Obama adviser to speak at event
One of the key figures in Barack Obama’s successful campaign for U.S. president in 2008 will be the keynote speaker for this year’s Women’s Day luncheon at Club Italia Thursday.
Hosted by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce and its Women in Niagara Council, the annual event celebrates the achievements of women in leadership, politics and business.
Past speakers have included longtime Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion and entrepreneur Erica Ehm.
Betsy Myers was a senior adviser on women’s issues in U.S. President Bill Clinton’s administration, and was executive director of Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership when she joined Senator Obama’s presidential campaign as chief operations officer.
Her 2012 book “Take the Lead” examines the core principles of leadership.
“In addition to Betsy Myers’ success on a number of internationally recognized women’s initiatives and outreach programs, she is known to help people recognize the leader within them and what it means to be successful in the modern 21st century,” said Mishka Balsom, president and CEO of Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce.
The luncheon will also honour Mary Ann Edwards, who has raised more than $7.5 million for cancer patients and survivors in Niagara as director of the Rankin Cancer Run.
“This International Women’s Day, we wanted not only to showcase our achievers and our leaders like Betsy and Mary Ann, but to promote and enable the next generation of female leaders,” said Balsom.“We’re proud to be able to do both.”
This year’s event includes a fundraiser for a bursary for an aspiring female leader in Niagara to attend the Leadership Niagara program.
The luncheon runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For tickets, visit www.gncc.ca.