Social Wall – The Central California Women's Conference

Elizabeth McCormick
Warm-Up Keynote

Congressional Veteran Commendation recipient, Elizabeth McCormick nbsp;travels the globe as a professional speaker, providing dynamic opening and closing keynotes at conferences, conventions, association meetings and corporate events worldwide. With her unique messages, Elizabeth takes the challenges faced as a Black Hawk Helicopter pilot and Chief Warrant Officer for the United states Army and shares empowering, uplifting stories with relatable and actionable lessons.

Susan Vang-Xiong
Tips and Tricks to Holiday Entertaining
Time: 3:15pm
Session 3-04 (Room: TBD)

Susan Vang-Xiong is owner of Circle of Events, a luxury wedding and event planning company offering design and production services in Fresno, California. Inspired by her beloved couples and clients, Susan and her team delights in ensuring each event is a culmination of first impressions together with thought and attention to the smallest of details. With a background in managing organizational community partnerships and years of experience in hospitality and multiple facets of events, Susan and her team are invaluable in ensuring seamlessly planned and executed events.

Jennifer Ashton
Keynote Luncheon
Time: 11:30am

Dr. Ashton is ABC News’ Chief Health and Medical Correspondent and is a familiar face across the ABC News platforms, as well as appearing daily on GMA3 “What You Need to Know”. Previously, Dr. Ashton worked with CBS News as a senior medical correspondent and cohosted “The Doctors”, as well as, various other television appearances across multiple networks.

Dr. Ashton is double Board Certified in OB-GYN and obesity medicine, as well as having a Masters Degree in nutrition, making her the only physician with these credentials on a national media platform. Dr. Ashton has been honored for the emergency medical care she has provided to the Englewood Police Department, Haitian earthquake victims, and for her advocacy for women’s health.

Dr. Ashton is also an accomplished author, having published 6 books including: The New Normal, Life after Suicide, and The Selfcare Solution. Dr. Ashton is a graduate of Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons. In addition to her on-air work, Dr. Ashton maintains a private medical practice and is a mother of two children.

Amy Barnes
Cool-Down Keynote
Time: 4:30pm

Engineer-turned-comedienne, Amy Barnes brings a lifetime of experience as a woman to the stage in a side-splitting, bladder-testing hour of observations on what it’s like to be a woman, a wife, a mom and a person in 2022. As the parent of two teenagers and the wife of one husband, she doesn’t have to go far to find inspiration. Laugh until you cry or cry until you laugh, either way you will leave with a smile.

Jane Hammond, PA-C
Great Sex in a Stressful World
Time: 3:15pm
Session 3-07 (Room: TBD)

Decreased libido and painful sex are common complaints of menopausal women and those who are chronically stressed.

In this discussion we will explore our amazing sexual anatomy: Meet the clitoris –it’s purpose is only pleasure! We’ll explore desire and how we can increase it. We will see how chronic stress impacts our sexual responses, and how to decrease the impact of stress on our sex lives.

We will also discuss physical barriers to good sex, including treatments for pain, dryness, and low libido. We will discover how receiving pleasure benefits ourselves, our relationship and ultimately the entire family.

Manisha Mittal, M.D.
Secrets of Golden Spice Turmeric: Curry, Spice, Arthritis& Beyond
Time: 3:15pm
Session 3-06 (Room: TBD)

Secrets of Golden Spice Turmeric: Curry, Spice, Arthritis & Beyond: In this session, the participants will learn about the evidence-based health benefits of turmeric. You will embark on a visual journey from planting to harvesting turmeric, uncovering ancient wisdom to present day research on inflammation- considered the root cause of all chronic disease. Participants will get to feel how fresh and dried turmeric root and powder look like and sample turmeric tea and turmeric ice-cream.

Susan L. Holt, LMFT
Free Refills… and How’s that Cup Holding Up Anyway? Let’s Chat About Women’s Mental Health
Time: 3:15pm
Session 3-05 (Room: TBD)

Women often serve as the backbone of the family system with a long legacy of women being the caregivers for others. We pour from our own cups to serve others in our many roles… mother, daughter, sister, spouse, colleague… and more, sometimes leaving our vessel in need of a refill! Women also experience mental health conditions disproportionately due to social, economic, trauma, hormonal influences, and many other factors. Yet, through it all, women are RESILIENT! Come to a dynamic and uplifting session to learn about common mental health experiences impacting women, tools to enhance your wellbeing, tips for how to talk with others about your mental health and where to go for mental health support.

