Three Vicksburg residents who are former Mississippi Business and Professional Women’s Federation presidents will host the 85th annual state convention in the city this weekend.

The convention will be at the Hampton Inn on East Clay Street Friday through Sunday.

Terri Ulmer, Alene Gore Thornton and Patricia Durrell Hunt will host 66 office-holders from 33 chapters dedicated to helping Mississippi women reach their potential professionally, politically and personally.

Ulmer is director of human resources and safety for Falco Lime. She was the 2007-2008 board chairman for the United Way of West Central Mississippi and is a member of  the board of directors for the Community Council of Warren County.

Thornton is president and CEO for the Community Council of Warren County. She also directed the Miss Vicksburg Pageant for 20 years and established the Miss West Central Pageant in 1997. “I have had the opportunity to mentor Terri Ulmer and Patricia Hunt the last 17 years, and it’s been the highlight of my career and this is what BPW is all about,” Thornton said.

Hunt works for the WIN Job Center of Vicksburg and has been a member of the United Way of West Central Mississippi Allocations Committee. For the past four years, she also was contestant chairman for the Miss Vicksburg and Miss West Central pageants.      

All weekend workshops will be geared toward training young women in business and other professions.

For more information, call Thornton at 601-636-0161.