Join WITI and SWE in Los Angeles!

This conference brings a diverse group of technical professionals from all around the Los Angeles area. The ultimate goal of the conference is the development of the audience, both personally and professionally. Sessions will be provided for all levels of experience; from interns to executives. Come have a great time and meet other professionals, students, and corporate representatives!

Sessions & Speakers

How to Increase Your Resilience: "The One Aspect of Leadership you Can't Succeed Without"
Eva Bowman, Founder, The Bowman Company
9:00am

The latest research proves that your leadership ability is more related to your Self-Leadership than to any other skill. What is Self-Leadership? Self-Leadership is the one facet of Leadership you cannot succeed without. This session examines Self-Leadership in ways that will motivate you to acquire these particular skills. We'll make it easy to see and grasp the most essential traits that make an immediate difference in how well you demonstrate confident, effective, and productive Self-Leadership and the leadership of others. You'll also learn how to increase your poise, presence, and power in high-stress situations.

Eva Bowman is the founder of The Bowman Company, a Leadership Coaching and Consulting firm, and has earned acclaim for her development of personal leadership techniques and methods for SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE©. Eva is also a popular speaker and teacher. She was raised in Virginia and graduated from Virginia Tech with Honors in Chemistry. She was Virginia Tech's first Fulbright Fellow and that honor took her to the University of Cologne in Germany to study for a year. After graduate school, she joined Chevron in California.

Ms. Bowman has been in Engineering for 26 years, the last 14 years as a Senior Program Manager and Marketing Manager with large engineering firms. Eva is responsible for sales by her teams totaling more than $40 Million in the last ten years, giving her an expert background in Mentoring and Coaching.

Eva began her Engineering company in early 2002, and was immediately drawn into Coaching by associates who admired the skill with which she made the dramatic leap to starting her own firm, and who asked her to coach them in important self-leadership and decision skills.

Eva is an expert downhill skier, having taken her first lesson at the age of 40. Her most memorable vacation, and a life's dream realized, was trekking to the mountaintops of Uganda to sit three feet away from the endangered mountain gorillas.

The Bowman Company offers Executive Coaching and Consulting to teams and individuals. Our products are increased personal leadership, performance enhancement, goal attainment, and tools for SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE. The primary training and coaching is in immediately-useful techniques in personal leadership and team effectiveness; we offer our training through meetings with individuals and teams and at seminars and workshops. Ms. Eva Bowman brings to her clients 26 years of increasing personal success and business leadership. Her firm has trained staff at all levels in the same successful execution of strategies and leadership techniques that she uses today. Ms. Bowman's clients include The Boeing Company, The City of Hope National Medical Center, Raytheon, and executives at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, CIGNA Health Plans, and Nissan Corporation.

Building Your Finacial Quotient (PFQ): A Finacial Literacy Workshop for Professionals
Lisa Evans, Field Director and Registered Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Maureen Lyons, Estate Planning Attorney (Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney)
Liz Maldonado, Mortgage Loan Planner, Amerifund Lending Group
Pamela Mora, Certified Public Accountant and Tax Specialist
10:30am

How are you feeling about your current financial situation? Unclear about your goals? Overwhelmed with too much information? Unsure about the terminology/jargon being used? Not sure where to begin?

Financial well-being can be just as important as physical health. Many of us, however, have developed some unhealthy habits where money management is concerned.

• "I don't need to worry - my company benefits plan will meet my needs, right?"
• "I think I'm saving enough for retirement."
• "Should I be doing more now to plan for my child's education?"
• "Who will make health & financial decisions for me if/when I become unable to?"
• "Is it a good (bad) time to buy (sell) my home?"
• "Am I maximizing my tax deductions?"

And just as we put off an annual checkup with our doctor, we postpone the task of evaluating our financial health.

Join us for a group presentation on the key success factors in defining and achieving your personal financial goals. Learn key tips and suggestions that will help you assess your current financial health and work to build your Personal Finance Quotient.

Lisa began her career in financial planning after earning her Business Degree with an emphasis in Finance and Entrepreneurial Studies form the University of Southern California. As a successful independent financial representative of the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network since 2001, Lisa takes the time to understand her client's financial situation and goals and works with them to create a plan for success. Lisa guides her clients with honesty, integrity, patience and understanding.

