On Friday morning, March 22, the Office of the Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer in partnership with the National Diversity Council (NDC) celebrated Women’s History Month with a panel of personally empowered and powerful women who led a discussion on leadership skills. 
The NDC Women in Leadership Symposium, “Women as Architects for Change,” was an amazing session that fulfilled the National Diversity Council’s mission to bring women together from public, private and non-profit sectors to network, co-train with colleagues, and mentor one another in their
leadership growth. More than 200 participants met and renewed relationships with women from across the campus and region who are striving, growing and succeeding as leaders. The six panelists included UW-Madison Vice Provost for Student Life and Dean of Students Lori Berquam along with five other women in leadership from the region:
- Anne H. Carter, Director of Corporate Diversity and Inclusion for Alliant Energy; Attorney Daphne Webb, a Partner at Stafford Rosenbaum, LLP; Rukmini Banerjee Vice President of Customer Operations CUNA Mutual; Michele Stanton, Senior Vice President of IT Management and Control at QBE North America; and Cassandra Alston, Executive Director, Global Workforce Diversity & Inclusion Johnson Controls;
In a candid and lively series of discussions on the realities of pursuing success and juggling their lives as women, the panelists discussed their personal experiences, learning curves and advice on the pursuit of work-life balance, becoming a person of influence, cross-cultural leadership and women bridging the racial divide, personal branding, accessorizing your assets, the Top 5 Career Unwritten Rules and the art of mentoring, or paying it forward.