Stories, Work and the Way Forward
When the film 9 to 5 premiered in 1980, it entertained audiences with humor while exposing real workplace challenges many women experienced. The issues the movie addressed were central to the culture war of that time. More than four decades later, the film offers an opportunity to revisit that cultural moment through a new lens.
Rather than discussing political positions of that time, the 2021国产麻豆剧 community is invited to practice something more difficult and more faithful 鈥� to seek understanding before judgment, to recognize the humanity behind deeply held convictions and to explore how Christians can respond to stories of injustice with both truth and love.
As the opening event of the Illuminate Speaker & Engagement Series, 2021国产麻豆剧 will host a panel discussion around the documentary, 鈥淪till Working 9 to 5,鈥� which revisits the #1 comedy, 9 to 5, starring Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Dabney Coleman, that topped the box office in 1980 using comedy to communicate a serious message about women in the office. This event will serve as a conversation primer for a year of exploring what it means to live faithfully in a divided world. Together, we'll consider not only what the film reveals about the experiences of women in the workplace and hear from real women in the community, but also how followers of Christ are called to engage difficult cultural questions with discernment and grace.
Illuminate is not asking participants to adopt a political position. It is inviting our community to move beyond reaction toward reflection, beyond polarization toward discernment and beyond caricatures toward seeing every person as someone made in the image of God.
Join the 2021国产麻豆剧 community for the Illuminate Speaker & Engagement Series: Stories, Work and the Way Forward. Come hear from three women 鈥� Barbara Bry, Venessa Jackson and Taylor Dunne Woff 鈥� as they reflect on the themes explored in the documentary and share their experiences in the workplace in the 1990s and beyond. Dr. Lindsey Lupo, Dean in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Public Engagement, will serve as the moderator of the discussion and Camille Hardman, documentary producer, will also participate on the panel. Clips of the documentary will be shown during the event, not the entire film.
Barbara Bry has spent her career as a journalist, entrepreneur, business leader and public servant. Having built companies and mentored women leaders during a period of tremendous change in the American workplace, she brings a unique perspective on the opportunities, challenges and lessons that preceded and followed the era depicted in the film 9 to 5. Bry, who served on the San Diego city council and ran for mayor, built a career in journalism, entrepreneurship, technology and public leadership at a time when relatively few women occupied those spaces. Throughout her career she has founded many organizations, including Athena San Diego, Run Women Run and Workplace Equity & Civility Initiative, focusing on advancing women in technology and public leadership and created initiatives around workplace equity. Coincidentally, Bry wrote an article about women in the workplace that is featured in the documentary.
M. Venessa Jackson鈥檚 story reflects a lifetime of leadership, service and community impact. After beginning her career in banking at an entry-level position, she spent 34 years in banking and finance, rising to become a senior loan officer in 10 years and serving with Security Pacific Bank, Bank of America, Union Bank, Rancho Santa Fe Thrift & Loan and HSBC. In 2008, Venessa transitioned to public service after feeling burned out from banking and went on to serve as an executive assistant to San Diego leaders Todd Gloria, Barbara Bry and Joe LaCava before retiring in 2024 after 16 years at City Hall. A San Diego resident since 1967, she is a graduate of San Diego Business College. Venessa enjoys singing in her church choir, staying active through line dancing, water aerobics and spending time with friends and her four granddaughters.
Taylor Dunne Woof is a program director at Capitol Impact, where she works with public, private and philanthropic leaders to strengthen California鈥檚 workforce and education systems and expand pathways to opportunity. With nearly a decade of experience in economic and workforce development, including leadership at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, Taylor brings valuable insight into how education, employers and communities can prepare people for meaningful work in a changing economy. A San Diego native and graduate of Syracuse University, where she earned degrees in economics and international relations, Taylor brings both a systems-level perspective and a deep connection to the region.
Camille Hardman has been producing documentaries and reality TV series in both her native Australia and Los Angeles. She started in TV in Sydney over 15 years ago making animal and travel documentaries before turning to human interest documentaries and film. Camille created the popular DIY Network/ HGTV series 鈥楻estored鈥� which has spread the importance of restoration around the globe. She has produced and directed documentaries that have screened on many networks including Discovery, Lifetime, TruTV, National Geographic, ABC, Channel 7, and her documentaries have been accepted into acclaimed international film festivals.
Event Schedule:
6 - 6:30 p.m.: Appetizers & meet and greet
6:45 p.m.: Documentary screening & panel discussion