October 30-31, 2025
The 13th Annual Women in Business Conference: From Local Roots to Global Reach
Thursday, 4:00-7:00 pm, Opening Session and Reception
Friday, 8:00 am- 2:30 pm, WIB Conference
Location: Alexandria Convention Center • 2225 N MacArthur Dr., Alexandria, LA 71303
Keynote Speaker
Darienne Mobley, Women's Leadership Coach and Bestselling Author
Dare to Choose Happy
Darienne Mobley is an inspirational leader and certified professional coach who offers a diverse range of services to individuals, executives, and teams. Utilizing her industry expertise and her signature blend of wisdom and wit,
Darienne helps her clients achieve success in their personal and professional lives.
She coaches women leaders to provide tools to improve work-life balance, reach goals, and enhance leadership capabilities. In addition to coaching, Darienne is a passionate, entertaining public speaker and true storyteller
who connects with her audiences by sharing authentic experiences and real-life solutions.
She inspires, entertains, educates, and elevates her listeners with engaging presentations.
Darienne has published a book, “Dare to Choose Happy,” a personal development book to help people live more fulfilled lives. Over the past decade, Darienne has successfully collaborated with hundreds of organizations around the country. Her experience spans a wide range of industries, with a specialty in tourism. Darienne is proud to have served as the Tourism Director for TWO states - Mississippi and Louisiana. Directing two states is an honor held by less than 10 leaders in the U.S. Darienne currently resides on the beach in Ocean Springs, MS with her husband.
Opening Keynote Speaker
Valerie Verzwyvelt, Owner, Mama V's Candies
Courage Over Comfort
Valerie Verzwyvelt was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana, and is a proud graduate of Alexandria Senior High School. From a young age, she carried a strong entrepreneurial spirit, inspired by her grandfather, a successful business owner and lifelong mentor.
Although Valerie built most of her career in the medical field, her passion for business never faded. She always dreamed of creating something of her own that could bring people joy. That dream came to life with Mama V's Candy, a brand that started small and quickly grew into a fast-moving national candy business loved by customers across the country.
Valerie’s journey is one of resilience, creativity, and determination — proof that it’s never too late to follow your passion and build a sweet success story.
Julie Fontenot, BSN, RNC-OB, CCPS, Director of Quality, Rapides Regional Medical Center
Julie Douglas Fontenot is currently the Director of Quality Management at Rapides Regional Medical Center. She has been a Registered Nurse there for the past 30 years. During her tenure, she has also been honored to serve as a Nursing Supervisor, Nurse Manager of Labor and Delivery, Risk Management Coordinator, Director of Risk Management and Administrative Director of Rapides Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She is nationally certified in both Patient Safety and Inpatient Obstetrics. She has also successfully coordinated and penned two submissions which designated Rapides Regional Medical Center as a Pathways to Excellence facility. Julie views nursing as both servanthood and ministry.
Julie, who lives in Pine Prairie, is the mother of two adult children. Shelby is a Journeyman Lineman and Blaire is finishing her Doctorate of Audiology Degree. She has one granddaughter, Liliana, who is her pride and joy! She has two beloved pups, Marigold and Mistletoe. She enjoys shopping, thrifting and reading. She serves in several capacities at her local church where she also teaches a college and career Sunday School class. Julie is blessed with one amazing sister and two incredible parents.
Susie Schowen, Secretary of LA Workforce Commission
Susana (Susie) Schowen serves as the Secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission. She was appointed by Governor Jeff Landry in January of 2024. Prior to joining the LWC, she spent two years as the Vice President of Education at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and before that, she was at LED FastStart, the workforce development division of Louisiana Economic Development, for over ten years. Through all these roles, Susie has focused on building coalitions of industry partners, economic developers, and educators to align education and workforce development efforts with the needs of employers and the economy, increasing the prosperity of our people and our communities. She takes a highly innovative and employer-responsive approach, restructuring systems to lift individuals out of poverty while driving economic growth, and measuring success using performance-based models that reward results, not promises. She also works across agencies and with regional partners to identify inefficiencies in the system, and better align the delivery of social services with workforce development efforts. Susie has degrees in chemistry from Wellesley College and Columbia University.
Sarah Sasser, VP of Talent, Crest Industries
Sarah Sasser serves as Vice President of Talent at Crest Industries and practices as an Industrial Organizational Psychologist. She is passionate about helping people discover their potential and step into possibilities they may not yet see for themselves, a commitment that complements Crest’s purpose of challenging businesses and people to grow beyond what they believe is possible. She also greatly values building healthy, productive, scalable organizational cultures where people feel empowered to contribute, grow, and lead with confidence.