In 2006, Lisa qualified for the international honors of Million Dollar Round Table for insurance and investment advisors. And in 2007 was nominated by the Los Angeles Business Journal for one of LA's Most Successful Women's Award.

Lisa is a leader in her organization and business groups as well as an active parent. She enjoys spending time with her family, Pilate's class, the beach and bike riding.

Maureen Lyons is a California attorney whose practice is focused on estate planning (wills, trusts powers of attorney, incapacity planning), elder law, trust administration, and probate. While based in Long Beach, her practice serves clients in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Maureen is dedicated to helping her clients protect the people they love and preserve the things they value. She listens, advises and helps her client create the custom estate plan that will leave the legacy they want and offer the peace of mind they deserve.

Maureen's professional affiliations include the Estate Planning & Trust Council of Long Beach, Women Lawyers of Long Beach, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Newport Harbor Bar Association, and the California State Bar Association.

Maureen has a BA in English from University of California, Riverside, an MA in Psychology from California State University, Los Angeles, an MS in Applied Biometry from the University of Southern California and her JD from Southwestern University School of Law.

Liz brings a unique portfolio of skills to Amerifund Lending Group with 25 years of collective experience as a Mortgage Loan Planner, entrepreneur and development professional. The depth and breadth of her experience in communications, marketing and management enables her to provide her clients with grounded advice and a well-balanced perspective. Liz's success in mortgage lending stems from her motto of 'getting done what I say I will'. For Liz that means offering her clients the best mortgage solutions for their individual needs and delivering them in a professional and timely manner.

Liz has developed a specialty in working with homeowners who want to protect the equity position in their homes and insure that they have sufficient funds available for their retirement years.

A California licensed Real Estate Salesperson, Liz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Pam has worked in public accounting since 1988 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1991. Pam earned her Bachelors Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She also holds a certificate in Estate Planning issued by the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. She is exceptionally proficient and has vast experience in handling business, financial and tax planning matters for individuals, businesses, estates and trusts, both domestic and multi-state.

In 2007, Pam was nominated as one of the top 25 CPA's in the San Fernando Valley. She is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Mrs. Mora's office and home are located in Woodland Hills, California where she lives with her husband and two children. She is an avid sports fan, and a 'baseball' mom. She volunteers at several charitable organizations and has served for five years on the board for her children's school booster clubs.

Lunch & Panel on Best Work Practices
Penny Wirsing, Environmental Group Leader, Exxon Mobil's Torrance Refinery
Marilee Wheaton, GM, The Aerospace Corp
Jennifer Harris, Industrial Engineering Manager, UPS
12:00pm

Penny Wirsing is Environmental Group Leader at Exxon Mobil's Torrance Refinery, where she is responsible for ensuring compliance with local, state and federal regulations. Penny graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University, and an MBA from University of Washington.

She has been active in SWE since college, is currently serving as the national chair of the Conference Program Board, and was inducted as a Fellow of SWE in 2007.

Penny is also very active in the community and serves on the board of two non-profit organizations. In her spare time, Penny enjoys walking, swimming, and playing beach volleyball.

Marilee Wheaton is general manager of the systems engineering division in the engineering and technology group at The Aerospace Corp (El Segundo, CA). Aerospace runs a federally funded R&D center that supports national security and civil and commercial space programs. It does studies and assessments and provides advisory services for customers like the U.S. Air Force, NASA and the intelligence community.

Wheaton provides technical leadership for about 250 systems engineers. Their work ranges from developing new conceptual designs to risk management, cost estimation, program assessment and scheduling and other forms of advanced problem-solving to help customers keep their programs on track. The group also led the development of the Aerospace Smarter Buyer program. "More than a thousand high-level customers have taken these courses," Wheaton says proudly.

Wheaton has a 1978 BA in math from California Lutheran University and a 1993 MS in systems engineering from the University of Southern California. She started with Lockheed in 1979 as a manufacturing engineer and moved on to Aerospace the next year.

In 1999 she moved to TRW Systems (now Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Reston, VA) as a director in the office of cost estimation, but returned to Aerospace in 2002.

Wheaton is a life member of SWE. She's been president of the Los Angeles section and is currently its awards chair. She was made a SWE Fellow in 2000. "SWE reinforces the sense that women 'can do it,'" she says.

She's also a past president of the Aerospace Women's Committee. This internal organization brings technical and administrative women together for mentoring and networking. Wheaton was one of its women of the year in 1986.

