Leading the Lone Star State: Texas Women in Public Service Summit

Women public servants to highlight leadership conference

Sept. 27, 2023 ― DENTON ― Some of the nation’s top women leaders in public service will participate next month in a summit aimed at inspiring more women to pursue leadership positions.

Registration is now open for “Leading in the Lone Star State: Women in Public and Elected Service,” a conference organized by the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University.

The one-day event is scheduled for Oct. 12 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center.

Panelists include U.S. Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison; Val Demings, former U.S. congresswoman and Orlando police chief; political strategist Ana Navarro; and Symone Sanders-Townsend, political commentator and host of SYMONE on MSNBC.

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, for whom the institute is named, will deliver the welcoming address. The agenda also includes a panel discussion, “Diverse Voices, United Impact: Women of Color in Public Service,” moderated by Emmy Award-winning journalist Lisa Ling. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D.,will be a featured speaker on a panel about the state of women in Texas politics.

Other sessions will include various Texas elected officials and public servants and will cover women in government, exploring a path to public service, organizational politics and empowering the next generation of women leaders. A full list of panels and speakers is available here.

“These women are among the preeminent voices in their respective fields and serve as extraordinary examples of leadership for us all to emulate,” said Shannon Mantaro, interim executive director and chief officer for the institute. “We look forward to benefitting from the collective wisdom of these exceptional leaders.”

To register or for more information, go to twu.edu/leading-the-lone-star-state.