Lindsey Mask
Lindsey Mask is the Founder and CEO of Ladies America, a national young women’s professional networking group offering women an opportunity to connect and advance personally and professionally. The original organization, Ladies DC, was founded in 2006 and has grown to a network of close to 2,000 top-tier professional women in and around the nation’s capital and has expanded to New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Texas. In 2011, Ladies DC collaborated with the United Nations Foundation to host its inaugural “Women Leading the Future” women’s conference, drawing in hundreds of attendees and speakers from across the country. The 2012 Conference will be in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Women in Business.

Lindsey Mask is also a strategic public relations consultant for associations, corporations, non-profits, small business, startups, and women’s initiatives. She specializes in marketing & branding, media relations, new media strategy, tactical outreach, business development communications, and has a unique niche and understanding for women’s interest.

Prior to working as an independent consultant, Mask served as Communications Director and spokesperson for U.S. Congressman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon of California. She began her tenure with McKeon when he was Chairman of the House Education & Workforce Committee, where she served as Press Secretary and the Director of Outreach & Coalitions.

Mask served as Communications Director for U.S. Congressman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon of California, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, where she handled national and local media, served as spokesperson for the Congressman and designed and implemented online, traditional and constituent outreach communications strategies. Mask’s tenure with McKeon lasted over five years, beginning first on the House Education & Workforce Committee, where she served as Press Secretary and as Director of Outreach & Coalitions.

In 2008, Mask took a hiatus from Capitol Hill to manage all national network and cable television coverage with a team of 22 professional volunteers for the 2008 National GOP Convention hosted in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Texas native previously worked as Press Secretary for Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona and at the state level in the Texas House, Senate and as a speechwriter for the first female Texas Commissioner of Education.

Preceding her work in politics and business, Mask was a television news anchor and reporter for an ABC affiliate in Michigan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (double major) in Mass Communication and Speech Communication from Texas State University and studied journalism and communications abroad at the University of West London (formerly Thames Valley University) in England.

In 2012, she was named one of the top thought leaders under 40 by Washington Life Magazine. She serves on the founding Board of the 2012 G8 Young Global Leaders; is a co-founder of DC Entrepreneurship Week; an Ambassador for Availor Investments, a social impact investment fund in NYC and on the Board of the Women Under Forty Political Action Committee (WUFPAC), aimed at helping women under forty secure seats in federal office. She regularly lectures on media, public relations, networking and communications for the Leadership Institute, Women in Public Policy’s WeLEAD program at American University, the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) and the Women’s Congressional Staff Association. Believing in global business, innovation and social change, Mask has spent a great deal of time overseas, most recently in 2011 on a mission trip to Haiti.

Mask has been featured by National Journal, Power Women Magazine, The Hill Newspaper’s The Washington Scene, Broadminded (Sirius-XM radio), ION’s Metro Magazine (a national television network), WUSA9, NBC Nightside, The Broad Perspective (radio), Capitol File Magazine, Networking News and Her Exchange. Ladies DC/ Ladies America has partnered with such organizations as Womensphere’s Global Summit in NYC, Global Woman Summit of DC, the United Nation’s Foundation, Fair Fund against human trafficking, Becky’s Fund combating domestic abuse, Newsbabes for Cure, DC Entrepreneurship Week, Do It in Person, StreetWise Partners, Women’s Congressional Staff Association, Luke’s Wings and Bisnow’s programs for Women in Business, Technology and Journalism.

Julie Lombard
Julie Lombard is excited to be back for the third year as Chair of the “Women Leading the Future” Conference! Previously she was an inaugural board member to Ladies DC and continues to stay involved with the group. Julie is the President and Founder of The District Group, a DC-based event management company that launched in 2013. Before venturing out on her own, Julie worked with the GI Film Festival, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, Lansdale Associates, Allied Integrated Marketing, and Harvard Business School, coordinating a multitude of different events around the country. From galas and fundraising events to film premieres and grand openings, Julie loves to bring enthusiasm, expertise and creativity to every event she plans.
Hailing from Concord, Massachusetts, Julie came to Washington, DC to attend American University and the Kogod School of Business. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Marketing specialization from AU. For more information on Julie and The District Group, visit www.thedistrictgroup.com!