WE Speak: Beyond the Bios

Go beyond the bios of two highly successful women business leaders in an interactive forum to share experiences, advice and lessons learned.

Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scot King Literary Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author. She was selected as Ohio’s Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator, Ohio Teacher of the Year, and was chosen as a NCNW Excellence in Teaching Award winner. Her book Copper Sun has been selected by the US State Department and the International Reading Association as the United States novel for the international reading project called Reading Across Continents. Students in the US, Nigeria, and Ghana will read the book and share ideas.

Mary Ronan is the superintendent of the Cincinnati Public School System. During a 32-year career with CPS, she has served as teacher, principal and director of schools. At both the school and administration levels, she has earned a reputation for building strong, supportive and open relationships with staff, parents and community stakeholders. Her priorities include enhancing collaboration and transparency while accelerating academic achievement. Additionally, she is leading efforts to improve math and science education in the district through a $20 million grant from the GE Foundation.