Attorney, legislator, professor, lecturer and author Dr. Sarah Weddington will highlight the final “Women in Power” luncheon of the season Thursday, Feb. 21.
Presented by PNC Bank, the luncheon will take place at the Cohen Pavilion in the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and the luncheon at noon.
Weddington, believed to be the youngest person ever to win a case before the United States Supreme Court, is a nationally known attorney and spokesperson on leadership and public issues. Weddington successfully argued the Roe v. Wade case before the Supreme Court. This year marks the 40th anniversary of that landmark decision handed down in 1973. She is also particularly well known for her work on issues affecting women in her many roles as attorney, legislator, presidential advisor, professor and expert called upon by the national media, including Working Women, People and the Washington Post, and has been a guest on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Morning News and CNN.
“Dr. Weddington has had a distinguished career in supporting women’s issues in this country, and she has been a catalyst for empowering professional women,” said Craig Grant, PNC Bank regional president for eastern Florida. “We look forward to her bringing these inspiring messages here to Palm Beach.”
Weddington served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives, was the first female general counsel of the United States Department of Agriculture, White House assistant to President Jimmy Carter on women’s issues and the first female director of the Texas Office of State Federal Relations. For 23 years, she served as an adjunct professor of the University of Texas’ Center for Women and Gender Studies. She is founder of the Weddington Center and has been an advocate for cancer research, being a cancer survivor.
She has received numerous leadership honors and awards. In August 2008, Weddington received the Margaret Brent Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession.
In addition, she was featured in PBS and AOL’s series Makers: Women Who Make America. Makers is a historic video project exploring the compelling narratives of women who challenge, lead and inspire. Built from an archive of extraordinary stories, a comprehensive and innovative three-hour documentary of the organized women’s movement will air on PBS in early 2013.
PNC’s “Women in Power” speaker series was created in 2007 to raise awareness of and support for programs that encourage and promote the development of girls and women. In support of this mission, nationally acclaimed female speakers are brought to the area to present their personal and professional journey to success.
Tickets for the Feb. 21 luncheon cost $50, and 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the YWCA of Palm Beach County. Reservations can be made by calling the YWCA of Palm Beach County at (561) 640-0050, ext. 134.
Above: Dr. Sarah Weddington
