‘Women with Energy’
Elevations Professional Women’s Network Luncheon
Thursday, June 21 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
Charleston Marriott Town Center

Women leaders in the natural gas, coal and related industries will share their insights on opportunities and challenges facing West Virginia’s energy sector and how they will shape the future of the Mountain State at a special Elevations luncheon, to be held Thursday, June 21, at the Charleston Marriott Town Center Ballroom.

Sharon O. Flanery, a petroleum engineer and attorney who leads the Steptoe & Johnson Energy Team, will moderate the second annual “Women with Energy,” a roundtable discussion with female business executives, lawyers, engineers and other professionals on the front lines of developments in the natural gas and coal fields.

Confirmed speakers to date include: • Shannon Ames, Director of Government Relations (US Operations), Brookfield Renewable Energy Group, Marlborough, Mass. • Maribeth Anderson, Senior Director of Corporate Development and Government Relations, Chesapeake Energy • Tania Hotmer, External Affairs Manager, AEP  The event begins at 11:30 a.m. with informal networking (optional), followed by a luncheon and program at noon.

Click here to register

Registration is $40 for Alliance members/$50 future members through June 13. Prices increase to $50 Alliance members/$60 future members after that date.

This event is presented by Steptoe & Johnson. Co-sponsors to date are AEP and NiSource. For information about sponsorships, which include admission to a VIP pre-event Meet & Greet with speakers and state leaders along with other benefits, contact Leigh Anne Stickland, lstrickland@charlestonareaalliance.org.

Click HERE for sponsorship details.

“Women with Energy” is presented with the generous support of Steptoe & Johnson.  The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.”

Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed.

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor DOW.  The Alliance will be able to invoice only for groups of 10 or more. Contact Deb Coffman at DCoffman@CharlestonAreaAlliance.org for more information.

The Alliance cannot issue cancelation refunds within 48 hours of the event. Thank you.

Elevations Professional Women’s Network Luncheon
Thursday, April 19
Charleston Civic Center

11:45 a.m.-Noon: Informal Networking (Optional)

Noon-1:15 p.m.: Program

Time is running to register Elevations: Professional Women’s Network Luncheon this Thursday, April 19. Online registration ends at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

The next event in this exciting series will feature Alisa Bailey, the new head of the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

The event will be held this Thursday, April 19 starting at 11:45 a.m. at the Charleston Civic Center.

Bailey, the incoming president and CEO of the city’s CVB, will be the featured speaker. She is a Charleston native and former head of the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC).

Tickets for this special event are $40 for Alliance members/$50 future members.

Click HERE to register. Online registration ends at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Sign up now to learn all the exciting things on tap for the city at the next Elevations: Professional Women’s Network Luncheon.

The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.” Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed.

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor Dow.

We are unable to invoice for groups with fewer than 10 or issue refunds for cancellations received less than 48 hours prior to the event. Thank you.

Elevations Professional Women’s Network Luncheon
Thursday, April 19
Charleston Civic Center

11:45 a.m.-Noon: Informal Networking (Optional)
Noon-1:15 p.m.: Program

Time is running out to take advantage of the early bird registration rates for the next Elevations: Professional Women’s Network Luncheon on April 19.

The next event in this exciting series will feature Alisa Bailey, the new head of the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

The event will be held Thursday, April 19 starting at 11:45 a.m. at the Charleston Civic Center.

Bailey, the incoming president and CEO of the city’s CVB, will be the featured speaker. She is a Charleston native and former head of the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC).

Tickets for this special event are $30 for Alliance members/$40 future members through this Friday April 13 at 5 p.m.

Prices increase by $10 after that date.

Click HERE to register.

Sign up now to learn all the exciting things on tap for the city at the next Elevations: Professional Women’s Network Luncheon.

The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.” Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed.

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor Dow.