Michelle DiBuduo
Caregiving 101
Time: 3:15pm
Session 3-03 (Room: TBD)

Many of us plan for the college, the purchase of a home, retirement, or a newborn but rarely for the role of a caregiver. Caregiving often sneaks up on you. You start dropping by your parent’s house and find yourself doing the grocery shopping and refilling prescriptions. Sometimes, caregiving is triggered by a major health event, such as a stoke, heart attack, or accident. However, you become a caregiver, you are rarely trained to do the broad range of tasks you are asked to do as a caregiver. This breakout session will help prepare for you for that role as a caregiver, identify challenges that you may encounter, rewards that will help with the continuation of care, community resources to assist with the care of your loved-ones and the importance of self-care.

Charah Coleman, MBA
Compassionate Finance: Drop the shame and build your wealth!
Time: 3:15pm
Session 3-02 (Room: TBD)

In 2022 the average American is estimated to be exposed to between 6,000 to 10,000 advertisements every single day. We live in a world where we are constantly being told to spend money on things that we don’t need.

Yet we often judge ourselves harshly for not having enough money, shaming ourselves, resulting in a worse financial reality than before.

In this session, we will discuss how to bring a sense of compassion to our consumer habits by developing awareness of the “why” of spending. Charah will also share practical tips on how you can reframe your relationship with your money and in doing so, build a better relationship with yourself.

Flindt Andersen
Women & Opioids: The Epidemic
Time: 3:15pm
Session 3-01 (Room: TBD)

Women & Opioids | The Epidemic: Women are experiencing increases of use and overdose from opioids at a faster rate than men. The opioid crisis affects women across all age groups, all racial groups, all ethnicities, all geographic quarters of America and all socioeconomic status levels. Why is this happening? What is really going on here?

Jean Steel
Resilience Skills For Life
Time: 1:30pm
Session 2-07 (Room: TBD)

Crazy times, there is a definite need for us to be flexible, pivot and use our resilience skills. You are already resilient to make it this far, let’s spend some time reflecting on that and learning new ways to increase your resilience. Women tend to put themselves at the bottom of their to-do list, it’s time to move yourself to the top. Gratitude, mindfulness, self-compassion, and recognizing negative thinking patterns will be discussed so YOU can be the best you can be. Leave with an action plan to develop one trait to increase your stress hardiness and resilience.

Marina Roytman
Let’s Taco’bout it: Fatty Liver Disease in Women
Time: 1:30pm
Session 2-06 (Room: TBD)

Fatty liver disease is the results of accumulation of fat in the liver. Patients with diabetes, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity at at increased risk for fatty liver disease. Additionally, certain genetic risk factors, such as Hispanic or Asian ethnicity, may further predispose patients to developing this condition.

Fatty liver disease, despite its benign sounding name, can be as dangerous for the health of the liver as drinking alcohol excessively or having viral hepatitis. It may lead to liver scarring (fibrosis and cirrhosis) and liver cancer. Given the increasing rates of diabetes and obesity in the United States, fatty liver disease and its complications are reaching epidemic proportions. During this seminar we will learn more about fatty liver disease in women and how to prevent and manage it.

Dr. Hailey Nelson
Adding Sparkle to Self Care: Boosting Personal Wellness
Time: 1:30pm
Session 2-05 (Room: TDB)

Self-care. Work-life balance. Wellness journey. We hear these words all the time, and for many of us, it all might feel like one more thing to add to our already bursting to-do lists. Join Dr. Hailey Nelson – Valley Children’s pediatric specialist (and Dr. California America!) – for a discussion about why you don’t need to do more for self-care. Start by giving yourself credit for the amazing things you’re already doing. Then, identify which areas of wellness need more attention. Learn how to integrate the eight wellness domains – and a little sparkle! – to create a beautiful and personalized approach to feeling whole again.

Rhonda Murphy
Survive and Thrive with Fitness!
Time: 1:30pm
Session 2-04 (Room: K)

Survive and thrive with Fitness. Fitness expert Rhonda Murphy will discuss healing ways to help nurture your brain and body with fitness. She will demonstrate and discuss the aspects of nutrients fueling the body as well as the importance of exercise and movement that helps the brain. The importance of physical and mental is showcased in this presentation to aid individuals in feeling better and thriving in their life. Rhonda will help you manage through pain of loss or illness. The take away for this presentation is to survive, thrive, and prosper in both mental and physical aspects.

Matthew Knedel, MD
If you’re suffering from joint pain, you’re not alone
Time: 1:30pm
Session 2-03 (Room: TBD)

If you’re suffering from joint pain that is affecting your quality of life and making it difficult to do the activities you used to enjoy, you’re not alone. In fact, approximately 80% of adults 55 years and older experience some type of joint discomfort, most commonly caused by osteoarthritis.

