Level up your leadership skills and boost your career! Join a panel of women in leadership roles as they discuss how to get ahead as a woman in the workplace. The panel discussion will conclude with a Q&A session and light reception for networking. For adults and high school ages.

No registration required to attend in person. Registration required to attend virtually via Zoom. Registered participants will receive a link to the Zoom meeting at least 15 minutes before the panel begins.

Panelists:

Angela Johnson, founder of AMJ Web Solutions

Angela Johnson is a Hampton Roads native and Suffolk resident passionate about supporting and empowering diverse businesses and nonprofits. Her journey began in the lab, earning a biology degree from Old Dominion University, but she soon found her true calling in the digital world. Expanding her expertise, she earned certifications in Web Design & Development and Women’s Entrepreneurship from Cornell.

As the founder of AMJ Web Solutions, Angela helps businesses build a strong digital presence through strategic web design, website revamps, and consulting services. She works closely with clients to create, refine, or optimize their websites while implementing software and business tools that improve efficiency and drive long-term growth.

Angela is also the founder of Diverse Hampton Roads, a community-focused organization dedicated to helping diverse businesses and nonprofits gain greater visibility online and in the local community. Through networking, workshops, and valuable resources, her organizations promotes opportunities for growth and creates an inclusive space where every business owner feels seen, heard, and valued.

Lorna Slaughter, co-founder of Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center

Lorna Slaughter is co-founder and the Chief Operations Officer for Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center (SCFC), a 501c3 non-profit organization. For the past 24 years, she has been married to the Pastor Ralph Slaughter and serves as both Minister and First Lady of the ministry.

Born in Neptune, New Jersey, and raised in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Lorna pursued higher education at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC before transferring to Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Mass Media in 1990.

A graduate of the Suffolk Leadership Academy, Lorna has served on the Board of the Directors for the ABBAlist. She currently serves as Program Coordinating Committee member for Suffolk Redevelopment & Housing Authority, Chair of the Cares and Concerns Committee for Suffolk Business Women, and member of the Western Tidewater CSB Community Coalition.

At the Outreach Center, Lorna initiates, develops and oversees service programs designed to meet the growing physical, mental and spiritual needs of the community. Her experience has nurtured her ability to recognize that needs do not exist in isolation, and she strives to build programs and partnerships within churches, organizations and businesses to enhance the well-being of our under-resourced participants.

Suffolk Council Member Ebony Wright

Council Member Ebony Wright was elected to Suffolk City Council in November 2024 and sworn in on January 2, 2025, as the representative of the Sleepy Hole Borough. Her term expires on December 31, 2028.

Council Member Ebony Wright has been a resident of Suffolk since 2000 and is a committed public servant and community leader. She enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 17, serving honorably for four years. After her military service, she transitioned to the private sector, where she spent a decade in the legal field before advancing her career in federal service.

Council Member Wright has held key positions within the United State Departments of Justice and Defense, specializing in legal and legislative affairs, management, policy development, and resource management. Her leadership has consistently focused on optimizing operational efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving organizational success.

Council Member Wright holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, a Master of Business Administration from Saint Leo University, and a post-master’s certificate in Management Essentials from Harvard Business School.

Suffolk Commonwealth's Attorney Narendra Pleas

Narendra Pleas was elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Suffolk in 2021. Originally from Atlanta, GA, she moved with her family to Virginia Beach and graduated from Green Run High School and the Governor’s School for the Arts (music). Ms. Pleas earned her B.A. from Agnes Scott College in Political Science and Psychology and earned her J.D. from Indiana University School of Law (Indianapolis) and returned to Virginia to pursue her legal career. Ms. Pleas worked in the law office of Thomas and Associates in Virginia Beach before beginning her career as a prosecutor. When offered the opportunity to accept a position as a prosecutor, Ms. Pleas began work in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for the City of Emporia/Greensville County, before then working in three additional prosecutorial offices: Sussex County and the cities of Suffolk and Norfolk. December marks the end of Ms. Pleas’ current elected term and she is seeking re-election in November 2025.

Ms. Pleas has a love for service. Some of her past work include serving on the Board of the YMCA of Emporia-Greensville for several years, with two of those years being as co-chair of the board. She acquired her Emergency Medical Technician certification and volunteered as an EMT for the Greensville Volunteer Rescue Squad as a general member; serving two years as Treasurer of GVRS. Ms. Pleas was the Youth Group Leader for Thalia Trinity Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach and served as an Area Representative for Youth for Understanding Exchange Program. In Suffolk she served on the Board of the Salvation Army and volunteers with Coalition Against Poverty Suffolk (C.A.P.S.). She also currently serves as a volunteer for the Western Tidewater Medical Reserves Corps.
Ms. Pleas has opened her home to exchange students who chose to attend school in Suffolk. Her “kids” have come from Mali, Tanzania, China, Bahrain, and Pakistan. In her spare time, Ms. Pleas works as an unpaid Uber driver for her nephew, shuttling him to every imaginable activity and event he could possibly attend and she also serves in the music ministry at Great Bridge Presbyterian Church in Chesapeake.