Durham

Elevations:
Professional Women’s Luncheon

Thursday, Feb. 2
Summit Conference Center

11:45 a.m.-Noon: Informal Networking (Optional)

Noon-1:15 p.m.: Program

Time is running out to register for this Thursday’s Elevations luncheon.

Two years ago, the agency, founded by West Virginia advertising legend Charles Ryan, implemented a number of innovative changes that included a unique management structure.

The top staff position is now shared by managing partners Caryn Durham and Susan Lavenski, who will share their perspectives on successful management in a changing business environment and their bird’s eye experiences from memorable campaigns with high profile clients at the next Elevations Professional Women’s Network luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Summit Conference Center.

Click HERE to register. Online registration ends at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Tickets for this special event are $30 for Alliance members/$40 future members.

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor Dow.

Durham

Elevations: Professional Women’s Luncheon

Thursday, Feb. 2 Summit Conference Center

11:45 a.m.-Noon: Informal Networking (Optional)

Noon-1:15 p.m.: Program

When it comes to running one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s top marketing firms, the team at Charles Ryan Associates has learned that two heads can be better than one.

Two years ago, the agency, founded by West Virginia advertising legend Charles Ryan, implemented a number of innovative changes that included a unique management structure.

Click HERE to register.

Tickets for this special event are $30 for Alliance members/$40 future members.

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor Dow.

Elevations: Economic Impact
of the Arts
Thursday, Nov. 17
Maier Performance Hall

Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

11:45 a.m.: Informal networking
Noon: Luncheon and program

Online registration ends soon for this Thursday’s Elevations luncheon at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences.

Arts and cultural activities play an increasing important role in our region’s economy, generating $44 million annually in local expenditures and supporting more than 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs, according to one recent study.*

Guests at the luncheon will go on stage at the Clay Center for a program featuring women at the heart of the area’s arts community. They will share their perspectives on the role of cultural activities in creating jobs and supporting local businesses.

Speaking at the event will be:

• Naomi Bays, chair, Arts Council of the Kanawha Valley

• Susie Salisbury, vice president of community development, Charleston Area Alliance

• Judith Wellington, president, Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

To register, click here.

Tickets for this special event are $45 for Alliance members/$55 future members.

Reserved tables of eight, which includes sponsorship acknowledgments, signage and program listing, are $500 for Alliance members/$600 future members.

For sponsorship information, contact JoEllen Zacks at jzacks@charlestonareaalliance.org.

The 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and DOW.  The mission of Elevations is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success for themselves, their businesses and their community.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of gently used professional clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories, which will be collected by Dress for Success and distributed to disadvantaged women entering the workplace.

* Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences in the Greater Charleston Region (FY 2007-08), conducted by Americans for the Arts (www.AmericansForTheArts.org)

Elevations: Economic Impact
of the Arts
Thursday, Nov. 17
Maier Performance Hall

Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

11:45 a.m.: Informal networking
Noon: Luncheon and program

Arts and cultural activities play an increasing important role in our region’s economy, generating $44 million annually in local expenditures and supporting  more than 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs, according to one recent study.*

Guests at the next Elevations luncheon, to be held Thursday, Nov. 17, will go on stage at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences for a special luncheon program featuring women at the heart of the area’s arts community who will share their perspectives on the role of cultural activities in creating  jobs and supporting local businesses.

Register here for the event.

Speaking at the event will be:

• Naomi Bays, chair, Arts Council of the Kanawha Valley

• Traci Higginbotham, general manager, Art Emporium

• Susie Salisbury, vice president of community development, Charleston Area Alliance

• Judith Wellington, president, Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

Tickets for this special event are $35 for Alliance members/$45 future members, through Nov. 11.  Prices increase by $10 per person after that date.

Reserved tables of eight, which includes sponsorship acknowledgments, signage and program listing, are $500 for Alliance members/$600 future members.

For sponsorship information, contact JoEllen Zacks at jzacks@charlestonareaalliance.org.

