Accelerate Action: Moving Women’s Issues Forward-International Women’s Day 2025
March 7 & 8 2025 – Pre Conference Events on March 7 and conference day, March 8!
Hagerstown Community College: Kepler Theater
11400 Robinwood Drive
Hagerstown, MD 21742
Prime Time for Women (PTFW), in partnership with Hagerstown Community College, is hosting the 2nd Annual International Women’s Day Conference in Washington County, Maryland! This event is not just a conference; it’s a beacon of empowerment and inspiration that will connect women from diverse backgrounds and across generations with the goal of building stronger and healthier communities.
Keynote Address – A person wearing glasses and a blue jacket Description automatically generated Denise Pyles, from nun to award winning career at Microsoft, asks: “Does life sometimes feel like a chaotic ball pit in a bouncy house? Constant motion, no clear way out, and no moment to breathe?” If you crave calm amidst the chaos and long for a way to slow down, you will be encouraged and empowered by Denise’s keynote address! Denise, author of Burn Without Burning Out: 7 Micro-Mindfulness Habits for Clear Thinking, Decisive Action, and Recovery from Burnout will share simple, effective strategies for busy women to find calm.
Breakout Session Info – Denise Pyles, author of Burn Without Burning Out will cover a lot of ground in this 40-minute breakout session entitled, “Accelerate Your Impact: Mindful Tools for Women Leaders.” Denise will facilitate energy alignment exercises, engage participants in a discussion on leadership challenges, identify mindful solutions and help them create personal acceleration roadmaps. This interactive session will foster a sense of purpose and a commitment to take action that matter!
Purchase Tickets NOW!
This year’s conference will be even bigger and better! Accelerate Action will be a two-day event, with pre-conference workshops on Friday, March 7 at HCC and the main conference taking place on Saturday, March 8 at the Kepler Theater. Even more exciting, our conference will be recorded by and aired on Antietam Broadband TV, allowing us to reach even more women!
Held on International Women’s Day, this conference will feature experts from a variety of fields including finance, law, technology, business, nonprofits and the arts. Together they will issue a call to collectively address the barriers and biases women face with a greater sense of urgency and momentum. With opportunities to network, learn, engage in meaningful discussion and strategize, attendees will leave feeling inspired and empowered to take action!
Schedule of Events
Morning Sessions
📍 7:30 – 8:15 AM – Registration, Breakfast, Networking, Vendor (Kepler Theater Lobby)
📍 8:15 – 8:30 AM – Invite participants to convene at Kepler
📍 8:30 – 8:45 AM – Andi Overton: Welcome and Introductions. Thank sponsors. Bernadette Wagner: Intersection of PTFW and IWD. (Kepler Theater)
🎵 Opening Song: I Am Woman by Helen Reddy
📍 8:45 – 8:50 AM – Andi Overton: Introduces Keynote Address by Denise Pyles
📍 8:50 – 9:10 AM – Keynote Address: How to Burn Without Burning Out – Denise Pyles
📍 9:10 – 9:15 AM – Andi Overton: Introduces Prime Insights with Dr. Andriana Rojas
📍 9:15 – 9:35 AM – Dr. Andriana Rojas: Redefining Leadership: Lessons from the Women Who Shaped Us
📍 9:35 – 9:40 AM – Andi Overton: Introduces Prime Insights with Kelly Beckley Shank
📍 9:40 – 10:00 AM – Kelly Beckley Shank: Accelerate Your Self-Confidence: Understanding What Makes You the Right Person for the Job
📍 10:00 – 10:05 AM – Andi Overton: Introduces Prime Insights with Karen Coyne
📍 10:05 – 10:25 AM – Karen Coyne: Using Our Time, Talents, and Treasure to Accelerate Action
📍 10:25 – 10:30 AM – Andi Overton: Announces morning Breakout Session start at 10:45 AM and room numbers
📍 10:30 – 10:45 AM – Attendees walk to Career Program Building and Bathroom Break
Breakout Sessions (Career Program Building)
🕙 10:45 AM – 12:10 PM
📍 10:45 – 11:25 AM – First Breakout Sessions:
✅ Kathy Lyon – Overcoming Poverty, Accelerating Stability
✅ Maggie Gise – Pelvic Health: A Crucial Foundation for a Fulfilling Life
✅ Tina Fraley, Teresa Peek, Addie Nardi, Melanie Watts, and Brittany Wedd – Great Accelerations: Nonprofits for Equity Panel Discussion
✅ Denise Pyles – Mindful Leadership: Accelerating Gender Equality in Action
