Graduate student attends the WithIt Conference in Raleigh, NC

Deb Spofford, a graduate student in the print textile program, had the

opportunity to attend the WithIt Conference during the summer break.

WithIt is a leadership development-networking group for the

furnishings industries that champions the advancement of women.

The group encourages female leaders to grow by recognizing

excellence, promoting leadership and positioning member at the

forefront of the industry.

With the generous support of several WithIt members, 18 students

from different universities were invited to attend the annual

conference. Deb Spofford flew from Seattle, WA and was greeted at

the airport by WithIt member Pat Bowling. This was just the beginning

of the hospitality shown to the students and first time attendees of the

conference. Jackie Hirschhaut, VP of Public Relations and Marketing

for the American Home Furnishings Alliance hosted the students and

was instrumental in connecting them with industry professionals that

matched their specific field of study.

The following three days were filled with amazing speakers, round
table discussions, and networking opportunities. Some of the break
out session topics discussed were Building a Premiere Design
Business, Launching a Career in the Home Furnishings, Creating a
Fabulous Blog, Critical Thinking, and Building Organizational Culture.

There were also many inspirational and informative speakers, which
included Mary Lou Quinlan, author of The God Box, Emily
Bennington, author of Who Says it’s a Man’s World, Mary Knackstedt,
author of The Interior Design Business Handbook, and Arlene Blum,
author and director of the Green Science Policy Institute.