The 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and DOW.  The mission of Elevations is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success for themselves, their businesses and their community.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of gently used professional clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories, which will be collected by Dress for Success and distributed to disadvantaged women entering the workplace.

* Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences in the Greater Charleston Region (FY 2007-08), conducted by Americans for the Arts (www.AmericansForTheArts.org)

Sign up today and take advantage of continuing education opportunities at the second annual Elevations Enrichment & Leadership Academy event.

The half-day program focusing on “Business & Balance” has been approved for 4 credit hours for human resource professionals, 3.0 continuing education credits for accountants, and 2.4 credits for West Virginia attorneys. Last year’s Academy was a sell-out and registrants should RSVP early to secure their attendance.

Charleston native Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of the Families & Work Institute (FWI) in New York City, will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon, which will be held 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Embassy Suites.

Registration for the event, which includes continental breakfast, luncheon, two programs, keynote address and admission to expo, is  $85 for Alliance members and $95 for future members. To register, click HERE:

The author of more than 40 books and reports, Galinsky’s work has focused on bringing research on workforce effectiveness into business and community practice. She co-directs the National Study of the Changing Workforce, the most comprehensive nationally representative study of the American workforce.

“Business & Balance” will also showcase best practices and practical guidance from some of West Virginia’s most successful women and is the region’s premier networking event for young professional and female executives. In addition to the luncheon, the event includes two panel programs and an expo. (See sidebar for expo details) Click HERE for Business & Balance brochure.

The first panel, “The Best Advice I (N)ever Got: Business Insights from Women at the Top,” will be moderated by Lois Crichton, Crichton Wealth Management of Wells Fargo Advisors. Speakers include: Ellen Cappellanti, Jackson Kelly PLLC; Nelle Chilton, Dickinson Properties; former WV Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline; Georgette George, Monarch Holdings; former Secretary of State Betty Ireland; and Diana Sole Walko, CEO, MotionMasters.

Linda Arnold of the Arnold Agency will lead a discussion on “Delights and Detours on the Road to Success.” Aila Accad, “The Stress Expert”; Emily Bennington, Professional Studio 365; Deborah Herndon, Riveting Notes; and Grace Vandecruz-heyliger, Grace Global Capital, will share the new and unexpected paths they forged while balancing professional and personal success.

The event’s opening speaker is Sandra Thomas, member, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP.

Summit sponsor is MotionMasters. Ascent sponsors for the event include the Dixon Hughes Goodman, Summit Community Bank, The Property Centre and the Women’s Business & Training Center. Table sponsors will include Arnett & Foster, and BrickStreet Insurance.

A range of exclusive sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact JoEllen Zacks, jzacks@charlestonareaalliance.org.

Attendees are also encouraged to bring donations of gently used professional clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories, which will be collected by Dress for Success and distributed to disadvantaged women entering the workplace.

The Charleston Area Alliance made news today with its latest Elevations Professional Women’s Network luncheon. On Thursday at the Charleston Marriott Town Center, women leaders in the natural gas, coal and related industries addressed the opportunities and challenges ahead for West Virginia’s energy sector. The event was presented by Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.

Sharon O. Flanery, a petroleum engineer and attorney who leads the Steptoe & Johnson Energy Team, moderated a roundtable discussion about the future of energy in the Mountain State. Panelists included: Maribeth Anderson, director of corporate development for Chesapeake Energy Corporation; Tania Hotmer, manager of external affairs at AEP; and Linda Raines Torre, co-founder and senior engineer for Decota Consulting, a mining/environmental consulting firm.

More than 150 business executives, lawyers, engineers and other professionals were in attendance. The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.”  Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed. Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor Dow Chemical Company.

From the Charleston Daily Mail:

Panel discusses women’s role in energy industry
by Melanie Hoffman
Daily Mail staff

The energy industry might be dominated by men, but Tania Hotmer said women serve an important role as well.

“Women are starting to play a more critical role in business,” she said. “Women are able to reach a crowd men can’t.”

