SOUTHFIELD – Pat Amaranth, a vice president of Systems Operations for BlueCross/Blue Shield of Michigan, will moderate one of the sessions at the March 23 symposium at Lawrence Technological University focused on providing female executives and entrepreneurs with career-building skills. Amaranth said she is doing this session because she views the audience as crucial to her company?s success.

Amaranth said the day-long event will attract a combination of University students from a number of Southeast Michigan institutions, networking with women at all stages of their careers, learning pragmatic things, and growing together. “Both populations,” she said, “are key to the progress of my company, and the strength of the local economy.?

In addition to Amaranth, other noted women leaders speaking at the event co sponsored by the MCWT Fund, CA and LTU include:

Stephanie Kumiko Wernet, VP Information Technology and CIO, Goodyear Corporation;

Dr. Glenda Price, President, Marygrove College; Jeannie Booth, Vice President of Technology Infrastructure and Operations, ArvinMeritor;

Roxanne Hayes, Director of Product Lifecyle Solutions, IT, ArvinMeritor ;

Laura Clary, AIA, Founding Principal, iDesign and Planning, LLC;

Michelle Y. Fanroy, Vice President, Menttium;

Jylla Moore Foster, President and CEO, Crystal Stairs, Inc.;

Jill Jordan, Co-Founder, IW Associates;

Michelle Pallas, Managing Director, Lighthouse Consulting Partners;

Kathy Schroeder, Director of Quality Management, R. L. Polk & Co;

Denise Ann Taylor, President/CEO, Competitive Advantage, Inc.

Their topics include:

Building strong professional networks;

Searching for, and landing, your dream job;

Selecting and fostering professional mentors;

Interviewing techniques that work;

Creating your optimal career image;

Business etiquette and how it can further your professional evolution;

Ten practical tips (that they don?t teach you in school) to build your successful career;

And several additional useful sessions, including a role-model panel, discussing career paths.

The day will culminate with a 7 P.M. keynote delivered by a Detroit community icon: Eleanor Josaitis, co-founder and CEO Emeritus of Focus: Hope. Josaitis intends to sum up the day with a message about developing your career as an outgrowth of your passion.

At the CA-sponsored networking session prior to the keynote, Ernst and Young, Accenture, EDS, CA, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Comerica Bank, Alliance Technology, Truarx Inc. and a host of other Michigan companies will have representatives there to speak to the students and their colleagues, as well. In addition, University of Detroit Mercy, Oakland University, and Walsh College will also have representatives at the sessions.

Registration for the fee-based event is mandatory, at both the Association and Foundation?s Websites: Fees range from $20 for the full day for students; through $40 for MCWT members; and $70 for the full day for non-members. Attendees may also register for the evening session only, at a reduced price. All funds raised go to the Michigan Council of Women In Technology Foundation, and its scholarship fund.

To register, click on MCWTF.Org