The 18th annual Women’s Leadership Conference was held this past Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025, at the Cajundome Convention Center. The conference was hosted by the Office of Campus Inclusion at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and organized by the conference committee. The conference committee is composed of 31 male and female faculty and staff, and is spearheaded by the University’s Chief Inclusion Officer, Professor Kiwana McClung.
Doors opened at 7:30 a.m., with guests being greeted by members of the conference committee located at tables by the entrance. At these tables, guests were able to retrieve their name tags for the event, as well as complimentary goodie bags, which included a pink tumbler with the conference logo engraved on it, pink glasses and a pen from the UL Federal Credit Union.
Once guests gathered these materials, they were guided into the event space. At the door to the space, greeters gave out raffle tickets for future door prize raffles. Inside the space, multiple round tables were set up with pink centerpieces.
A self-serve continental breakfast, including muffins, fruit and orange juice was provided. At 8:15 a.m., Professor McClung took to the stage to offer a welcome to everyone from the conference staff and the Office of Campus Inclusion.
In her opening remarks, McClung discussed the meaning of the conference theme and the intended impact of the theme as well. “It reflects the powerful role we all play in shaping the future. As women, we carry with us wisdom, strength and vision to guide the generations that follow, whether through mentorship, leadership or simply sharing our stories. Today, we are laying the foundation for a brighter tomorrow,” McClung said.
McClung also discussed the educational tracks of the event’s sessions, spoke about the special sessions and panels held during breakout sessions and acknowledged the returning guests from previous conference years.
Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Patricia Cottonham also got on stage and offered a welcome to guests on behalf of the University. “The University, along with our university partners, are pleased to plan this day where women come together and learn from each other, to lean on each other and to leave feeling empowered and energized.”
After the welcome, guests were ushered into a “Pre-Session Uplift” by Tonya Bolden-Ball, a member of the conference committee and the regional director at Ochsner Health, one of the sponsors for the event. The uplift activity involved participants dancing the “Cupid Shuffle” to help them wake up, get energized and get ready for the amazing sessions that lie ahead.
Morning breakout sessions were from 9-9:45 a.m. to 10-10:45 a.m., with 15-minute breaks, before and after, for participants to be able to visit the exhibitors’ tables to learn more about their organizations and businesses. Sessions differed in topics, all corresponding to one of the four educational tracks derived from the conference theme.
All guests were given a pink card with all of the exhibitor logos on it to be utilized for a game of “Exhibitor Bingo.” Guests were to go to each exhibitor table, learn information from the individual businesses and/or organizations and get the person at the table to sign their card. This particular bingo game was “Blackout”, meaning guests had to make sure they got every exhibitor to fill out their card in order for them to win.
After the morning sessions, guests migrated back to the main event space for lunch and the keynote address. The keynote speaker for the conference was Mrs. Jan Latiolais Hargrave. Hargrave is one of the nation’s leading behavioral authority and body language experts, specializing in helping individuals with their body language and interpretations in personal and professional settings.
Hargrave is the CEO of Jan Hargrave and Associates, a consulting firm owned and operated by Hargrave to service a variety of clientele in the realm of body language expertise. She has authored many books, including, but not limited to, “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk” and “Freeway to Love” with comedian and television host, Steve Harvey.
During her speech at the conference, Hargrave enlightened the audience by telling the guests that in her research, she found that 55% of our communication comes from our bodies, compared to 38% with our voices.
Hargrave began engaging the conference guests by conducting a little activity that essentially was a true/ false questionnaire, but with questions about body language activity. The questions ranged from situations dealing with lying, avoiding conversation, relationships and feelings.
Once the audience was done answering the questions, Hargrave began speaking and identifying the different cues associated with each of the questions she asked, and therefore rendering the real answer of each question. The president of the University, Dr. E. Joseph Savoie, even aided Hargrave in a handshake demonstration for attendees.
The conference continued with awards being given to three individuals that have made a distinct impact in leadership, not only in the campus community at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, but within the Lafayette and Acadiana community as well. The three honorees included Dr. Bobby B. DeCuir, Monica Rougeau and Jalisa R. Jones, who received the Sarah Brabant Trailblazer award, Rising Leader award and Emerging Leader award, respectively.
Guests were able to attend two more breakout sessions after the luncheon and awards, from 1-1:45 p.m. and 2-2:45 p.m. Once everyone was done with sessions, guests returned to the main event space to gather the rest of their exhibitor bingo signatures and socialize before the end of the conference.
The conference concluded with closing remarks from Professor Kiwana McClung, as well as the last few door prizes being awarded to guests with winning tickets.
Overall, the 18th annual Women’s Leadership Conference was an experience full of empowerment and encouragement for all women in leadership to continue blazing ahead and inspiring future generations to come.