On Saturday, over 850 women from around the Commonwealth joined Senator Warner for the 5^th Annual Virginia Women’s Conference at Old Dominion University. From the outstanding keynote remarks by Pulitzer Prize winning Columnist, Connie Schultz, to the record attendance and enthusiastic participation, it’s safe to say that this year’s conference was a huge success.

Senator Warner had the pleasure of kicking off the day by discussing what he’s doing in Washington to create a more inclusive economy and more opportunities for women. Senator Warner noted that he didn’t have to tell this distinguished and talented group how incredibly important women are to our economic development.

“Studies show that companies with women on their boards perform better than companies that don’t. And workplaces with women in charge are more democratic in their decision-making processes and have better relationships between managers and employees,” Senator Warner said.

“We’ve come a long way, but you all know as well as I do, there’s still work to be done. That’s why I’m working in Washington on policies that promote women’s leadership and advancement,” Senator Warner said.

Connie Schultz was the undeniable hit of the conference. Inspiring the audience through her own experiences of the struggles of being a trailblazing female journalist, she reminded the women they should never wait to be invited to participate and to “speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.”

Connie is both a straight talker and empathetic listener. She has a unique ability to relate to a room full of 850 women from all walks of life and motivated all to “act brave, and the courage will come.”

After remarks from Connie, the women participated in three breakout sessions and networking events with discussions ranging from reinventing yourself, to long-term planning, to creating change ‘without getting short-changed’. There was enthusiastic engagement at each of the sessions and the women took away valuable advice for a diverse group of expert panelists.

Women left the conference feeling empowered to lead, take risks, and reinvent themselves.