NFWL 2021 Annual Conference Program Details

  • Plenary: Return to Work in New Times
    • This session addressed how elected women can support the businesses and people in their district as they continue to return to work facing labor shortages and complex social equity issues.
    • Speakers         
      • Jason Gabhart | @SHRM,  Director, State Affairs California, Society for Human Resource Management, NFWL Board
      • Jessica J. Thomas | @target, Human Resources Director, Target Corporation
      • Scot McLemore | @honda, Workforce Partnerships/Government and Industry Relation, American Honda Motor Company
    • Valuable Resources

 

 

 

 

  • Plenary: Building Vaccine Confidence and Commitment to Equitable Access
    • This session discussed the importance of vaccines, equity in vaccine clinical trials, and the commitment to universal vaccine access.
      • Speakers
        • Senator Regina Barrow | @ReginaBarrow, Louisiana State Legislature
        • Tolu Adebanjo McKenzie, MD, MPH, FAAP, Associate Field Director, MSLs, Janssen Infectious Diseases & Vaccine
      • Valuable Resources

 

  • Plenary: Cannabis Policy 101
    • Almost all 50 states allow some form of legal access to adult-use or medical cannabis or have decriminalized the use, possession, cultivation, or sale of cannabis. In both red and blue states, the legal cannabis industry has rapidly expanded and evolved in just the last few years, requiring a better understanding of how this cannabis landscape has been shaped. This session covered recent developments in cannabis policy and what to expect next from this growing industry.

 

  • Workshop I: A Growing Disease: Obesity in America
    • In every district, constituents are impacted by obesity. This session discussed the treatments available and the ways elected women can make change.
      • Speaker          
        • Stacy M. Chronister, DO, Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Education, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
      • Valuable Resources

 

  • Workshop II: The Post Pandemic Future of K-12 Education
    • Throughout the pandemic, parents and students have seen how K-12 education has had to adapt. In the face of these challenges, many are realizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to education. As we move forward, what lessons will we take with us into the future, and what will education look like?

 

  • Plenary: Reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences and Preventing Child Abuse in America
    • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are a collection of potentially traumatic events, such as violence, abuse, or neglect, that occur in childhood. The pervasiveness of ACEs and their impact on various aspects of an individual’s life initiated a public health response to address this problem. Importantly, ACEs are preventable. This session featured Prevent Child Abuse America’s research, programs, and affiliate network which is focused on reducing ACEs through several practical solutions for creating the conditions for safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments for all children, families and communities.
      • Moderator      
        • Senator Katrina Shealy | @SenatorShealy, South Carolina State Legislature, NFWL Chair-Elect
      • Speakers
        • Melissa T. Merrick, PhD | @PCAAmerica, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America
        • Kelly Crane, State Policy Specialist, Prevent Child Abuse America
      • Valuable Resources
  • Workshop I: The Latest on Tobacco Harm Reduction
    • The FDA is currently under the Pre-Market Tobacco Application (PMTA) process, determining that the marketing of these products is appropriate for the protection of public health. This session will walk through the FDA’s PMTA process, and also cover Tobacco Harm Reduction and the impact it has on state and local jurisdictions.
      • Speakers        
        • Mary Elizabeth Tillman Barwick, Vice President, Strategic Engagement, Reynolds American Inc.
        • Valerie Solomon, Assistant General Counsel and Vice President, Reynolds American Inc.

 

  • Workshop II: Reaching the Unbanked
    •  This session will address the Wells Fargo banking inclusion initiative, a 10-year commitment to accelerate unbanked individuals’ access to affordable mainstream accounts and help unbanked communities have easier access to low-cost banking.

