Agenda
Wednesday March 11, 2026
NOTE: This agenda is in draft form, and will be updated as conference details are confirmed.
7:00 a.m. Check-in and Networking
8:00 a.m. Welcome
8:10 a.m. Land Acknowledgement, Steilacoom Tribe, Danny Marshall
8:20 a.m. Keynote Speaker,
Chelsea Fenton
9:30 a.m. Featured Speaker,
Nkosa Barrett
10:50 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Morning Workshops
Mental Health & Resilience, Naomi DuCharme, Main Stage
In high-risk industries, toughness is expected — but burnout, substance use, and silent stress are costing lives and careers. Naomi DuCharme brings real-world experience from field safety, executive leadership and the trades to address the mental health challenges facing construction, energy, and industrial workplaces today.
This workshop goes beyond awareness. Participants will explore practical strategies to reduce burnout, build personal resilience, and strengthening workplace culture without sacrificing performance. Naomi delivers a straight-talking, field-tested approach to leadership under pressure — helping trades professionals develop the systems, support, and self-awareness needed to thrive in demanding environments.
Presenter: Naomi DuCharme
Negotiations & Leadership Panel
Leadership in the trades doesn’t happen by accident, it happens when women decide they belong in the room and back it up with skill, confidence, and strategy. In this powerful panel, industry leaders share real-world insight on stepping into leadership roles across construction, unions, contracting firms, and government agencies.
This session will explore the importance of women’s representation in decision-making spaces, how to build leadership presence on the job site and beyond, and practical tools for negotiating pay, benefits, promotions, and advancement opportunities. From navigating union structures to advocating within employer systems, panelists will offer actionable strategies for owning your value and leading with authority.
Panelist: Shana Peschek, Kairie Pierce, Rebecca Johnson, Moderated by Christina Riley
12:15-1:00 p.m. Lunch and Networking
1:05-2:20 p.m. Afternoon Workshops
Build our Clean Energy Panel
Clean energy isn’t just the future — it’s being built right now. From electrification and advanced manufacturing to grid modernization and clean infrastructure, Washington’s energy transition is creating powerful career pathways across the skilled trades.
Led by Mel Clark of the Clean Tech Alliance, alongside workforce and industry leaders, this panel explores how women can step into high-demand roles shaping sustainable construction, energy systems, and emerging technologies. Learn how policy, industry partnerships, and apprenticeship pathways are aligning to expand opportunity — and how you can be part of building the next generation of clean energy leadership.
Panelists: Mel Clark, Monica Brummer, Lester Burkes, Lacey Neubauer
Women’s Committee in Action!, Main Stage
Women’s Committees are more than meetings, they are engines of change inside local labor halls. In this candid and solution-focused panel, union leaders and committee members share how they successfully launched women’s committees, navigated approval challenges, and built sustained member engagement.
Panelists will discuss practical strategies for gaining leadership buy-in, structuring committees for long-term success, increasing participation, and leveraging community service initiatives to strengthen visibility and solidarity. From early resistance to measurable wins, this session offers real-world insight into what it takes to create lasting impact inside union environments.
If you’ve ever wondered how to start a committee, grow one, or strengthen women’s leadership within your local — this conversation is for you.
Panelists: Amber Glennon, Minna Long, Andrea Ornelas, Yvonne Harry, Cynthia Grant, Moderator Allison Ostenberg