Women can find potential sources of inspiration Saturday, April 18, at the annual “Women Enriching Women” conference sponsored by the Bluffton University Women’s Council and Bluffton Hospital.
Sandy Monfort, an award-winning criminal justice and behavioral health professional from Lima, Ohio, will be the keynote speaker for the conference, titled “Finding Your Inspiration.” Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Centennial Hall—where the morning sessions will be held—and The Commons in Marbeck Center, the site for lunch and concurrent afternoon sessions.
Registration is available online, at http://tickets.bluffton.edu, through April 16. Cost is $45 per person, or $40 per person for two or more registrants who sign up together before April 1. For more information, contact Julia Szabo at 419-358-3245.
Registration will begin at 8:45 a.m. and the morning sessions, at 9 a.m. They are:
· “How Do You Find Your Inspiration? Just Listen!” In her conference-opening keynote address, Monfort will discuss how finding God’s plan for yourself helps the next steps in life have purpose.
Now working for Coleman Behavioral Health in Lima, Monfort has been at the forefront of criminal justice for Allen County since 1977. She created Allen County Adult Probation-IPS and directed the W.O.R.T.H. (Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation) Center in Lima for eight years. Her honors include the Athena Award from the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce, Allen County’s Shirley Daley Community Leadership Award and a Jefferson Award for public service. She holds a master’s degree in social agency counseling from the University of Dayton and has been an adjunct instructor in Bluffton’s criminal justice program for 18 years.
· “Books that Inspire,” one of two concurrent 10:30 a.m. sessions, with Dr. Joanne (Schultz) Frye. A 1966 Bluffton graduate, Frye earned a Ph.D. in English literature from Indiana University and taught English for 33 years at The College of Wooster, where she was instrumental in developing the women’s studies program. She has also written several books, including “Biting the Moon: A Memoir of Feminism and Motherhood.”
· “Inspirational Home and Office Interiors,” the other 10:30 a.m. session, with Melissa Terhark. She has been involved with staging homes since 2007 and owns Findlay-based Staged 2 Sell by Melissa.
After lunch—and a presentation by inspirational speaker Elena Rahrig—concurrent afternoon sessions will begin at 1:30 p.m. They are:
· “What’s for Dinner?” with Jeanna Haggard, a 1993 Bluffton alumna and now an assistant professor of food and nutrition at the university. Haggard and a few of her students will introduce new spices and techniques for quick, nutritious meals. She holds a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University and has more than 15 years of experience as a consultant in clinical nutrition and employee wellness.
· “Tapping into Your Inspiration,” with licensed massage therapist Ruth Everett. The owner of Ruth Everett’s Healing Touches LLC in Bluffton, she will demonstrate the meridian tapping technique that relaxes the body.
