The Women’s Symposium

The Women’s Symposium annually highlights women from across Northeast Louisiana for their individual achievements, professional and personal. The panelists share their stories with ULM students and fellow community members to showcase the importance of success and failure in one’s journey. Here we highlight five of the 2022 panelists and why they were chosen as leaders in their respective fields.

ARTICLES BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE
AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

JO ELLEN GILLILAND

As the co-owner of Tribe31 Training, Jo Ellen Gilliland seeks to improve women’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. She was raised in West Monroe, LA and has lived in this area all her life. After graduating from ULM with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Jo Ellen taught 1st grade at Drew Elementary for eight years. Invested in physical fitness since running track and cross country in high school, Jo Ellen did personal training on the side. She enjoyed interacting with adults and advocating for physical wellness. Jo Ellen understood that the body included the mind, and that peak physical condition could only be achieved alongside mental and spiritual conditioning. After a random Facebook introduction with her business partner Taylor Jopling, the ladies decided to open Tribe31 Training. They could combine their training efforts and share the loads of business ownership. The sisterhood that formed became the impetus of Tribe31 Training’s mission – to change lives by investing in women’s overall wellbeing while creating a community of support. 

In college, Jo Ellen learned the importance of strength training, a critical component of fitness, particularly as women age. At Tribe31, the trainers offer group workout classes to meet physical goals as well as offer challenges that build their mental capacity. For example, box jumps require mental strength. Jo Ellen focuses on building confidence with the understanding that mental toughness flows into other parts of our lives. Facing and overcoming fears results in mental growth and feelings of worthiness. Women particularly struggle with not feeling like they are enough, or being pulled in several different directions. Taking time to invest in ourselves means treating the whole body. For the spiritual component, Jo Ellen offers Bible study groups for the primary goal of building relationships. Women are more likely to continue a practice wherein they have a sense of belonging. At the meetings, women talk and pray together, forming bonds that extend beyond each session and establish genuine, meaningful friendships. 

More than anything, training has changed Jo Ellen’s life; it’s become essential to who she is. She has learned that physical wellness cannot be achieved apart from mental and spiritual wellbeing. Jo Ellen is also a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and loves spending time with family, friends, and her rescue dogs Maggie and Zodie. Maintaining an active lifestyle means not just living, but living well. Jo Ellen is happy to have discovered that reality and feels blessed to share that knowledge with women just like her. 

MARY FRANCIS SIGGERS

Mary Francis Siggers values family, faith, and purpose. After graduating from ULM, Mary Francis took a job with Vantage Health Plan as the Senior Account Executive. She loved the flexibility of the position and essentially being her own boss within the big corporation. Mary Francis handled health insurance sales for businesses that involved marketing, gathering employee information, inputting data, managing enrollment, and serving as a liaison between a client/company and Vantage. The corporate world required 50 hours a week and frequent travel. Her superior Billy Justice insisted employees take care of themselves, offering self-development books and podcast recommendations. Mary Francis’ mentor encouraged her to advocate for herself in order to be the best employee and person outside the company.

Mary Francis and her husband AJ now have three small children: Aubrey, Jordan, and Elise. When the couple bought Custom Design Center, Mary Francis had to make a difficult decision. Their family life needed structure, and the business needed her skills and attention. Mary Francis left Vantage, a job she loved, to pursue another passion, home design. She had taken some freelance design jobs with Blue Heron Homes in the past, and she felt confident in helping clients create dream living spaces. Coming home to a tranquil house sets the mind at ease, and she enjoys turning client mood boards into dream spaces that suit the client’s lifestyle. Mary Francis is also the current president of the Junior League of Monroe. She takes pride in giving back to her community and fostering the mission of the organization, while encouraging members to focus on self care. 

One Siggers family focus is 30 minutes of sunshine per day, or time spent outside. Mary Francis insists the practice has been life changing. Her mood is immediately lifted, and the kids crave the escape too. Too often we are cooped inside, and getting a bit of fresh air recharges us. Mary Francis insists self care is not selfish, that taking care of herself is essential to being the best version of all her titles. Hot baths and reading are quieting exercises that let the mind rest away from the madness that consumes a day. Guided meditation helps relieve anxiety and stress, something we are all battling over the last few years. Mary Francis has also learned to say no, that the timing of a request is not always right, even when we are happy to be considered. Success doesn’t mean doing the most, but rather making the most of time well spent. 

YUKI KC

Originally from Nepal, Yuki KC arrived in the United States in 2010, scared and on her own. From a nontraditional Nepalese family, Yuki experienced financial hardship and never met her biological father. Her mother Sudha Thapa Adhikary devoutly promoted education. She wanted her daughter to have every opportunity possible and knew that meant sending Yuki to America. Leaving behind her beloved dog and boyfriend, Yuki cried relentlessly at the airport, almost missing her flight. She had never stepped out of her mother’s shadow and feared what life would be like on her own. As a ULM student, Yuki immersed herself in the campus community, learning the foreign customs and adapting to academic life. She took a year off after receiving her associate’s degree and then chose to major in Computer Information Systems. While taking classes, Yuki worked at the ULM IT Help Desk. She loved working with people to solve technical issues. Upon graduation in 2016, Yuki took a job at the very institution that provided her a home away from home. 

