THE NEXT CHAPTER

KATE JACKSON, A LECTURER ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP and innovation at Lake Forest College, was speaking to a room filled with students when she found herself grasping for a word.

“It was so unsettling when I couldn’t come up with the word I was looking for,” Jackson says. So, she sent off a quick text to her friend, Dr. Maureen Tart, a partner at OB/Gyne Associates of Lake Forest.

“Maureen was so reassuring, but she mentioned that this ‘brain fog’ I was having may be a symptom of menopause,” says Jackson, explaining that a light bulb went off that if she had questions about midlife, other women must, too. “I’m lucky to have a good friend who happens to be a doctor. But what do you do if you don’t?”

Jackson and Tart decided to partner on a women’s retreat themed “Fearless Aging,” which will be held on Friday, January 19 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Knollwood Country Club.

“When I was in medical school, I received very little training on medicine specific to women in mid-life,” Tart says. “When I moved to Lake Forest after practicing medicine in the city, I realized I was going to have a whole new clientele. I took some continuing education classes and became a certified menopause practitioner. While all medicine is personal and unique to the patient, the amount of changes a woman can go through at midlife is very unique to each woman. There’s no one plan or program that can speak to all women.”

Tart loves to talk with her patients about menopause but realizes she only sees most of these patients once or twice a year.

“Women want to talk about what they’re experiencing, and they need to be heard. I want to make them aware of the resources available to them outside of my office,” Tart says.

Titled Fearless Aging, the retreat is a first step in providing women with a mid-life toolbox. This one-day event will offer women the chance to learn more about menopause, as well as other topics that impact midlife like finances and mindset.

“We’ve mindfully brought together a group of local experts who are at the same stage of life,” Jackson says. “We want to help women step into their power by bringing all of the pieces together—the health, the wealth, and living your best life.”

In addition to Jackson and Tart, the retreat’s speaker panel includes Dr. Shayna Mancuso, D.O., FACOG; Jill Foos, Jill Foos Wellness; Dianne Banta, yoga and meditation instructor; Heather O’Neill Fairbanks, CFP, ChFC, Partner and Managing Director for Beacon Pointe Advisors; Jane Ott, President of North South Capital; and Tori O’Neill Shadaia, Senior Associate Wealth Manager, Beacon Pointe Advisors. Additionally, Lake Forest Book Store will be on hand with some relevant books for purchase.

“We appreciate that women are giving their time to come to this event, and we want it to be a very elevated experience,” Jackson says. “It’s a day dedicated to women coming together in community and learning of the resources available to them at this stage in life.”

Tart agrees. “We’ve been very intentional in selecting our panelists. It’s not about selling products. It’s about helping women make informed decisions. We all want to age well and look forward to what’s next.”

To learn more about the Fearless Aging retreat or to purchase your ticket to attend, visit wmretreats.com/gathering.