On March 27, the Bossier Chamber of Commerce held their first ever Women’s Leadership Conference at Live! Casino & Hotel in Bossier City, presented by CHRISTUS Health. The conference gathered over 100 women across various business sectors in the Bossier-Shreveport area, from healthcare and education to nonprofits and hospitality.
Attendees gathered at the recently opened Live! Casino & Hotel Event Center, where they heard keynote presentations from Sara McDaniel, founder of Simply Southern Cottage, and Jinny Henson, nationally-traveling stand-up comic. Both women shared their stories of perseverance, faith, and making the most out of difficult circumstances.
The conference was emceed by Dr. Angelique Feaster Evans, arts administrator, author, educator, and entrepreneur. Breakout sessions featured discussions led by women in business in Bossier-Shreveport, including: Claire Rebouche, RN, MSN, CPPS, of Willis-Knighton Health System; Lisa Janes of TownSquare Media; Jaime Goff, PhD, ACC, SHRM-CP, of CHRISTUS Health; and Linda Biernacki of Fire Tech Systems, Inc.
Between keynote speakers and breakout sessions, attendees networked, visited the vendor tables, and built bouquets to take home with them. The theme of this conference was “Bloom Where You Are Planted”, which reflects the values of resilience, faith, and perseverance—reminding us that through hard work and determination, we can overcome challenges and achieve success.
“A Women’s Leadership Conference is something that I’ve wanted the Bossier Chamber to host for a long time,” said Jana Morgan, Director of Fundraising and Programs at the Bossier Chamber. “It’s important to the Bossier Chamber that we recognize the hard work and leadership of the women in our community, and as an office of all women, I’m glad that we were able to make it happen this year with the strong support of our business community.”
This event was made possible thanks to sponsors CHRISTUS Health, KSLA News 12, Live! Casino & Hotel, Bossier Parish Community College, Bonvenu Bank, Origin Bank, Barksdale Federal Credit Union, Margaritaville Resort Casino, Fire Tech Systems, and Brentwood Hospital.