Ozarks Women in Leadership brings together past, present and future leaders

Ozarks Women in Leadership held their fall luncheon on September 9, at the Keeter Center on the College of the Ozarks campus. The yearly fall and spring luncheons bring together women of all ages—church leaders, business owners, retired professionals and more, many also moms and active community volunteers—to connect and encourage one another and create unity in our community. 

As part of the Development Office at the College of the Ozarks, OWL is committed to supporting past, present and future women leaders. Along with fostering unity between businesses, schools, church denominations, nonprofits/ministries and the entertainment industry, the luncheons provide an opportunity for women leaders in the community to meet current students, including recipients of the annual OWL scholarships. Tuesday’s luncheon included an opportunity for each attendee to write an encouraging personal note to a current female C of O student, as well as to invest financially in future OWL scholarships if desired. 

Keynote speaker for the event was Lori Robertson, founder of SpeakHer Coach. Robertson previously spent 10 years producing and coordinating Women of Faith events, bringing women together for inspiration and fellowship across the nation. Her vision for SpeakHer Coach is to help more women say “yes” to opportunities to maximize their impact in their God-given callings. 

Robertson’s presentation emphasized the importance of “ME, WE and SHE” in each woman’s personal journey. Using her own trip to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa’s highest peak, she spoke about her own determination and challenges in completing the trip (“me”); companions on the journey who encouraged each other (“we”); and the inspirational Tanzanian woman whose determination to escape poverty led to her job as chief guide for the trek (“she”). 

Robertson encouraged the women present to find their community, stay focused on their calling, and believe in themselves based on faith in God, referencing Romans 5:3-4, which reminds believers that “. . . suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” 

Learn more about Ozarks Women in Leadership and get involved in future luncheons by visiting https://ozarkswomenleadership.com; learn more about Lori Robertson, including powerful resources to help women develop their calling and improve communication skills, at https://lorirobertson.com.