Carmel Symphony Orchestra and the CSO League host events for fundraising, educational and community outreach purposes.
Women in Leadership
March 7, 2026
1-3 p.m.
Carmel Clay Public Library
2026 Women in Leadership panel – Sally Cutler, Akilah Darden and Deborah Wood
Leadership Through Courage, Collaboration and Collective Action
The Carmel Symphony Orchestra hosts an annual Women in Leadership event that provides an opportunity to discuss inspirational and honest advice for women working in the arts. Panelists share their experiences and engage in discussions with a multi-generational audience.
The Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Carmel Clay Public Library (CCPL) will again collaborate to present Women in Leadership. This year’s event will be held on March 7, 2026 from 1 – 3 p.m. 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.
Join us as guest panelists Sally Cutler, Akilah Darden and Deborah Wood, 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. Sally 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.
She 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, Sally 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.
Sally 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. She has built more than structures. She has built a reputation for exceeding expectations. From driving excellence in leading commercial projects, Akilah 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 MasterclassTM.
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, National Association of Women Business Owners Trailblazer Award, Champion of Diversity Award from the Indianapolis Recorder Magazine, Women & Hi Tech Leading Light ‘You Inspire Us’ Award, Minority Business Enterprise of the Year by the City of Indianapolis, Techpoint MIRA Award for Community Impact, Techpoint MIRA Award Nominee: Rising Entrepreneur, Indianapolis Business Journal Women of Influence, and Center for Leadership Development Achievement in Business & Industry Award. Each award reflects her dedication to excellence, leadership, and creating opportunities for others to thrive.
Darden is also the proud author, along with her four kids, of the internationally and nationally award-winning book, My Mom is a Construction ManagerTM, 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 empowers 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 time with her family. After leading a company with strong values, referred to as the H4S (Honorable, Humble, Healthy, Hungry and Smart), she would of course identify and name her retirement values F5 (Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness and Fun).
