2022 Conference Speakers
We’re proud to feature a list of prominent speakers who are at the forefront of their fields. These professionals are always eager to share their knowledge and inspire like-minded enthusiasts.
Read more about this year’s speakers below, and don't forget to get your tickets today.
Angelique Slagle
SVP, General Manager for the Americas & APJ
Angelique Slagle is SVP, General Manager for the Americas & APJ at Skillsoft. Since starting this role in October 2021, Angelique is tasked with building a customercentric culture that will enable strategic revenue growth and development within the Americas & APJ. Prior, Angelique served as the head of SAP’s Human Experience Management (HXM) Line of Business in North America. In this role, she was responsible for driving sales, revenue operations and the go-to-market strategy.

Nina V.A. Johnson is the Consumer and Business Banking Leader for U.S. Bank’s Wisconsin market, managing more than 300 employees throughout the southeastern segment of the state. She has worked in the banking industry for more than 35 years and has held several leadership roles in her tenure ranging from computer operations and consumer lending to direct auto finance and private label loss mitigation.


Nina V.A. Johnson
SVP, Consumer & Business Banking Leader

Thérèz Fleetwood
Bernadette J. Carroll
CEO Luxury Romance Concierge™ Romance Concierge
Author, Speaker and Power Up Conference CEO & Founder
Thérèz Fleetwood, founder of Luxury Romance Concierge™, a unique date night service that creates intimate fantasy nights for couples. She is the author of Men and Intimacy, Real Talk. Real Answers and the creator of the INTO-ME-SEE Game Cards™. Thérèz has been catering to couples for 20+ years as a wedding designer and coordinator and has been a guest on several talk shows including the Today Show, Good Day New York, and Good Morning Texas. She has also worked as a life coach in the field of self-expression and leadership and is the former owner of Thérèz's Playhouse, an adult game and toy company which provided couples various ways to rekindle the romance, intimacy, and bliss in their relationships".
Bernadette is the founder and organizer of the life changing Power Up Women’s & Teens Conference, now in its seventh year. She is a sought after speaker, writer, author, life coach and marketing guru with over 15 years of marketing experience.
Bernadette believes in celebrating the lives and work of other women in and around he community. This act of gratitude is portrayed in her conference as she seeks to honor, recognize, and celebrate other women for their contribution to world.
Bernadette is a loving wife, and mother of two amazing children. She is an active member of: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Psi Rho Omega Chapter in Loudoun County, Jack & Jill of America Inc., Northern Virginia Chapter.
Erica Rowe
Business Brand Ambassador & Queen Confidence Creator

Erica P. Rowe is the Founder/Chief Connector of Business Brand Ambassador. She has a natural ability to make powerful connections. She has worked many years in the hospitality industry for some of the top global brands, including The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Red Door Salon & Spas. As well as owning her own successful practice has given her extensive insight into high-level brand representation. Erica has always served her community as an ‘unofficial’ ambassador. She has enjoyed building meaningful relationships within her local and surrounding communities and brings that same level of excellence and commitment to Business Brand Ambassador. Erica is a sought-after emcee/host who enjoys bringing an energetic and engaging experience to every event. In addition, she has hosted numerous events in and around Loudoun County. She is the Queen Confidence, Creator of The EVOLVE Series, a four-week workshop empowering Queens to positively impact their lives & their communities by showing up with confidence as the best version of themselves, by utilizing her EVOLVE six-step framework.

Ciara Simonson
Speaker, Author, Relationship & Pastoral Counselor
Reverend Ciara S. Simonson is an ordained minister and relationship counselor with the Imago Center of Washington DC. Indicative of her compassion for humanity and commitment to helping others heal and grow, Ciara established herself as a dynamic speaker and pastoral counselor integrating her theological and clinical background. Ciara identifies herself as the “wounded healer” who shares her passion for healing by educating, encouraging, and empowering others to honor the full context of their life.


The Honorable Lorrie Sinclair Taylor
Kelly N. Moore, PsyD
General District Court Judge for Loudoun County
Child Psychology, Consultation Services & Keynote Speaker
Judge Lorrie Sinclair Taylor served as a prosecutor in both the City of Virginia Beach and Loudoun County, Virginia; as the legal instructor at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy; and as a private general practice attorney.
She served as a Substitute Judge and a Special Justice before being elected by the Virginia General Assembly to serve as a judge in the 20th Judicial District.
On April 1, 2020, when Judge Taylor began her term, she became the first Black judge to serve in the 20th Judicial District.

Kelly N. Moore, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist in New Jersey & Pennsylvania with a clinical specialty in the treatment of anxiety, trauma, and perinatal disorders in youth and adults.
Dr. Moore specializes in Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) for PTSD, Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) for OCD, and Trauma-Focused CBT for children with a sexual abuse history.
Dr. Moore is currently the Director of the Center for Psychological Services at The Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.

Christy Rutherford
Women's Leadership Expert, Vision Finder International
Christy Rutherford is an advisor to executive leaders and businesses. A keynote speaker and author, Christy published five #1 best-selling books on Amazon in eight months.
Christy's goal is to get 10,000 women $1 billion in raises and promotions by 2025.
A Harvard Business School Alumna, Christy is also a certified Executive Leadership Coach from Georgetown University and has been featured in Forbes three times.
Christy is the 13th African American woman to achieve the rank of Commander (Lieutenant Colonel equivalent) in the U.S. Coast Guard’s 225+ year history where her demographic was .1%.
Linda R. Gray
MSN, RN, CS, PMHCNS-BC
Ms. Gray is the CEO and President of The ”L” Group, LLC, a consultation service providing training, consulting, coaching, and leadership development. She is also a certified member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team.
Ms. Linda Gray is a Native Washingtonian with an extensive 29-year career in Human Resources in the federal government. She has served in various leadership roles in seven federal agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration; Transportation Security Administration; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Defense, and the Small Business Administration.
She is currently a senior executive at the Environmental Protection Agency where she serves as a human resources consultant as the Workforce Development Executive in the Office of Land Emergency Management (OLEM).

Pamela Sams
Women's Leadership Expert, Vision Finder International
For 20 years, Pamela has been helping women improve their personal and financial wealth through solid financial life planning.
Pamela’s education and training enable her to help clients successfully navigate through the myriad of financial decisions they face during their lives.
She focuses on helping her clients meet their financial needs and help them work to achieve financial security and greater retirement readiness.
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