Date posted: 12/17/2008*

More than 5,000 women from across New England attended the fourth annual Massachusetts Conference for Women, held Dec. 11, 2008, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

This year’s theme was “The Next Chapter of You,” providing inspiration, information, connection and motivation to write the next life chapter and achieve life goals. The event served as a forum for women to network, discover professional opportunities, and exchange personal experiences on life and career.

For the fourth consecutive year, Raytheon supported the event as a corporate sponsor. Rebecca Rhoads, Chief Information Officer, and Pam Wickham, vice president of Communications and Corporate Affairs, hosted a company breakfast to kick off the event. More than 350 Raytheon women attended the kick-off event. A donation was also made to MATHCOUNTS in honor of the conference.

The keynote speaker at the breakfast was Suzanne Bates, president and CEO of Bates Communications — a firm that helps clients reach business goals through powerful communication. Bates held multiple leadership positions throughout her career and is the author of Speak Like a CEO, a 2005 Amazon.com bestseller.

Bates was joined by more than 60 other powerful female speakers throughout the conference, including Raytheon’s own Kristy Kucharczak, senior human resources manager for Engineering, Technology & Field Operations at Raytheon Technical Services. Kucharczak hosted the discussion panel “Negotiating for Your Life,” a session that taught women how to influence others to create mutually satisfying solutions at home and in the workplace.

Series of Inspirational, Dynamic Speakers
The morning’s session featured remarks from actress and writer Holly Robinson Peete and internationally acclaimed author and lecturer Marianne Williamson. Peete and Williamson reminded women of the importance of work-life balance, following your dreams and giving back to the community. Peete left the audience with her daily mantra: “Service is the rent you pay for living.”

Following the opening keynote, attendees were given the option of 26 different breakout sessions throughout the day. Sessions covered topics ranging from “The Power of Leading with Purpose” to “Working in Good Conscience” and “No Guts, No Glory.”

To kick off the luncheon, the 2008 Be the Change award was presented in honor of a woman who made a significant difference in her community. The award’s name came from Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This year, the award was presented to Dr. Jessie M. Gaeta, M.D., for dedicating her life to caring for the Massachusetts homeless.

Learn more about Dr. Gaeta and her accomplishments.

The luncheon continued with a panel of keynote speakers — four successful and inspirational women sharing challenging life experiences and lessons with the audience. The women were part of the WOWOWOW, The Women on the Web online community and content site, where they share career, life and health tips to women worldwide.

Visit the WOWOWOW website.

Lessons Learned
Work-life balance, understanding self-value, and the power of philanthropy were common themes that resonated throughout the day. Each speaker inspired the audience to own its successes and mentor others to do the same, addressing issues of business, family and positive world change.

Learn more about the Massachusetts Conference for Women.