The good news is, there are non-surgical and surgical treatment options available to help ease your pain. At Saint Agnes Care Orthopaedic Institute, Dr. Knedel uses the latest procedures and advances in medicine to design the medical or surgical plan that’s right for you. This includes Mako SmartRobotics™ assisted surgery for patients needing a total or partial knee replacement. This innovative surgery allows surgeons to personalize your surgical plan before you enter the operating room and, if necessary, make further adjustments during surgery with a high level of accuracy and predictability.

Dr. Knedel and his colleagues have helped thousands of Valley residents. Find out how he can help you and get started on your journey to a more pain-free life.

Jody Hudson
Love, Loss & Creating Purpose Through Pain
Time: 1:30pm
Session 2-02 (Room: TBD)

Jody Hudson is the author of “My Promise to Alex” which she wrote after the death of her 22 year old daughter to Lyme disease. Jody shares her own personal loss and heartache story to encourage others to move beyond grief and find purpose through pain. When we open our heart to pain we open our heart to joy.

The pain of loss is important because it challenges us in ways that we have never felt before. It teaches us great lessons on love and allows us to discover sources of strength and resilience within us that help us prosper and grow.

This session will provide you with steps to move forward in your own grief journey, or personal challenge. We all have issues that we are working through, but together we can support one another through mentorship, faith, and lots of hugs.

Susan Hatch
Navigating the Healthcare System
Time: 1:30pm
Session 2-01 (Room: TBD)

This top National Insurance insider of 17 years reveals the changes and hidden truths of the healthcare system due to Covid. Many decisions can be made before you get ill. What you can do well before you have a Covid-type experience at any hospital. Susan relates some of her unique senior client Covid experiences around the United State. Some are heartwarming, and others are head-scratchers. Can throwing away your sunscreen save your life from deadly viruses? Enjoy the natural way of boosting your immune system to avoid nasty colds, cases of the flu, and viruses. How prescription shortages at the pharmacy can be avoided and learn how to load up on your generic RX drugs for very cheap – NOW! What is “Trusting the Science”? Is Medicare-for-all a good or bad idea? Find out what the best Medicare plans are for true Freedom. Learn what you can do to become empowered with these jaw-dropping current updates.

Panel
Youth Mental Health: Forward Together, Nurturing the Greatest Gift
Time: 10:15am
Session 1-07 (Room: TBD)

Youth mental health is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Now more than ever, the mental health of our youth takes the spotlight as one of the most important aspects of youth well-being and their capacity to cope with the ever-changing demands of life, school and relationships. In this session we will talk about what mental health is and how to recognize when kids and teens need support. The continuum of mental health services is complex and can be challenging to navigate. We will talk about where to begin and how to access support within the community and within the school setting. We will explore the stigma that exists around mental health and ways to combat stigma to break down barriers to help our youth access the supports and services they need. The family can be one of the most powerful sources of support for youth and we’ll talk about how families can provide the foundation of support for their youth’s well-being.

Beth Wonson
Grace is in the Space: Mantras to Help You Communicate with Clarity
Time: 10:15am
Session 1-06 (Room: TBD)

“Grace is in the Space” And Other Mantras to Help You Communicate with Clarity
Beth created the Navigating Challenging Dialogue® Process because she herself was challenged by stepping into unhealthy conflicts or drama and chaos resulting from unclear communication. Since 2008, the tools of NCD have been helping individuals and organizations reduce unnecessary drama, chaos and miscommunication.

In this engaging presentation, Beth will share the key mantras of NCD and how you too can use these to simple phrases to disrupt the patterns of communication that turn simple conversations into unhealthy conflicts. K

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Understand why we have an innate tendency toward creating drama and chaos.

Learn how to use the NCD mantras to disrupt your tendencies and build new neural pathways.

Leave with steps to begin using the mantras immediately to communicate more effectively at work, home or in the community.

Alma Wolverton
“Thank you for shopping”
Time: 10:15am
Session 1-05 (Room: TBD)

After a decade in business, Alma is sharing her story on her journey in entrepreneurship, the challenges that motherhood has played in her life, and her desire to help women look, and feel their best. “Just like the abs we all have hidden in each and every one of our bodies… fashion can be for everyone too.” Alma was diagnosed with social phobia at a very young age. The education system at the time had proposed speech therapy since Spanish was her first native language and, a cause for social anxiety. “I was good at hiding in a restroom during my lunch breaks and during recess…basically any time the school gave me as a child to avoid contact with others.”

