I have been fortunate to be a member of the Griffiths Leadership Society for Women for 12 years now. This organization brings alumnae of the University of Missouri, along with current collegians (both undergrad and graduate) together for leadership, networking and empowerment. A couple of years ago, I was asked to step up as Vice Chair, a preliminary role to my becoming Chair last fall.
I have been so proud of what we have accomplished this year. Making a plan for the year up front to allow for a schedule of virtual events for networking, keynotes and a book club, in-person events in several cities for happy hours and cultural outings, and our main event, an in person conference at the university in Columbia, MO. While the virtual events certainly have room for growth, they have allowed us to get to know each other online before deepening those connections in person at the conference, which had increased registration among both collegians and alumnae this year.
But it has been a particular pleasure to lead our monthly board meetings online via Zoom. The incredible group of women, pictured above, has been a stellar team throughout the last year, recruiting new members, finding amazing women to recognize, developing online and in-person activities and programming for our conference, and communicating everything to our members. I am sad my time as chair is coming to an end, but I am excited to see what our upcoming Chair Emma does for the group next.