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UUSA hosts 2024 Enriched Women’s Symposium

18 March 2024

In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Urenco USA (UUSA) hosted the 2024 Women’s Symposium on Thursday, March 7, 2024. In addition to welcoming the Women of Lea County, UUSA honored powerful women in leadership, including New Mexico Senator Gay Kernan and Karen Fili, UUSA President/CEO, and enjoyed the keynote message from Nuclear Engineer and Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke. In their messages to attendees, “Believe in yourself and fake it til you make it,” said Stanke, and “Bloom where you are planted,” said Fili, both offering advice to the guests on how to live a life enriched. Senator Kernan was surprised with a video of heartfelt messages from colleagues and family celebrating her retirement. “I led with my faith,” explained Senator Kernan, describing her leadership values throughout her 21 years of service to the New Mexico Senate.

The Symposium was held in Hobbs, New Mexico, at the Lea County Event Center, where local women-owned vendors set up throughout the venue to offer shopping, sweet treats, and beauty and wellness to attending guests. 

Urenco USA affinity group, Women in Nuclear (WiN), held a luncheon at the UUSA site on Thursday afternoon, and personnel enjoyed a Q&A session with Grace about her experiences as Miss America and as the ‘New Face of Nuclear.’ Grace also enjoyed a tour of the UUSA site given by UUSA Chief Nuclear Officer Paul Lorskulsint. “I am not looking to change the entire world on my own,” Grace explained to UUSA luncheon attendees, ”all I need to do is make the one connection that will start a chain reaction.”