WWHEL 2009 State Conference October 22-23, 2009
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Women as Transformational Leaders:
Gender and Clear-Headed Leadership in Higher Education

Keynote speaker:
Venita Kelley, Ph.D. Founder of Kelley Communications and Consulting

The 2009 WWHEL state conference topic is “Women as Transformational Leaders: Gender and Clear-headed Leadership in Higher Education.” In her keynote speech and subsequent workshop, Venita Kelley will show that women are significant contributors at all levels and that when they engage in transformational leadership they strengthen processes, strategic planning, and institutions. In an interactive session on the first day of the conference, Dr. Kelley will provide the constructs of a transformational leadership model that women can begin using immediately to meet their own leadership goals.

The Friday morning session will focus on women’s need to bring their leadership vision and best practices to the forefront in their work and personal environments, including how to present oneself as a leader in formal and informal ways while incorporating a communication skill component.

See www.wwhel.org for registration and details.

About the Presenter

Venita Kelley, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of Kelley Communications and Consulting, a cultural competence, leadership development, and media consulting firm. Her expertise is in media, intercultural communication and leadership development. In one of her current projects she serves as the Urban Scholar with Central State University in Ohio on the Governor’s Initiative to Increase the Graduation Rate. The goal of the Initiative is to reclaim the educational progress of students placed at risk through an innovative intersection of service coordination, programming and cultural competence training.

Dr. Kelley’s experience includes fellowships at Harvard University, Cornell University, and positions as an Associate Dean of leadership development; as a professor of Communication and Ethnic Studies with affiliated status in Film and Women’s Studies; and intercultural communication consultation and training with local and federal government, K-12 and university systems, medical schools, and foundations. Her scholarly foci include intercultural and inter/intragender competency, images of culture and gender in media, African American rhetoric and culture, and African American women’s communication strategies and leadership development. She is a popular speaker, noted as a master teacher, and has an award-winning local and national service background.

Dr. Kelley holds a B.A. in Social Science with a concentration in Mass Communication, Cinema, & Literature from the University of California in Berkeley. She received her M.A. in Mass Communication and Public Policy from Howard University, followed by a Ph.D. in Intercultural and Public Communication from the University of Kansas.