⏳ 5-Minute Break (11:25 – 11:30 AM)
📍 11:30 AM – 12:10 PM – Second Breakout Sessions:
✅ Joan Balbuena Hernandez – Immigration Services: Celebrating Diversity; Accelerating Equity
✅ Gwenn Leatherman – Advocate for Your Health: Taking Charge of Your Hormones and Your Voice
✅ Maggie Gise – Pelvic Health: A Crucial Foundation for a Fulfilling Life
✅ Bernadette Wagner – Want a Better World? Build Bridges Across Generations
📍 12:10 – 1:10 PM – Lunch Break
📍 Location: Student Center
🎤 Vendors & Book Signings
👉 Breakout Session Leaders Dismiss Attendees to Lunch at 12:10 PM
Afternoon Sessions
📍 1:10 PM – Andi Overton: Invites attendees back to Kepler Theater
📍 1:20 – 1:30 PM – Andi Overton: Welcomes attendees back, thanks sponsors/vendors, and engages audience. Keynote Sponsor
📍 1:30 – 1:35 PM – Andi Overton: Introduces Prime Insights with Aitza Haddad Nunez
📍 1:35 – 1:55 PM – Aitza Haddad Nunez: Accelerate Action: Bridging Cultural and Gender Divides to Promote Inclusion and Equity
📍 1:55 – 2:00 PM – Andi Overton: Introduces Prime Insights with Angelina Scott
📍 2:00 – 2:20 PM – Angelina Scott: Highlighting Talent; Accelerating Careers
📍 2:20 – 2:25 PM – Andi Overton: Introduces Prime Insights with Laurie Brewer
📍 2:25 – 2:45 PM – Laurie Brewer: Overcome Imposter Syndrome; Accelerate Your Journey
📍 2:45 – 2:50 PM – Andi Overton: Introduces Prime Insight Interview with Matt Wagner & Andrew Keller and Bernadette Wagner
📍 2:50 – 3:10 PM – Andrew Keller & Matt Wagner: Strong Men Advocate for Women
📍 3:10 – 3:30 PM – Andi Overton: Recognizes sponsors, invites everyone to the AFTER PARTY, and invites Bernadette to give closing remarks & call to action. Bernadette invites all speakers, presenters, and staff to join her upfront.
📍 3:30 – 4:30 PM – AFTER PARTY 🎉 (Cookies, Mocktails, Vendors, Book Signings)
Angelina Scott is an emerging poet at Barbara Ingram School for the Arts. By performing a series of her original works on love and growth, she shares a commentary on…
Aitza M. Haddad Nunez, Ph.D. is a lifelong learner! She has a law degree from the University of Florida, a Ph.D. in Communication, Culture, and Media Studies from Howard University…
Karen Coyne, CFP is a busy woman! She wears many hats including, Certified Financial Advisor, President of Clarity Planning, podcast host, and advocate for women in financial services! In her…
Kelly Beckley Shank earned a B.S in Applied Economics from Virginia Tech and is an Associate Certified Coach with International Coaching Federation. According to Kelly, knowing your purpose and owning…
Andriana Rojas, PHD, is a graduate of University of Virginia and American University. She is an accomplished leader with extensive experience driving organizational change, promoting employee wellbeing, and fostering inclusive…
Dawn Jennette is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has lived in Hagerstown, MD since July 2021. Although not a professional singer, she has loved singing since she was a…
Dr. Andi Overton is a distinguished higher education leader, who is driven by a deep-rooted belief in the transformative power of education. She’s also energetic, engaging and tons of fun...which…
Pre - Conference Workshop “Advocating for More Advocacy: It’s a Passion and a Business” Taj Smith, owner of the Advocate Junkie, has a Bachelor of Applied Science, Human Services Child…
Pre-Conference Workshop “Advocate for Your Health: Taking Charge of Your Hormones and Your Voice” Educating women on gender bias in medicine and empowering them to take control of their health…
Jennifer E. Goldman is a Certified Nonprofit Manager with a passion for helping nonprofits fulfill their missions. But Jenn will tell you, passion alone isn’t enough! To be successful, nonprofits…
The relationship between plants and personality is rich and multi-faceted. The plants we choose and how we care for them often can reflect aspects of who we are. In addition,…
Keynote Address - A person wearing glasses and a blue jacket Description automatically generated Denise Pyles, from nun to award winning career at Microsoft, asks: “Does life sometimes feel like a chaotic…
Bernadette Wagner, founder and CEO of Prime Time for Women, Inc. is excited to talk about the benefits of intergenerational relationships. In “Want a Better World? Build Bridges Across Generations!”,…
