Women's Leadership Workshop In Burlington County Oct. 15

Burlington County officials are working with the newly reinvigorated Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council on a new initiative to help women build professional relationships and grow leadership skills.

As part of this effort, a free career mentoring event will be held on Monday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rowan College at Burlington County’s Student Success Center Cafeteria on the Mount Laurel Campus, officials announced on Monday.

The event will bring established professional women from a variety of industries together to meet with women looking to build their professional networks.

“Deputy Director Hughes and I are excited to launch this new mentoring event that will connect successful business leaders to women in our community who are looking to enter the workforce, re-enter the workforce or explore new careers,” Burlington County Freeholder Director Kate Gibbs said. “I have been fortunate to have had amazing mentors who have guided me throughout my career in male dominated industries. That is why bringing a mentorship program to Burlington County, specifically for women, is something I am truly looking forward to making a reality. I am proud to work with the Women’s Advisory Council to continue empowering women and to provide a community-based support network.”

It begins with registration and networking from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. After that, mentors will be formally introduced followed by a “speed-dating” format of participants moving from table to table to have one-on-one discussions with several of the mentors. The event will conclude with a second networking session, where participants and mentors will have the opportunity to exchange business cards.

All participants should bring plenty of business cards to foster ongoing connections among the women. Women without business cards can request that the county provide them through the online registration form free of charge.

There is no age restriction to attend as a “mentee,” but women ranging from juniors in high school to two years post-grad are encouraged to attend. Registration is required, and must be done by Friday, Sept. 14. To register for the event, visit http://bit.ly/BurlCoMentorOctober or call Christine Brown at 609-265-5020.

“Mentorship and collaboration between women is needed now more than ever, and we are enthusiastic to host this new event and encourage women to create meaningful professional relationships and build networks within the community,” Burlington County Freeholder Deputy Director Linda Hughes said. “Our goal is to provide women with the opportunity to talk to other local women about strategies for success including advice on finding fulfilling careers, discussing career goals, and pursuing leadership roles in their industries.”

Earlier this year, Burlington County revamped its Women's Advisory Council.Gibbs and Hughes tasked members with evaluating existing services and programs, educating the public about the challenges women face daily, raising awareness of the special contributions women make in the community and providing opportunities for mentoring and collaboration that will enhance the quality of life for all women in Burlington County.

Since then, Gibbs and Hughes have worked with the council to launch new women-focused-initiatives, such as launching a county-wide women’s survey and leveraging social media to create an online resource center with centralized information about services and programs for women. Burlington County has also introduced an equal pay resolution, mandatory sexual harassment training and retraining for all county employees, and placing private, dedicated mother's rooms in county buildings.

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