The Montgomery County Foundation, Inc. is hosting its 2017 Women and Leadership Forum on December 6  at The Presidential – a major convening for an anticipated 250 participants that will be the culmination of the highly regarded initiatives that took place the previous three years.

Designed to be an exceptional educational experience, the forum will provide an interactive series of superb presentations and skills-building take-aways focused on a deeper-dive into negotiation in action, transforming conflict and mastering confidence, according to a press release from the foundation.

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Lisa Thomas-Laury, former 6abc news anchor will provide keynote remarks and the MCF, Inc. The Woman of Distinction Award will be presented to Judge Cheryl L. Austin, Orphans’ Court, Montgomery County 38^th Judicial District. Theatre Horizon will share a four-actress reading from their upcoming “Daring Women” season.

What makes this forum uniquely valuable is the opportunity to address each topic as it relates to three fundamental objectives: a woman’s personal well-being and growth and how that most effectively translates to her professional success and to the strengthening of the organization she is committed to serving increasingly well in this community.

The significant need for educational forums addressing the status of women in the workplace is indisputable. In the nonprofit sector, as an example, the lack of diversity in the top leadership roles in especially bleak. While 73 percent of nonprofit sector employees are women in organizations with annual budgets of $2.5 to $5 million — a segment that represents a large percentage of nonprofits – women chief executives make, on average, 23 percent less than men in the same positions.