01/28/2026
Galveston College to Host Over 1,000 High School Girls and Career Seekers at
Women In Industry 2026 Conference in Galveston on March 5
Phillips 66, Worley, and Other Major Corporations Return as Sponsors
GALVESTON, Texas (Jan. 28, 2026) – More than 1,000 high school girls and women of all ages will have an opportunity to explore technical and industrial career opportunities at the Women In Industry 2026 Conference on Thursday, March 5, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The ninth annual conference will be held at Moody Gardens Convention Center, located at One Hope Boulevard in Galveston. Galveston College is organizing the conference with support from eight other members of the Texas Gulf Coast Community College Consortium.
Attendees will learn about careers in the petrochemical, construction, avionics, biotech, and IT industries. This popular event typically sells out. The registration fee is $25 per person and includes breakfast and lunch with featured keynote speakers as well as breakout sessions that run from 9:15 a.m. until 12:20 p.m. Corporate sponsors and community college representatives will welcome attendees throughout the day in the Exhibit Hall.
To register, please click event below. Frequently Asked Questions about the conference are included with registration information.
“Our Women in Industry Conference keeps getting better every year. Seeing over 1,000 teenage girls interacting with accomplished women who are thriving in traditionally male-dominated industries is especially rewarding,” said Vera Lewis-Jasper, dean of technical and professional education at Galveston College and organizer of the annual Women in Industry Conference.
She noted that those interactions help open doors to a wide range of career possibilities and underscore the growing number of opportunities available for women in industry.
“Based on feedback from past attendees, we know that our community colleges and corporate sponsors are addressing an important need for girls and women who are eager to learn more about technical and industrial career opportunities,” said Lewis-Jasper. “Our keynote speakers and workshop leaders are trailblazers who are inspiring attendees to pursue their goals and dreams and to realize that anything is possible for them. I am especially grateful to our sponsors who make it possible for us to produce this special event again this year.”
In addition to Galveston College, the Texas Gulf Coast Community College Consortium includes Alvin College, Brazosport College, College of the Mainland, Houston City College, Lee College, Lone Star College, San Jacinto College, and Wharton County Junior College. Representatives from all nine colleges will be available at the conference to discuss education and training programs, financial aid, student services, and career services.
Confirmed sponsors as of Jan. 28, 2026, include Arkema Inc., Bechtel, Chevron Philips Chemical, ExxonMobil Corporation, Freeport LNG Development, INEOS, PCL Industrial Construction Co, Phillips 66, Shell USA, Turner Industries Group, LLC, and Worley.
A Worley leader who will be announced in the near future will serve as the morning keynote speaker. Akilla Hameed, director of Project Management Services/Project Development with Phillips 66, will serve as the luncheon keynote speaker. Workshop speakers confirmed as of now include Quiana Cipriani, DeVonna Payton, and Robin Sullivan on behalf of Bechtel; LaTrice Weeks on behalf of Chevron Phillips; Hameed and Diana Lee on behalf of Phillips 66; and Francisca Ogundele on behalf of Shell USA.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Additional sponsorship opportunities ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 are available. Sponsor benefits include exhibitor space, marketing exposure, access to potential employees, and networking with industry professionals, among others.
To learn more about the conference, please contact Lewis-Jasper at [email protected] or 409-944-1404 for more information. To access the sponsorship packet, please follow this link chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.gulfcoastcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2026-wii-sponsorship-packet-web.pdf.
For more information, please visit: https://www.gulfcoastcc.org/event/2025-women-in-industry-conference/.
To watch the 2025 Women In Industry Conference video with comments from attendees and presenters, please access the link here.
About Galveston College
Galveston College was founded in 1967 and is a comprehensive community college providing the residents of Galveston Island and the surrounding region with academic, workforce development, continuing education, and community service programs. For more information, please visit https://gc.edu/.
Comments from Past Conference Attendees
“This is such a great time right now for women. We’re doing things that we’ve never done before. And women are really making moves in this industry although it’s still male-dominated.” Maci Chambers, process slider at ExxonMobil and keynote speaker at the Women in Industry 2024 Conference
“This conference really opens your mind up to the different possibilities and the different career choices. It really teaches us which ways to go and that there’s not just one or two ways -- there’s many.” – Mallory Smith, student
“It feels great just because I feel welcome, I feel safe, I feel understood, and I feel like I can find so many more people just like me who are wondering what they want to do for their life.” – Aranza Olvera, student
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