DCA Announces Keynote Speakers for  2010 NJ Governor's Conference for Women
Novelist Anna Quindlen and 'Good Morning America' Co-Anchor Robin Roberts to Deliver Keynotes

TRENTON - Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Acting Commissioner Lori Grifa today announced that Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling novelist Anna Quindlen and Emmy Award-winning Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts will deliver the keynote addresses at the 2010 NJ Governor's Conference for Women. The conference is slated for Tuesday, May 4, at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

"This extraordinary event is about bringing together women from all walks of life, and inspiring them to reach their full potential and go after their true passion in life," Acting Commissioner Grifa said. "Governor Christie and we here at the DCA recognize the contributions women have made to the growth and strength of New Jersey through their work inside and outside of the home, their countless hours of volunteer service, their role in establishing many of the charitable and philanthropic institutions in the state, and their leadership in movements to create a more fair and just society for all. This conference is designed to support and empower women to continue their efforts to improve the communities in which they live."

The theme of the 2010 NJ Governor's Conference for Women is "A Passport to Your Future." Attendees can choose from 15 different educational sessions in such areas as career development, personal finance, healthy living, business startups and leadership. The session topics and keynote speakers were selected to guide and inspire conference participants from a diverse array of occupations, races, ethnicities, religious preferences, and income levels.

Ms. Quindlen is a novelist, social critic and former Newsweek and New York Times columnist who provided audiences with her perspective on current events for over 30 years. She began her career at age 18 as a copy girl for The New York Post, joining The New York Times a few years later. Starting off as a general assignment reporter, Ms. Quindlen eventually became the third woman in the paper’s history to write for its influential Op-Ed page when she began her award-winning column "Public and Private." Her bestselling novel, One True Thing, was made into a film starring Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger, and her bestsellers Blessings and Black and Blue were both made into TV movies. Her novel, Rise and Shine, debuted on The New York Times bestseller list at #1, and A Short Guide to a Happy Life has sold over one million copies. Ms. Quindlen is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and holds honorary degrees from more than a dozen American universities.

Ms. Roberts is co-anchor of ABC's Good Morning America. Under her leadership, the broadcast has won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning program. She has done extensive reporting around the world and the United States, traveling to the Middle East with former First Lady Laura Bush, who was on a mission to raise awareness about breast cancer in the Muslim world; to Africa with former President Bill Clinton for a first-hand look at the AIDS crisis there; and to many of the nation's 50 states as part of the network's ambitious 50 States in 50 Days initiative in September 2008. Ms. Roberts played an active role in ABC News' coverage of the 2008 presidential race and was the first journalist to interview President Barack Obama after he was sworn in as President. She is a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and has worked to aid rebuilding efforts there after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

The conference will include a networking reception on Monday, May 3, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Crown Ballroom of the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel. Also, attendees will be able to visit a health fair all day long for giveaways and free health services such as blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, exercise demonstrations, nutritional guidance and skin care assessments.

The Governor's Conference for Women is hosted by the DCA's Division on Women and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, a DCA affiliate. The conference is self-sustaining, funded entirely through sponsorship opportunities and registration fees.

Registration is now open for the 2010 NJ Governor's Conference for Women. For more information or to register, visit us online at www.njwomensconference.com.


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