Gibbs and Hughes to launch new mentoring event to connect business leaders to local women looking to enter the workforce or explore new careers.
Burlington County Freeholder Director Kate Gibbs and Deputy Director Linda Hughes are inviting women in the community to participate in a free career mentoring event on Monday, Oct. 15 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. In partnership with the newly reinvigorated Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council, Gibbs and Hughes are launching a new initiative aimed at assisting women build professional relationships and grow leadership skills.
“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,” 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.”
The mentoring event will kick-off with registration and networking from 5:30 to 6 p.m. at Rowan College at Burlington County’s Student Success Center Cafeteria on the Mount Laurel Campus. From there, 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.
The event will bring established professional women from a variety of industries together with women looking to build their professional networks. To attend as a “mentee” there is no age restriction, however, women ranging from juniors in high school to two years post-grad are encouraged to attend.
All participants should bring plenty of business cards to foster on-going connections among the women. Women without business cards can request that the county provide them through the online registration form free of charge.
“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,” 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, Gibbs and Hughes brought new life to the Women’s Advisory Council and 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 our communities 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.
Reinvigorating the Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council joins other recent women’s initiatives including: an equal pay resolution, mandatory sexual harassment training and retraining for all county employees, and placing private, dedicated mother’s rooms in county buildings.
To ensure all participants can be accommodated, registration is required before Friday, Sept. 14. To register for the event, visit: http://bit.ly/BurlCoMentorOctober or call Christine Brown at (609) 265–5020.
