Panel Discussion With Community Leaders to Mark Women's History Month
NAPERVILLE, Ill. — In honor of Women’s History Month in March, the City of Naperville and North Central College will partner to host “Coming Together to Lead Well: A Community Conversation.” The free event, open to all, will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, in the Madden Theatre on the lower level of Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave.
Registration is required for the free event. To find more details and to register, please visit https://naperville.il.us/embrace-community.
A panel of distinguished women will share their experiences, followed by an empowering, interactive dialogue with the assembled audience of campus and community members. The aim is for women from many walks of life to share in conversation, uplifting women’s well-being and envisioning a community that helps fulfill the City’s mission to create “an inclusive community that values diversity.” Audience participation and questions are encouraged and welcomed.
The panel will include Dr. Anita Thomas, president of North Central College; Becca Bruner, co-pastor of Knox Presbyterian Church; Anita Knotts, founder and chief executive officer of the Lotus Women’s Institute; Nicole Lawton, librarian at Naperville Public Library; Joohi Tahir, co-founder and executive director of Muhsen, a nonprofit that aims to build better lives for adults and children with disabilities; and Diana Torres Hawken, co-founder of Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in the Suburbs (ALMAS).
The moderator will be community leader Nicki Anderson, who has served as CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and director of the L.E.A.D.S. Women’s Leadership Program at Benedictine University. A “Get to Know Someone” reception will be held immediately following the panel discussion.
The event is part of several inclusive community conversations to be hosted by the City, in partnership with other organizations, in 2024 as part of its “Embracing Community: Expanding Our Dialogue, Deepening Our Understanding” series. The conversations will include storytelling, as well as opportunities for the community to participate in intentional, respectful, and ongoing dialogue to deepen understanding while fostering inclusion among generations, cultures, and those with different experiences.
About Naperville: Located 28 miles west of Chicago, Naperville, Ill., is home to approximately 145,000 people. This vibrant, thriving city consistently ranks as a top community in the nation in which to live, raise children and retire. The city is home to acclaimed public and parochial schools, the best public library system in the country, an array of healthcare options and an exceptionally low crime rate. Naperville has ready access to a variety of public transportation, housing and employment options. The city’s diversified employer base features high technology firms, retailers and factories, as well as small and home-based businesses. Residents also enjoy world-class parks, diverse worship options, the opportunity to serve on several City boards and commissions, a thriving downtown shopping and dining area, a renowned outdoor history museum known as Naper Settlement and an active civic community. For more information, please visit our website at www.naperville.il.us.