The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Montgomery County honored Mary Griffith-Alfarano as its 2026 Woman of Excellence at the 11th annual Power Your Potential conference Friday, Oct. 2, in Blue Bell.
Griffith-Alfarano is vice president and business banking manager for Bucks and Montgomery counties at Fulton Bank. The Chamber recognized her for supporting small businesses, serving Montgomery Township and the Chamber, and more than 13 years of leadership with Laurel House, the county's domestic violence nonprofit.
The Chamber's event page described her as so well known in the local business community that colleagues refer to her by first name alone.
The daylong conference at Normandy Farm Hotel & Conference Center drew professional women from across Montgomery County and the surrounding region. The Chamber expected more than 300 attendees, according to a pre-event announcement. Registration cost $199.
Two keynote speakers anchored the schedule. Ana Welsh opened the morning with a session on building a professional reputation across generations. Christine Miles, a TEDx speaker and author, closed the afternoon with a talk on communication breakdowns in the workplace.
Six breakout sessions covered LinkedIn networking strategy, led by Social Sales Link CEO Brynne Tillman, and financial empowerment with Lisa White Burns of Her Path LLC. Other sessions addressed self-doubt, cross-generational relationship building, wellness habits and entrepreneurship.
Firstrust Bank served as presenting sponsor. Session sponsors included Merck Sharp and Dohme Federal Credit Union, Montgomery County Community College and Univest Financial.
Chamber President and CEO Christy Holland said in a June statement about the organization's nonprofit partnerships, "Nonprofit and for-profit organizations are intrinsically connected through the people they serve."
Griffith-Alfarano's Laurel House connection reflects that philosophy. The nonprofit, founded in 1980, provides shelter, counseling, legal advocacy and a 24-hour crisis hotline for domestic violence survivors across the county.
No date has been announced for the 2027 Power Your Potential conference.
Upcoming community events
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: Plymouth Township council meeting, rescheduled from its regular date.
- Friday, Oct. 16: Honeygrow donates 20% of sales to Plymouth Elementary.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Montgomery County Drug Take Back Day at 39 collection sites countywide.
