VWEC is excited to invite you to join or CEO, VR Small at the 2024 ACHE of North Texas Annual Women's Breakfast, with this year's theme:
Women Leading with Courage and Bravery.
Our CEO joins the amazing line up of dynamic women speakers below:
Pamela Bryant:
Pamela Bryant is the Senior Vice President & Chief Supply Chain Officer for Parkland Health. Parkland is one of the largest public hospitals in the country with more than 1 million patient visits annually. Pamela has over 25 years of supply chain experience and leads a team of over 200 personnel and is responsible for all aspects of the supply chain, including procurement, strategic sourcing, informatics, logistics, distribution, vendor management, and equipment/asset management. She has a proven track record in driving cost reductions, supporting dynamic growth, implementing new initiatives, improving operational efficiencies, and driving supplier diversity.
Pamela earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and her Master of Business Administration degree from Averett University in Danville, Virginia. She is an advisory board member of The Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) and previously served as president of the local North Texas chapter. She also serves as the Board Vice Chair for the Dallas Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council (DFWMSDC) is the Board Finance Chair of the Women’s Business Council Southwest (WBCS) and is a founding member of the Global Health Exchange’s (GHX) Customer Advisory Board.
Leora Westbrook:
Leora Westbrook is the President of Workforce Strategy & Optimization at AMN Healthcare, developing and executing the business plan. Leora oversees strategy, operations, technology, education, analytics, and consulting solutions.
With more than 20 years of healthcare and professional services experience, Leora has a record of leading complex organizations, driving growth, and delivering transformational outcomes. Known for her servant leadership and collaborative style, Leora has worked for Fortune 50 companies and launched her consulting practice.
Leora earned an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Miami.
Lauren Fisher:
Lauren's incredible journey from being a welfare mom to amassing 30 years of experience in training and development as well as achieving a successful career in sales with the Fortune 500 company LabCorp, is nothing short of inspiring. At LabCorp, a global life sciences company with over 60,000 employees, Lauren has trained hundreds in both corporate and personal settings.
As a certified Jack Canfield Success Principles Trainer, Lauren Fisher empowers others to embrace their greatness with proven, easy-to-implement strategies through speaking engagements and experiential workshops through her company, Easy Success Strategies, LLC. She brings passion, heart, and determination to every engagement, making a lasting impact on everyone she meets.
Outside of her professional life, Lauren enjoys feeding her curiosity and passion for learning with books and utilizing various social media platforms. She has a deep passion championing others, connecting others with like-minded people and helpful resources. Lauren also found an interest in kayaking and even participated in the 2014 Guinness World Record event for the largest raft of canoes and kayaks, with an astounding 3,150 boats!
In 2017, Lauren added “published author” to her list of accomplishments with her writing contribution in the anthology “Women Who Inspire,” which became an Amazon #1 Best Seller.
Lauren Fisher’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, dedication, and the belief that anyone can achieve greatness.
VR Small:
VWEC Founder/CEO VR Small is a fellow of SMU’s Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity—Inclusive Economy, Dallas Public Voices, the Bush Institute Stand-to-Veteran Leadership Program and appointed as a Women Veterans 2030 Commissioner.
Featured in Dallas Innovates 2020: The Future 50 North Texans to watched, that same year VR was selected as SBA’s DFW District 2020 Veteran Small Business Advocate of the Year, a Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Center for Women Veterans (CWV), 2021 Trailblazer “Women Veterans Leading the Way” a Dallas Business Journal 2021 Women in Business Honoree, nominated 2022 Entrepreneur Evangelist of the Year, a finalists for D CEO’s 2022 Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards for Leadership Excellence (Micro), 2022 Dallas Award for Business Development Services, and a Rolling Out Magazine, Sisters with Superpowers Honoree.
VR’s inspiring work is featured in the Dallas Morning News, Veterans Day 2021 Special Pullout Edition, on the cover of the 2022 Winter Issue of AVOW, 2022 Marquis Who’s Who in America, and Texas CEO Magazine-Q3.
A media favorite featured on NBC 5 Texas Today, FOX 4, Shaun Rabb: Here & Now, Spectrum News: In Focus, FOX 4, Good Day Dallas, River City Live, WJXT – Jacksonville, Fl. Rance Adams; Daytime Diva, Lynne Haze, CW33 MORNING, WFAA Weekend Daybreak, Axios, and Best of Guide TV to name a few.
In 2023, VWEC hosted the grand opening of its new facility in the Comerica BusinessHQ, a five-million-dollar renovation creating a community small business center in southern Dallas. This year VWEC celebrates its 7th Anniversary with the theme Empowering Her Path Forward: Celebrating Her Steps to Success!