Featured Presentations
Powerful Decisions, Confident Lives
Dr. Christi Hegstad
We are faced with countless decisions each day, some with short-term impact (“What should I make for dinner tonight?”) and others with long-term consequences (“Should I go back to work at the office or stay home with my children?”). As a result, we often find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, flustered and stuck. In this session, you will learn a dynamic and life-altering tool that will guide you to make strong, confident decisions. Dr. Christi Hegstad, a certified career and life coach and the owner of MAP Professional Development Inc., will walk you through the three most important questions to ask yourself when faced with any decision, large or small. You will benefit from:
- Real-life examples where clients have engaged this tool to make significant decisions regarding their careers, families and personal lives;
- An easy-to-use decision-making template to call on at any time in your life;
- The chance to practice this strategy with a choice you currently face; and
- An opportunity to observe one of your colleagues being coached to make a strong and affirming choice in her own life.
In addition, you will receive a take-home activity that will help you identify—and then leverage—your core strengths to support your decision-making. You will leave this program feeling powerful, experiencing a sense of relief and knowing that you can now be in confident control of all the decisions you make from this point forward!
Leading in Turbulent Times
Mary Stier
Mary Stier’s profound passion is to bring the wisdom, strength and grace of women’s leadership into the world. As one of the country’s foremost experts on female leadership, she taps into her own lifetime of leadership lessons learned and shares them generously. Mary uses masterful storytelling, humor, insight and hard-earned epiphanies to teach women how to apply their unique leadership gifts in turbulent times.
Having personally led 7,400 employees through economic and media industry disruptions, Mary lays out five proven steps to successfully lead yourself and your organization to top levels.
Prior to founding Mary Stier Connects, Mary enjoyed a 25-year career as one of the top executives of the Gannett Company, a Fortune 500 media company. As one of the youngest publishers in Gannett’s history, Mary served as President and Publisher of The Des Moines Register as well as Senior Group President for Gannett’s Midwest and SunCoast Newspaper Groups. Ultimately she was responsible for $1 billion in revenue, 26 daily newspapers, 350 non-daily publications and 27 websites.
Her colleagues and clients describe her as genuine, courageous, insightful and passionate.
She shares these with audiences large and small as she fulfills her dream by helping women discover their greatest leadership potential.
What’s Cooking at Cottey
Michael Richardson, Cottey College Chef and Director of Food Service
Cottey College Chef and Director of Food Service, Michael Richardson, will perform a live cooking demonstration on stage in the Ferrara Theatre. Three favorite recipes from the college dining program, which are also featured in his new cookbook, “The Best of Cottey Cooking,” will be prepared. Various eye-pleasing plating suggestions will be demonstrated from such favorites as Almond French Toast with Fruit Salsa, Artichoke Spinach Salad and Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball.
Cottey Workshops
“SHOW ME” What Cottey’s Reading
Trisha Stubblefield, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English; Glenn Rogers, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of English and husband of Cottey's President; and Nancy Kerbs, Director of Assessment and Institutional Research
“Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books.”—bell hooks
Virginia Alice Cottey’s life was transformed when she read a book about Mary Lyon and the founding of Mount Holyoke College. She said it gave her a purpose in life and she devoted all her energy to learning and teaching so that she could found her own school. Since 1884, Cottey College has transformed the lives of many women. Join us for a special session of the Cottey Book Club with reviews of the work of British crime novelist P.D. James; “Mama Day” by Gloria Naylor, a book taught in Cottey’s English Composition 102 course; and “The Cottey Sisters of Missouri,” a history by Elizabeth McClure Campbell. Join us for a transformational experience!
“SHOW ME” Cottey Dancing
Jo Byrnes, B.S., M.F.A., Cottey College Assistant Professor of Dance
Dance offers people physical, intellectual, artistic, social and individual rewards which can enhance and enrich their daily lives. Come watch these rewards unfold right before your eyes in this session. Selected presenters from Cottey College's dance program will—with input from the audience—create and perform a dance during the 45-minute session. Just as you do everyday, the dancers will take what they are given and make the best of it. Life- and art-making skills such as brainstorming, decisionmaking and remaining focused on a goal will be utilized. Because they are Cottey students, with support from P.E.O.s, there is no doubt of success!
“SHOW ME” How to Dig Up Roots (Without Gardening)
Helen Lodge, Cottey College Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Director of Housing
Genealogy is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the United States and after this session, you will want to find YOUR family skeletons...and make them dance! This session will share the joys and rewards of living "life in the past lane." Tips on how to begin your search will be shared as well as unlocking the secret of relationships. Exactly who is your second cousin, three times removed? Attend this session and be the first on your block or in your chapter to know!
“SHOW ME” How Cottey Students Lead
Judy Rogers, Ph.D., President, Cottey College, and four Cottey student leaders
President Judy Rogers will moderate a panel of Cottey College students who will share the ways in which they, as emerging women leaders, learn and practice leadership. They will describe how they inspire others to extraordinary accomplishments, how they overcome challenges, and how they envision themselves as the future leaders of our world. The panelists will describe their differing leadership styles, and they will explain what experiences are most valuable to them in becoming stronger leaders. Be sure to bring questions for our Cottey leaders!
