The Women’s Roundtable Invites You to the 1^st Annual Mother/Daughter Empowerment Day
to Benefit the Gerry B. Wallerstein Fund

The Women’s Roundtable is pleased to announce the 1^st Annual Mother/Daughter Empowerment Day to benefit the Gerry B. Wallerstein Fund on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel and Conference Center from 9 am to 1 pm. All proceeds from this event go to the Wallerstein Fund which provides annual grants to qualifying women business owners or woman-focused programs. Join us for an empowering day that begins at 9 a.m. with introductions and then at 9:15 a.m. participants can select 1 of 2 empowerment sessions to attend. Your choices are:

Empowerment Session 1: Uniting Our Strengths with Maryanne Thornton, Co-Owner & Executive of In Progress, LLC. What is the path to unifying women in all our amazing diversity? Perhaps the secret lies in assertive communication. In this session, Mothers & Daughters learn strategies for assertive communication in an aggressive world with both self-respect and respect for others and without making you a bully.

Empowerment Session 2: Balancing Your World: Effective Time Management with Corrine Halperin Egan, Program Associate/Perry 200 Coordinator at Jefferson Educational Society.  We know that you can't "DO IT ALL", but this presentation, based on the late Stephen Covey's '7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE', will show you how to use the time you have both effectively and efficiently to make the most of your interactions with co-workers, family and friends.

At 10:15 a.m., participants can enjoy networking and visiting our Women’s Roundtable Members’ Showcase. Members of The Women’s Roundtable are encouraged to showcase their businesses, hobbies and interests. There is no charge for an exhibitor table for WRT members; however, you must reserve your table when purchasing your ticket. The deadline is March 11, 2013. Exhibitors begin setting up at 8 a.m. on March 16. Set-up must be completed by 9 a.m.

Keynote Speaker: Lunch begins at 11:15 am. At 12 noon, Erie Business Owner and Former Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper presents the keynote address on “Women's Leadership in Today's Climate: How We Can Change the Dialogue.”  Dahlkemper puts the spotlight on women, noting we have made strides in various areas of leadership but does women's leadership really matter? Do women lead differently and, if so, can women leaders contribute positively to the discussion around issues affecting the future of our country, state and city? Learn about how YOU can make a difference.

The cost for the 1^st Annual Mother/Daughter Empowerment Day is $60.00 per person or $100.00 if you bring your daughter. Make reservations and payment online at www.wrterie.org.  The deadline for all reservations is March 11, 2013. No exceptions.

Teen Essay Contest: In honor of Women’s History Month and the founding members of The Women’s Roundtable, The WRT is awarding a $100.00 Millcreek Mall Gift Card to a girl, 17 and under, who submits a one page, typed essay on why all girls need to appreciate the history of women’s rights, how leadership is key to empowerment and what their goals are for the future. Essays must be emailed to Marsha MacKinnon at Marsha.MacKinnon@gmail.com by March 11, 2013. They will be judged by members of the Women’s Roundtable and the top three will be read during the WRT Empowerment Day.

The Women’s Roundtable is also awarding grants from The Gerry B. Wallerstein Fund in June of 2013 and is accepting applications now. To obtain a Wallerstein Grant Application, go to The Women’s Roundtable website at www.wrterie.org, print, complete and mail to: The Women’s Roundtable, P.O. Box 3922, Erie, PA 16508. Applications can also be picked up at First Niagara Bank at 2520 West 26^th Street or First Niagara Bank at 1468 West Gore Road or at the Jefferson Education Society at 3207 State Street. The deadline for submitting applications is March 1, 2013. No exceptions.

 The Gerry B Wallerstein Fund was named after one of our founding members who proposed the idea of having a pool of money available for women business owners who may not qualify for, or have access to, more traditional funding sources. This idea became a reality in 1997 when the fund was established. Regrettably, Gerry lost her battle with cancer in 1999. The Fund was then named in her honor to recognize her unshakable spirit, passion and commitment to helping women business owners and entrepreneurs.

The Women’s Roundtable, Inc. is a charitable, educational, social and business networking non-profit. The WRT is the first organization in Northwest Pennsylvania to recognize the contributions of women in our community with our annual Woman of the Year Award, recognizing those women who help other women succeed. Visit our website at www.wrterie.org.

News Release Submitted by: Marsha MacKinnon/WRT President-Elect 2012-2013

H 814-868-4002/C 814-969-0416