Hotmer was one of three women from the energy industry on a panel sponsored by the Charleston Area Alliance Thursday. She is the external affairs manager for Appalachian Power.

“I started out as an administrative assistant,” she said. “It challenged me more to work harder, and it drove me to do my best.”

Going into meetings where there would be one or two women in a group of 10 started out intimidating, she said.

Maribeth Anderson, director of corporate development for Chesapeake Energy Corp., and Linda Raines Torre, cofounder and senior engineer for Decota Consulting, also served on the panel.

Torre grew up on a farm in West Virginia with a lot of brothers and cousins.

“I just work,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for the people I work with and do work for and relate well to them. I enjoy getting out there with steel toed boots and a hard hat on.”

The women spoke of their respective industries – coal, power and gas – to an audience of about 100. The audience consisted mostly of female Alliance members and workers in the industry.

The region of Marcellus shale recently discovered in West Virginia and Pennsylvania might be the second largest discovery of its kind in the world.

“We need to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity we have,” Anderson said.

In 2009, the gas industry produced 5,000 jobs. In 2020, it’s expected to produce more than 17,000, Anderson said.

The biggest challenge the gas industry faces is hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” she said, which uses large amounts of water mixed with chemicals to release gas from the underground shale rocks.

The public thinks the process is sucking the streams dry and that spills happen every day, she said.

“And none of that is true, at all,” she said. “I don’t know why all this happened this year.”

For power, Hotmer said the increase in customer demand means rates will continue to go up.

A lack of workers, especially experienced ones, could hurt the coal industry, Torre said. The experience is retiring, she said, and people are hesitant to start in the business because the future is unclear.

“When you don’t know where you go next, it’s hard to do,” she said.

All three women agreed on one thing – their industries are helping to spur the economy, but they’re not trying to hurt the environment.

Elizabeth Keightley, senior vice president for BB&T Wealth Management, said the program was a “great form of education.”

“They really represented diversity in terms of perspective,” she said. “They put it in a way the audience can relate to.”

She said she enjoyed hearing the “real facts.”

“There’s bias within the popular media against the industry,” Keightley said. “I think this sort of thing helps dispel myths, especially concerning the environment.”

For more information on the Alliance, visit www.charlestonareaalliance.org.

Contact writer Melanie Hoffman at melanie.hoffman@dailymail.com or 304-348-4886.

http://www.dailymail.com/Business/201107281454?page=2&build=cache

Women leaders in the natural gas, coal and related industries will share their insights on opportunities and challenges facing West Virginia’s energy sector and how they will shape the future of the Mountain State at a special Elevations luncheon, to be held Thursday, July 28, at the Charleston Marriott Town Center Pavilion.  

Sharon O. Flanery, a petroleum engineer and attorney who leads the Steptoe & Johnson Energy Team, will moderate  “Women with Energy,” a roundtable discussion with female business executives, lawyers, engineers and other professionals on the front lines of developments in the natural gas and coal fields.

Confirmed speakers to date include:

·          Maribeth Anderson, director, corporate developmentChesapeake Energy Corporation

·         Tania Hotmer, manager of external affairs, AEP

·         Linda Raines Torre, co-founder and senior engineer for Decota Consulting, a mining/environmental consulting firm

The event begins at 11:30 a.m. with informal networking (optional), followed by a luncheon and program at 11:45 a.m.. 

Registration is $30 for Alliance members/$40 future members through July 22. Prices increase to $40 Alliance members/$50 future members after that date.  Reserved tables of eight, which include program recognition and signage, are $500 for Alliance members; $600 future members. 

For more information about reserved tables, contact JoEllen Zacks:  jzacks@charlestonareaalliance.org

 Click here to register!

“Women with Energy” is presented with the generous support of Steptoe & Johnson. 

The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.”  Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed. 

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor DOW. 

The Alliance cannot invoice for groups of fewer than 10 and is unable to issue refunds for cancellations received less than 48 prior to an event.