Women’s Professional Development Event featuring Keynote Speaker Johnsie Beck

The Wilmington Chamber of Commerce will temporarily be requiring face masks in indoor settings, including at our networking events, committee meetings, signature events, and Leadership Wilmington program events. Masks will be mandatory for everyone, despite your vaccination status, and worn at all times while indoors unless you are eating or drinking. Face masks were an effective part of our COVID-19 mitigation strategy last year, and we are putting this safety precaution in place as part of our efforts to protect you, your families, and our chamber staff members. 



The Wilmington Chamber of Commerce's Annual Women's Professional Development Event has always been equal parts networking, camaraderie, inspiration, and satisfaction that you're doing your part to advance the success of women in Wilmington's business community.
 

This year, our keynote speaker is Johnsie Beck, retired President of Sakrete of North America and Executive Vice President of Bonsal American. Bonsal American, Inc., an Oldcastle Company, is the U.S. leader in bagged concrete mixes and mortars, specialty commercial building materials, pavement maintenance products, and the Sakrete Cement Mix brand owner. 

The first half of Johnsie's career was spent as a high school teacher before taking that experience and transitioning into a corporate training role with the Weyerhaeuser Company. In this role, she developed training programs to include adult basic education, high school equivalency, safety training, and supervisor training. After a few years, she would leave that team to become the Dean of Continuing Education at Martin Community College. She continued to help develop non-curriculum courses and programs for the college. 

After a few years, she took an opportunity with the Robersonville Products Company (a division of Hallmark Cards, Inc.) as Personnel Manager and Assistant Production Manager. She went on to work in other human resources roles for Darryl's Restaurants (a division of General Mills restaurant Group, Inc.) and the W.R. Bonsal Company in Charlotte before eventually becoming the Executive Vice President – National Accounts, Oldcastle Retail Group. 

 Johnsie Beck has served as the President of the International Packaged Concrete Manufacturers Association and as President of the Charlotte Women Executives. Johnsie has been a Finalist in the Businesswoman of the Year Awards presented by Queen's College and Wachovia Bank. In addition, she's a past recipient of the Charlotte Mayor's Award and recipient of the Women in Business Achievement Award presented by The Business Journal.

 Johnsie has served as Chair of the Charlotte City Council Transportation Committee, the Charlotte City Council Capital Appropriation Committee, the Mayor's "Committee of Ten" tasked with formulating Charlotte's Five-Year Transportation Plan, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Workforce Development Board. She's also served in volunteer leadership roles as Chair of the United Way Council for Economic Independence and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce's Education and Workforce Development Council. In addition, she's been a member of the Business Committee for Regional Transportation Solutions, a Board Member of Goodwill Southern Piedmont, and a member of the Board of Advisors for East Carolina University's School of Human Ecology.

Since retiring, Johnsie has been able to prioritize her personal ambitions and interests. She started a horse farm in Virginia and a trail system for trail riders. She's renovated a turn of the century home to create a guest house business. She is a beekeeper and sells honey under her own proprietary brand. She's passionate about rehabbing old barns and is leading an effort to renovate an 1800's General Store and Post Office as a local arts and crafts gallery. She's also consulting for a local pioneer museum to create a new wedding and event venue.