Well-Being Wednesdays

— Well-Being Wednesday attendees

Well-Being Wednesdays allow you to step away from your daily routine and engage meaningfully with colleagues in life, work, or ministry.

Available at no cost to all members of the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), their spouses, and surviving spouses, Well-Being Wednesdays offer a virtual space to pause, learn, reframe, and connect. Each offering focuses on a different dimension of wholeness — financial, spiritual, vocational, and health — and how the current landscape shapes our understanding and application of it.

Each Well-Being Wednesday comprises the following:

• centering prayer
• an engaging workshop
• a panel discussion
• break-out conversation with other participants
• a charge and blessing as you return to the rhythm of your day

Participants who attend the live event are awarded 75 Call to Health points following the program.

Women Living Healthy, Whole, and Abundantly

March 19, 2025, 1-3:30 p.m. ET
Registration is open through 8 p.m. ET on March 18, 2025.

Join us on a journey of health and wholeness in this virtual event designed for women and all who resonate with women’s experiences. Part of our Well-Being Wednesdays series, this inclusive gathering warmly welcomes all people to explore practical, nurturing ways to enhance women’s health, and to move from understanding to action on critical health and wellness issues impacting women today, like:

• physical health
• mental and emotional wellness
• spiritual strength

Together, we will listen, move freely, and engage in small group conversations about the triumphs and challenges women face, and we’ll embrace a future where every woman constantly feels nurtured, basks in self-love, and lives abundantly.

Primary presenter

Rev. Dr. Dawn Riley Duval is a Hall of Fame athlete, exercise theologian, and lover of good health and joy. To give a sense of faith in action in the work that she innovates, Rev. Dr. Dawn embodies the essence of liquid living; a life of joyful movement, graceful rest, and spiritual wisdom. Like water — fluid, intentional, boundless, and ever-evolving — Rev. Dr. Dawn cultivates sacred spaces where participants explore the art of living in flow … body, mind, and spirit.

Rev. Dr. Dawn Riley Duval has a B.A., English Rhetoric, from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; M.A., Print Journalism, from University of Colorado at Boulder; M. Div. from Vanderbilt University; and a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. The recipient of multiple awards for her leadership and social action, Rev. Dr. Dawn was recently inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for excellent achievement in the 100-meter hurdles, triple jump, and relays.

Panelists

Dr. Dawn Kwag, PhD, MA, NCC (she/her), based in Atlanta, Georgia, is an assistant professor in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Agnes Scott College. She holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Practice from Georgia State University, a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine from Boston University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Violin Performance from Emory University.

Dr. Kwag also works as a professional counselor at Research Institute for Counseling & Education (RICE), a Korean-owned private practice that primarily serves the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. She also serves as a board member of People’s Empowerment through Advocacy, Counseling, and Education (PEACE), a nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce financial, linguistic, and awareness barriers to culturally responsive mental health treatment for the AANHPI population. Dr. Kwag’s scholarly expertise surrounds AANHPI wellness, trauma, and meaning-making in migrant and refugee communities, anti-oppressive and decolonizing practices in counselor education, and culturally responsive research practices.

Dr. Brooke Mercedes Mobley earned her bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana, Master of Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s Haub School of Business, and Doctor of Osteopathy from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Nephrology fellowship at Christiana Care Health Services in Newark, Delaware.

Among her accomplishments, Dr. Mobley started a de novo renal disease and hypertensive outpatient clinic, was the medical director of a dialysis clinic for DaVita, worked as hospitalist, and created a skilled nursing facility program. Currently, she is residing as the Medical Director, Post Acute Care for Optum/WellMed of Florida.

As a mentor and motivational speaker, Dr. Mobley is passionate about inspiring future medical doctors. She also travels throughout the country to speak about cancer, medical disparities, and healthy eating.

Samantha Smith is a life-enrichment educator, mindfulness coach, and motivational speaker. She facilitates workshops internationally on all topics related to healthy living, stress management, and engaged communication.

Samantha graduated from the University of Southern California and Smith College in Massachusetts where she conducted research in the field of psychology and subsequently worked as a psychotherapist in community mental health and private practice.

Samantha consults with organizations to develop and implement tailor-made mindfulness initiatives. She also partners with Cigna International in Europe and Asia to present mindfulness and stress management workshops and serves on Cigna International’s Stress Advisory Panel.

Upcoming event schedule

Registration for each Well-Being Wednesday opens a few weeks before the event. Titles, descriptions, and speaker information will be added as they are confirmed.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 (VIRTUAL)
Registration launches Apr. 28, 2025.

Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025 (VIRTUAL)
Registration launches Aug. 25, 2025.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025 (VIRTUAL)
Registration launches Oct. 20, 2025.

Access Well-Being Wednesday recordings

Members and employers who have a user ID and password for Benefits Connect, our benefits management website, can access Board of Pensions e-learning content through the portal.

1. Log in to Benefits Connect and scroll down to the Recommended for Me section.
2. Select the Board University tile and click Log in to Lifelong Learning.
3. After clicking the link, you will automatically be directed to the e-learning site.
4. Inside the e-learning platform, go to the Learning Library and select Webinar Recordings in the Topics filter.

If you are eligible for e-learning opportunities from the Board of Pensions and do not have access to Benefits Connect, you can request access by completing this form. Those eligible include spouses, members employed by an organization affiliated with the PC(USA) or Korean Presbyterian Church Abroad (KPCA), seminary students, and others.

Questions?

Email us.