West Virginia’s First Lady and President of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, will be speaking on female advancement in West Virginia’s burgeoning energy industry at the Hotel Morgan on Nov. 1.
The event is hosted by Young Professional Women in Energy – West Virginia (YPWE-WV) and is titled Exploring Leadership: A Woman’s Insight.
“We are thrilled Ms. Tomblin is joining us to share her unique perspective on leadership,” said the organization’s president and founder, Amanda Marks-Cunningham. She added “Our long term goals focus on preparing women to compete in a dynamic marketplace by providing professional development opportunities through education, mentoring, and networking—we know that her message will resonate with members.”
Ms. Tomblin’s inspirational talk at the Hotel Morgan will be YPWE-WV’s second event. The evening is intended to inform and inspire women who work—or want to work—in West Virginia’s energy industry. Ms. Tomblin has first-hand experience to share, serving as president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, which aims to develop West Virginia’s energy workforce through programs like “Mine Management.”
“The number of women in the energy industry used to hold steady around 8 percent,” Marks-Cunningham said. “Now, we are over 35 percent and experiencing continued growth. In West Virginia, the female workforce is powerful and YPWE-WV provides a supportive setting in which women can learn not only from one another, but also from successful male leaders.”
YPWE-WV and its sister chapter, YPWE-PA, are non-profit organizations that make philanthropic efforts for other organizations such as Dress for Success. YPWE is a partner of Young Professionals in Energy (YPE-Pittsburgh) and is the creation of Amanda Marks-Cunningham, Public Affairs Coordinator for Waste Management, and Amelia Roncone, General Manager of Specialty Oilfield Services’ Northeast Division. Currently, the YPWE-WV board of directors is comprised of five experienced and ambitious women covering a broad spectrum of West Virginia’s energy industry.
The organization intends to fill a niche need in West Virginia’s energy industry by providing monthly networking opportunities and bigger educational conferences throughout the year for the women of YPWE-WV. Thanks to the recent launch of YPWE.org, the organization’s reach is wide and reaching audiences across the globe to encourage interaction and provide valuable resources to members. No issue is off limits—from navigating a male-dominated workplace to juggling family responsibility, YPWE creates a safe-haven for this important dialogue.
EXPLORING LEADERSHIP: A WOMAN’S INSIGHT WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1 FROM 5:30–7:30 P.M. AT THE HOTEL MORGAN IN MORGANTOWN. REGISTRATION FOR THIS FREE EVENT IS ENCOURAGED. INTERESTED PARTIES MAY APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP AND RECEIVE THE E-INVITATION BY VISITING YPWE.ORG AND SUBMITTING THEIR INFORMATION UNDER THE “MEMBERS” TAB. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YPWE, VISIT YPWE.ORG OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER (@YPWE).
