Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce to Host 13th Annual Galveston Women’s Conference

Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce to Host 13th Annual Galveston Women’s Conference On May 21, Actress/Model Brooke Shields and Comedian Judi Holler Confirmed as Keynote Speakers, KHOU TV Evening Anchor Mia Gradney to Serve as Emcee

GALVESTON, TX  – February 4, 2020 – Actress and model Brooke Shields and comedian Judi Holler will serve as keynote speakers for the 13th Annual Galveston Women’s Conference, which is expected to attract more than 1,000 attendees. The Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce, the oldest chamber of commerce in Texas established in 1845, will host this event on May 21, 2020, from 8:30am to 5:00pm at Moody Gardens Convention Center on Galveston Island. Underwriters include The Moody Foundation and UTMB Health.

Mia Gradney, an award-winning broadcast journalist who anchors the evening newscasts for KHOU-TV Channel 11 in Houston, will serve as emcee for the 8th year.

Former First Lady Laura Bush, actress Marilu Henner, and The Blind Side’s Leigh Anne Tuohy have served as keynote speakers in past years. Along with Shields and Holler, this year’s Galveston Women’s Conference will feature several reputable speakers who will be announced in the coming months. This event will include an expo that showcases an extensive range of health and wellness products and services, jewelry, clothing, and other merchandise.

“I am thrilled that our women’s conference has been growing year after year. We are attracting participants from many cities in addition to Galveston Islanders. Inspiring women and their allies to enhance all aspects of their personal and professional life and to be their best selves is the primary purpose of this event,” said Gina M. Spagnola, president and chief executive officer of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Our chamber is hosting this conference to celebrate and inspire women who contribute their time and talent in business, politics, entertainment and the community and who share our commitment to promoting Galveston Island as an amazing place to live, work, and play. We are extremely proud of our 175-year chamber history, we are enthusiastically embracing the present, and we will continue to be a valuable resource for businesses, non-profit organizations, residents and visitors to our island for decades to come.”

About Shields, and Holler and Gradney
Shields is the happily married mother of two beautiful daughters. She began her modeling career at 11 months old in an Ivory Soap commercial. At age nine, she appeared in her first film, Alice Sweet Alice, and rapidly gained fame after starring in Pretty Baby, Blue Lagoon and Endless Love. As a model, she appeared on the covers of hundreds of magazines, most notably serving as Time Magazine’s “Face of the Eighties.” She continues her prolific career on screen and stage, as a best-selling author and an advocate for women and the arts. In 2006, Shields wrote her best-selling memoir, Down Came the Rain, detailing her struggles with post-partum depression, its impact on her family and friends, and her use of therapy and medication. The book created a watershed moment in public awareness of the disease. In 2014, she released her memoir There Was a Little Girl, a candid look at her relationship with her mother, who was both her manager and an alcoholic. Shields serves on the board of WIN, an organization dedicated to providing housing, services and programs to homeless women and children in New York City. In her personal life, she continues to be a staunch advocate for women’s issues and keeping the arts alive in schools.

Holler is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, and a professionally trained improviser and alumni of The Second City’s Conservatory in Chicago, Ill. She studied and performed improv theatre at night while working full time by day in the meetings industry in sales and marketing for companies like Marriott, Omni, and Starwood Hotels before starting her company, HOLLA! Productions, in 2013. She is a past president of Meeting Professionals International, Chicago Area Chapter, and was named one of the 40 under 40 in the meetings industry by Connect magazine in 2015. Her book, “Fear Is My Homeboy®: How to Slay Doubt, Boss Up, and Succeed on Your Own Terms,” was officially released May 28, 2019, and is available on Amazon, 800 CEO Read, Barnes & Noble, and in airports nationwide.

Gradney, a Houston native, is an Emmy Award-winning talent who anchors the 5, 6 and 10pm KHOU 11 News in Houston. She has also been honored as an outstanding community volunteer. For two decades, Gradney has covered a wide range of topics–from historic hurricanes to major Hollywood red carpet events and national sports championships. She specializes in breaking news, continuous coverage and special events with interests in women empowerment and job readiness, health and wellness, and sports entertainment. Gradney navigated Houstonians through one of the nation’s most catastrophic natural disasters, Hurricane Harvey, with almost 138 non-stop hours of airtime despite the flooding and evacuation of KHOU 11’s building. This KHOU breaking news coverage was later recognized with an Edward R. Murrow Award.

About Sponsorship and Registration
Registration for the Galveston Women’s Conference is now open. For table, ticket and vendor information, visit GalvestonWomensConference.com.

About the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce
The Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business and the champion of education and community development in the Galveston Region. The chamber works with over 700 members entities to strengthen the community by advocating for pro-growth public policies, promoting business, improving the local educational system, and advancing community excellence. For more information, please visit GalvestonChamber.com.