ASHLAND — Approximately 270 women filled the Ashland University Convocation Center Thursday to recognize their value in the workplace and learn from one another.
The latest Celebrating Women in the Workplace Luncheon and Expo, an event hosted by the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce since 2011, included 15 vendors from across Ashland County. It also featured a style show hosted by Tammy Milne, owner of Blue Pumpkin Boutique in Ashland, where Chamber members modeled outfits and accessories for the attendees.
“It’s a time for them to get out of the office, to be able to network with other professional women, enjoy the expo, and talk to businesses that focus on women in the workplace,” said Renae Osborne, director of programs and finance for the chamber.
Each year, chamber staff selects a speaker who can provide insight on an issue relevant to current events, Osborne said. This year, staff chose the chief operating officer of University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center Sylvia Radziszewski.
“We wanted someone to talk about work-life balance, and she’s someone who fills the bill really well on that topic — getting to the point where she is now, with a family, moving up with her position.”
UH Samaritan hired Radziszewski as COO in March.
In this role, she is helping the medical center improve quality, patient experience and financial outcomes, as well as spearheading programs to engage UH Samaritan employees and the greater Ashland community.
Radziszewski has had various leadership positions throughout her career, ranging from regional vice president of Ohio for Chenmed – Dedicated Senior Medical Centers in Miami, Florida — to COO of Orthopedic One in Columbus.
Guest speakers, such as Radziszewski, provide a chance for women who attend to learn something new. The small business expo, which the chamber added throughout the years, gives businesses an opportunity to talk about work opportunities as well as services that their businesses provide.
Among this year’s vendors were: Armstrong, the Ashland County Community Foundation Women’s Fund, Ashland County Historical Society, Ashland Main Street, Brethren Care Village, Charles River Laboratories, Edward Jones – Bri Noel, Highland Acres Retreat Center, Kingston of Ashland, LSS Lutheran Village of Ashland, OhioHealth, The Good Shepherd, The Inn at Ashland Woods, UH Samaritan Medical Center, and Whitcomb and Hess CPAS and Financial Advisors.
Vendors also distributed gifts to attendees, an added perk aside from networking, Osborne said.
The latest luncheon and expo in particular allowed for women in the workforce to come together in ways not permitted in recent years, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A lot of them have been cooped up for the last couple years because of the COVID restrictions, and for some of these businesses, this was the first time that some of these ladies have been able to get out in a group format outside of their workplace,” Osborne added.
The chamber could not host the luncheon in 2020. So, it used that time to create a chamber cookbook, which was given to attendees of the 2021 luncheon, when the event could resume following guidelines for physical distancing and group size, Osborne said.
Event registration cost $25 per person, and those proceeds went to fund the cost of hosting the event.
