Kelley Park, Southwire’s executive vice president of Human Resources, spoke about the importance of emotional intelligence at the Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys’ (LIWOCA) 14^th Annual Leadership Conference hosted at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The three-day conference kicked off on March 27 with a roof-top reception to welcome attendees and allow participants the opportunity to network and connect. According to the LIWOCA website, “the 2019 Conference theme was ‘Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Leading and Empowering at the Next Level.’ A testament to the great strides women of color have made in reaching some of the highest levels of the profession and an acknowledgment of the hard work ahead to move from the world of ‘firsts’ and ‘onlys’ to commonplace.”

Each day was filled with panel discussions and keynotes from several prestigious leaders, including Southwire’s own Kelley Park who also serves on the institute’s Board of Trustees, and numerous opportunities to connect with others in the industry. Attendees included women leaders in law firms, corporations, government agencies, and the judiciary from across the country.

“I met Marion Dockery, CEO and co-founder of LIWOCA, when I was speaking at the State Bar of Georgia on Diversity and Inclusivity two years ago,” said Park. “Burt Fealing, our general counsel and corporate secretary, had once been a member of this Board and knew this would be a service to the legal community that I would truly enjoy.”

Park and two other panelists – Jeanne M. Gills, partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago, Ill., and Enjoliqué D. Aytch, partner at Akerman LLP in Miami, Fla. – spoke on the second day of the conference in a session entitled “Emotional Intelligence: How to Reach Higher Heights in Your Organization or Law Firm.”

“It takes more than just technical skills to succeed in a role of leadership,” said Park. “It takes being self-aware, empathy and an understanding of others to build effective teams, which are truly the key to success.”

The conference concluded on March 29 with a roundtable workshop and other activities. For more information about how Southwire continues to foster a culture guided by ethical values and inspire others to do the same, visit southwire.com/sustainability or follow Southwire Community on Facebook.