Zonta Club of Oak Brook lent their support to the North America Inter-District Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. As part of Zonta International District 6, the host district for NAIDM 2023, our members were called upon to help with setup, to welcome other Zonta members and their guests as Hotel Door Greeters, to distribute breakfast bars each morning with smiles on our faces as Hoosier Hospitality Aides, and to pass out box lunches to those who had ordered them as Lunch Servers.

The six of us participated in all the sessions and immersed ourselves in the rich opportunities to learn from one another in workshops sharing successful experiences and exchanging ideas, to make new friends and reconnect with former friends, and bring back ideas for increasing our club’s impact in our local  communities through Zonta’s mission of empowering women through service and advocacy. It was a time to be inspired by trailblazer women keynote speakers:

• Lyn St. James (named “Top 100 Female Athletes of the Century” by Sports Illustrated, set 31 national and international speed records and succeeded in the sport of auto racing at levels unparalleled by any other woman)
• Terri Talbert-Hatch (retired dean of students for the Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, IUPUI, current associate faculty and consultant for PSET/IUPUI, and Administrative Consultant for Dallara USA, the sole supplier of open-wheel cars for Indycar American Championship)
• Lynsey Liguori (inspired by Terri Talbert-Hatch, Lynsey tested with Ford Racing Development as part of their development program. Following high school graduation, she moved to Indianapolis and enrolled in IUPUIA and became involved in SWE and the motorsports club. Following graduation, she and her husband helped lead an all-girls racing team for 4 years. Lynsey completed her degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a certificate in motorsports, has worked at 3 companies since graduation, and is currently at Wabash in Lafayette, IN where she serves as a Sr. Quality Manager responsible for 5 plants.