CHENANGO COUNTY — Commerce Chenango will be hosting their first Chenango Women's Leadership Conference on Tuesday, March 26 at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich.

The conference will include keynote speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities all geared toward providing the women of Chenango County and the surrounding areas the tools and resources they need to be successful in entrepreneurship, wealth management, and leadership.

The event has already garnered a huge interest, with approximately 185 local women registered to attend. Commerce Chenango also extended an invitation to two female students from all 16 school districts under DCMO BOCES.

Although the conference is sold out, Commerce Chenango Economic Development Specialist and Women's Leadership Conference Organizer Jenna Ostrander said they have begun a waiting list, in case some schools are unable to send students. For more information, contact Commerce Chenango at 607-334-1400.

The day will kick off at 8 a.m. with registration and a light breakfast, and opening remarks by BlueOx Senior Vice President and Commerce Chenango Board of Directors Member Julia Miller.

From there, the conference will be hosting a litany of local professional women who will share their knowledge of entrepreneurship, finances, and leadership and strategies for success.

"We are hoping the attendees leave this conference feeling motivated and committed to self-development," said Miller, who helped organize the event. "These women are taking time to invest in themselves, and invested women can make a big impact in their communities. We hope they gain knowledge, access to resources, and an increased network of relationships."

At 9:15 a.m., attendees will get to hear from the event's first keynote speaker, New York Cenral Mutual President Cheryl Robinson.

"She feels very strongly about women’s leadership and is very excited about the event," said Ostrander. "She’ll do a very small powerpoint presentation just introducing herself and going over her background as she kind of moved up the ladder into her women’s leadership position."

Following Robinson's presentation at 9:45 a.m. will be the first interactive panel discussion titled "Women in Leadership," moderated by Former Commerce Chenango Leadership Program Administrator Jill Eddie.

Ostrander said the panel will include pre-planned topics of discussion, but will also allow attendees to ask questions.

"That panel is specifically for women who have gone through the leadership process, or in a leadership role, significant experience with leadership opportunities in their careers," Ostrander explained. “They have been tasked to create their own content. So we gave them kind of a basis point of some specific questions that we wanted to hear from everybody. Different things like what was your personal experience coming up through leadership?"

Included on the Women in Leadership panel is Dr. Julie Burton from SUNY Morrisville, Alvogen Norwich Site Director Tami Watson, Michele Graham from Preferred Mutual, Achieve CEO Amy Howard, and Chris Kisacky from UHS.

After a short break, the conference will reconvene at 11 a.m. for the next interactive panel discussion, Women in Wealth. This panel will include Alexandra Erath from Hearth Financial Partners, Marci Riddell from Norwich Wealth Management, Ruth Mahonney from NBT Bank, and Norwich Copies Plus Co-owner Missy Hayes.

"It’s not just teaching people who are starting their own business wealth management, but it’s also teaching individuals who are currently in business, how do you utilize some of the resources that your business may offer in a way to help with your own wealth management?" said Ostrander.

At noon, DCMO BOCES Enrichment Coordinator Martha Ryan will give a brief presentation on 15 women who "did what moved them" and made a difference, followed by lunch at 12:15 p.m.

The last panel discussion, Women in Entrepreneurship, will begin at 1:15 p.m., moderated by Ostrander.

"We kind of have that experience working with entrepreneurs, finding them opportunities whether it’s through funding or through other incentives, getting them into the right contact with the right people, business planning, that sort of thing," said Ostrander. "We have that exposure and that experience, so they felt that it would be beneficial to those who are attending to hear it from someone who works in that district, [and] the panelists who also work in that district."

The panel includes Tami Tarbell from T-Squared, Francesca Halberg from Small Town Couture, Mary Branham from Pivotel, and Gretchen Walsh from Parker Walsh Real Estate.

Ostrander said they have added in a presentation after Women in Entrepreneurship from Women Business Enterprise Council Metro New York President and CEO Sandra Eberhard and Certification Manager Chavelle-Marie Skrastins.

"They work in women's business enterprise so they work with women on starting their businesses, helping them through those steps and those processes. So we’d like to add the kind of entrepreneur aspect of it, tie it into how can you be successful utilizing some of the resources that they have to offer?" said Ostrander.

At 2:30 p.m., attendees will hear from the conference's second keynote speaker, Southern Tier 8 Executive Director Jen Gregory, followed by closing remarks by Melissa Stagnaro from UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital.

Additionally, beginning after lunch and past the end of the conference, Ostrander said an expo will be set up in the green room of the Canasawacta Country Club where attendees can network with organizations in the area who can provide assistance and resources for entrepreneurs.

Attendees include Commerce Chenango, Development Chenango Corporation, Leadership Chenango, the BOCES Mentorship Program, Chenango Memorial Hospital and their Women's Health Center, Norwich Wealth Management, and Women Business Enterprise Council Metro New York.

After the conference concludes, attendees can continue to network during a cocktail hour from 4 to 7 p.m. At this time the Chenango County Historical Society will also be providing a showcase on women of history throughout Chenango County.

The Women's Leadership Conference has been in the works for about a year, and was made possible by a $5,000 Women's Fund grant from the Community Foundation of South Central New York received two years ago.

"I, along with seven other professional women have been working on planning this event for roughly a year. The idea of this event was made possible by a grant we received two years ago, but we wanted to be sure we didn’t rush the process," said Miller. "It was important for us to hold this event during Women’s History Month and to make sure it will be as impactful as possible for the women of our county taking the time to attend and invest in their futures."

Ostrander said the event would not have been possible without the overwhelming support not just of the community, but also the many women who have lent their expertise to the conference.

"All of these people who are involved in this event, they have something to offer and I don’t think that it’s readily available for the women in our area," she said. "I would honestly like to thank all those who helped work on it, whether it’s the committee, it’s the Commerce Chenango staff, it’s Tyler Slater and [The Pennysaver] advertising it and help getting the word out. I just would like to thank everybody, and also the community for being so interested and invested in this event."

"I want to thank the women who have committed to making this event possible. None of this is possible without commitment from the committee members, the panelists, the employers, and the attendees," Miller added. "I also want to thank the women of the past in Chenango County that have paved the way, and I want to welcome the women of the future in Chenango County. One thing that makes Chenango County stand out is the community of support. I hope every woman leaves our event feeling that and capitalizing on it!"

For more information on Commerce Chenango, visit CommerceChenango.com or the Commerce Chenango Facebook page.