CSU - Pueblo offers Community Connections: Women’s Leadership Conference April 11

Pueblo-  Women leaders in the community will be connecting with the most promising female student leaders on the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus as part of the Community Connections: Women's Leadership Conference taking place on Friday, April 11.
Students must be nominated by a member of the CSU-Pueblo community and women leaders identified by a variety of campus resources. Women leaders in the community who would like to participate can contact Becki Scola, coordinator of CSU-Pueblo’s Women’s Studies Program,
by Wed., April 9 at 549-2811 or becki.scola@colostate-pueblo.edu

Sessions will be held from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Hearthwell Lounge in the OUC.

Following an opening welcome by CSU-Pueblo Provost Russ Meyer, participants will attend break-out sessions and networking opportunities throughout the day. Among the goals of the conference are to recognize women leaders on campus and in the community and to provide skills and networking opportunities for student leaders. The development of mentors is also a critical component of the day, according to Scola.

“We don’t see this conference as a one-time opportunity, but rather, we hope the student leaders will develop mentors who can encourage and inspire them throughout the coming year,” she said. “It’s also a chance for our student leaders to bond with each other and to discuss issues of common interest and projects through which they might collaborate.”

The keynote speaker during lunch will be Gretchen Gagel-McComb, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, based in Denver. Gagel-McComb joined The Women's Foundation of Colorado in January 2005. Gretchen had volunteered for WFCO in the past, facilitating the 2002 "Hi-Tech, Low Numbers Conference", an event that prompted Gretchen to pursue a Master in Nonprofit Management from Regis University and a career change into the not-for-profit sector. Prior to joining The Women's Foundation, she worked for Ralston Purina and Coca-Cola Enterprises in operations management. Most recently, she was a director, business unit manager, and shareholder of FMI Corporation, a Raleigh, North Carolina, based management consulting and investment banking firm. She moved to Denver in 1992, is a graduate of the University of Denver MBA program, and received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University.

The conference is being co-sponsored by CSU-Pueblo Women’s Studies Faculty/Staff Development Grant, the President’s Leadership Program, and the Chicano Studies program.



Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.