Annual Statewide Women's Policy Conference

Statewide Women's Policy Conference: February 6-7th, 2025

Mark your calendars and make sure you join us at the Westin in February for our next statewide annual policy conference!

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Tennessee Statewide Women's Policy Conference 2025

Join us for the Tennessee Statewide Women's Policy Conference 2025, a groundbreaking event dedicated to empowering women and shaping the policies that directly impact their lives. This in-person conference will take place on Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 4-8 pm, and Friday, February 7, 2025 from 7:30 am-3:30 pm in Chattanooga, TN.

You'll have the opportunity to engage with influential speakers, thought leaders, and fellow attendees who, like you, are passionate about advancing legislation and equality. Through enlightening panel discussions, interactive workshops, and inspiring keynote speeches, we aim to foster meaningful conversations and drive positive change.

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect, learn, and contribute to the future of the legislation impacting Tennessee women. Mark your calendars!

Together, let's create a more inclusive and equitable environment for women across the state!

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Guests and speakers attend the 6th Annual Tennessee Statewide Women’s Policy Conference held at the Westin Hotel in downtown Chattanooga, TN, on February 1-2, 2024. Event photography by Dan Henry / DanHenryPhotography.com

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Check out our amazing speakers!

Erin Brockovich

Say the name Erin Brockovich and you think, strong, tough and stubborn. Erin is all that and definitely more. She is a modern-day “David” who loves a good brawl with today’s “Goliaths”. She thrives on being the voice for those who don’t know how to yell. She is a rebel. She is a fighter. She is a mother. She is a woman. She is you and me.

It’s been over 15 years since Julia Roberts starred in the Oscar-winning tour de force, Erin Brockovich. The film turned an unknown legal researcher into a 20th century icon by showcasing how her dogged persistence was the impelling force behind the largest medical settlement lawsuit in history. Since then, Erin hasn’t been resting on her laurels…she continues to fight hard and win big!

This gutsy broad doesn’t apologize for who she is. She has always loved going head to head with the big boys and was never intimated by their bravado. She learned how to come out on top from her tight-knit mid-western family in Lawrence, Kansas. Erin was the youngest child of an industrial engineer father and journalist mother. Her parents always believed that she could do anything she set her mind to if she learned to focus her amazing energy.

After a few years roaming around at various colleges, Erin decided that she wanted to be a California girl. She first landed a job as a management trainee for K-Mart, but when that didn’t make her swagger, she decided to study electrical engineering. But that wasn’t enough for the Kansas beauty. On a fluke, she entered the Miss Pacific Coast beauty pageant, and, not surprisingly, won the title. When she realized that beauty pageants weren’t her thing, Erin, her husband, and her two children settled in Reno, Nevada. After divorcing, the single mother became a secretary at a brokerage firm where she met and married her second husband. But that marriage was short lived, and the now mother of three was solo again.

Up until this point, Erin was the average divorced single mother trying to make a living, until she crossed paths with lawyer, Ed Masry, and this meeting changed the course of both of their lives.

After being seriously injured in a traffic accident in Reno, Erin moved back to California’s San Fernando Valley and hired Masry & Vititoe to represent her. They won a small settlement, but she still needed work, so she got a job at the law firm as a file clerk. It was while organizing papers on a pro bono real estate case that Erin first found medical records that would explode into the largest direct action lawsuit in US history.

Erin’s exhaustive investigation uncovered that Pacific Gas & Electric had been poisoning the small town of Hinkley’s Water for over 30 years. It was because of Erin’s unwavering tenacity that PG&E had now been exposed for leaking toxic Chromium 6 into the ground water. This poison affected the health of the population of Hinkley. In 1996, as a result of the largest direct action lawsuit of its kind, spearheaded by Erin and Ed Masry, the utility giant was forced to pay out the largest toxic tort injury settlement in US history: $333 million in damages to more than 600 Hinkley residents.

The story and eventual film made “Erin Brockovich” a household name. Over time, Erin realized that she could use her notoriety to spread positive messages of personal empowerment and to encourage others to stand up and make a difference.

Erin Brockovich has conquered all forms of media. Her first TV project was ABC’s 2001 Special, Challenge America With Erin Brockovich, where she helped motivate and organize the rebuilding of a dilapidated park in downtown Manhattan. This show is best described as “Extreme Make-Over Home Edition on steroids”. For three seasons, Erin hosted the Lifetime series, Final Justice With Erin Brockovich. The show celebrated everyday women who triumphed when faced with overwhelming adversity.

Erin then dominated the world of publishing with her New York Times Business Bestseller, Take It From Me: Life’s A Struggle, But You Can Win. She has also written two fiction novels, Rock Bottom and Hot Water. Her latest release, Superman's Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It, drew wide media attention before its publication.

Because of her fighting spirit, Erin has become the champion of countless women and men. She is this generation’s “Dear Abby”, and in fact receives thousands of “Dear Erin” letters and emails each year from people who are begging for help and support in their own personal struggles. Erin proudly answers every one of them.