During her pre-teen years, Alma’s parents enrolled her in a modeling and acting school. “Modeling wasn’t a pursuit of vanity, but rather it was a desperate attempt that my parents took to help me interact with others.” She was lucky because modeling then paved the way to the career she has now in fashion. Alma was a student at this modeling and acting school and was subsequently offered a job as an instructor when she turned sixteen years of age. It is safe to say that Alma has been celebrating women for a very long time.

After college graduation, marriage, and kids Alma took on her dream of starting a business. “My father was an entrepreneur. He was, and continues to be fearless, but my mother had the discipline and the smarts to run the business; they could not do it without one another. I was lucky because I inherited the two very best parts of them.” Parents are not perfect; I have heard the famous motivational speaker Tony Robbins say if you are going to blame your parents for the bad
make sure you blame them for the good too. I could not do this life without the gifts that my parents passed down to me.

At 27 years of age, Alma opened her first business… “I had this idea…I suppose…one that many have when starting out a business and thought it would be a part time job initially, but I could work my own hours and call it a day,” (Laughs) Little did she realize, running a business is far, far from that. It has been ten years and Mrs. Wolverton claims she is never ‘not working’; however, she is doing something she absolutely loves. “My job does not feel like a job on most days. I love that I get to meet new people every day… I love hearing the updates on their life… I love that I get the privilege in knowing who they are even if it is in a small way. I have community in the most unexpected of ways, and I am so proud to share my gifts with everyone.”

The last two years have been everything, but normal. So, tune in on how the pandemic has impacted the fashion industry. Get to know your body and style with a discussion and presentation on body types, dressing for all life events and the joy you can obtain in styling every moment. Discover your unique style with an audience Q&A on fashion tips and raffle prizes you do not want to miss.

XOXO -Alma

Carolyn Gross
Rise Above the Chaos: Redefine Your Life
Time: 10:15am
Session 1-04 (Room: TDB)

How do we use these defining moments in our lives to:

• Learn the three chaos ninja strategies to get wins in challenging times.
• Learn the categories of chaos and their impact on performance.
• Realign your vision when stress has you feeling marginalized.
• Build your self-efficacy to create a mindset for success.

Katie Flinn
Bringing Yoga to Life
Time: 10:15am
Session 1-03 (Room: TBD)

Yoga is more than just a “workout” it is a journey that can take you to places you never imagined you could go, not just in your body but also in your life. As working women, now more than ever, we need skills to manage the stress of partnering, working, parenting and most importantly mastering the art of self-care to move through the daily challenges. If we fail to stretch and grow constantly in these areas, we risk not showing up so we can be truly present to enjoy all the beautiful moments life has to offer. In this seminar we will explore a more modern-day definition of what is Yoga, how does it serve our needs in this generation and how do we bring Yoga into the everyday happens of our personal, work and family life.

In this session with COIL Yoga Owner Katie Flinn, you will explore some simple practices, breath work, easy meditations and engage in a conversation that will help you expand your understanding of how Yoga is more than just something we do, but also how it can be a path to accessing a more authentic version of ourselves. This is truly for everyone, no experience is necessary, come grow and stretch your heart, mind and body!

Dr. Bonnie Her
Resilience and Women’s Health
Time: 10:15am
Session 1-02 (Room: TBD)

Resilience and burnout in moms in a post-pandemic society is something we’re all trying to figure out. Dr. Bonnie Her is a first-generation Hmong female physician – the first in her family to graduate from college and attend medical school. She did this after being married at 14 and eventually a single mom of two boys. The hardest part of the journey was leaving her two young sons in California to move to Philadelphia, PA to attend medical school. This journey taught her the importance of sacrifice and resilience – something she carries with her today and was instrumental in helping her navigate the pandemic where, like so many, went from a working mom to a stay-at-home mom, doctor, teacher and so much more. Upon completion of medical school, she finished her training in Merced and settled back in Fresno where she remarried and had two more kids. She has built a successful career as a family physician and has consistently prioritized self-care and preventative medicine for herself and all those she treats.

Diet and exercise helped Dr. Her’s mental and physical health, and routine follow-up with labs and preventative screening. As a physician she is passionate about educating her patients and her community about preventative measures such as pap smears, mammograms, colonoscopy, bone scans and immunizations. Dr Her believes staying on top of these preventative measures can be a key to helping her stay on top of her health considering a busy work & home schedule.

Allison Cassabon & Kellie Lopez
Everything Easy Entertaining and Grazing
Time: 10:15am
Session 1-01 (Room: TBD)

Join the owners of Fig and Honey, a local but nationally recognized grazing company who will help guide you to take your entertaining to the next level with easy tips! We will break down how to create a superb grazing board every time and the details that will wow your guests!

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