More than 400 attendees joined the Chamber for A Night of Power, Peggy and Panache as Silicon Valley women leaders were recognized and honored on April 13 at the San Jose Marriott Hotel.

Chamber President & CEO Pat Dando welcomed the crowd and spoke about the many contributions that women in the community have made to the growth, success and national recognition of Silicon Valley. She was followed by the Mistress of Ceremonies, Thuy Vu, an award-winning newscaster for KPIX CBS 5, who spoke about her efforts to succeed and introduced the Women In Leadership grant recipients.

Gino Blefari, Chamber board member and president & CEO of Intero Real Estate Services, introduced keynote speaker and ice skating Olympic Gold Medalist Peggy Fleming.

Fleming quickly brought the crowd to its feet as she talked about her quest for Olympic gold, her battle with breast cancer and the importance of family and friends. She said she was honored to have spent part of her childhood in San Jose and to be part of the Women In Leadership event.

The Women In Leadership grant recipients for 2006 were Alejandrina Alvarez, Jo Beaudreau and Stephanie Chan.

Alvarez is a four-year employee of National University, a full-time student there, and was nominated by Charlene Ashton, Associate Regional Dean of National University. Beaudreau has been employed by the Arts Council Silicon Valley since 2002, is a senior at San Jose State University and was nominated by Bruce Davis, Executive Director of Arts Council San Jose. Chan is a three-year intern at Applied Materials and a candidate for Master of Fine Arts degree at SJSU. She was nominated by Joe Pon, Managing Director of Global Corporate Affairs at Applied Materials.

The grant program is directed at collegiate women who show extraordinary leadership qualities in a business environment. The Chamber recognizes that women leaders are a fundamental requirement for a dynamic and progressive community. With the participation of Silicon Valley businesses, this grant encourages and supports women who will become these leaders.

Watch this space for more information regarding the Women In Leadership event scheduled for spring, 2007.