Jackson Women’s Impact Summit brings leadership, networking opportunities to local women

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) — Women from across southeast Missouri gathered in Jackson on Thursday, Oct. 8, for the first Women’s Impact Summit, an event focused on professional development, leadership and building connections among women in the workforce.

Hosted by the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, the full-day conference brought together women from different industries to discuss workplace challenges, share experiences and learn strategies for personal and professional growth.

The summit expanded on the Chamber’s previous Women in Networking luncheons, offering educational sessions covering artificial intelligence, leadership, mental health, work-life balance and other topics affecting women in professional fields.

Janna Clifton, retail and membership director for the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, said the organization wanted to create an experience that would encourage women to take what they learned back into their workplaces and everyday lives.

“We want it to be, not just a women’s conference to say we had one, but a meaningful one where everyone leaves and can’t wait to go back and implement whatever actions they’ve taken,” Clifton said.

Building connections and finding support

Meredith Pobst, a member of the Women in Networking Committee, said organizers wanted to bring a larger professional development opportunity to Jackson so local women would not have to travel elsewhere to attend similar events.

Pobst, who has served on the committee for nearly a decade, said previous networking luncheons helped establish a foundation for the summit. The full-day format also allowed participants to choose sessions that matched their professional interests and schedules.

She said connecting women from different backgrounds creates opportunities to discuss shared challenges and learn from one another.

“As women? I think we can relate to the fact that we wear many hats,” Pobst said. “And so when you bring us all together in a room such as the one that we’re in today, there’s power in shared experiences. So we get to sit around a table, talk about the things that we struggle with, that we do well and learn from one another.”

Clifton said those relationships can extend beyond the conference and create opportunities for continued collaboration.

“The partnerships we can make as women are unstoppable,” Clifton said. “You know, learning from each other, growing, knowing that we have similarities and we have differences.”

Olympic champion shares lessons on overcoming setbacks

The summit also featured 2004 Olympic gymnastics all-around champion Carly Patterson as its keynote speaker.

Patterson delivered a presentation titled “From Best to Better,” sharing lessons from her gymnastics career about resilience, hard work, overcoming setbacks and redefining success.

She said many of the lessons she learned while competing at the highest level continue to help her navigate challenges outside the gym.

“Sometimes we can think we might be at our best, but we can always improve and we can always get better,” Patterson said. “We can kind of always go to that next level and next podium step.”

Patterson also emphasized the importance of women sharing their experiences, including the challenges and setbacks they have faced while pursuing their goals.

She said hearing someone else’s story can help women recognize similarities in their own experiences and find encouragement during difficult periods.

Patterson hopes her message encourages women to continue working toward their goals, even when facing burnout, professional setbacks or uncertainty.

Putting professional development into action

Beyond the networking opportunities and presentations, organizers said they want attendees to leave with practical ideas they can incorporate into their careers and personal lives.

Pobst encouraged participants to identify at least one lesson from the summit and use it to make a positive change.

“One thing that you can take away, big or small, and make those baby steps towards positive change in your life,” Pobst said.

She said even small adjustments can help women put what they learned into practice rather than feeling overwhelmed by the information presented throughout the day.

Organizers hope the inaugural summit strengthens professional relationships in the Jackson area and builds on the Chamber’s ongoing efforts to connect and support women in the local workforce.