As President of Brockovich Research & Consulting, she is currently involved in numerous environmental projects worldwide. She has requests for her help in ground water contamination complaints in every state of the US, Australia, and other international hot spots. She is currently working on cases in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri.

Erin is one of the most requested speakers on the international lecture circuit and travels the world for personal appearances. She is a true American hero whose icon status and “stick-to-it-iveness” only fuels her determination to expose injustice and lend her voice to those who do not have one.

Judge Glenda Hatchett

After graduation from Mt. Holyoke College and Emory University School of Law, Judge Glenda Hatchett spent nearly ten years at Delta Airlines, where she was the airline’s highest-ranking woman of color worldwide.As Senior Attorney and Public Relations Manager, she supervised global crisis management for U.S. cities, Europe, and Asia. In 1991, upon her appointment to the Fulton County, Georgia, Juvenile Court, Hatchett became the first African American chief judge of a state court.

In 2000, she accepted an offer from Sony Pictures Television to have her own television show, /Judge Hatchett/. Nominated for two Emmy Awards, it ran until 2008.

Her many awards include NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall Award; the Georgia State Bar Social Justice Advocacy and Action Award; Outstanding Alumni of the Year from Emory Law School as well as its highest award to an alum, the Emory Medal.She was recognized by Ebony Magazine as one of the “100 Best and Brightest Women in Corporate America”.Mt. Holyoke named her a Distinguished Alumna and later granted her an honorary degree. Girl Scouts of the United States of America named Hatchett one of its 10 National Women of Distinction.

Judge Hatchett has consistently shown her commitment to community development through her service on various non-profit boards including the National Board of Governors of the Boys and Girls Club of America; Leadership Circle for the After School Alliance; and the Advisory Board for the Women’s Resource Center at Spelman College.She also serves as the national spokesperson for Court Appointed Special Advocates, a non-profit organization that trains volunteers to represent abused and neglected children, and is the recipient of their President’s Award.

Alexis Smith

Alexis Smith, Miss Kansas 2024, is a graduate of Newman University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. As a dedicated cardiothoracic intensive care nurse and second-generation healthcare professional, Alexis brings her passion for service into her role as Miss Kansas. Her community service initiative, “Respect Reclaimed: Advocating for Healthy Relationships”, raises awareness of unhealthy abusive relationships. Her work educates individuals on recognizing the signs of various forms of abuse, and emphasizes the importance of practicing healthy relationship behaviors.

Alexis is also a ventriloquist and former Division I cheerleader. She is a spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline and a content provider for One Love Foundation, reinforcing her dedication to ending intimate partner violence. Her viral on-stage response at the 2024 Miss Kansas competition catapulted her into the national spotlight, with appearances on Good Morning America, People Magazine, the New York Times, and other media across the country. She continues to use her platform to inspire change to create a safer, more informed community.

Ashton Applewhite

Ashton Applewhite's trailblazing book, /This Chair Rocks: A ManifestoAgainst Ageism/, was listed as one of the “100 Best Books to Read at Every Age” by ////The Washington Post// and named by ////Forbes// as one of “10 Books To Help You Foster a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace.” This session explores the roots of ageism and how it divides us, examines how ageist stereotypes affect our bodies and minds, and lay out a road map for what an all-age-friendly world could look like. It ends with a rousing call to action, “a spark for social change.” Ashton is fanning this spark into a blaze of social revolution and transformation, encouraging us to cultivate age-neutral mindsets and envision the immense possibilities of age equity—in our professional lives, in our communities, and in ourselves.

Jeanine Carpenter

Jeannine Carpenter is a nonprofit leader best known for her unwavering commitment to the Chattanooga community, where she has successfully spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at improving education, health, and economic opportunities for underserved communities. For the past ten years, she has dedicated her career to fostering positive change and encouraging all people to get involved in policy change and advocacy.

Most recently, as the Chief Communications Officer and Director of Advocacy at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Jeannine provides leadership and strategic vision in all areas associated with government relations, storytelling, advocacy, external communications, and grant-writing. Each of these tasks requires two things: educating stakeholders about the root causes of food insecurity and increasing public passion to end hunger.

Jeannine is tasked with working alongside allies, elected officials, volunteers, local and state governments, and community organizations to find solutions that strengthen our communities and the lives of our neighbors by way of their economic well-being in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee. Much of that work is focused not just on nutrition programs and access to food (though that certainly matters), but also on the cost of living, the well-being of the workforce and removing historical barriers across communities that prevent people from living their best lives. Her goal is to work with her colleagues across Tennessee to help more people achieve self-sufficiency.

