Libby Pataki will speak at local seminar

Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle announced Monday that Libby

Pataki, the wife of New York Governor George Pataki, is scheduled to

take center stage Wednesday at the inaugural Orange County Conference

for Women.

Daigle, who organized the conference, described Libby Pataki as a

national leader on women’s issues, particularly with regard to

health. “She’s done a lot to address women’s health issues,” Daigle

said.

Pataki’s official biography states she has spoken at breast cancer

benefits throughout New York State and has advocated for early cancer

detection and prevention at various health clinics in her state.

Daigle selected Pataki to give the conference’s keynote address

after ESPN broadcast analyst Ann Meyers-Drysdale, the scheduled

speaker, became unavailable. Daigle said Meyers-Drysdale wanted to

speak at the event but had an obligation to call the WNBA Finals.

The conference’s lineup includes panelists drawn from fields

including politics, medicine and business. The event’s slate includes

Dr. Dipti Itchhaporia, medical director of disease management at Hoag

Heart and Vascular Institute, and Susan Tobiessen, founder of Body

Design, a Newport Beach gym that targets a female clientele.

The conference will likely be similar to the California Governor

and First Lady’s Conference on Women and Families, though with a

smaller geographic focus, Daigle said. She wants Wednesday’s event to

be a place for women to network with each other and learn from the

speakers.

One speaker drawn from the Orange County area is former state

legislator and state education secretary Marian Bergeson. She said

such conferences did not exist when she began her career in public

life.

“There wasn’t much of a support group around when I first

started,” Bergeson said.

Mary Ree, president of the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa, is

also a featured speaker for the event. She said she hopes to inspire

women attending the conference to find time for volunteer work.

“I come to the table with a lot of ideas about how anybody can do

it,” Ree said.

Daigle expects about 400 women to attend the event, which is

scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Balboa Bay Club and

Resort, 1221 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Admission is $90. For

more information, visit o7www.ocwomen.orgf7.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be

reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at

o7andrew.edwards@latimes.comf7.