From left to right, Tina Johnson, Kim Ford and Cara Keys talk about the challenges and future of leadership, in the Storer Ballroom on Saturday. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The inaugural Shepherding Women in Business Conference was held in the Storer Ballroom on Saturday.

The conference was the brainchild of Shepherd University student Chloe Waldeck, who was inspired to create it after assisting with a women’s conference in another state for the past two years. She began making plans for the Shepherding Women in Business Conference last fall, when she took an event programming class that required students to plan a hypothetical event.

“It actually went along with a class I had, where I had to plan an event,” Waldeck, who is double majoring in business and recreation and sports studies, said. “I then pitched it to [my teacher], ‘Can I make this my method of planning? Because I actually want to turn this into an event.’ And he eventually [agreed to] it.”

A total of 65 people attended the conference, according to Waldeck. It began with a light breakfast followed by two sessions with a total of eight speakers that attendees could choose between; a boxed lunch combined with a talk on dining etiquette; a keynote address presented by Veterans Affairs Medical Center health systems specialist and chief Donna Newman; a third session with four speakers to pick from; table talks with various industry representatives; a leadership panel with entrepreneur Tina Johnson, Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital Board of Directors CEO Kim Ford and Jefferson County Commissioner Cara Keys, who is also a business owner; and a closing keynote address by best-selling author Kelly Featheringham. The conference closed with a time for networking, paired with mocktails and a mashed potato bar.

“The overall theme is leadership, here today,” Waldeck said of the speaking topics. “Of course, that might change in future years.”

Newman, during her keynote address, spoke about her experience as a leader and on the need for leaders to build resilience.

“Part of success is being able to adapt,” Newman said, noting she has personally been reminded of this fact, over the last few months. “Resilience is huge. It’s especially huge in my workplace right now — the government’s going through a lot right now!”

During the panel discussion, Ford noted that she has recently noticed a shift in the leadership landscape.

“I believe that the definition of leadership is changing,” Ford said, mentioning her organization has done extensive surveys which prove this to be true. “Parents don’t want their children to be leaders, because people think of leaders as the kind of people who have to be at the top. Parents don’t like that! They don’t want that. They don’t want the stress for their kids. What parents are saying is, ‘I want my child to be happy, healthy, a good person, a good global citizen and to treat people with compassion and respect.'”

Johnson agreed with her, noting leadership is starting to adopt a more collaborative mindset. Even so, she said that with her own businesses — JP Events & Consulting and The CEO Consulting Group — she has found that combining the old and the new leadership styles serves her and her employees best.

“There are some times where we’re completely in a collaborative mode of leadership,” Johnson said. “But some times, based on the situation, I have to step into the CEO role.”

Funds raised from the conference will be put to good use. Out of the proceeds, $500 has been donated to the giving circle, Women Investing in Shepherd (WISH), for the monetary award given to a Shepherd student granted WISH’s annual Courage to Inspire, Strength to Empower Award. The remaining event proceeds will help fund the work of the Rotaract Club at Shepherd and throughout the community.