More than 150 Coast Guard members stationed throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond attended the 3rd annual Women’s Leadership Symposium in Milwaukee, March 30, 2017. (Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Tom Morrell)
MILWAUKEE — Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan hosted its annual Women’s Leadership Symposium at the Milwaukee War Memorial, Thursday.
The symposium was attended by more than 150 Coast Guard members stationed throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond. The purpose of the event was to bring together leaders from all levels of the service to discuss leadership, mentorship and resources available to contribute to the success of the Coast Guard’s missions.
“The symposium is more than just a snapshot of how to be a better leader in today’s Coast Guard,” said Paul Jones, chief boatswains mate and executive petty officer of Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Station Two Rivers, Wisconsin. “It’s more about discussing the challenges of leadership and how to overcome them to foster a stronger environment of fairness, diversity and mentorship.”
Key note speaker for the event was Deputy Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Leilani Cale-Jones. Other events of the symposium included a command panel of senior Coast Guard leaders, mentoring sessions and a junior leadership discussion.
Also included in the symposium were small group discussions that covered a wide range of current topics such as career guidance, building resiliency within the service, and marriage in the military. These panel sessions provided an open dialogue between attendees and presenters for further discussion.
“It was truly a learning experience, and I have much to take away,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Paige Dockery, a company commander at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, New Jersey. “I learned a lot about myself as a leader, and how important it is to know your people.”
This is the third year the symposium has been hosted by Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan and has become an annual event within the Great Lakes region.