Yuki’s upbringing taught her that change is inevitable, and learning to adapt is the best way to navigate a clear path forward. Taking risks means letting go of the familiar and embracing uncertainty. The magic is often found on the other side of a tough decision. Yuki learned the value of patience, as it took her six months to feel comfortable in the new environment. That same boyfriend Baibhav KC that Yuki left behind in Nepal eventually enrolled at ULM, joining her in this new adventure. The couple married in 2016 and have made Monroe their home. 

Now serving as a System Analyst in the Admissions and Scholarships Office at ULM, Yuki is confident in her ability to shift course when necessary. Life will throw curve balls and hardships, but meeting the moment oftens results in newfound independence and the confidence to face whatever comes next. Yuki is a mentor and role model for international students coming to ULM. She served as Chapter Advisor for the Nepalese Student Organizations from 2016-2019. Yuki graduated with her MBA from ULM in 2020. She was awarded the ULM RSO Advisor of the Year Award in 2018. She has fulfilled her mother’s wishes of an education, and in the process, found the courage to forge her own path apart from the shadows. 

AISHA JOHNSON

As the Operations Supervisor at JP Morgan Chase, AIsha Johnson leads by example. She makes personal investments in people to help them achieve professional goals while growing as individuals. She began working at the company directly out of high school, learning and navigating the professional climb. She believes in bringing her whole self to work, and advises those working under her leadership to do the same. AIsha describes herself foremost as a go-getter, knowing that opportunities only become accomplishments when sought with passion and commitment, as well as staying open minded to change and maintaining a positive attitude.

As a pastor’s wife, AIsha sees her primary role as a servant of God. Having been in church all her life, she carries her faith with her everywhere she goes. That consciousness of carrying faith inspired her clothing business in 2014. Kingdom Declaration Faithwear began with one t-shirt intended to remind people that the message of Christ still stands. AIsha was surprised by the shirt’s popularity and has since added hoodies, sweatshirts, socks, customized Dominoes, and bracelets all featuring verses and scriptures that promote faith in the community. The company’s motto is: Speak it! Live It! Wear It! In a rapidly evolving digital world, AIsha wanted to elevate personal interactions by acknowledging what she believes through clothing, a means of building connection and solidarity with others. The clothes are popular with young people who openly express themselves via style choices. Her husband A.B. Davis Johnson, Pastor at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church in Monroe, is heavily involved with the business, suggesting complementary designs for each item. The couple has been married for 18 years and have two sons: Kamari who attends LA Tech and Micah who attends Ouachita Parish High School. AIsha loves being a mother and is focused on keeping her young men grounded in their faith. 

AIsha fosters her creativity with playwriting. In 2002, AIsha wrote her first play for St.Joe Baptist Church in Alto entitled It’s in the Storm, based on the prodigal son theme. The play was such a hit that people kept asking for more. Incorporating biblical lessons into depictions of people’s current lives is a way of speaking directly to the community. AIsha writes on tissues and paper scraps, whenever she feels inspired. This creative outlet is a form of giving back to her community and again expressing her faith. Though raised in a small town, AIsha dared to dream big. Encouraging others to find and pursue their dreams is an honor and a privilege. 

WENDI TOSTENSON

Wendi Tostenson forged her own path to leadership in higher education, one that included being a stay-at-home mom for 12 years. As a graduate of the University of Georgia, Wendi admits she wasn’t a traditional academic student. She struggled in classes and relied on her instincts. She met her husband Kyle on a trip abroad, organized between their respective high schools in Georgia and Minnesota. The relationship evolved long distance, back when hand-written letters were required for communication. The couple moved to Monroe for Kyle’s job at CenturyLink, though when his position went remote and the kids were in school, Wendi desired to return to the workforce. After acquiring her MBA in 2009, she took a position at a technical college in south Georgia, moving the family back home. 

Wendi started in Career Services, working with programs and employers, placing students in appropriate positions. Soon, her boss moved her to Director of Financial Aid, an odd position as Wendi had never even filled out a FAFSA form. After a colleague’s retirement, Wendi moved into the Registrar’s Office, again learning a new position with little experience. Embracing change via new roles prepared Wendi for the reality of higher education administration. The family moved back to Monroe for Wendi to serve as the institution’s Executive Director for Workforce and Economic Development at Louisiana Delta Community College. In the position, Wendi oversaw non credit training programs and consulted with industry partners, offering short-term training programs to upskill current employees. Serving on workforce development boards, Wendi learned that education is an interstate, with frequent stops and starts, and that students often don’t know how to navigate. With that awareness, Wendi earned her Doctorate in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy in 2018. 

In 2021, Wendi was named the Vice Chancellor of Education and Student Services at LA Delta. She handles a bit of everything including: adult education, workforce demands, academics, student services, grant writing, and the registrar’s office. Her experience adjusting to career pivots prepared her to see all the moving parts of higher education and explore how best to knock down those silos – taking separate houses and forming one house with multiple rooms. 

Wendi and Kyle have three adult children: Lyle, Mary Logan, and Lucas. The primary reason Wendi reentered the workforce was to show her daughter a woman’s strength, that one’s past does not dictate one’s future. At the time Wendi searched for jobs, many potential employers did not recognize raising children as a viable skillset. Anyone with children knows the intense training of motherhood. Wendi took the time to apply herself, relying on her instincts like in college, and climbed the ladder on her own time frame.