Complete Story
07/08/2025
What's Up With WIL
Fearless Leadership in Action — Thanks for Joining Us
Be bold. Be authentic. Be a leader.
These were just a few of the powerful messages that resonated throughout the 2025 Annual Women in Lodging Statewide Leadership Luncheon on June 26.
Keynote speaker Ukeme Awakessien Jeter delivered an inspiring address titled “Lead Fearlessly, Permission Optional.” She challenged attendees to embrace fearless leadership by taking initiative, creating impact, and letting go of the need for permission or validation. Her keynote explored the mindset shift required to move from seeking approval to seizing leadership opportunities, and reminded us that fear is natural—courage is choosing to lead anyway.
Following the keynote, a dynamic panel of women leaders engaged in an honest and forward-looking conversation about leadership, growth, and the future of the industry. For the first time in the event’s history, the panel featured professionals from outside the hospitality world, offering fresh perspectives and diverse insights.
Thank you to Anne Marie Wilson, Alex M. Varney, Amanda Olavarria, and Deepa Kellar for sharing your stories, and to moderator Lisa Garner for leading a thoughtful and engaging discussion.
Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Ken Neverman, President/Owner of ServiceMASTER by Neverman, for joining Ukeme in a powerful post-keynote Q&A.
We are also grateful to our additional sponsors—Lasting Impressions Event Rental, Mills James, and SERVPRO of Northeast Columbus—for their generous support in making this event possible.
Lead, Connect, Create: The WIL Cocktail Connection Experience
Join us for a salad composition workshop with appetizers and wine pairing.
When: September 9th | 5 - 6:30 p.m.
Kinley Cincinnati Downtown, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel | 636 Race St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Overview
🍴 The Composed Salad: The Basic Elements of Art and Design with Food
Join us for an unforgettable evening of connection, creativity, and culinary exploration at our annual WIL Cocktail Connection! This program, The Composed Salad: The Basic Elements of Art and Design with Food, offers a fresh, hands-on take on leadership and expression through food.
Presented by nationally recognized food stylist Mary Seguin, this interactive workshop invites attendees to explore how food can be a powerful medium for innovation, intention, and presence. You'll learn to see your plate as a canvas—discovering proportion, color, texture, and flavor composition while having fun and building a salad from start to finish.
Participants are immersed in visual language from the beginning of the workshop.
- Becoming "visual sommeliers" - calibrating the eye for light and dark.
- Lead drawing exercises, kinetically reinforcing the language as we create a progressive dinner drawing.
- Compose their own salads using a palette of ingredients—with and without structure
- Active instruction and Q&A throughout the presentation
🎤 Presenter: Mary Seguin (sample work shown above)
Mary Seguin is a presenter, food stylist for film, print, and a cook, working in the tri-state area and afar. She holds a BFA Design degree from Bowling Green State University, MFA from the University of Cincinnati DAAP, and attended Cincinnati State Midwest Culinary Institute. She has worked with many organizations: Greater Cincinnati WIC, Saatchi and Saatchi X, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, College Hill Gardeners, and private groups.
You can find her work at MarySeguinFoodstylist.com or on Instagram at marymakesithappen61
🔗 MarySeguinFoodStylist.com
📸 Instagram: @marymakesithappen61
Registration
This event is complimentary to OHLA Members
Parking
Valet parking and surrounding parking garages are available.
Suggested -
Fountain Square North Garage (5-minute walk)
520 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Thank you to our Sponsor!
