Women’s Success Series Announces Featured Speakers for 2015-16

Attorney Elizabeth Stephenson will speak
at the 2015-16 Women’s Success Series
on Nov. 6.

Three outstanding community leaders are headlining the 2015-16 Women’s Success Series, which kicks off Nov. 6 with attorney Elizabeth Stephenson; followed by Trang Moreland, owner and operator of Trang's Family Salon, on Feb. 5; and Jeannine Kennedy, director of the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts, on April 1. Each session is held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Kent State University at Tuscarawas. The cost to attend each session is $10, which includes a continental breakfast.  

This is the fourth year of programming for the Women’s Success Series, sponsored by Dennison Railroad Depot Museum and Kent State Tuscarawas in collaboration with Carlene Farms, Economic Development and Finance Alliance of Tuscarawas County and Tuscarawas County Public Library System.

The Women’s Success Series is designed to inspire women of all ages to succeed personally and professionally. Each year, the leadership series features three dynamic women who have enjoyed a measure of success in Tuscarawas County. The sessions also include networking opportunities and a book discussion. The November 2015 book selection is The Sweet Spot by Christine Carter, Ph.D., and is available at any Tuscarawas County Public Library.

Trang Moreland, owner and operator of
Trang's Family Salon, will speak at the
2015-16 Women’s Success Series on
Feb. 5.

“Each year, we showcase three remarkable women who present their own story of accomplishments and challenges,” says Pam Patacca, public relations coordinator at Kent State Tuscarawas, and one of the Women’s Success Series organizers. “These presentations, along with the book discussions, inspire women to transform their own lives or give them the confidence to continue on the path they have already set for themselves. The series is designed for and does appeal to women of all ages and all walks of life. Our participants include, but certainly aren’t limited to, college students, young mothers, business and professional women, teachers and retirees. Each session is an opportunity to network and to forge new relationships.”

This year’s first speaker is Stephenson, who is the court administrator of the Tuscarawas County Court of Common Pleas, General Trial Division. Since joining the court staff in 1997, she has worked closely with the judges organizing and coordinating efforts to establish Mediation and Drug Court Programs. Stephenson has been active at the state level with the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Jury Task Force, and has served as vice-chair of the Rules of Superintendence Commission, and currently serves on the Advisory Committee on Case Management. She serves the Judicial College and Supreme Court in teaching Ohio judges and court personnel on a variety of topics. She is a former president of the Ohio Association for Court Administration. 

Jeannine Kennedy, director of the
Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts,
will speak at the 2015-16 Women’s
Success Series on April 1.

Locally, Stephenson is involved in the Tuscarawas County Bar Association and a board member of the Tuscarawas County Law Library Association and the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation. In addition to being active in several community service groups, she is a founding member of the Breastfeeding Coalition of Tuscarawas County. Stephenson is married and has four children, ages 14 through 23.

Planning committee members include Connie Finton from Carlene Farms, Kelli Baker from the Economic Development and Finance Alliance of Tuscarawas County, Michelle McMorrow Ramsell from the Tuscarawas County Public Library System, Patacca from Kent State Tuscarawas and Wendy Zucal from the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum.

Other organizations contributing to the Women’s Success Series are Connolly, Hillyer, Lindsay and Ong Inc.; Dominion East Ohio; First Federal Community Bank; First National Bank of Dennison; House of Stones; Lauren Manufacturing; Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District; Trinity Hospital Twin City; Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce; Tuscarawas County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau; and Union Hospital.

“We do have a limit of 100 participants,” Patacca says. “So we encourage women to register as early as possible. We invite everyone to visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WomensSuccessSeries."

For more information or to register, contact the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum at 740-922-6776 or email womenssuccessseries@dennisondepot.org. Registration deadline for the November session is Oct. 30.