Sarah McKinnis

As founder and CEO of WillowBend Farms, Sarah McKinnis is a survivor who has worked in government, financial, and service industries, and is an author, national speaker, and educator. She empowers true collaboration with passionate calls to action. The impact of WillowBend Farms has been felt throughout the southeast region of Tennessee and beyond as Sarah imparts everything learned. She has created a collaborative model any community can employ, with fierce attention to measurable solutions addressing human trafficking on all sides from supply to demand. She serves on the Human Trafficking Advisory Council for the State of Tennessee, KairosPrison Ministry, and chairperson of The Knoble Advisory Council. A graduate of the first FBI Citizens Academy in Chattanooga, Sarah is an advocate for victim services through a strong collaboration of community agencies working together to create pathways to hope, safety, and sustainable restoration.

Christine Ranno

Christine has more than 12 years experience working on policy reforms to address child and youth trafficking, including development of a new legislative framework centering state policy work around advancing survivor-centered reforms. Christine authors and leads research and field guidance on emerging issues, with particular focus on unjust criminalization of trafficking survivors, including victim-offender intersectionality and Safe Harbor, and community-driven approaches that seek to prevent the vulnerabilities that can lead to trafficking.

Sarah Bendtsen Diédhiou, J.D..

Sarah joined Shared Hope in 2016 to support the organization's state legislative advocacy work and State Report Card project. Sarah focuses her efforts and research on strengthening stares' statutory and practice-based responses to child sex trafficking, striving to identify and advance promising practices for appropriately addressing and preventing exploitation of children and youth. In her role as Director of Policy Strategy, Sarah oversees the design and execution of new initiatives that strengthen engagement with stakeholders and develop state and federal legislative priorities that are survivor-centered and field -in-formed.

Prior to joining Shard Hope, Sarah worked with several child protection and women's rights NGO's in Kenya, Senegal, Zambia, and the U.S., advocating for stronger legal protections and responses for survivors of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Sarah earned her undergraduate degree from Webster University (St. Louis, USA; Hua Hin, Thailand) and her law degree from DEPaul University College of Law.

Sarah Beth Myers

Sarah Beth Myers serves as Deputy General Counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a historic non-profit that seeks racial justice in the South and beyond working with community partners to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the rights of all people She is the form Assistant united States Attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee where she served as the Civil rights Coordinator and Human Trafficking Coordinator. She has specialized in educating prosecutors and law enforcement about how to identify and successfully work cases.

She is founder of Advocates for Women's And Kids' Equality (AWAKE)., an issue-based nonprofit that advocates for the advancement of women and children in Tennessee through education and policy change. AWAKE has drafted and successfully lobbied then Tennessee laws into existence in collaboration with women's groups from across the state.

She is also an adjunct professor of law at Vanderbilt Law School, a former board-member of Thistle Farms, a two-year residential program that assists survivors of sex trafficking and addiction. She received her undergraduate degree in History and Russian from Duke University, a Master's degree in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University, and her J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School. She lives in Nashville, with her family, dog, cat and chickens.

Stephanie Hoopes

Stephanie Hoopes, PhD, is theNational Director of United For ALICE,a national research organization thatdrives innovative research and action around financial hardship. She developed the ALICE (Asset Limited, IncomeConstrained, Employed) measures for a pilot study of the low-income community in Morris County while a volunteer on the board of her local United Way and teaching at Rutgers University-Newark.

Also serving as Chief Research and Impact Officer at United Way of Northern New Jersey, Dr. Hoopes demonstrates the power of connecting research to action.Before joining United Way of Northern New Jersey, Dr. Hoopes taught at Rutgers University-Newark and Columbia University, and at the Universities of Sussex and Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Dr. Hoopes has a doctoral degree from the London School of Economics, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College.Her research has garnered the attention of local, state, and national media and legislators, most recently appearing on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien.

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Hotel Block Information

For those interested, there is a hotel block available at The Westin Chattanooga. Click here to reserve your room:

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Mayor's Council for Women Policy Conference Hotel Block -

Start Date: Wednesday, February 05, 2025

End Date: Friday, February 07, 2025

Rate: $179.00 USD per night

*LAST DAY TO BOOK : Thursday, January 09, 2025

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ADDITIONAL WAYS TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE WOMEN'S POLICY CONFERENCE:

Be An Event Sponsor: Contact Kstrong@chattanooga.gov for more details.

Honor a Shero: Celebrating the Sheroes in our Lives

Recognize a woman you admire for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

NOW CLOSED.

Sister Fund: Help other women attend the conference through this financial assistance fund. Make your donation to this fund when your register.

SISTER FUND APPLICATION

With the help of generous supporters, the Sister Fund offers financial assistance toward your registration fee. To request a Sister Fund Application, email Kimberly Strong at kstrong@chattanooga.gov.

If selected as a Sister Fund Scholarship recipient, you will be responsible for paying only $85.00.

Partnership Packages

Champion for Change: Opening Dinner and Plenary - $20,000

Recognition as exclusive Presenting Sponsor of Opening Dinner and Opening Plenary
Sponsor name on event signage and video monitors
6 Company spotlights on conference website and social media
Full page ad in conference program
10 complimentary conference registrations

Hero for Change: Premier Conference Sponsors - $10,000