As one of women’s emerging philanthropic leaders Alexis Nelson has always been passionate and dedicated to helping women. For years she used her home as a resource for women helping them to build self esteem, encouraging positive self-image and sharing with them life values. Alexis is energetic and has a gifting of establishing and maintaining new and existing relationships.
Alexis earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ. She is currently a member of Abundant Life Family Worship Church in New Brunswick, NJ. Alexis serves as ministry leader of the Women’s Ministry under the leadership of Bishop George and Pastor Mary Searight. She has been a speaker at Women’s Summits and Fellowship Meetings and she helps to coordinate annual functions that celebrate and uplift women.
In her own grief and mourning after losing her mother on April 21, 2008, she felt a need to start H.E.R. Day Corporation for women who lost their mothers. Her compassion for women expanded at that time because she was able to relate to the feelings and fears that they experience.
Her education, life experiences, and leadership training has prepared Alexis to reach women on every level, both emotional and spiritual. Her desire, dedication, and passion to help others have been observed by many. Anything that Alexis does is done with excellence and fervor. With the successful launch of H.E.R. Day Conference one of Alexis’ remaining goals is to continue to touch as many lives as possible through the power of sharing and caring for people. Her vision through H.E.R. Day is to host conferences across the U.S. in every state and every year helping all daughters who have lost their mothers.
Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD
Eileen is a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Princeton, NJ, where she works with children, adults, and families (NJ lic. #4254). Her approach is both gentle and practical. Eileen’s mother died suddenly in 1998, so she understands grief personally and professionally.
Eileen attended Northwestern University for her undergraduate studies, then earned her masters and doctorate in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University. She is co-author of two book for parents, Smart Parenting for Smart Kids: Nurturing Your Child’s True Potential (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2011) and The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Make Friends (Little, Brown), plus a book for mental health professionals, Expressing Emotion (Guilford Press). She is also the author of an award-winning children's book, What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents' Attention Without Hitting Your Sister (Parenting Press).
A native of Chicago, IL, Eileen also lived in Lima, Peru and Madrid, Spain while growing up. She credits those childhood relocations for providing her with close family ties, the flexibility to adapt to a wide range of circumstances and relate to lots of different people, and the development of her writing skills through composing many letters to faraway friends.
Eileen frequently speaks at schools and conferences on coping with stress, parenting, and child development. She and her husband have four lively, school-aged children. Her website is www.eileenkennedymoore.com.
Lynn Parker, RN
Lynn has been a registered nurse, nurse practitioner and patient advocate for over twenty years. Working in hospitals, homes and as a private consultant, teaching patients how to speak up for themselves and to make well informed, safe healthcare decisions. Lynn’s book, “What Did The Doctor Just Say?” reflects those experiences and her commitment to high quality healthcare for every patient.
Every year in America medical errors, (the mistakes made by doctors and others) take over 100,000 lives! Hundreds of patients die needlessly, everyday because they didn’t understand what the doctor said or how to make safe healthcare decisions.
“What Did The Doctor Just Say?” will help you avoid falling victim to medical error by teaching you how to understand what the doctor says and how to ensure he understood you too. Once you and the doctor are speaking the same language you will be able to ask questions and gather the information you need to make high quality, safe healthcare decisions.
Through the use of structured question sets you will learn: how to hire a good doctor and fire a bad one, how to manage your illnesses and to take your medications safely, you will learn how to choose the best hospitals, and much more.
Written in plain English by an experienced educator who knows the difficulty over 40 million people have understanding the medical language, “What Did The Doctor Just say?” is an informative, easy to read guide to patient safety that could help to save your life. This book is a must for anyone interested in safe healthcare.

Gina Ponce
Gina, a New York City native; received her Associates Degree in Business Administration while holding a full time job, and being a wife and mother. Gina earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources and a Master of Arts in Communication Studies. She has had an array of positions from Adoption to home finding to substance abuse intervention counseling in a medium security prison in Rome New York.
Sixteen years ago Gina found herself relocating to Omaha Nebraska where she has made many contributions; from volunteer work, to Boys Scout Den mother and foster parent. When she relocated to Omaha, Nebraska Gina became a Hotline Crisis Counselor at Boys Town., then she worked in the Compliance Department of the Red Cross where she first realized that there was a Latino community in Omaha. Gina was the Intervention Specialist in the area of Substance Use and abuse and 18 months later was Interim Executive Director.
Gina started a program at Bellevue University and was the Director of Outreach Services and the South Omaha Outreach Scholarship Program, a program designed for the recruitment of minority students. Gina also managed the outreach functions, through her staff providing services to community colleges and high schools throughout the state of Nebraska. The school’s goal to recruit Latino students during her first year of employment was 20 students, Gina enrolled 50. Gina has sponsored a Latina Women's Conference annually to assist Latina women in increasing their self esteem, developing career and financial goals for their future.
Gina is currently the Director of Education and the Arts at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Gina is a proud parent of two young men 35 and 25 years old and also a proud grandmother of an 8 year old girl.
Marilyn McHugh
Marilyn McHugh, H.E.R. Day Events Director; manages annual special events for marketing and development of integrated digital and offline marketing campaign. Manages creative development of the website, media communications and social media; increased event participation 20% over prior year. Marilyn has developed an alternate donation channel through social media; FaceBook, and Twitter. Formerly Marilyn led the business unit for several of the world’s largest exhibitions and conferences for the cruise industry. Her main objective was to develop and implement new strategies and business for the brand, manage the marketing, sales and operations teams to create and drive revenue solutions across a diverse spectrum of products and services. She developed and managed global customer relationships with exhibitors; and worked closely with cruise industry professionals to support their goals. Marilyn was the vice president of global sales communications and systems, facilitates and executes global business-to-business marketing strategies through various disciplines and is responsible for sales communications and development, B2B advertising, global trade shows and supports key initiatives designed to drive revenue to the company’s affiliated hotel owners and operators.
McHugh, an accomplished marketer with more than 25++ years of experience in the hospitality/Travel Related industry and has lead the brand marketing efforts for several of the Wyndham brands and managed one of the worlds largest trade shows and conference for the Cruise Industry.
McHugh has her Masters Degree in International Hospitality Management at Farleigh Dickinson University. She is also a Adjunct Professor at Farleigh Dickinson University at the Mercer County Community College location.
2010 Conference Special Guests