LAS VEGAS – Financial and executive search experts, life coaches, self-made millionaires and the founder of The Women’s Chamber of Commerce top the list of speakers for the 3^rd Annual Women of Color Conference to be held Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

A forum for professional development and networking, the conference for the first time this year will offer participants an opportunity to meet one-on-one with career coaches to discuss career challenges and opportunities. 

The conference is open to the public and limited space remains available for registration.  For information about registration and sponsorships, please visit www.lvwomenofcolor.com.

“This conference may be among a few in the nation designed to focus exclusively on the personal and professional development of women,” said Debra Nelson, MGM MIRAGE Vice President Corporate Diversity and Conference Chair. “We’ve gathered an unprecedented group of nationally known presenters for what promises to be an exhilarating experience for individuals who are serious about advancement in all aspects of their lives.”

Following the speaker presentations and lunch, attendees can meet with career coaches – including those currently involved in the United States’ largest single hiring effort of 12,000 employees at CityCenter – to receive  a personalized career evaluation and practical advice on how to break through the “glass ceiling.”

This year’s Women of Color conference speakers include:

June Beland is Founder and CEO of The Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada. A former model and entertainer, she has over 50 years experience in the entertainment industry, 35 years as a woman entrepreneur, and has been celebrity book author for 13 years. She also founded Women In Power©, and The Entrepreneur Club©, and is the owner of ABC Publishing© and publisher of Celebrity Registry©. June is involved in many organizations and initiatives involving the advancement of women in business.

Glinda Bridgforth is president and founder of Bridgforth Financial & Associates, LLC. A noted financial expert, she specializes in a holistic approach to money management.  Her books, Girl, Get Your Money Straight! And most recently, Girl, Get Your Credit Straight!, have been Essence Magazine’s best sellers. She has been featured in various national media including USA Today, Money, Black Enterprise and Larry King Live.  She lectures throughout the U.S. and was a featured coach on The Oprah Winfrey Show’s six-part series “America’s Debt Diet.”

Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott is an international best selling author, entrepreneur, lecturer and trainer.  As a management consultant and executive coach for the last 30 years, her clients have included professional associations, Fortune 500 companies and corporate executives.  She holds a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Development and has been called “The Mother of Coaching” based on her ability to motivate managers and employees to become more productive and to find innovative solutions to challenges. Her many books, including If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules, are New York Times bestsellers.

Doug Geinzer is founder of Recruiting Nevada, an online classified employment service.  He is responsible for managing the service’s network of employment websites.  Previously he owned a media group that produced career fairs, employment guides and the nation’s first diversity recruiting magazine that was distributed to colleges throughout the U.S.  He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and the recipient of numerous business awards.

Soo Hong is the lead consultant of the Los Angeles office of Spencer Stuart, one of the nation’s leading executive search firms.  Previously, Soo was a senior member of the consumer sector of a competitive firm where she established and led the global gaming practice.  Prior, she worked in the professional services and publishing industries and advised clients at Booz Allen Hamilton on the consumer, retail and healthcare industries.  She graduated cum laude from Wellesley College and has an M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.

Ann M. Lake is global leader of professional development for IBM’s Global Business Services (GBS) unit. She has worked in professional development for the last 15 years. Previously, she led the design and implementation of programs at PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting to help employees understand career opportunities within the company and the experiences and skills required to progress. She is currently working on a project to develop and establish a similar program at IBM.

Lisa Nichols is a best selling author, public speaker and coach.  She is founder of Motivating the Masses and CEO of Motivating the Teen Spirit, LLC.  She participated in the self-development phenomenon, The Secret, and co-authored Chicken Soup for the African American Soul. She has been a featured guest on some of America’s most prestigious talk shows such as Larry King Live and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her most recently published book No Matter What! inspires readers to achieve their goals.

Louisa Mendoza is President of Keep It Clean Janitorial Service.  She established her business with $16.19 and a dream to become self-employed and self-empowered. She moved to Las Vegas in the 1990s where she learned to speak English by watching television shows and reading children’s books. At the beginning, she cleaned residences; however, at a business meeting she met a representative of a major gaming company who subsequently gave her an opportunity to work.  Now, Keep It Clean’s clients include MGM MIRAGE, Station Casinos and Encore. 

Fafie Moore is President of Realty Executives of Nevada, a company that is repeatedly ranked as the number one woman-owned business in the Business Press Book of Lists and is listed among the Top 100 real estate offices in the U.S. by RISMedia Power Broker Report for more than seven years. She is past Chair of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and has been recognized as one of the most influential people in Las Vegas by In Business Las Vegas.

Richelle Shaw is a leading expert on how to build a million dollar business.  Her book How to Build a Million Dollar Business in Las Vegas – Without the Casinos chronicles her trials and success as the nation’s only female public utility owner.  She is an expert content contributor on numerous internet sites dedicated to business development and has been featured in publications such as Inc., Entrepreneur, Smart Money and Black Enterprise. She is the CEO of RTS Publishing, LLC.

The 3^rd Annual Women of Color Conference is hosted by the Asian, Urban and Latin Chambers of Commerce, and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada.

The conference is sponsored by MGM MIRAGE, American Family Insurance and IBM. Sponsorship opportunities for companies and organizations are still available. 

The registration fee for participants is $75 and the reduced registration fee rate for students is $60.  Registration includes the full conference and all workshops and lectures, a networking reception, one-on-one career coaching sessions, and the Empowering Our Future Luncheon.

About MGM MIRAGE:
MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM), one of the world's leading and most respected companies with significant holdings in gaming, hospitality and entertainment, owns and operates 16 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has 50% investments in four other properties in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois and Macau.  CityCenter, an unprecedented urban metropolis on the Las Vegas Strip scheduled to open in late 2009, is a joint venture between MGM MIRAGE and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World.  MGM MIRAGE Hospitality has entered into management agreements for casino and non-casino resorts throughout the world.  MGM MIRAGE supports responsible gaming and has implemented the American Gaming Association's Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming at its properties. MGM MIRAGE has received numerous awards and recognitions for its industry-leading Diversity Initiative and its community philanthropy programs.  For more information about MGM MIRAGE, please visit the Company's Web site at http://www.mgmmirage.com.

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