The Governor’s Conference for Women – Maria Shriver’s last
Women’s Conference as First Lady of California is the largest and best ever
mounted.
Three full days – it used to be one – with 140 newsmakers
and opinion leaders and an estimated attendance of more than 30,000 women. As
in past years, tickets sold out within hours of going on sale.
The conference, in Long Beach, began with a five-kilometer
March on Alzheimer’s around the Rainbow Lagoon and Long Beach’s shoreline.
Sargent Shriver, Maria Shriver’s father, suffers from this horrible disease.
Maria has been a huge advocate for finding a cure.
Among the celebrities participating, Jane Fonda and Leeza
Gibbons.
Prior to the march, the conference partnered with local
health clinics and community groups to offer three days of free dental and
vision care, mammograms, immunizations and financial services to under-served
area woman.
Monday, the second day of the conference, is called "A Day of Health, Wellness and
Transformation" centered around the idea of helping participants change
themselves both personally and professionally. Among the speakers, life coach
Martha Beck, fashion icon Donna Karan, Deepak Chopra and author Gail Sheehy.
As at the past two conferences, the day ends with "Night at
the Village" with booths of a dizzying variety of entrepreneurs and volunteer
groups. There are also book signings by, among others, Caroline Kennedy and
Meghan McCain, daughter of the GOP senator from Arizona.
On stage will be conversations with various women
entrepreneurs like chefs Paula Deen and Giada De Laurentiis.
The main event starts Tuesday at 8:00 am and runs until 7:00
pm. There are various speakers and once-in-a-life-time conversations" on the
main stage of the convention center as well as morning and afternoon "breakout"
sessions in smaller venues.
Security will no doubt be tight because of the scheduled
attendance of First Lady Michelle Obama. Her predecessor, former First Lady
Laura Bush, will also be here.
Among the other speakers: Robert Redford, Suze Orman, Dr.
Mehmet Oz, Pulitzer Prize winning New
York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Goldie Hawn.
Diane Sawyer hosts a conversation between Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman named to the high court.
Some sparks could fly in a conversation between Democrat
Jerry Brown, Republican Meg Whitman and the man they seek to replace, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
It’s easy to imagine Schwarzenegger encouraging them to walk
a few miles in his cowboy boots before criticizing his performance.
The conference is capped by the always-inspirational
presentation of the Minervas.
These awards are given to five women who epitomize the
courage and wisdom of the Greek goddess who appears on California’s state seal.
O’Connor is one of the women being honored. As is Oprah Winfrey, Oral Lee
Brown, Sister Terry Dodge and Carolyn Bashek. More than 15 past Minerva winners, including Billie Jean
King and Dr. Sally Ride, are also expected to attend, adding a special
touch.
The First Lady is going out with a quite a flourish. This
will be a hard act to follow!!!