FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2002

Zonta Clubs of Bergen County sponsor a "Young Women's Leadership Symposium"

YWIS Keynote Speaker, Assemblywoman Rose Heck (center) with Zonta Clubs Of Bergen County YWIS Co-Chairwomen, Joan Janson (left) and Mary Ann Tarantula (right).

Bergenfield – Leadership skills and taking an active role in life were the topics explored at the first ever Young Women’s Invitational Leadership Symposium that was sponsored by the Zonta Clubs of Bergen County on March 15, 2003 at Bergen Community College. Following an inspiring talk by keynote speaker Assemblywoman Rose Heck the junior and senior high school students from all over Bergen County were treated to a panel discussion with a question and answer period. The panelists included Lydia Pizzute, Director of the Bergen County Rape Crisis Center, Caroline Mazzei, student at Ramapo College, Alexis Fitzsimmons, Coordinator of SANE/SART of Bergen County, Debra Donnelly, Director of Alternatives to Domestic Violence, and Susan DEJackmo, Coordinator of Alternatives to Domestic Violence Legal Advocacy Project.

The day-long symposium also included a self-defense demonstration led by Richard Raciti, master training instructor at The Edge. Two workshops, which addressed issues of leadership and sexual victimization, were run concurrently so that all students could attend both.
The symposium was planned and conducted by the Zonta Clubs of Bergen County with the support of the Women’s History Month Committee of Bergen Community College.

The Zonta Clubs of Bergen County includes two chartered clubs of Zonta International, a service organization dedicated to advancing the status of women. The clubs are the Zonta Club of Hackensack-Ridgewood and the Zonta Club of Teaneck-Bergenfield. Information about Zonta and the symposium can be found at - www.zontatea-berg.org/ywis - the Zonta Club of Teaneck-Bergenfield’s website.