Session Descriptions & Speaker Bios
Leadership Round Table
June 23, 2026 | 6 p.m-9 p.m. ET
Virtual
Check back in early 2026 for more details!
Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program
June 28, 2025 | 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET
Virtual
Agenda, Session Descriptions and Learning Objectives
December 13, 2025 | 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET
Virtual
Agenda, Session Descriptions and Learning Objectives
Speaker Bios
Leadership Round Table Speakers
Check back in early 2026 for more details!
Fellows Speakers for the December 13, 2025 Session
Charlisa Holloway Edelin
Charlisa Holloway Edelin is the co-director of law studies and the assistant dean of students at Delaware State University. She previously served as an associate professor at Wesley College and as the program director for the master’s in criminal justice. Since 2012, Charlisa has taught both criminal justice and law courses. She played a pivotal role in transforming Wesley College's legal studies program into a progressive law and justice studies department and developed its master’s in criminal justice program. Her success led to her appointment to revitalize Delaware State University’s law studies program, which now serves as a pipeline for law students.
Charlisa is a published author, with articles in Crimes of the Centuries: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History (2016), including the perjury trial of Lil’ Kim and the case of Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson. Her recently published textbook, Constitutional and Criminal Law: The Minority Experience (Kendall/Hunt, 2024), is used in colleges nationwide and offers a unique approach to pre-law education.
She also served as vice president of the Appoquinimink School District Board of Education, focusing on staff diversity and closing the achievement gap for minority students. Charlisa holds a J.D. and a bachelor’s in journalism and public relations from Howard University.
Nicole Simmons
Nicole Simmons brings more than two decades of experience in leadership development, volunteer engagement, and strategic communication within the nonprofit sector.
As Associate Senior Director of Leadership & Volunteer Engagement at Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA), Nicole leads initiatives that strengthen member engagement and leadership capacity across the organization. She designs and delivers leadership trainings, coordinates signature events, and develops strategic tools that support volunteers at every level.
During her earlier tenure at SIA, Nicole spent a decade designing leadership training programs, developing recruitment and retention strategies, and crafting compelling volunteer communications. Her career also includes progressively responsible roles with Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, Miller-Keystone Blood Center, and Mary Baldwin College, where she honed her skills in community engagement, strategic planning, and relationship management.
Lydia Tortolero
Lydia Tortolero is the Associate Manager of Events and Engagement at SIA, where she leads the planning and execution of SIA’s Annual International Women’s Day Tea Party and plays a critical role in supporting the development of SIA’s Leadership Round Table, Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program and co-project managing the 48th and 49th Biennial Conventions.
Dedicated to delivering a seamless experience before, during, and after every event, Lydia manages event logistics with precision. She works closely with SIA’s translation and interpretation vendors, always striving to improve services based on member and attendee feedback.
Lydia holds a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences with a minor in education from DePaul University. Outside of work, she enjoys practicing yoga, singing, and producing music.
Maureen Wallbeoff
Maureen Wallbeoff is a nonprofit digital strategist and technology coach with 20 years of experience helping organizations optimize their technology investments. Specializing in project management, change management, software evaluation, and business process improvements, she has worked with hundreds of nonprofits across various missions and sectors. Maureen has developed a proven process to align nonprofits’ strategic and operational goals with the right platforms and systems, enabling organizations to make informed decisions about the tools they use to engage supporters, manage data and measure performance.
The author of "Getting a Return on Your Nonprofit Technology Investment," an eBook designed to help "accidental techies" in the nonprofit sector, Maureen has also written two guides on nonprofit engagement software and frequently blogs and answers questions about nonprofit technology. A sought-after speaker and trainer, Maureen has led workshops and webinars at events such as the Nonprofit Technology Conference, AFP conferences and BBCON. She is a TechSoup and Idealware expert trainer and regularly hosts live Q&A sessions on Facebook. With her practical approach and deep understanding of nonprofit challenges, Maureen is a highly regarded expert in nonprofit technology.