NFWL is proud to announce Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin as this year’s Honorary Conference Chair!
Read more about Governor Fallin below.
Honorary Chair
In 2010, Mary Copeland Fallin was elected as the first woman Governor of Oklahoma.
She was elected in 2014 to her second term by a 15-point margin, carrying 71 out of 77 Oklahoma counties.
Since Fallin took office in 2011, Oklahoma has consistently ranked among the top states for job creation in the nation.
Prior to serving as Governor, Fallin represented the people of Oklahoma in a number of state and federal positions. She served two terms as a State Representative before becoming Oklahoma’s first Republican and woman Lieutenant Governor in 1995.
The Governor is a graduate of Oklahoma State University. She is married to Wade Christensen, Oklahoma’s first “First Gentleman.” The couple has six children between them.
Dome Tours
“Dome Tours” are a great way to reach out to the elected women in your state to tell them about NFWL. State legislators organize a breakfast, lunch or evening reception in or near the state capital. NFWL Chair Senator Diane Allen attends to talk about the foundation and the benefits of participating in our events and programs. It’s informal and fun.
Last year, Senator Allen toured the country, meeting with the state and local elected women during “Dome Tour” stops in several states. For 2015, Senator Allen has set 10 “Dome Tours” as the goal to reach between now and the time our Annual Conference kicks off September 11-15!
Please contact Allison Jensen at allison@womenlegislators.org or 703-518-7931 if you are interested in hosting a Dome Tour in your state.
Here’s a look at last week’s South Carolina Dome Tour where Senator Katrina Shealy made NFWL Chair Senator Diane Allen an honorary member of the South Carolina Senate Women’s Caucus.
“And then there were two” laughed Senator Shealy
Thank you to Senator Katrina Shealy, Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson and Representative Mandy Powers Norrell for hosting the breakfast and to the elected women of SC for attending!
SAVE THE DATE FOR UPCOMING DOME TOURS:
Wednesday, March 25, 7:30-9am Coffee
Kansas Capitol Visitor’s Center
6425 Southwest 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615
Hosts: NFWL Board Member Senator Elaine Bowers and Kansas State Director Representative Ponka-We Victors
Wednesday, April 1, 5:30-7:30pm Reception
Florida Historic Capitol, House Chambers
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Hosts:NFWL Past Chair Representative Gayle Harrell & Florida State Director Representative Holly Raschein
Sponsored By: Casey Family Programs
Tuesday, April 7th, 5:30-7:30pm Reception
North Carolina Museum of History
5 East Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Host: NC State Director Representative Rosa Gill, Representative Pat Hurley, Representative Bobbie Richardson and Senator Tamara Barringer
Sponsored By: Reynolds American Inc.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with NFWL!
NFWL is proud to launch our Women’s History Month Program: A Night at the Movies with Alice Paul.
Throughout the month of March, NFWL is giving elected women the chance to host their own showing of “Iron Jawed Angels” to celebrate Women’s History Month.
If you are interested in hosting a movie night in your state, Sign Up Here
Hosts will recieve: instructions, a facilitation guide, marketing materials and a copy of the movie.
Those who sign up before February 27th will recieve priority registration and be guaranteed a copy of the DVD!
Contact Meghan Cusick at meghan@womenlegislators.org or Allison Jensen at allison@womenlegislators.org if you have any questions.
Leadership Development
This month, NFWL’s Leadership Coach Lisa Earle McLeod of McLeod and More shares with us, “Three Ways to Keep the Quest for the Best from Shortchanging Happiness”.
Do you remember the first time you flew on an airplane? How about the first time you had ice cream? Or went to a fancy restaurant? Chances are, you were wowed.
How about lately? Were you just as thrilled?
Oh, how quickly we grow accustomed to niceties. After a few plane rides, ice cream cones, and restaurants, “special” becomes routine. And if we’re forced back to our previous pre “special” standard, it feels like downright deprivation. The beauty and curse of humans is that we’re always striving for better. But one of the secrets to daily happiness is to master the duality of gratitude for what you have while striving for better at the same time.
Here are three ways to avoid letting the quest for the best keep you from being happy.
1. Focus on people instead of amenities
Last week my husband I flew to the west coast to tour colleges with our youngest daughter. I travel a lot for business, and most of the time I fly in business class. But this time we were in coach, waay back. No drink or sparkling water before takeoff, a long line to get on the plane, no one takes your coat, no food, the drink cart ran out of wine before it got to me, no solicitous flight attendant. I was actually feeling somewhat put upon.
I’m sitting on a jet taking me from one coast to the other, in under 4 hours. I have air-conditioning, heat, oxygen, free Fresca, even WiFi, and I am with my family! Yet because I was comparing it to my relatively recent new normal of first class, I felt deprived. One side of my brain was whining about my accommodations. Yet the other, higher-minded side of my brain was screaming, “Save me before I become Donald Trump!”
Needing a gratitude reset at 50,000 feet, I decided to pay full attention to my daughter and discuss colleges. By focusing on the person I loved beside me, the tight quarters and lack of amenities became insignificant.
2. Stay fully present
Striving for better creates restlessness; you’re always looking ahead. Yet social research shows that you’ll be happier if you stay present in the moment, appreciating what’s in front of you.
Dogs don’t have this problem. My dad’s dog is just delighted with the same stupid rubber ball every day. Every morning, he jumps up and down, thrilled beyond belief that my dad is about to throw the ball. Humans are another story. We might love the ball at first, but after two weeks, we’ll start complaining about how worn out it is.
The secret to staying happy is to love the ball you have while you’re playing with it. Then later, if you decide you want a better ball, make strategic plans to get one. Just don’t let the absence of a better ball keep you from enjoying an afternoon with a worn out one.
3. Don’t compare, laugh instead
Things happen, your ball wears out, you get stuck in steerage, your ice cream melts. You always have a choice with your response. You can compare your less than perfect situation to the one you would prefer, or you can find something interesting and even funny about where you are.
It’s stunning how much of our happiness is within our own control. You only get this day once, how are you going to experience it?
Lisa McLeod is the creator of the popular business concept Noble Purpose and author of the bestseller, Selling with Noble Purpose. She is a sales leadership consultant and keynote speaker. Organizations like Genentech, Google, and Kaiser hire her to help them grow revenue.
Women in the News
Celebrating Black History Month
This Black History Month, Kelly Dittmar and Glynda Carr analyzed a report on the rise of African American women in American politics. While this is a history with a more recent a beginning and the number of elected African American women pales in comparison to her white counterparts, the writers found that “interpreted differently, these data exemplify the opportunity” these women have to “identify, expand, and capitalize” in the future.
Click Here to read the full article
Are Men What’s Wrong with Politics?
As more women are elected to public office, studies are investigating the differences between elected men and women. A recent National Journal article analyzes one such study which focused on political partisanship. The study found that women are better at dealing with people with whom they disagree and therefore “are less susceptible to the partisan biases that often blind politicians.” In a time where partisanship and gridlock are at an all time high, it makes sense to ask the question: Are men what’s wrong with politics?
Click Here to read the full article
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