NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - April 6, 2010) - When members from 293 individual Junior Leagues from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK come together for the 88th Annual Conference of The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. in Orlando (April 15-17 at the Orlando Rosen Centre Hotel), they will hear a lot about change. That's because the conference theme -- "The Roadmap for the Future" -- reflects the 12-plus months of work that went into strategic planning at the 109-year-old women's volunteer organization.
"This is the year that The Junior League Movement embraces change," said Delly Beekman, AJLI President-Elect and member of the Junior League of Monmouth County. "For more than a century, Leagues have helped address some of the most difficult problems in American society by developing practical, community-based solutions -- while, at the same time, training women to achieve extraordinary things. Looking ahead, we see a vital role for The Junior League in cultivating the role of women around the world as catalysts for lasting community change."
Sheila C. Johnson, the conference's keynote speaker, will expand on the change theme with events from her own remarkable life. As a dedicated activist who serves as a Global Ambassador for CARE, her focus is empowering girls to become catalysts for change in communities around the world. Ms. Johnson is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose accomplishments span the arenas of hospitality, sports, TV/film, the arts and humanitarian causes. She is the first African-American woman to have a stake in three professional sports teams, including the WNBA Washington Mystics. A founding partner of BET (Black Entertainment Television), Ms. Johnson serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Parsons The New School for Design and is a board member of VH1 Save the Music, Americans for the Arts, the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the University of Illinois Foundation. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
"Sheila Johnson exemplifies the change that women can create as civic leaders, whether in their communities, in their countries or across the world," said Debbie Brown Robinson, outgoing AJLI President and a member of the Junior League of Houston. "As it has for 109 years, The Junior League will find new ways to make that message evolve while keeping true to The Junior League Mission."
The Junior League sponsors include: Electrolux ICON, Digital Cheetah, Alexandra Investment Management, Lierac, EatingWell, Talbot's, Océ, Marsh & P.U.G.S.
ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION OF JUNIOR LEAGUES INTERNATIONAL INC.
Founded in 1901 by New Yorker and social activism pioneer, Mary Harriman, the Junior Leagues are charitable nonprofit organizations of women, developed as civic leaders, creating demonstrable community impact.
Today, The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI) is comprised of more than 160,000 women in 293 Junior Leagues throughout Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. Together, they constitute one of the largest, most effective volunteer organizations in the world. For more information please visit www.ajli.org.
Contact Information:
Media Contact:
Rosalia Scampoli
212-537-5177, Ext 7