Godbold College of Business and Cleveland County (N.C.) Chamber Host Empowering Women Panel on March 23

Three Women Leaders will Share Their Experiences and Offer Strategies for Tackling Challenges

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The Godbold College of Business at Gardner-Webb University is partnering with the Cleveland County Chamber in Shelby, N.C., to present Empowering Women, a panel discussion, on March 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Tucker Student Center. Held in recognition of Women’s History Month, the event features three women leaders from various fields and also pays tribute to some notable women in GWU’s history.

Dean of the College of Business and Instructor Mischia Taylor shared that as the sponsors began planning the event, their emphasis shifted. “We started by calling it ‘Women in Leadership’ with the discussion to emphasize how current women leaders are thankful for the pioneering women who paved the way for others,” she explained. “Then, we realized that we not only wanted to thank the women leaders before us—but as leaders today—how do we empower all women to be confident, faithful and anything they want to be? We changed the name to ‘Empowering Women.’”

The panel features:

• Christine Cribb, executive director of the Cleveland County Chamber; she has experience in campaign consulting and public relations.
• Jeanette Reeves, appointed first female chief N.C. District Court Judge in both Cleveland and Lincoln counties in 2013; after receiving her Juris Doctorate in 2004 from West Virginia University School of Law, she moved to North Carolina to work with Teddy and Meekins.
• Leah Burroughs, executive director of the JEM Project, an organization based in San Diego, Calif., dedicated to improving the welfare of children, empowering women, and preservation of wildlife and the environment.

During the discussion, the women will be asked to share their own experiences and identify the people—men and women—who have helped them overcome the hurdles they faced. They will also give strategies for tackling challenges in the workplace and reflect on what legacy they would like to leave the next generation. The program will also include a Q&A time with the audience.

A few of the notable GWU women who will be recognized include:

• Fay Webb Gardner – benefactor and namesake of GWU.
• Etta L. Curtis – Dean of Women 1909-1936, service award given at commencement named in her honor.
• Ollie Mae Cline Stroup – First woman to serve of GWU board of trustees, Stroup dorm named for her.
• Joyce Watkins – First African American student.
• Joyce Compton Brown – Professor emerita of English; instrumental in starting the University’s scholarly lecture series; Award winning poet.
• Sue Camp – Professor emerita of business administration, a GWU alumna who taught at Gardner-Webb for 42 years, author of more than 25 books, and her textbooks have been translated into several languages.  

Auxiliary aids will be made available to persons with disabilities upon request 48 hours prior to the event. Please call (704) 406-4253 or email [email protected] with your request.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to six professional schools, 14 academic departments, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.