Mayor Deming’s Women’s History Month Forum Empowers Female Leaders and Trailblazers

Orange County Mayor Jerry l. Demings recently hosted the Women’s History Month Forum: Stories of Strength, Struggle and Success, which brought together more than 200 Central Florida female leaders for insightful and meaningful discussions around stories of strength, struggle and success.

Since taking office in 2018, 76 percent of Mayor Demings’ managerial appointments have been women and minorities. In addition, 40 percent of the County’s workforce are women, and nearly 1,400 of those women are in leadership positions and serving in key command staff roles, including those in Public Safety.

“We cannot deliver the quality of service we do without being inclusive,” he said, “so I’ve been intentional about hiring and promoting women into the highest levels within Orange County.”

The half-day event, held at the Renaissance Senior Center on March 30, 2023, featured two panel discussions and a professional development workshop. Panel moderators included Linda Chapin, former Orange County Mayor, who led the panel on Stories of Strength, Struggle and Success; and Roseann Harrington, Mayor Demings’ Chief of Staff, who led the panel on Women Succeeding in Male-Dominated Industries.

“It was inspiring and empowering to be on the panel with these women and to share some of our challenges and successes,” said Dr. Laine Powell, executive director, Tech Sassy Girlz.

Min Sun Kim, executive director for the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy and Non-Profit Leadership at Rollins College, facilitated the workshop on Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome and Developing Your Personal Brand.

“Imposter syndrome is when women feel like they don’t deserve to be in the role they’re in and start doubting themselves,” said Kim. “We need to remind ourselves of our entire journey and the hard work we’ve done to get where we are, and why there was a good reason we stepped into the roles we did.”

Mayor Demings’ Chief of Staff Roseann Harrington echoed Kim’s sentiments by recognizing the amazing qualities of those attending the event.

“These women are trailblazers, and you can see why,” she said. “They’re leading with passion, compassion and intellect, and they get results.”

To watch the entire event, go to Mayor Demings Women History Month Forum.