SAVE THE DATE
2019 Encouraging Women Conference
Sat., Sept. 21, 2019
9:00- 5:00
Abilene Woman's Club

Amazing Conference Speakers
Break Out Workshops
Make It and Take It DIY Crafts
​Great Catered Lunch

 

Mona Lara

Mona Lara graduated Magna Cum Laude from Abilene Christian University with a Bachelor of Applied Studies. Mona also attended Princeton Theological Seminary where she earned a Master of Divinity degree specializing in preaching and pastoral care and counseling. Mona is part an international team of trainers with The Learning Community as a certified Person -Centered Thinking trainer and has recently founded her own consulting company, Lara Consulting and Services, LLC. Ms. Lara’s background includes over 20 years of working with and advocating for Individuals with Disabilities, Geriatrics and the Aging, and Children in Foster Care as well as those who have been Adopted.  Mona serves her community in multiple facets including Junior League of Abilene, Abilene Chamber of Commerce as a Red Coat Ambassador, American Cancer Society’s Cattle Barons Ball Committee, Taylor County Child Welfare Board, Betty Hardwick Center Waiver Advisory Board, Chair of the Taylor County Aging Cluster, and Abilene Alzheimer’s Association Walk and Spring Gala Committees.
Mona is a national speaker specializing in Person Centered Practices, Trauma-Informed Care, and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Sexuality.  Mona speaks publicly and facilitates training in areas of IDD, Geriatrics, Trauma-Informed Care, Disabilities and Sexuality. 
Ms. Lara is also an ordained minister serving in several capacities including preaching and pulpit supply, weddings, funerals and pre-marital counseling for couples getting married in the state of Texas.
Mona and her husband Joe have 5 children ages 27, 25, 23, 8, and 6.  In her free time, Mona enjoys volunteering in her community, traveling with her family, and reading.
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Denise Coulter

Denise Coulter and her husband Tim have owned Subway Restaurants for 23 years.  Currently they have 8 locations and were named the Abilene Family Owned Business of the Year in 2017.
Denise has served as a Past president of the Texas Midwest Community Network and currently serves as the Chairman of the Subway Abilene Area Advertising Board.  She is an active member of Toastmasters where she is Vice President of Membership.
Denise has a B.S. degree from Texas Tech and a M.S. degree from Angelo State University.  Before owning Subways she taught Biology at Angelo State University and served as the Economic Development Director for Cross Plains and Dublin.
Denise states that her greatest accomplishment is raising four children that are now productive citizens.
Denise has recently received her certification as a Speaker, Trainer, and Coach for the John Maxwell Team and is also a certified Human Behavior Consultant with Personality Insights, Inc.
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Kayla Christianson

Kayla Belle Christianson was born in Washington, D.C. She grew up in a Richmond, Virginia suburb and spent her summers in Alexandria near DC. She knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur since she was 8 years old, when she "franchised" lemonade stands.  In 1997 she moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University.
She graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor's in Mass Communication at age 20. That same year, she married David Christianson of Goddard, Kansas. In 2001, she founded her first business, IN-Focus Digital, as a video production company, working primarily nights and weekends while working on her Master’s Degree.
Kayla is the Owner and CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) of La Belle Productions, LLC the parent company of IN-Focus Digital, a multimedia production & advertising company, IN-Focus STUDIO 302, a photography & media transfer studio, and La Belle Productions, a brand management and consulting firm, all located in Downtown Abilene.
Kayla serves on several non-profit boards, often helping with public image and media relations. She currently serves as the Board Chairwoman for Noah Project Inc., a family violence shelter that serves 10 counties, and on the Abilene Habitat for Humanity  board. Previous board appointments include Abilene Chamber of Commerce, Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, Abilene Public Relations Org, Cancer Services Network, and several others. 
In January 2017, her husband, David, joined the company as COO, Chief Optimism Officer, to run the day-to-day operations allowing Kayla to travel for Rotary as Assistant Governor and other speaking engagements. They recently welcomed a puppy, Brielle the Frug, into their downtown penthouse apartment overlooking Abilene.