Westlake professional attends women's leadership summit

Karen Dry Karen Dry of Westlake Village recently attended the National Association of Home Builders business and professional women's leadership summit in Washington, D.C.

The twoday conference provided a forum for 350 women from across the country to discuss policy issues with members of the United States Congress, the administration and experts in the fields of healthcare, education, home building and business.

The summit's keynote speaker was U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. Other speakers were U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell; former chair and CEO of HewlettPackard Company Carly Fiorina; former president and CEO of eBay Inc. Meg Whitman; health editor of U.S. News and World Report Bernadine Healy, MD; and president of Kentucky State University Dr. Mary Evans Sias.

Dry, president of Westlake's Garrett Interiors, has been a member of the National Association of Home Builders for almost 10 years and was named the association's Woman of the Year by the NAHB Women's Council.

"Leadership summits provide every woman the opportunity to debate many issues by bringing together leaders you identify with as well as officials from government, industry and academia for an open exchange of ideas," Dry said. "This provides a safe environment to collaboratively develop common-sense solutions to improve the lives of all Americans as well as strengthen each woman's individual commitment to expand her own leadership skills and political prowess."