The Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Carmel Clay Public Library (CCPL) will again collaborate to present Women in Leadership from 1 to 3 p.m. March 7 at the library. The theme of this year’s panel will be Leadership through Courage, Collaboration and Collective Action.
The CSO hosts this annual Women in Leadership event to provide an opportunity to discuss inspirational and honest advice for women working in leadership positions. Panelists share their experiences and engage in discussions with a multi-generational audience.
Tickets are available through CCPL. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Go to carmelclaylibrary.org/event/15812385 to register.
Guest panelists will include Sally Cutler, Akilah Darden and Deborah Wood, who will discuss the lessons they learned, what leadership approaches worked best for them, and other issues they deal with as women in business.
Sally Cutler has a varied background in communications, customer service, event planning, and historical preservation. She has worked in nonprofit and higher education marketing for Alpha Chi Omega women’s fraternity and Butler University, her alma mater. She has also had the opportunity to create and implement communications strategies, plan a variety of events, and serve as a liaison with internal and external stakeholders. She served as interim chief executive officer for Alpha Chi Omega during their CEO search and later returned to the staff for three years as historian and Archivist.
Cutler has authored history book installments for Alpha Chi Omega, as well as the Village of WestClay’s history book, created for the neighborhood’s 25th anniversary in 2025. At the Village of WestClay Owners Association, she focuses on providing outstanding service to Village residents and businesses, overall communications planning and execution, as well as ensuring a robust schedule of neighborhood-wide events.
Cutler says she is proud to continue to empower women of all ages as a volunteer member of the Sister Outreach Team for Alpha Chi Omega. She lives in the Village of WestClay with her husband, Jay, and their Wheaten Terrier, Kingston.
Akilah Darden is a seasoned construction management professional with over $2 billion in commercial construction projects delivered. She’s built more than structures; she’s built a reputation for exceeding expectations. From driving excellence in leading commercial projects, she has just recently helped the procurement of a $4 billion hospital campus while excelling in building with and for the community. She also works to provide intentional opportunities for diverse vendors and workforces to break barriers in a historically underrepresented field, Darden brings innovation, vision, and impact to every endeavor to include training with her Construction Management Masterclass.
A multi-award-winning leader, Darden has been honored with prestigious accolades including the inaugural Indiana 250, American Institute of Architecture Indiana Walter S. Blackburn Award Winner, National Association of Women Business Owners Trailblazer Award Winner, Champion of Diversity Award Winner from the Indianapolis Recorder Magazine, Women & Hi Tech Leading Light ‘You Inspire Us’ Award Winner, Minority Business Enterprise of the Year by City of Indianapolis, Techpoint MIRA Award Winner for Community Impact, Techpoint MIRA Award Nominee: Rising Entrepreneur, Indianapolis Business Journal Women of Influence, Center for Leadership Development Achievement in Business & Industry Award Recipient.
Each award reflects her dedication to excellence, leadership, and creating opportunities for others to thrive.
Darden is also the proud author with her four kids of the internationally and nationally award-winning book, My Mom is a Construction Manager, inspiring the next generation of leaders to pursue careers in construction and beyond. Additionally, as the creator of the award-winning Construction Management Masterclass, she is empowering professionals with the tools to lead with confidence and competence in a dynamic industry.
Through her work, Darden remains committed to intentionally building equitable opportunities, fostering innovation, and empowering others to achieve their full potential in every space she touches.
Deborah Wood’s legacy began in 1994 when she started Deborah Wood & Associates. That fledgling company grew into a family of healthcare agencies and for more than three decades they stood apart with authentic values and an aspiration to deliver excellence to customers, employees, and community. Fueled by their collective imaginations and passions, Wood’s family of professionals led the healthcare industry in their respective disciplines of medical education and communications with real impact and influence on what matters most – patient outcomes. The journey was personally and professionally rewarding and fun.
2024 launched the NextGen of Wood’s company when she retired and the organization joined the Real Chemistry Family. The legacy continues in the powerful marriage of these two award winning agencies.
In her retirement, Wood remains active in her church and community and is enjoying lots of time with her family. After leading a company with strong values all these years referred to as the H4S (Honorable, Humble, Healthy, Hungry and Smart), of course she would identify and name her retirement values. They are the F5 standing for Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness and Fun.
