Macy Middleton couldn’t help but laugh, and nor could the audience when her husband, Texas State Senator Mayes Middleton, was about to present her with a proclamation from the Texas Senate.
She had been named the Mary Ellen Doyle Legacy Woman of the Year for the 17th Annual Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce Women’s Conference.
Women who have been attending the yearly event look forward to the day with its motivational speakers and offers of pampering for the women in attendance.
Sandra and Rebecca Hernandez have been attending as a mother and daughter duo for about five years.
“My husband gave me a ticket to the conference and told me to go and enjoy myself,” Sandra said.
After her first attendance, Sandra felt the healing powers of the motivational speakers and the gathering of women to empower each other. She felt it so much that she was ready to take the next step in her life and retire from her career.
Her daughter spoke to me also about the value of attending the conference.
“I listen to the speakers, and they make us feel like they have real lives,” Rebecca said. “It is also a good idea to get the VIP pass so you can go experience even more of the pampering such as chair massages.”
The two pointed out that the women on stage are women in “high positions,” and they share with the ladies at the conference about their personal struggles and how they overcame their own hardships.
Not only do Sandra and Rebecca enjoy listening, but also, they spend time networking and meeting other women, as well as shopping in the marketplace.
Eight women from the region were honored as part of the Ann McLeod Moody Women of the Year Lunch, and each of them talked about their lives in a pre-recorded video that is broadcast on three screens at the conference.
The eight women honored were: Ashley Cordray, Jody Droege, Karen Flowers, Kelly Carnes Johns, Mary Langoria, Marie Robb, Carolyn Sunseri, and Vanessa Wyche.
In keeping with tradition, each woman was given a portrait of herself created by Galveston’s own Gabriel Prusmack.
Attendees left the conference feeling their presence there made for a day well spent. Conversations about the conference continued social media with ladies sharing their selfies and their favorite portions of the day.
