Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller to speak at Generation W – Living Powerfully Conference

Author: Shannon Miller Lifestyle

Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Nancy Seely
904/571-2690 or
[email protected]

Generation W – Living Powerfully Conference
Bringing Women together to Inspire Change

Jacksonville, Fla. – Generation W – Living Powerfully Conference is nearing and brings an impressive line-up of speakers for the day-long event co-hosted by the University of North Florida. Leaders in business, sports, health, finance, politics, nonprofits, entertainment and more will inspire, educate and motivate attendees. The conference is April 20 at the University of North Florida Fine Arts Center.

The speakers will discuss all aspects of life – from education, business, and finance to health, and personal growth fulfillment. Lesley Visser, Ed Rollins, Nancy Weber, Gerry Laybourne, Mirayam Banikarim, Lisa Borders, Robin Bronk, Elizabeth Gore, Shannon Miller, Christina Norman, Dr. Pamela Rama, Larraine Segil, Audrey Moran, Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll, Mayor Alvin Brown, Hugh Greene and UNF President and former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney will be part of the discussion.

“Generation W was created by a group of women to inspire change,” said Donna Orender, president of Orender Unlimited and former president of the WNBA. “This conference will be an opportunity for attendees to meet new people, share ideas and raise the level of conversation around the importance and value of women. This is an opportunity to improve our lives and effect changes,” she added.

Generation W – Living Powerfully Conference details

• The conference begins at 8 a.m.
• The cost for the full-day conference is $175.
• Breakfast, lunch and a reception following the conference is included.
• Parking is free.
• To register and learn more about the inaugural event, visit www.genwnow.com.

Wells Fargo is the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors include: PGA TOUR, Winn Dixie and WJCT. Representatives from these organizations will take part in the conversation during the conference.

Details about the Gen W Speakers:

Lesley Visser is the only woman elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is one of the nation’s most outstanding women sportscasters of our time. She is the first woman to be assigned to report from the Monday Night Football sidelines and a Super Bowl game.

Ed Rollins is a Fox News political contributor, Republican campaign consultant and advisor who worked on several high-profile political campaigns in the United States, including the Reagan-Bush campaign and Mike Huckabee’s campaign for president. He most recently worked on Michele Bachmann’s 2012 presidential campaign.

Nancy Weber is the chief marketing officer at the Meredith Corporation, which publishes Better Homes and Gardens and Ladies’ Home Journal. She is also vice president of New York Women in Communications Inc.’s (NYWICI) Strategic Planning Committee.

Gerry Laybourne has been ranked in the top spot among the “50 Most Influential Women in the Entertainment Industry” by The Hollywood Reporter and also named one of the “25 Most Influential People in America” by Time Magazine. Laybourne created Nickelodeon, the first television network with programming and advertising geared towards kids.

Jennifer Carroll is Florida’s 18th Lieutenant Governor. She is the first female elected at Lieutenant Governor in Florida and the first African-American elected Statewide. She was a state legislator for over seven years, small business owner, former Executive Director of Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs and a Navy veteran. Carroll is an example of the American Dream come true. In addition to her duties assisting the Governor with economic development, Carroll oversees the Florida Department of Military Affairs, Florida Department of Veteran Affairs, Governor Designee on the Florida Defense Support Task force and also serves as Chairperson of Space Florida.

Mirayam Banikarim is the senior vice president-chief marketing officer at media giant Gannet. Within the past decade Banikarim has held top positions across media, including chief marketing officer at Univision and senior vice president-integrated sales and marketing at NBC Universal.

Lisa Borders is President of the Grady Health Foundation. The Grady Health Foundation is the fundraising arm of Grady Health System, Georgia’s largest public hospital and metro-Atlanta’s only Level I Trauma Center. As President, Lisa is leading the Greater Grady capital campaign – a five-year, $325 million effort – and guiding the system’s fundraising efforts during the most important period of Grady’s history. Formerly, Lisa Borders served as president of the city council and vice mayor of Atlanta.