Wheaton notes that for four of the past five years AARP has named Aerospace one of the best employers for workers over fifty. Nearly half the organization's regular full-time workers are in that age group. They enjoy alternative work arrangements like flextime and telecommuting, and the opportunity to continue working after formal retirement.

"What keeps me and most people in this industry going is the importance of our missions and our contributions to national security," Wheaton says.

Jennifer Harris is an Industrial Engineering Manager at UPS for the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley Twilight Sorts. Jennifer oversees the engineering aspects of these operations for over 1500 employees. She is responsible for optimizing the consolidation and distribution of over 500,000 packages daily. She has been given increased responsibilities including methods and measurements trainer for the West Coast, recruiter for engineering new hires, and chair of the Women's Leadership Development Committee.

Jennifer is considered a valuable asset to the engineering department and operations. Her success can be credited to her dedication, leadership, and communication skills.

Jennifer has been an active SWE member since joining as a collegiate member in 1998. Since becoming a professional member of the Los Angeles Section in 2003, she has served as Professional Development Conference Chair, Vice President, and President for two terms. Under her direction the Professional Development Conference received the 2004 SWE National Professional Development Event Award and has grown to become an annual event. Her dedication to SWE has been recognized through nomination as one of SWE New Faces in Engineering and the Los Angeles Council of Engineers and Scientist Outstanding New Engineer. She is currently the Region B Lieutenant Governor, Los Angeles Section President and California State University Northridge Counselor.

Jennifer holds a MS in Engineering with a specialization in Integrated Technology Management and a BS in Industrial Engineering from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo and a certificate from UCLA's Technical Management Program.

The Pleasures & Perils of Networking
Alyse Hart, CEO of "Sell It Like A Woman"
1:00pm

People who network well find A-list opportunities! Do they have some special insights, personalities or skills? The answer is yes, no, and yes.

Anyone can network and the objective is not only to diversify your circle but grow a vital grape vine and have fun. In this short program you will learn the biggest faux paux and how to avoid it and other traps. I'll cover how to work your way into a room, how to identify green light sings, and how to manage your expectation. You will walk away with a handout of the 7 best conversation openers to be used anywhere. Wouldn't it be nice to be as comfortable networking as you are when you talk to a trusted friend?

Alyse Hart CEO of "Sell It Like A Woman" is an executive sales trainer and business development expert. She's spent over 20 years refined her skills and quickly worked her way up the corporate ladder to become one of the youngest female VP of advertising sales in the trade magazine industry.

There she hired and trained a team of top performing women and now coaches clients from all backgrounds about sales savior faire and networking nuance so they can reach their full potential.

How to Be an Effective Volunteer Leader
Sharon Tinker, Infrastructure Improvement Initiative Manager, Exxon Mobil's Torrance Refinery
2:30pm

Sharon Tinker received a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Iowa in 1980. From 1980 to 1994 she has worked in technical contributor roles for the Exxon Chemical Company in Houston and Baytown. From 1995 to 1998 she was loaned from the Exxon Chemical Company to Singapore Aromatics Company (joint venture with Amoco) to build and operate a new chemical plant in Singapore.

In 1998, she returned to Baytown, Texas and worked in supervisory and staff positions in the Exxon Mobil Baytown Chemical Plant and as Unit Maintenance Department Head for the Baytown Refinery and Chemical Plant. In November, 2006, she transferred to Exxon Mobil's Torrance Refinery as the Infrastructure Improvement Initiative Manager.

Awards and Honors:

• Recognized as the 2007 Torrance Refinery Leadership Volunteer of the Year
• Member of the 2008 Torrance Class of Leadership
• Serving on the Torrance Education Foundation Board of Directors
• Presently serving on the University of Iowa College of Engineering Development Council
• Served on the United Way of Baytown Area Board of Directors
• Served on the University of Iowa College of Engineering Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Department Advisory Board

Sharon will be speaking on:

• The benefits of volunteering
• Finding a cause that touches your heart
• Finding a cause that fits your schedule
• Taking the first steps

Never attended a WITI conference? Check out what previous attendees are saying and the details from our most recent conference.

Hope to see you in Chicago!

How Your Company Can Participate
Please call 818-788-9484 for information on how to be a sponsor, an exhibitor, or to advertise in a WITI conference program.

Speakers' Bureau
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