 

  • Plenary: 5G – Why Should I Care?
    • You’ve heard about it before, but what exactly is 5G, and why does it matter to you and your constituents?
      • Speaker          
        • Sanjay Udani | @Verizon, Vice President of Technology Policy, Verizon Communications
      • Valuable Links

 

  • Plenary: Community Policing with Impact
    • Finding solutions to difficult problems is something elected women try and do everyday. This session will look at the work the Stand Together community is doing to make changes to policing in America. Lowering non-violent offense arrests and increasing access to community solutions to poverty, mental illness, and addiction.
    • Speakers
      • Sheriff Jerry L. Clayton, Washtenaw County, Michigan
      • Algeria Wilson, MSW, Director of Public Policy, National Association of Social Workers
      • Erika Parks, Principal Policy Associate, Public Safety Performance Project, Pew Charitable Trusts
      • Diana Pritchard, Community Engagement Director at Americans for Prosperity
    • Valuable Resources

 

  • Policy Roundtables
    •  The Importance of Long-term Care Solutions – Join a discussion on the impact of Covid-19 on long term care and key state solutions as well as how the Alzheimer’s Association continues to support initiatives that maximize quality care and support.
      • Table Host: Jennifer Rosen | @alzassociation, Senior Director of State Affairs, Alzheimer’s Association
    • Protecting Best Friends  Learn more about how elected women can help save lives of countless animals in their communities.
      • Table Host: Eric Swafford | @bestfriends, Manager, Campaign Strategy, Best Friends Animal Society
    • Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and Anti-Discrimination Law in Higher Education Public colleges have a dual obligation to provide discrimination-free environments and abide by the First Amendment. To prepare attendees for the 2022 legislative session, this table will provide a detailed exploration of the tensions that may arise in fulfilling those two aims and offer a workable path forward.
      • Table Host: Joe Cohen | @TheFIREorg, @JoeatFIRE, Director, Legislative and Policy Director, FIRE
    • Engineering the Extraordinary! – Leaders from the world’s largest medical device company Medtronic, provide a glimpse into exciting new technologies to help treat a variety of health care challenges.
      • Table Hosts: Lora Fusco | Vice President of Clinical Research, Medical Science and Healthcare Economics, Policy and Reimbursement, Medtronic
      • Sharon Dinnocenzo, RN | Senior Clinical District Manager, Medtronic Diabetes
      • Geoffrey Becker | Director of State Government Affairs, Medtronic
    • Options for Obesity – This session will look at resolving the burden of obesity for both patients and healthcare systems by expanding access to care.
      • Table Hosts: Tom Mullins | Account Executive, Ethicon US, LLC
      • Virginia M. Weaver, M.D., FACS, ABOM, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery – Division Chief, Bariatric Surgery University of Tennessee HSC, Memphis, TN Past President, TN Chapter of the ASMBS, Jessica Monroe and Ashley Groome, Johnson & Johnson State Government Affairs
    • Rural Energy Perspectives – This session will look at how electric co-ops are working to help protect the nation’s electric grid, and the variety of related policy issues.
      • Table Host: Amanda Wolfe | @NRECANews, Senior Associate, Grassroots Advocacy, with the Government Relations team at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
  • Plenary: Deeper Dive – Cannabis Policy Discussion Continued
    • A cannabis policy gap left by the federal government has required states to develop their own laws and regulations, resulting in a patchwork of policies nationwide. From licensing to zoning to taxation, local governments and entities have been at the forefront of the effort to regulate this market. Panelists will share their experiences and insights on successes and challenges in implementing cannabis policy in their respective states.
    • Speakers        
      • Senator Chris Holbert, Colorado State Legislature
      • Amber Wann, ‘Jack’s Law’ Advocate
  • Period Poverty & Access
    • Toilet paper and paper towels are provided in virtually every public bathroom, and yet another essential item, menstrual products, have been excluded from this standard. This session will look at the policy considerations related to ending period poverty, providing access to products in schools, and how elected women can end period taboo.
    • Speakers
      • Shari Douglas, Diaper Bank Director, Mid-South Food Bank
      • Aimee Adatto Freeman, Louisiana State Legislature
    • Valuable Resources

Passed Resolutions