About the Event
In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, the Vermont Council on World Affairs is hosting our annual International Women’s Day networking event to celebrate the power of women, locally and globally.
In our ever-evolving world, it is crucial to ensure that the voices of girls and women are heard and elevated to the forefront of conversations across industries, sectors, and nations. Through collective effort and collaboration, we can break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and pave the way for a future where the potential of every individual, regardless of gender, is fully realized.
This event will provide you the opportunity to:
Connect with individuals and organizations who collectively support the work to advance women’s rights and the role women play in bringing diverse voices to the table.
Discuss how supporting women and girls impacts all of the world’s people
Hear from special guest speakers
Join us as we unite individuals, business leaders, and organizations to engage in conversations on creating a more gender-balanced world.
Registration
Speakers
The Honorable Nancy J. Waples
Associate Justice, Vermont Supreme Court
Justice Nancy Jear Waples was born in Toronto, Canada to Chinese immigrant parents who fled the communist revolution. After growing up working in her parents’ Chinese restaurant and becoming a U.S. citizen, she graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1982 and earned her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law in 1987. Beginning her legal career in both the appeals and trial divisions of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, she later moved to Vermont in 1993, joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. Here, she prosecuted federal firearms, narcotics, fraud, child pornography, and immigration offenses, also serving as the Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator. After her prosecutorial career, she became a criminal defense attorney and managing partner at Hoff Curtis in Burlington. Appointed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals as the Criminal Justice Act Coordinator for the District of Vermont, she was the liaison between the federal courts and the panel of court appointed attorneys representing indigent clients.
In December 2014, Justice Waples was appointed to the Vermont Superior Court, becoming the first person of color on the trial bench. After nearly seven years of service, she was appointed and sworn in as the 137th Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court on April 15, 2022. Breaking barriers, she is the fifth woman and the first person of color to hold this position. Justice Waples, married to Greg Waples, Chief of Appeals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, has two sons—one an attorney at a large New York City firm and the other a law clerk in the Court of International Trade. A dedicated community member, she has contributed to various organizations, including serving as president of the Board of Directors of Spectrum Youth and Family Services and the Vermont Youth Orchestra. Beyond her legal work, Justice Waples has been actively engaged in civic and charitable activities, providing translation and pro bono legal services to the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program. The Waples family, passionate about rescue animals, is completed by their three cats and four dogs.
Donna Carpenter
Owner and Chair of the Board, Burton Snowboards
Donna met Burton’s founder, Jake Burton Carpenter in a Southern Vermont bar on New Year’s Eve 1981. Ever since, she’s been a driving force at the world’s leading snowboard company. Her first job included dipping snowboards in polyurethane and answering the customer service line that rang in the bedroom. In the mid 1980s, Donna expanded Burton’s business to Europe and ran the company’s first international office in Innsbruck, Austria. In 2003, Jake asked Donna to make Burton a brand of choice and employer of choice for women. Thanks to Donna’s leadership, Burton now has progressive parent policies, mentoring programs and more women in leadership roles. In 2010, Donna stepped up to the role of President, and then in 2016 went on to become Burton’s first female CEO. In February 2020, Donna became the Chair of the Burton Board of Directors, a position formerly held by her late husband and Burton founder, Jake Burton Carpenter who passed away in November of 2019 due to complications from recurring cancer.
Today, Donna inspires Burton to root the company’s work in a greater purpose. She invests in sustainability efforts and advocates for more diversity on the mountain and in boardrooms. As a founder and Co-Chair of the non-profit youth development organization Chill, she is dedicated to the organization’s mission of inspiring young people through boardsports and building a more equitable outdoor community. Under her ownership, Burton commits $2M of profits annually to support values-aligned organizations doing work that positively impacts people, planet, and the sport of snowboarding.
Donna and her three sons George, Taylor and Timi do their best to live by Jake’s motto of having as much fun as possible while keeping the world’s leading snowboard company a family-owned brand.
Moderator
Ellen Yount
Vice President, MSI Worldwide, VCWA Board Member
