DEARBORN — Henry Ford College (HFC) will host a public Women Leaders in Government Conference on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Forfa Auditorium on the First Floor of the Andrew A. Mazzara Administrative Services & Conference Center (ASCC) (Building L) on the main campus.

The conference will feature leading women in elected office at the local, state and national level who will discuss their perspectives on politics. Planned participants include Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Attorney General Dana Nessel and State Senator Sylvia Santana. Other unconfirmed invitees include U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell and Senator Debbie Stabenow.

This conference will focus on women in public service today, which brings many challenges. At the conference, we will hear from women leaders in government who have decided to take on these challenges to effectively and professionally serve our community, the state and the nation.

The conference will feature three panels, with opportunities for Q&A from the audience:

• Panel 1: State and Local Government Leadership
• Panel 2: State Government Leadership
• Panel 3: Federal Government Leadership

The panels will be moderated by Irene Watts, who serves on several state and regional committees and boards, including the Henry Ford College Board of Trustees, the Michigan Early Childhood Investment Corporation Executive Committee and the Executive Board of the Michigan Community College Association. She is the development director for the Arc of Northwestern Wayne County.

The first panel will include:

• Shaquila Myers, chief of staff to Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Joe Tate
• Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Welch
• State Senator Sylvia Santana
• State Rep. Erin Byrnes

The second panel will include:

• Attorney General Dana Nessel
• Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson

The third panel will include:

• U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib
• Others to be announced

The list of panelists is subject to change. The Women Leaders in Government Conference is free and open to the public. Enter the campus through the south entrance and park in Lot 12.

Registration is requested but not required. Please register at hfcc.edu/wlgc.

For questions or more information, contact Dr. Anthony Perry at 313-845-6383 or adperry1@hfcc.edu.