Poplar Bluff native to be 1 of 2 speakers at 32nd annual Women Aware Conference

Former Poplar Bluffian Jennifer Webb will be one of two motivational keynote speakers at the 32nd annual Women Aware Conference Sept. 19 at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff.

Webb

The Women Aware group announced her selection Monday afternoon. The second speaker will be named Wednesday afternoon.

Webb’s appearance at the conference will be a homecoming, said conference director Meredith Rines.

“Our committee is thrilled to have Jennifer Webb be a part of this year’s conference,” Rines said. “Jennifer is a motivating speaker who will bring her years of business and communication skills to our stage.”

Keynote speaker committee chairperson Tracy Tarpley said, “We are excited to have Poplar Bluff native Jennifer Webb as our morning keynote speaker for the upcoming conference. She has a core group of friends that were very dedicated in getting her name submitted to our board for consideration as a speaker for our conference.

“She is mixing business with motivational speech using magic as a medium,” Tarpley said. “Her core message is that our attitudes and expectations create our realities and we have the power to change how we think if it’s not the results we want.”

Many area residents will remember her as Jennifer Weeks, who graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1965.

Her parents Ruth and Jackson Weeks owned the former Ruth’s Department Store located in downtown Poplar Bluff. Her younger brother Greg Weeks is pastor of the Manchester Methodist Church in St. Louis.

Bates said, her friend headed to New York and spent 20-25 years living in Manhattan. At one time she was married to Mr. Magic Tony Spina. Muhammad Ali was a customer at Spina’s magic shop, Webb and Ali developed a trusting relationship and Ali allowed her to interview him for an article, Bates said.

Webb moved to Reno, Nevada where she started the Shakespeare Animal Fund, a 501(c)(3) whose sole purpose is to help elderly, disabled and others pay emergency veterinary bills when their animals are suffering, and they haven’t the funds

Now living in Florida, Webb recently spoke in Norway and will be speaking in Manhattan two days prior to the local conference, said Bates. Webb has worked for the AMA conducting workshops and lectures on team building and creating positive attitudes.

According to Webb’s biographical information, her program combines magic, psychology, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, emotional intelligence and other disciplines to reach people instantly with messages of inspiration and content. Her programs are designed to propel thinking from challenges and frustration to “can do” and “possibilities.”

She presents a core message, “Our attitudes and expectations create our realities and impact everyone around us, and we have the power to change how we think if it isn’t getting us the results we want.”

Not only a motivational speaker, Webb is a corporate consultant and NLP coach. She has authored four books on human potential, has her graduate degree in psychology but according to information provided, she “is proudest of her non-profit, Shakespeare Animal Fund. She sits on several boards and is proud of her membership in the International Positive Psychology Association and the National Speaker’s Association.”

Tickets are on sale through the Women Aware Facebook page, Women Aware, Inc., or on eventbrite at https://womenaware2019.eventbrite.com

Tickets will be $40 until Sept. 10 then increasing to $50. The committee agreed a group of eight people who register together may receive a 10 percent discount. The group can be composed of friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

Designed for More is the theme for the conference. Details for breakout sessions, keynote speakers and other activities are being fine tuned by subcommittees.

Businessowners and managers may reserve a favorite spot for their booths by emailing Pam Sullivan at psullivan2005@gmail.com . The booth prices range from $150 to $225.