The Westmont Women’s Leadership Luncheon, a community event dedicated to educating, enriching and empowering women, will feature keynote speaker Anja Manuel, author, former diplomat and advisor to Fortune 50 companies.

The event will be noon-1:30 p.m. Friday, April 24 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Purchase tickets, which cost $200 per person, at westmont.edu/leadership-luncheon.

Manuel will share her insights on global affairs and reflections from her own career journey to inspire emerging female leaders at Westmont.

The event will also celebrate Yvette Birch Giller and Sue Birch, this year’s recipients of the Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree Spirit of Santa Barbara Award.

The honorees will be recognized for their contributions to the community through their work with the Mosher Foundation.

Birch, who has spent her career in education, has served on the boards of Laguna Blanca School, Marymount of Santa Barbara, All Saints Parish School, the Nonprofit Support Center, Opera Santa Barbara, Storyteller Children’s Center, Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and Ridley-Tree Cancer Center.

Birch Giller, president/CEO of the Mosher Foundation, serves on boards of the Santa Barbara Zoo, Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, Storyteller Children’s Center, Organic Soup Kitchen, and Rooted Santa Barbara.

“It’s a pleasure to live in Santa Barbara where so many believe in the powerful contributions Westmont women students will make as leaders in our society,” said Sherry Nasseri, chair of the Westmont Women’s Leadership Council, which sponsors the luncheon. “We look forward to another exceptional gathering this year.”

The annual gathering brings together local community leaders, professionals and alumni for an afternoon of connection, inspiration and purpose, organizers said.

Proceeds from the luncheon support Westmont’s female students, providing financial resources as they pursue academic and vocational preparation for lives of impact.

Manuel cofounded and is principal of Rice, Hadley, Gates and Manuel LLC, a consulting firm that helps U.S. companies navigate international markets. The firm includes Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state; Stephen Hadley, former national security adviser; and Robert Gates, former secretary of defense.

Manuel graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School and wrote the book “This Brave New World: India, China, and the United States.” She serves as the executive director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum, a bipartisan forum on foreign policy in the U.S.

The event is supported by sponsors of at all levels, including Platinum sponsor Mary Barbour; Gold sponsors Anna Grotenhuis, Anonymous, and The Hugh E. and Marjorie S. Petersen Foundation.