Leader Lunches

WCA Leader Lunches provide opportunities for members to connect with leading communications professionals. Held several times a year, these lunches are open to members only. They provide rare opportunities to meet in a small group setting to learn from women who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their fields and made lasting contributions to their local community. Space is typically limited to 15 members and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

See the WCA Events Calendar for the next scheduled Leader Lunch (there may not always be one listed on the calendar, but if you are a member, you will be notified by email about all Leader Lunches).

WCA Leader Lunch Program

2024

Featured Guest: Sonal Shah, CEO, The Texas Tribune

2023

Featured Guest: Anne Hume Wilson, Former CEO, KMFA FM 89.5

2022

Featured Guest: Kerry Tate, Former President of Tate Austin & much more

2021

Featured Guest: Colette Pierce Burnette, Huston-Tillotson University

2020

Featured Guest: Julia Cuba Lewis, Executive Director and CEO of Girls Empowerment Network

2019

Featured Guest: The Honorable Vikki Goodwin, Texas House of Representatives

Featured Guests: Heather Ladage, Publisher; Colin Pope, Editor; and Erin Edgemon, Staff Writer,  Austin Business Journal

2015

Featured Guest: Lara Zuehlke, Account Supervisor at Pierpont Communications

Featured Guest: Renée Peterson Trudeau, President of Career Strategists

2014

Featured Guest: Heather McKissick, VP of Human Resources at University Federal Credit Union

Featured Guest: M.P Mueller, President of Door Number 3

2013

Featured Guest: Patty Rowell, Director of Executive and Internal Communications at Dell

Featured Guest: Arden Ward,  Managing Editor, CultureMap Austin

2012

Featured Guest: Emily Ramshaw, Editor, The Texas Tribune

Featured Guest: Lucia Athens, Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Austin

Featured Guest: Heidi Marquez Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Book Festival

2011

Featured Guest: Jane Williams, Publisher for the Austin American-Statesman and The Statesman Co.

Featured Guest: Elizabeth Christian President, Elizabeth Christian & Associates Public Relations, Inc.

Featured Guest: MP Mueller, President of Door Number 3 and the author of the New York Times blog, Branded

2010

Featured Guest: Katherine Jones, Principal and Founder, Milkshake Media

Featured Guest: Patsy Woods Martin, Founder and Executive Director, I Live Here, I Give Here

2009

Featured Guest: Tela Goodwin Mange, Chief of Media Relations, Texas Department of Public Safety

Featured Guest: Patti Smith, President & General Manager, KVUE TV

2008

Featured Guest: Melinda Garvey, Publisher & Co-Founder, Austin Woman Magazine

2007

Featured Guest: Teresa Henderson, Executive Vice President, Edelman Public Relations

Featured Guest: Ronne Rock, Director of Marketing, Buckner International