Renegade Rip

Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Features

Media Credit: Gregory D. Cook Actress Vicki Lawrence delivers the keynote speech during the Women's Business Conference held at the Rabobank Convention Center on April 23.

"Life is too serious to be taken seriously," was the recurring theme of keynote speaker Vicki Lawrence's speech at the 20th annual Woman's Business Conference on April 23, at the Rabobank Convention Center. The multi-talented actress and singer, best known for her roles on "The Carol Burnett Show" and "Mama's Family," spoke on a variety of subjects as she told the over 1,400 conference attendees about the ups and downs of her more than 40 years in show business.

The goal of the Women's Business Conference is to provide information, skills development and encouragement to women in the workplace, giving them the tools they need to grow and succeed in their careers.

In a press conference before her speech, Lawrence stated that although things have gotten better for women, she thought it was still very much a man's world.

"It's not so mind-boggling when a woman succeeds now," she said. "But it's still harder for women, and I think women are not always as good at supporting their own as they should be."

Lawrence said that events like the Women's Business Conference give women a chance to come together and support each other. "I think it's great that the gals get together and laugh about how screwed-up our lives are," she joked. "Men should do it. It would be so good for them."

Melody Heald, a conference attendee and accounts payable administrator, echoed those sentiments. "The conference is a good source of positive reinforcement," Heald said. "It gives us a chance to share resources and make connections."

This year's conference offered 40 different educational workshops on a variety of topics for women in the workplace. Conference goers were able to attend seminars on topics such as maximizing potential, networking, health and fitness and starting and managing businesses in today's troubled economy.

"I'm gathering some great information," Dahna Chambers, a BC outreach ambassador and full-time student, said. "There is a lot of good information and networking going on." Chambers said she plans to use much of what she learned at the conference to further her career goals.

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