23 Inspiring Women Living with Diabetes will Attend 2016 DiabetesSisters Leadership Institute September 30-October 2
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) September 22, 2016 -- DiabetesSisters, the national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of women with diabetes, has selected twenty-one women from throughout the United States to participate in its 2nd annual Leadership Institute in Chicago, September 30 – October 2. Each woman is a diabetes advocate, a prominent DiabeteSisters volunteer, and leads monthly peer support meetings known as Part of DiabetesSisters (PODS) Meetups in her local community.
The 2016 DiabetesSisters Leadership Institute will expand on current skills of the selected PODS Leaders by providing in-depth knowledge and expertise on diabetes management topics, in addition to training on effective group facilitation and peer support. Each attendee applied and was selected based on criteria such as a demonstrated passion for improving the lives of women with diabetes, a record of dependability and commitment to the organization, and the growth and vitality of the PODS Meetup program that they lead.
The outstanding women selected to participate in the weekend’s activities are:
Erika Armani (Colorado)
Diane Bajalia (Florida)
Claire Blum (Tennessee)
Jo-Nette Boyd (North Carolina)
Sandy Brooks (Massachusetts)
Cindy Campaniello (New York State)
Wendy Dittman (Florida)
Clare Fishman (Massachusetts)
Karen Graffeo (Connecticut)
Connie Hanham-Cain (New York State)
Theresa Hastings (Colorado)
Andrea Herndon (New York State)
Allison Hurley (Ohio)
Daphene Kimball (South Carolina)
Gayle McKenna (California)
Sarah Macleod (Massachusetts)
Erin Marino (South Carolina)
Jill Sobon (Virginia)
Karen Tank (New Jersey)
Tara Weiss (Pennsylvania)
Julie Wilson (New York State)
Robin Wright (New Jersey)
Joyce Yano (Nevada)
During the Institute, attendees will participate in a mixture of small and large group discussions, roundtables led by PODS Leaders, thank you/appreciation events sponsored by Boehringer-Ingelheim and Lilly, and presentations by speakers. Institute faculty include diabetes thought leaders, writers, and speakers Melissa Lee (Bigfoot Biomedical) and Cherise Shockley (Diabetes Social Media), as well as current PODS Leaders Karen Tank and Robin Wright. The Keynote session, sponsored by Roche, will be led by Riva Greenberg (Diabetes by Design). Sessions will explore and focus on current and future technology for monitoring blood sugar and taking diabetes medications; facilitating groups with respect and inclusiveness; getting to “yes” with medical insurance decisions; crowdsourcing coping tactics; and crafting a personal narrative of thriving and flourishing with diabetes.
“It is our responsibility as patient leaders to continue to learn about best management tools in living our best lives with diabetes,” said Anna Norton, DiabetesSisters’ CEO. “DiabetesSisters is proud to host this annual event to thank our volunteer corps and provide them additional training and knowledge, preparing them to represent women with diabetes in their own communities.”
A signature program of DiabetesSisters, the PODS Meetup program was started in Raleigh, NC in 2010 and has grown to support 30 monthly meetings throughout the US. The program provides peer support, education, and advocacy to women living with diabetes and prediabetes and serves more than 1,200 women annually.
DiabetesSisters recognizes and appreciates Boehringer-Ingelheim, Dexcom, Janssen, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Regeneron, and Roche, and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust as the sponsors of this year’s Institute.
About DiabetesSisters
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, DiabetesSisters is the only organization worldwide focusing exclusively on women living with diabetes. Our mission is to improve the health and quality of life of women living with and at risk of developing diabetes and to advocate on their behalf. DiabetesSisters has a 10,000-member peer network that unites women with diabetes for the purpose of support, education, and advocacy. Signature programs include monthly peer support meetings (PODS Meetups); the Life Class Webinar Series and online blogs, forums, and expert resources; and conferences throughout the US. For more information, visit http://www.diabetessisters.org.
Anna Norton, DiabetesSisters, http://diabetessisters.org, +1 201-233-0002, [email protected]
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