LAS VEGAS, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Valerie Biden Owens, one of the first women in the United States to manage modern Senatorial and Presidential campaigns, will speak at The MGM Resorts Foundation's 12th annual Women's Leadership Conference (WLC). 

The conference will be held Aug. 27 & 28 at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Biden Owens serves as Vice Chair of the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware, whose mission is to influence, shape, and work to solve the most pressing domestic policy problems facing America. Throughout her career, she has worked with and trained women on how to organize political efforts and develop the skills needed to make change in their communities.

"We are excited to have Valerie Biden Owens share her experiences with our attendees," said Dawn Christensen, the conference's project manager and Executive Director of National Diversity Relations for MGM Resorts International. "This conference is about teaching women how to grow in their personal and professional lives. Valerie has succeeded as a leader in both politics and in the non-profit world. As a professional trainer, her experience and wisdom prove invaluable to our attendees."

As a pioneer, Biden Owens has developed and taught original content for "Women Leaders in International Relations," including interactive training sessions on leadership skills, communication, political advertising, advocacy, networking and body language.  

"I'm excited to join the women of MGM's WLC, and to engage in the collective wisdom, collaboration and strong leadership that will result in the development of policies beneficial to all our families," Biden Owens said. "Now is our time – and we are ready."  

Over the past 18 years, she has also traveled extensively with Women's Campaign International to teach women in emerging democracies how to organize and develop communication and political skills. Her most recent international training experience includes a 2016 trip where she was the keynote speaker at a workshop in Taipei, Taiwan titled "Enhancing Prosperity and Opportunity for Women in Asia-Pacific Region."

Since late 2016, Biden Owens has served as Vice Chair of the Biden Foundation, which seeks to advance issues that former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, have worked on throughout their careers, including the Cancer Moonshot, Violence Against Women Act, support for military families, equal rights and affordable education.

In September 2016, Biden Owens was nominated and served as U.S. Senior Advisor to the United Nations 71st General Assembly. While at the U.N., she represented the U.S. government when, among other things, she delivered three interventions to the General Assembly on topics such as The International Court of Justice and human rights. She also delivered remarks to designated committees of the U.N. as the U.S. delegate. In addition, during her time at the U.N., she conducted a training seminar for New York's Homeland Security team, as part of their Leadership Education and Development program.

From 1997 until 2016, when Biden Owens was not managing or advising the Vice President's campaigns, she served as Executive Vice President of Joe Slade White & CO, a media consulting firm, where she worked to help create and implement candidates' messages.

In March 2015, she was asked to be the keynote speaker at Harvard Law School's International Women's Day celebration. In addition, she was honored as one of 50 women presented with the law school's international "Women Inspiring Change" award.

In 2014, Biden Owens was selected to be one of six Resident Fellows at the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Her weekly seminar, "Politics, Up Close and Personal," was the most highly attended seminar for the Fall 2014 semester.

Biden Owens has also served on the National Board of the Women's Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee and has served for 35 years on the board of The Ministry of Caring, an ecumenical organization in her community dedicated to serving poor, homeless, and disadvantaged people. In the fall of 2010, she was honored with The Ministry of Caring's highest award for her dedication and service.

She is a graduate of the University of Delaware, and is married to Jack Owens, an attorney and businessman. They have three children.

Conference background:
The 2018 Women's Leadership Conference theme is "Women Inspiring Women." Registration is $499 which includes the two-day conference and all workshops and lectures, a networking reception, and continental breakfasts and lunches catered by MGM Grand Conference Center. Time is also allotted for attendees to build key professional relationships with others.

The mission of WLC is to provide women, and men who attend, the developmental tools they need to continuously advance their lives and careers. Through WLC, women from all walks of life are offered a variety of ways to impact their personal and professional lives, including networking opportunities, educational workshops and exposure to other women who can serve as role models, heroes or mentors. 

The conference will offer a wide range of learning opportunities, career guidance and personal growth tools, including: 

• Exposure to diverse and nationally recognized speakers and accomplished women role models
• Two days of career-oriented workshops that will give women hands-on opportunities to develop skills based on their career needs
• Three distinct learning tracks: Emerging Leaders, Emerging Executives and Executives
• Workshops for entrepreneurs who are well-established or just thinking of starting their own businesses

WLC is open to women of all ethnicities, professions and social backgrounds, locally and nationally, and men who support them. The MGM Resorts Foundation is the conference's Presenting Sponsor. Each year proceeds from the conference after costs, are donated to one or more local nonprofit agencies devoted to the welfare and development of women and children.

Participating sponsorships are available to organizations or companies who share the vision and goals of this conference. Sponsors include: Bank of America, Coca Cola, Las Vegas Convention Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Southwest Airlines, Greenspun Media Group, Vegas PBS, International Coach Federation, Coaching by Wendy, Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce, Cirque du Soleil, International Game Technology (IGT), R&R Partners Foundation, Prudential, Kre-8 Media, Nevada Public Radio, Scientific Games Corporation, Cox Communications, Everi Payments, Inc., Cashman Photo, Coola, Tylt, Large Vision Business Network Mixer, Waggl, Women's Chamber of Commerce and Aristocrat Technologies, Entercom Radio, Diageo, Wynn Resorts, and Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada. For more information about WLC, please visit mgmresortsfoundation.org/WLC.

About the MGM Resorts Foundation
The purpose of The MGM Resorts Foundation is to collect and distribute monies and assets donated by employees of MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM) for the aid and support of qualified community nonprofit programs, agencies or organizations designated exclusively by MGM Resorts' employees. In addition, the Foundation collects and distributes donations to the Foundation by third-party non-employees to support charitable, scientific, literary, and educational activities approved by the Foundation's Board of Directors and organized by MGM Resorts employees to benefit qualified non-profit charitable organizations designated by the Foundation's Board.

SOURCE MGM Resorts Foundation