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2019 Professional Women in Advocacy Conference
In partnership with Women in Government Relations
When women have a seat at the public policy table, everyone benefits.
Learn more at
Dear Participant,
The theme for this year’s conference is Breakthrough Advocacy. Last year we elected the most diverse Congress ever. How will these new leaders change the way we do business in Washington D.C. and in state capitols across the nation? Will increased diversity push us to innovate new ways to communicate and influence policy makers? We will explore these concepts and more this October.
Our tracks have sessions for women at all levels in their careers in government relations, public affairs, political engagement, advocacy, activism, communications, campaigns and law.
Advocacy & Outreach: Tips and techniques to immediately improve your advocacy effectiveness. Political engagement and communications are included in this track.
Federal, State & Local Government Relations: Traditional shoe leather lobbying meets technology and trends from K Street to Main Street.
Professional Development & Coaching: enhance your personal and professional skills and performance with these how-to sessions.
For questions or information please contact me at leeann@womeninadvocacy.com.
Looking forward to seeing you in October!
Sincerely,
LeeAnn Petersen, CEO
2019 Professional Women in Advocacy Conference – Breakthrough Advocacy
October 21-22, 2019
Marriott Metro Center – Washington, DC
Schedule of Events
(subject to change)
Sunday, October 20
6:00 – 8:00 pm Out of town guest reception at Fire and Sage (hotel)
Monday, October 21
8:00 – 9:00 am Registration and Breakfast
9:00 – 9:15 am Welcome Remarks: Breakthrough Advocacy – the factors changing our industry. Speaker: LeeAnn Petersen, CEO, Professional Women in Advocacy Conference
9:15 – 10:05 am Opening General Session TBD
10:15 – 11:45 pm WORKSHOP BREAKOUTS – 90 MINUTES
Advocacy & Outreach – Drafting Content – Blogs, Press Releases, Op Eds, LTE’s. – These days content is king. Learn how to write compelling content for communications, public affairs and thought leadership. Speaker: Jean Card, Jean Card Ink and Sharon McBride, eBay
Federal, State & Local Government Relations – Congressional Procedure with Judy Schneider – Get unique insights on how legislation is made from the expert who trains Members of Congress and staff how Congress works. Speaker: Judy Schneider, Congressional Desk Book
Professional Development – Get to the Point! This interactive workshop helps advocates identify, hone, and effectively champion their most important points. Speaker: Joel Schwartzberg, ASPCA
Coaching - One-on-one individual leadership coaching sessions. Please contact
11:45 – 12:00 pm Networking Break - Stop by our sponsor booths
12:00 – 1:30 pm WGR Networking Luncheon and Keynote Speech – The Voice of Leadership: Inspiring, Influencing & Achieving Results with Emotional Intelligence Speaker: Sylvia Baffour, Founder, Sylvia Speaks
1:30 – 2:25 pm INFO BAR BREAKOUTS – 55 MINUTES
Advocacy & Outreach – Women Driving Advocacy - If you work in advocacy, you know that women drive nearly every grassroots mobilization effort. What does that mean for causes headed into 2020? Speaker: Amanda Darman-Allen, Managing Director, Blue State Digital
Federal, State & Local Government Relations – Civics 101 - More and more of the general public is engaged in advocacy. Learn how to communicate the advocacy process and celebrate your incremental wins with stakeholders. Speaker: Jacki Ball, National PTA
Professional Development – Fly-in Queens – Fly-ins are often seen as an administrative function. How can you use your fly-in to showcase your skills and make the case for advancement to a more substantive role in your job?Speakers: Amaia Stecker, Pilar & Company; Mary Kate Cunningham, ASAE; Kristen Prather, CUNA; Shavenor Winters; Innovative Federal Strategies
Coaching - One-on-one individual leadership coaching sessions. Please contact
2:30 – 3:25 pm INFO BAR BREAKOUTS – 55 MINUTES
Advocacy & Outreach – Human Factor - Tech makes advocacy convenient, but we can't overlook The Human Factor. Learn to harness the power of authentic interactions without human presence.Speaker: Lindsay Donnelly, The Lukens Company
Federal, State & Local Government Relations – Measuring ROI of Your Government Affairs Efforts – Multiple factors impact your work and it is not always easy to quantify success and justify your existence. Learn best practices from peers how to measure inputs and outputs to better gauge the return on investment for your department, campaign or organization. Moderator: Libby Wuller, Quorum
Professional Development – Advocating for your brand - So you're a successful advocate, but do you use those same skills to advocate for yourself in the workplace? Speaker: Christina Perez, Cruise Lines International Association, Adrienne Marks of Visa, Emily Duncan of National Grid, Courtney Hogan, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council
Coaching - One-on-one individual leadership coaching sessions. Please contact
3:30 – 3:45 pm Networking Break - Stop by our sponsor booths
3:45 – 4:45 pm Closing general session – The Generational Shift in Advocacy - Hear from a young advocate, lobbyist and an elected official how advocacy is changing due to a greater number of young people engaging in the civic arena. Moderator: Ximena Hartsock, Phone2Action
5:00 – 7:00 pm Excellence in Advocacy Awards & Reception
Everyday advocates are nominated in six categories. The field is narrowed down to three finalists in each category and one awardee is announced at the reception. For details visit
Speaker: TBD
6:00 – 9:00 pm Optional Dinner Dine Arounds
Go Dutch with your colleagues for these casual dinners at local eateries. One group will go at 6pm after the conference ends and the other will go at 7pm after the EIA awards.
