These leaders will speak at Women's Networking Event in Poughkeepsie: See the lineup

On Wednesday, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino and community leaders will host the annual Women's Networking Event at The Locust Grove Estate. The event, launched in 2018, has welcomed over a thousand local women since its first year.

Women of the community will hear from three guest speakers — CaraMia Bacchiochi, executive director of Hope on a Mission, Inc, Samantha Brittain of Green Teen Beacon Program Cornell Cooperative Extension and Malia K. Du Mont, chief of staff and vice president of Bard College as well as Army Reserve officer — while making personal and professional connections along the way.

“We have all faced incredible challenges throughout our lives and this year’s event will feature speakers who refused to let those obstacles stand in their way and had the strength to continue looking forward,” Serino said in a statement.

Here's what to know about the three guest speakers who will be featured at Wednesday's event.

CaraMia Bacchiochi, executive director of Hope on a Mission, Inc

According to event bios shared by Dutchess County, CaraMia Bacchiochi will be speaking on her experience with substance use disorder and how she turned her life around after she served time in jail in 2013.

After introspection, finding religion for guidance, as well as two years of intensive treatment, she was able to recognize the struggles all humans face and found a particular compassion for women in similar circumstances. She took her life experiences and turned them into a ray of hope for women who have also had to deal with homelessness, abuse and addiction.

Bacchiochi became the founder of Hope on a Mission, and now helps hundreds of individuals in need in the City of Poughkeepsie each week, providing meals and clothing, while also advocating for those in need of treatment.

Samantha Brittain, program manager at Green Teen Beacon Program Cornell Cooperative Extension

According to event bios shared by Dutchess County, Samantha Brittain graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a bachelor's degree in sociology, which laid the foundation for thorough knowledge of social dynamics and community engagement.

She is passionate about youth empowerment and education, leading them toward autonomy via increased decision-making and problem-solving. Through the Green Teen Beacon Program at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County, Brittain challenges teens to grow their critical thinking skills through constructive conversations.

In her personal time, Brittain enjoys spending time in nature, is a lover of music and theater, and treasures her role as a mother, as well as having the ability to balance it with her own career.

Malia K. Du Mont, chief of staff and vice president of Bard College

According to event bios shared by Dutchess County, Malia K. Du Mont's college education began at Bard College, where she received her bachelor's degree in Chinese. Afterward, she got her Master of Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she kicked off her career managing the school's China initiative.

She has also held positions in China as an English teacher, TV news editor and within the American embassy in Beijing. Her background also includes working in the Pentagon, in civilian and military positions.

Additionally, Du Mont is an Afghanistan veteran and an Army Reserve officer. She chairs the New York 18th congressional district's Veterans and Military Families Advisory Board under Rep. Pat Ryan, while also serving on the American University of Afghanistan's Board, the World Affairs Counsel of the Mid-Hudson Valley and the Kingston Conservation Advisory Counsel.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Women's Networking Event in Poughkeepsie: Here's who's speaking