Diversity program to feature Baird Funds president, Foley managing partner

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The State Bar of Wisconsin is hosting an annual diversity program focused on gender diversity in the workplace.

This year’s program, “Proactively Addressing Gender Diversity in the Workplace,” will be from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. April 29 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee.

The program, including lunch, costs $35 for State Bar members and nonmembers. Admission is free for students, but they must register ahead of time. The program is expected to be approved for three hours of continuing legal education credit, including one hour of ethics and professional responsibility credit. See the State Bar’s event web page for more information and to register for the program.

The program will start with a 9 a.m. question-and-answer session about gender diversity issues in the workplace and the importance of workforce diversity. The Q&A will feature the following speakers:

• Mary Ellen Stanek, managing director and chief investment officer at Robert W. Baird & Co.;
• Peggy Kelsey, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of WEC Energy Group; and
• Linda Benfield, managing partner at Foley & Lardner.

There will also be a panel on closing the gender leadership gap in the legal profession and a panel about ethics that focuses on sexual harassment.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Carl Ashley will give opening and closing remarks at the event.

The event is sponsored by Church Mutual Insurance Co., Foley, J.W. Baird, MWH Law Group, Reinhart Boerner van Deuren and von Briesen & Roper.