Joan D. Balbuena Hernandez, who has a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Puerto Rico, is a skilled and knowledgeable nonprofit leader. Currently working at Children In…
Maggie Gise, DPT, a physical therapist since 2012, founded Gaia Women’s PT in 2020 after recognizing the lack of care and treatment for prenatal and postpartum women, especially around pelvic…
Kathy Lyon, after earning a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Loyola in Baltimore, pursued a career in fund raising with the goal of assisting those impacted by…
Andrew Keller, known for his creativity as an entrepreneur and as a teacher of financial literacy, and Matt Wagner, MD a husband, father, grandfather and physician with 40 years of…
Laurie Brewer is the author of Smart Girls Say the F- Word: Mastering Startup Funding A Female Founders Guide to Staying Sane, Startup Consultant and Leadership Coach. During her Prime…
Angelina Scott is an emerging poet at Barbara Ingram School for the Arts. By performing a series of her original works on love and growth, she shares a commentary on…
Aitza M. Haddad Nunez, Ph.D. is a lifelong learner! She has a law degree from the University of Florida, a Ph.D. in Communication, Culture, and Media Studies from Howard University…
Karen Coyne, CFP is a busy woman! She wears many hats including, Certified Financial Advisor, President of Clarity Planning, podcast host, and advocate for women in financial services! In her…
Kelly Beckley Shank earned a B.S in Applied Economics from Virginia Tech and is an Associate Certified Coach with International Coaching Federation. According to Kelly, knowing your purpose and owning…
Andriana Rojas, PHD, is a graduate of University of Virginia and American University. She is an accomplished leader with extensive experience driving organizational change, promoting employee wellbeing, and fostering inclusive…
Dawn Jennette is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has lived in Hagerstown, MD since July 2021. Although not a professional singer, she has loved singing since she was a…
Dr. Andi Overton is a distinguished higher education leader, who is driven by a deep-rooted belief in the transformative power of education. She’s also energetic, engaging and tons of fun...which…
Pre - Conference Workshop “Advocating for More Advocacy: It’s a Passion and a Business” Taj Smith, owner of the Advocate Junkie, has a Bachelor of Applied Science, Human Services Child…
Pre-Conference Workshop “Advocate for Your Health: Taking Charge of Your Hormones and Your Voice” Educating women on gender bias in medicine and empowering them to take control of their health…
Jennifer E. Goldman is a Certified Nonprofit Manager with a passion for helping nonprofits fulfill their missions. But Jenn will tell you, passion alone isn’t enough! To be successful, nonprofits…
The relationship between plants and personality is rich and multi-faceted. The plants we choose and how we care for them often can reflect aspects of who we are. In addition,…
Keynote Address - A person wearing glasses and a blue jacket Description automatically generated Denise Pyles, from nun to award winning career at Microsoft, asks: “Does life sometimes feel like a chaotic…
Bernadette Wagner, founder and CEO of Prime Time for Women, Inc. is excited to talk about the benefits of intergenerational relationships. In “Want a Better World? Build Bridges Across Generations!”,…
Joan D. Balbuena Hernandez, who has a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Puerto Rico, is a skilled and knowledgeable nonprofit leader. Currently working at Children In…
Maggie Gise, DPT, a physical therapist since 2012, founded Gaia Women’s PT in 2020 after recognizing the lack of care and treatment for prenatal and postpartum women, especially around pelvic…
Kathy Lyon, after earning a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Loyola in Baltimore, pursued a career in fund raising with the goal of assisting those impacted by…
Andrew Keller, known for his creativity as an entrepreneur and as a teacher of financial literacy, and Matt Wagner, MD a husband, father, grandfather and physician with 40 years of…
Laurie Brewer is the author of Smart Girls Say the F- Word: Mastering Startup Funding A Female Founders Guide to Staying Sane, Startup Consultant and Leadership Coach. During her Prime…