Robin Bronk is chief executive officer of The Creative Coalition—the leading national, nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment industry. As CEO, Bronk is dedicated to educating, mobilizing and activating the entertainment industry and arts community on issues of public importance, particularly the First Amendment, arts advocacy, arts in education and media literacy.

John A. Delaney became UNF’s fifth president in 2003. In that capacity, he oversees a campus of more than 16,000 students, 600 faculty and more than 1,000 staff. The 1,381 acre campus in Northeast Florida is considered a driver in the region, with an annual economic impact of nearly $1 billion. Delaney’s presidency continues a distinguished career as a public servant. He served two terms as Jacksonville’s mayor. Prior to that, he served as the chief assistant state attorney, the number two prosecutor for Northeast Florida and as the general counsel for the City of Jacksonville. He has served on numerous nonprofit and corporate boards. He and his wife Gena have four children.

Elizabeth Gore is the vice president of Global Partnerships for the United Nations Foundation and currently manages partnership and cause marketing strategies implemented in programs and campaigns of the United Nations. Mrs. Gore directs large-scale partnerships with global corporations and organizations to bolster support for UN programs. She leads strategic grassroots efforts such as the innovative Nothing But Nets and Girl Up campaigns, the Shot Life global vaccines campaign, and a faith-based campaign for malaria programs and the Global Fund. Additionally, she manages partnerships with members of the UN Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council and with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Hugh Greene is president and chief executive officer of Baptist Health, a comprehensive community-based health system that is comprised of five hospitals. Greene holds a master’s degree in Health Administration from the Medical College of Virginia and a master’s degree of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Wake Forest University where he was Phi Beta Kappa. Greene served as 2011 Chair of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce after serving on its Board of Directors for a number of years. He was Chair of the Cornerstone Economic Development Division in 2007.

Shannon Miller remains The Most Decorated American Gymnast, male or female, in history with 7 Olympic Medals and 9 World Championship Medals. She is the only American to rank among the Top 10 All-Time gymnasts and is the only female athlete to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame – twice (Individual [2006] and Team [2008]). Shannon is the President of Shannon Miller Lifestyle: Health & Wellness for Women and the Shannon Miller Foundation to fight childhood obesity. She is a television and radio host (MSNBC, NBC, Comcast, Health & Wellness Channel), author, wife, mother and cancer survivor.

Audrey Moran is senior vice president of social responsibility and community advocacy at Baptist Health. She is a recent Jacksonville mayoral candidate. Moran was formerly the president and CEO of the Sulzbacher Center which provides services for the homeless. She is an attorney, and her career in public service spans four mayoral administrations.

Christina Norman has more than two decades of experience in broadcast television. She recently held the president position of OWN network and is the former president of MTV and VH1. Currently, Norman is the executive editor for AOL’s Huffington Post BlackVoices. She was named National Public Service winner by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2002 for MTV’s “Fight for Your Rights: Protect Yourself” campaign. CableFAX named her among the 2009 “Most Powerful Women In Cable” and in 2010 “CableFax 100 Power List.”

Dr. Pamela Rama is a non-invasive, preventive cardiologist with Jacksonville Heart Center who serves as chief-of-staff for Baptist Medical Center Beaches, as well as medical director of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. Dr. Rama completed a fellowship in cardiology and was a clinical instructor at Brown University in Providence, R.I. She also completed a residency in internal medicine at Yale University. She is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, has served as chair of the Sister to Sister health fair, and has been involved with Go Red for Women and Speaking of Women’s Health.

Larraine Segil is a seasoned senior executive with general management experience, and a world-renowned level of expertise in the creation, implementation and management of complex business alliances in multiple industries including healthcare, technology, consumer products, manufacturing, aerospace, financial services and more. Segil is currently enjoying a new role as CEO of Rockin’ Grandma Music.com. The Rockin’ Grandma series includes books, music and recipes.

Hollis Wilder is best known for her two wins on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and her unique approach to food is what brought her there. Through travel and taste, she taught herself various cuisines and ultimately began cooking for the biggest television shows and celebrities throughout Hollywood. She now has two Sweet By Holly cupcake shops, one right here in Jacksonville, Florida.