity. It’s a word we hear so often in our workplaces, in school and in our day-to-day interactions. When we hear the word “diversity,” many of us immediately think of race. But diversity means so much more than that. It can mean differences in gender, socioeconomics, education, religion, age or culture. Diversity can even be spoken in terms of differences in thoughts, words and deeds. Differences in how we look, act and think create many challenges but also many opportunities to come together and celebrate our uniqueness.
In 2020, our Women’s Leadership Luncheon will look at diversity and the many ways it manifests itself in all areas of our lives. Our hope is that all who attend will understand diversity, its complexities and ways to use differences to create unity in our communities and our world.
Featured Speakers:
Dallas Area:
Mary Elizabeth Cedillo-Pereira, Chief of Equity and Inclusion, City of Dallas
“Embracing Diversity in Our Struggle for Unity”
Milwaukee Area:
Anne Scobey-Polacheck, Director of Corporate Philanthropy at Johnson Controls
“Setting the World on Fire: Our Diversity is our Strength”
St. Louis Area:
Ann Cuiellette Marr, Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources for World Wide Technology, Inc.
“Developing a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion”
St. Paul Area:
Antonia Apolinario-Wilcoxon, Leader, Health Equity Policy and Diversity, Minnesota and state government agencies
“Embracing Diversity: The Struggle for Social Justice”
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2019:
The 2019 luncheons focused on human trafficking: the causes, who is targeted and what is being done to eradicate it. Each location featured a speaker who shared information about human trafficking and have worked closely with those affected by it. Over 1,600 attendees gained an understanding of SSND stance on human trafficking and what sisters are doing to remedy the problem.
You can also learn more about human trafficking through our resources page. If you suspect human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Featured Speakers:
Dallas Area:
Anne Simmons-Benton, Executive Director of Arizona State University’s International Development Office
“The Hidden Crime of Human Trafficking: How to Become a Leader in Your Community”
Milwaukee Area:
Rachel Monaco-Wilcox, Founder and CEO of LOTUS Legal Clinic Inc.
“From the Mud, We Bloom: Finding Freedom from Exploitation”
St. Louis Area:
Kimberly A. Ritter, Senior Account Manager and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility trafficking initiative at Nix Conference & Meeting Management
“Sex Trafficking: Now That I Know, What Can I Do?”
St. Paul Area:
Suzanne Koepplinger, Director of the Catalyst Initiative at the Minneapolis Foundation
“The Moon is Always Full: Phases of Leadership in the Fight Against Human Trafficking”
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2018:
The 2018 Luncheons were focusing on learning how to be a leader in your community. 2018 speakers were inspiring leaders in their community who were chosen explain how they integrate the spiritual and professional dimensions of life.
Featured Speakers:
Dallas Area:
Theresa Francis, Principal at Notre Dallas and SSND Associate
“My Spiritual Formation – Led and Formed by the Charism of the School Sisters of Notre Dame”
Milwaukee Area:
Peggy Troy, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
“Follow your Passion – the Difference a Servant Leader Makes”
St. Louis Area:
Susan Block, Family Lawyer, Retired Circuit Judge and founder of Caring for Kids, Inc.
“Creating a Healthy Environment for Today’s Children”
St. Paul Area:
Justice Anne K. McKeig, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice
“I’m Just a Girl from Federal Dam – Pathways to Leadership”
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