Jeannine LaRue Joins Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno in Mentoring New Jersey’s Young Women Leaders
On April 22nd, KZG’s Jeannine LaRue was pleased to join Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and Lisa Furr-Gordon in speaking before more than 200 7th and 8th grade girls at the South Plainfield Middle School Women’s Leadership Conference.
The Conference, hosted each year by the Women’s Leadership Committee, brings women leaders to the South Plainfield Middle School to share their stories, provide insight into their leadership roles, and discuss their career paths to inspire young girls to pursue their professional ambitions.
Now in its sixth year, the Conference invited New Jersey’s Lt. Governor and Secretary of State Kim Guadagno, Jeannine LaRue, and Lisa Furr-Gordon, who supervises the largest morgue in the state, the Anatomy Laboratories and Morgue at Rutgers University in Newark, to speak about some of the challenges and rewards they experience as women leaders in today’s professional arena.
“I’ve been the first one to do a couple of my jobs – first woman Sheriff in Monmouth County, first Lt. Governor in New Jersey – and I have discovered the importance of writing your own playbook,” said Lt. Gov. Guadagno, who opened the discussion. “No matter what your gender is, you can forge your own path to success based on your best efforts. As tomorrow’s leaders, your achievements will redefine what is possible.”
KZG’s Jeannine LaRue elaborated upon this notion, sharing her experiences and knowledge gained through her over 40-year career in government affairs and policy, higher education and healthcare.
Jeannine, who convened the first ever Statewide Women’s Summit in 1992, also spoke about her personal experiences in breaking down the barriers that often impede the progress of women. She encouraged the students to maintain confidence, study with determination, cultivate their ambition and foster their independence.
“You can do anything if you put your mind to it,” she counseled the students. “Don’t let anyone put you in a box.”
Read more about this year’s South Plainfield Women’s Leadership Conference online, at Tap into South Plainfield.
