Women in Auto Care Announces 2022 Leadership Conference Speaker Lineup
By Camille Sheehan
BETHESDA, Md. – March 15, 2022 – Women in Auto Care, a community of the Auto Care Association, today announced the full lineup of speakers for the upcoming annual Women in Auto Care Leadership Conference. The conference will take place March 23-25 in Indianapolis, Ind., at the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown. This year’s conference speakers and sessions will cover a range of topics including leadership, influence in the workplace, mentorship, overcoming career challenges and more.
Thursday will shine a spotlight on leadership with three “lightning talks” from 2020 and 2021 Woman of the Year award winners: Danielle Sonnefeld, vice president, business development, NA Williams; Anne Coffin, director, information technology, Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.; and Tara Topel, owner, Topel’s Service Center, Inc. Cheryl Thompson, founder and CEO, Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion and Advancement (CADIA), will present a general session on “Breaking the Bias,” followed by a facilitated roundtable discussion alongside Tammy Tecklenberg, principal, Tecklenburg Advisors.
Friday morning will kick off with an exercise in innovation with Tamara Ghandour, founder, LaunchStreet. Ghandour will help attendees discover their natural innovative strengths and teach them how to utilize their uniqueness as their competitive advantage. The day will also feature personal and professional development sessions on conquering imposter syndrome by Jessica Hinman, AVP of Corporate Social Responsibility, FCP Euro and successful public speaking by Kathleen Long, Chief Revenue Officer, RepairPal.
Silent Auction
In conjunction with the conference taking place in Indianapolis, Women in Auto Care will host an online silent auction in support of its annual scholarship program. With more than 75 items available—ranging from shop tools to jewelry, art, designer bags and more—the silent auction is open to everyone, regardless of conference attendance. All proceeds from the auction will directly benefit Women in Auto Care scholarships, which provide financial assistance for women taking post-secondary automotive coursework across the United States.
Health and Safety
In order to promote as safe and healthy an environment as possible, all conference attendees will be required to provide either proof of vaccination against the COVID-19 virus or a negative COVID-19 PCR test result that is no more than three days old. Additionally, attendees will be required to wear masks while in the conference space, regardless of vaccination status, unless actively eating or drinking.
Women in Auto Care conferences have been accredited by Northwood University since 2012 and all conference attendees are eligible to receive continuing education units (CEU) credits toward their Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) or Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) professional designations.
More information, including the full conference agenda, can be found on the Women in Auto Care webpage. To register for the 2022 Women in Auto Care Leadership Conference, visit autocare.org/wiacconference.