At Crest, Sarah has been a catalyst in strengthening the company’s focus on developing people - not just as employees and leaders, but as whole human beings who are capable of extraordinary growth. With a conviction that leadership is about leaving footsteps worth following, she inspires intentional development and purposeful living. Central to her approach is a commitment to living a values-based life, ensuring that her work and influence reflect authenticity, faith, and care for others. She is committed to contributing meaningfully to her community and society at large.
Beyond her professional role, Sarah treasures her life with her husband, Thomas, to whom she has been married since 2012. Together, they are raising two daughters, Reese and Case, who inspire her to model love, integrity, and resilience.
Sheila Thompson Johnson brings a lifetime of leadership, athletic excellence, and faith-based service to the board of Uncommon One. Raised in Pitkin, Louisiana, she excelled as a high school basketball star—winning two state championships, earning Louisiana Prep All-American and “Miss Basketball” honors. At Louisiana College, she led the Lady Wildcats to a national Final Four, became the school’s all-time leading scorer, and earned two All-American selections.
Sheila later served as head coach and athletic director at Louisiana College, guiding the program through NCAA Division III transition, reinstating football, and overseeing facility development. Her coaching earned national and state recognition.
An educator and mentor, Sheila has served on multiple boards, including Louisiana College, LSU Alexandria, and community organizations. She and her husband, Mike Johnson, are devoted parents and grandparents. Her faith is the driving force behind all she does, and she considers her involvement with Uncommon One a God-given assignment. She believes deeply in the ministry’s mission to help young women embrace their identity in Christ and walk boldly in their God-given purpose.
Dr. Sharifa Baker, M.D., FAAFP: Physician | Medical Director | Christian Educator | Women’s Wellness Advocate
Dr. Sharifa Baker is a board-certified Family Physician and distinguished healthcare leader with over 20 years of clinical and administrative experience. A graduate of Dillard University and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, she completed her residency at LSU Health Sciences Center in Alexandria, where she continues to serve her community with passion and purpose.
She currently provides primary care at CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic and serves as the regional Physician Champion, helping to lead strategic initiatives focused on patient care, provider wellness, and clinical excellence. Since 2018, she has also served as the Medical Director of the CHRISTUS Cabrini Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center.
Dr. Baker is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and holds multiple certifications in bariatric and weight management, and EPIC Systems Physician Builder. She earned her Master’s in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2024, where she deepened her mission to serve at the intersection of faith and medicine.
Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Excellence in Patient Care award from CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic and a featured role in CHRISTUS Cabrini’s award-winning Physician’s Prayer project.
Dr. Baker is a proud member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Obesity Coalition, Louisiana Women Leaders Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
A sought-after speaker and mentor, Dr. Baker empowers women—especially Christian women leaders—to embrace whole-person wellness and walk boldly in their divine purpose. She brings wisdom, warmth, and a spiritually grounded perspective to every conversation.
Chris Masingill, CEcD, President and CEO of Louisiana Central
Chris Masingill is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Louisiana Central, a regional economic development organization focused on creating a thriving economy in Central Louisiana. Prior to this appointment, Chris led the St. Tammany Corporation as Chief Executive Officer, where he launched a newly established economic development organization with a reimagined vision, mission, scope of work, and team. Under his leadership, the organization initiated, adopted, and is now implementing THRIVE2023, St. Tammany’s 5-Year economic development strategic plan. Since 2018, St. Tammany Corporation has announced multiple major business recruitment and expansion projects representing over $60 million in capital investment and 1,177 new and retained jobs.
In 2020, Masingill was named by Consultant Connect as a Top 50 Economic Developer and the organization was also named a First-Rate Economic Development Organization in the South by Southern Business & Development Journal. During Masingill’s seven years as federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, the DRA leveraged more than $90 million in DRA funds into nearly $1.6 billion in total private and public-sector investments in Delta communities. Overall, DRA investments under Masingill assisted in the creation and retention of more than 5,700 jobs and nearly 3,000 workers received training for 21st-century employment.
He has a proven track record of creating sustainable, collaborative partnerships with a variety of local, regional, state, and federal agencies, as well as with business and community leaders, legislators, and nonprofit organizations. He also holds professional designations for economic development, project management, and emergency management and disaster preparedness, including the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council and the Economic Development Master Practitioner (EcDMP) from the Advanced Economic Development Leadership Executive Education Program.
Masingill serves as a board member of the International Economic Development Council and serves on the Membership Development Advisory Committee and Economic Development Research Partners; the Louisiana Director on the Southern Economic Development Council Board of Directors; is an advisory board member for Greater New Orleans, Inc.; serves on the board of directors for the American Red Cross of Southeastern Louisiana; and is a Commissioner for the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission.
Presented By
Partner Sponsor
Reception Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Table Sponsors
LSUA
UTLX
Young Professionals Group of Cenla
Walker Automotive
Boise Cascade
Crest Industries
Louisiana House of Representatives
- Rep. Mike Johnson