Communication, customer service skills development focus of W.O.W. Conference

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Registered participants for the 2014 Women of Worth Conference can look forward to a day packed full of fun and meaningful skill development.
    The event will be held at beautiful Foxcroft Academy on Wednesday, April 23 from 8 a.m. — 4:30 p.m.
    Workshop options range from learning about opportunities to utilize social media to get your business message out, and for personal and professional networking, which is being offered by Shannon Kinney, founder and client success officer for Dream Local Digital and learning tips and techniques to take your customer service skills to the next level, by Julie Johnston, Senior Supervisor for LL Bean.

Shannon Kinney, Founder and Client Success Officer for Dream Local Digital, keynote speaker and “Presenting Using Social Media for Work & Advancement”

    Other topics covered, include learning how to see past the difficult behavior of a person to the core of what they really desire, how to establish your credibility in the workplace and communicate your self-worth for  the professional or for the individual just getting started in their career, successful entrepreneurship, learning about mentoring youth and peers as a volunteer or as part of your employment.
    Registered participants can choose three workshops to attend for just $49, and this includes their food and beverages for the day.  To register and find out more about our presenters and workshop content you can visit the website at www.wowmaine.org or call 974-2440. The deadline to register is March 31, however seating is limited, so it is best to register and make payment as soon as possible.
    This year the conference organizers have added the Marketplace & Resource Center to the day, which will offer a variety of vendors offering their products for sale that are specifically of interest to women and service providers will be there too to explain their services to participants. During the built in times on the day’s schedule, participants can shop at local artisans and crafters booths and purchase product from consultants from Mary Kay, Thirty One Gifts, Scentsy, Tupperware, Avon, Pampered Chef and much more.  To find out more about vendor opportunities at this event, you can call James Macomber at 974-2476.

Denise Buzzelli, Executive Director of Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce. Presenter: “Dealing with Difficult People”

    The 2014 Women of Worth Conference is being made possible by funding from the Resource Exchange, Penquis and supported by Maine’s Best Web & Media Design and the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce.  Scholarship support for five low-income adult or young adult attendees has been provided by Three Rivers Kiwanis of Milo and Brownville.  Catering for the event is being provided by the Foxcroft Academy food service department and they have planned a fabulous breakfast bar, delicious luncheon and delectable desserts for the afternoon.
    The conference, which started in 2009 and continued through 2011, was originally a community collaboration  hosted by the Penquis Higher Education Center and Eastern Maine Community College, however due to staffing changes the conference was not held during the last two years.

Julie Johnston, Senior Supervisor for LL Bean. Presenter: “Upgrading Your Customer Service Skills”

    It is traditionally held on Administrative Professionals’ Day, but it is truly a way to honor all women who contribute to their communities in so many different ways. The Resource Exchange, a community coalition of social service agencies, non-profits, businesses and individuals voted to bring the much-valued and well attended conference back to the Piscataquis region. Vice President/Treasurer, and WOW conference attendee in 2009-2011, Sheree Brown of Penquis “believes there is no other conference being offered in this region for women with such highly skilled presenters, relevant workshop content and bringing the annual conference back just made sense to our group and I highly recommend it to any woman.  It fits in perfectly with the Resource Exchanges’ mission to share information and resources and to offer trainings and conferences to both our membership and the community.  I’m thrilled to be part of it and I personally cannot wait to meet this year’s participants and experience the day with them on April 23rd!”
    The group has been meeting locally since 1995. Currently the group has 19 members, who pay a $35/year membership fee,  but they are always open to adding more members at any time.

Jane Searles, Regional Manager for Women, Work & Community. Presenter: “Establishing Credibility and Communicating Self-Worth”

    Members of the Resource Exchange include Care & Comfort, Charlotte White Center, Community Health and Counseling Services, Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church, Eastern Area Agency on Aging, Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Families & Children Together, Mountain View Youth Development Center, Piscataquis Public Health Council, Piscataquis Regional YMCA, Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative, Penquis, Pine Tree Hospice, MaineStream Finance, Rape Response Services, Sebasticook Family Doctors, United Way of Eastern Maine, and Spruce Run/Womancare Alliance.
    They meet on the first Monday of each month, with the exception of July, at the Penquis office in Dover-Foxcroft from 9 a.m.—11 a.m. “I feel it doesn’t cost to belong, it pays to belong to the Resource Exchange. Membership allows me to share information about services Womancare offers with other providers and interested community members. The meetings offer a great opportunity to network with members from other agencies who have common goals.~ In the process, I’ve learned we have a lot of resources available right here in the Piscataquis region,” said member and current President Art Jette of Spruce Run/Womancare Alliance. If you would like more information about the group, you may visit our website at www.resourceexchange-me.org or call Art Jette at 564-8165.
    When all is said and done, the organizers are hoping that this event will provide localized and meaningful skill development annually without the high cost and travel expenses associated with other one-day conferences of this caliber.
    They also want to highlight all the unique and wonderful things going on in the Piscataquis region, like the Women of Worth Conference.
    Already registrations from as far away as Caribou, Bangor, Rockland and beyond have been received, but to make the day complete, they are asking that interested people register as soon as possible.  FMI contact Sheree at 974-2440 or sabrown@penquis.org.