NEWS RELEASE: Soroptimist Hosts First-ever Professional Development Seminar in Philadelphia

Soroptimist members gather to form strategies that will improve the lives of women and girls

August 16, 2007
Contact: Jessica Levinson, Communications Director
       215-893-9000 x129

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Soroptimist members from all over the globe will convene in Philadelphia on August 24-25 to enhance their professional careers, as well as their ability to further the organization’s mission of improving the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. Soroptimist, headquartered in Philadelphia, is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women.

“We are excited to host the Soroptimist Professional Development Seminar for our members,” said Leigh Wintz, Soroptimist’s executive director. “Attendees will undoubtedly be inspired and invigorated to do all they can to help women and girls reach their full potential, while at the same time gaining skills that will help them professionally.”

Seminar participants will have the chance to attend a myriad of workshops that will focus on topics such as international business etiquette, how to convey messages with confidence, tips for being a better volunteer leader, and financial planning.

Highlights of the seminar, which will be held at the Philadelphia Marriott, 1201 Market Street, include:

Keynote Speech by Alison Levine, August 25, 9 a.m.
Alison Levine, the leader of the first American Women’s Mount Everest Expedition, will deliver the inspirational keynote speech on August 25. Despite being diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition at birth, Levine defied the odds and went on to attend business school, land a powerful job on Wall Street, and become one of the most experienced female mountaineers in the country. Levine will talk about how the skills that keep people alive on the world's tallest mountains are equally important to survival in the business world.

Awards Luncheon, August 24, 12:15 p.m.
During the luncheon, Soroptimist will honor the recipients of its award programs. These include the Women’s Opportunity Awards, which provides women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families with financial resources to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training; and the Making a Difference for Women program, which honors ordinary women who through their professional or personal activities make extraordinary efforts on behalf of other women and girls.

Veronica Matagaono, Soroptimist’s 2007 Violet Richardson Award honoree, will attend the luncheon and speak as a special guest. The Violet Richardson Award program honors young women ages 14 to 17 for their volunteer efforts to help make their community and world a better place. Though she is only 17, Matagaono, of Signal Hill, California, serves as an example of what one person can do to improve the lives of others. After struggling through a troubled and abusive childhood, Matagaono fell into the wrong crowd and became violent and disrespectful. However, after learning how her actions affected others, she vowed to turn her life around. She began to volunteer in programs that help educate kids and keep them off the streets, and co-founded the Anti-Violence Committee, where she and her peers perform anti-violence skits for teenagers. Matagaono says she dreams to someday visit third-world countries to educate people about AIDS and malnutrition.

For more information about attending or covering this seminar, contact: Communications Director Jessica Levinson, (215) 893-9000 x129.

Soroptimist, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. The Women’s Opportunity Awards program, which provides cash grants for head-of-household women seeking to improve their economic situation through additional education and training, is Soroptimist’s major project. Soroptimist sponsors the Live Your Dream campaign in recognition of the power of women and their dreams. Visit the campaign's online home at: <www.liveyourdreamcampaign.org>. Soroptimist, a 501(c)(3) organization, is a recipient of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations’ Seal of Excellence. For more information on how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls, visit <www.soroptimist.org>.

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