Olympic gold medalist to headline annual Women Who Lead conference


The Women’s Center has announced that Shannon Miller, America’s most decorated gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, will be the keynote speaker at its 9th annual Women Who Lead conference. The two-daylong event is designed to further enhance the leadership development of female students at FIU and connect them with women leaders in their field of interest.

In addition to the keynote speaker, the conference also welcomes Chief Executive Officer of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind Virginia Jacko, Market President for Florida Blue Penny Shaffer, Career and Life Coach Nicole A. Waters, and Chief Operating Officer of Chipotle Gretchen Selfridge. Workshops and panel discussions will focus on the topics of networking, self-image, sexual assault, motivation and more. Women Who Lead will take place on Tuesday, March 24 at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus and on Wednesday, March 25 at the Biscayne Bay Campus.

Shannon Miller Standing with Medals.jpg

Shannon Miller remains the most decorated gymnast in American history with 7 Olympic medals. She is the only American to rank among the Top 10 All-Time gymnasts and is the only female athlete to be inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame twice – as an individual in 2006 and team in 2008.

In her session, Miller will discuss how the ‘gold medal mindset’ leads to victory on the competition floor, in the boardroom, and in our personal lives. With seven Olympic medals, Miller gives insight into what it takes to be a winner: the importance of goal setting, leadership, maintaining a positive attitude and teamwork. Through her Olympic and personal experiences, Miller will share how to overcome even the most difficult obstacles standing in the way of success.

“Each year, the Women Who Lead conference helps students better understand challenges they will face and gives them the tools to overcome those challenges in order to achieve their goals,” said Bronwen Bares Pelaez, director, Women’s Center. “Shannon Miller is a perfect fit for our conference. We look forward to hearing her inspiring story and are confident that our students can learn from her and our other speakers’ experiences.”

Women Who Lead seeks to provide students with understanding and awareness about the scope of women in leadership today, expose participants to gender equality issues related to career goals, educate students on the diversity of careers available through networking and support female students in developing their personal leadership plan.

To learn more about the cost to attend and schedule of the conference, please click here.

Registration is now open for students, faculty, staff and community members. Please use the following links to register:

Tuesday, March 24 MMC Conference

Wednesday, March 25 BBC Conference

If you have any questions about the registration process, or must cancel your registration, please call the Women’s Center at 305-348-1506 or email women@fiu.edu for assistance.