March is Women’s History Month, and Thursday was for the women of Christian County, starting with the Christian County Chamber of Commerce’s Women Summit.
It happened at the Silo Event Center and it was a full house, packed with women representing all circles of the workforce, educational and professional settings—and that was fitting, because the panel that started off the event highlighted women in the workforce.
While women have made great strides in numerous industries, several do remain male-dominated, especially law enforcement. Hopkinsville Police Department Public Information Officer Royale Marfil says it’s all about staying confident in yourself and your abilities.
Krista Forsberg is the General Manager at the Walmart Distribution Center and says she usually doesn’t realize that she’s often the only woman in the room—but she doesn’t let it bother her, because she knows she’s just as good at the job as they are.
Dr. Autumn Smith is an OBGYN with Jennie Stuart Health and she says that the medicine is one field where women have really grown in, but that hasn’t put a stop to all struggles. She had her share of doubters when she first began, but now, she says she’s put in the work to prove that she is a great doctor that puts her patients first.
Dr. Smith says she always knew she wanted to be a doctor, and her mother can vouch for that.
The panelists, and host Museum Director Alissa Keller, were joined on stage by Paw-trol Officer Bolo—but he didn’t have much to add to the conversation besides a wagging tail.
The Women’s Summit continued into the afternoon, with attendees hearing from Amy Watson—longtime journalist and recently retired from Nashville’s number one morning show on NewsChannel 5 after 18 years. With nine Emmy Awards under her belt for her work, she was able to provide a unique outlook to the women in the room, while hearing their own stories.