Tuesday, October 22
8:30 – 9:00 am Registration and Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 am Opening General Session – TBD
10:05 – 10:55 am INFO BAR BREAKOUTS – 50 MINUTES
Advocacy & Outreach – GDPR, Data Privacy and Stakeholder Recruitment – It is a MYTH that granular consent will have a negative impact on engagement with supporters. Learn how data privacy can help you increase engagement. Speaker: Sorcha Rochford, Nation Builder
Federal, State & Local Government Relations -#MostDiverseCongressEver Join leaders from professional societies of diverse lobbyists (H Street, Hispanic Lobbyists Association, Q Street, Women in Government Relations and Washington Government Relations Group (AfAm Lobbyists)) to find out how their approach to lobbying has changed or will change as more women and lawmakers of diverse backgrounds are elected. Speakers: Marcus Mason, Liz Lopez, Lauren Wilson, Kate Shenk, Jocelyn Hong
Professional Development – Trust and Thrive – Trust takes a life-time to build but easily destroyed in a blink of an eye. Be influential by building trusting relationships. Speaker: Jodi Mitchell, Upsurge Advisors
11:00 – 11:15 am Networking Break - Stop by our sponsor booths
11:15 – 11:45 pm CHANGE AGENT BREAKOUTS – 30 MINUTES
Advocacy & Outreach – Using Data to Drive Results in Public Affairs – Learn how to use meaningful and statistically significant data to design and show impact of public affairs campaigns. Speaker: KayAnn Schoeneman, Managing Director, Ketchum
Federal, State & Local Government Relations – Mapping the stakeholders behind 2020 presidential candidates - Examine the people and organizations surrounding 2020 contenders to understand the operatives, policy advisors, and political power centers driving campaigns. Anticipate future policies aligned with your cause and craft targeted engagement strategies based on a candidate's networks. Speaker: Rachel Topazian, Senior Director of Research, Network Science Initiative, National Journal
Professional Development – Tough Conversations - It can be hard to have tough conversations with stakeholders and advocates because not everyone sees an issue the same way all the time. Learn the right way (and the wrong way) to approach sensitive subject matter by arming yourself with data and a constant loop of feedback from coalition members. Speaker: Julie Eller, Arthritis Foundation
11:45 – 12:00 pm Networking Break - Stop by our sponsor booths
12:00 - 1:30 pm Luncheon Keynote – Speak with Impact - Command the Room and Influence Others – Your voice matters, especially as a leader. Every day, you have an opportunity to use your voice to have a positive impact--at work or in your community. You can inspire and persuade your audience--or you can distract and put them to sleep. Speaker: Allison Shapira, Author, Speaker, Coach
1:30 – 2:30 pm Closing General Session
Been there Done That, Words of Wisdom from Women of Distinction - BTDT is everyone’s favorite session because it brings together senior level women to speak candidly about their experiences in the workplace and in life. Moderator: Elizabeth Bartz, CEO, State and Federal Communications
2:30 – 4:00 pm Optional networking mixer and farewell reception (hotel bar)
