The Church of God in Christ Southern California First Jurisdiction’s Business and Professional Women (BPW) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of BPW’s 1968 elevation to a COGIC national auxiliary.
BPW will also salute the appointment of its first president and chairwoman, the late Bessie Christian of Southern California First, and the late Gladys Yizar, as secretary.
The celebration will be held during the Annual Personal Development Conference on Saturday, May 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Resort, 6161 Centinela Ave., in Culver City. The ticket donation is $40.
Dr. Wanda Barnett Street, M.D., MPH and BPW chair, and Attorney Sheila Bankhead Grisham, co-chair, will host the event.
The theme of the conference is “Women@Work – Equipped, Empowered and Engaged for a New Season.”
Lady Lois Cole, BPW vice president emeritus and chair of the Clergy Wives, serves as 2018 honorary chair and will be saluted by the Auxiliary. Frances Miller Harris, international president of the Business and Professional Women’s Federation will be the special guest and honored for her years of dedicated service.
The Personal Development Conference will feature Superintendent Isom McCray and Evangelist Cleo Barker, who will present “Reflections of Bessie Christian – First Chairwoman of the Business and Professional Women, 1968.”
Also, Dr. Tammarra Lewis, Ed.D., will share insight on navigating a career and fulfilling our potential and Evangelist Rochelle Collins, executive director of Cannon House, will speak on “Transformation through a Transition House.”
Other sessions include Karen Simpson – “Mastering and Maximizing the Grant Money Funding Game,” Mrs. Celestine Palmer, founder of the Los Angeles African American Women’s Law Pac and Policy Institute – “Black Women Taking Back the Ballot Box,” Dr. Yolanda Dawson, author of “Chosen By God, Overlooked by Man,” – “Parallel Pursuits and Ventures,” and Evangelist Mattie Eskridge – “Don’t just Retire, Rewire and Refire.”
Former Business and Professional Women honorees as well as the general public are welcome to attend. For more information, call Dr. Street at (951) 787-1952 or Attorney Bankhead Grisham at (323) 293-7737.