Women Elected Leaders Unite in Nation's Capital, Announce Call to ACTION
March 8, 2006
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Women elected officials at every level of government joined forces today as the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) unveiled a "Call to ACTION" at an historic press conference on the Senate Swamp outside the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC. On this day, Senate Hearings were also taking place evaluating the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
This "Call to ACTION" was signed by several Members of Congress in addition to many officials from all levels of government and will be officially presented to the Administration later this year.
NFWL and NACo are calling upon elected officials at all levels of government in every state and U.S. territory to unite and agree to build and maintain relationships with all the officials they will need to coordinate with when a crisis occurs. The two groups outlined their "Call to Action" (Assign, Communicate, Train, Initiate, Oversee, Network) at the Press Conference.
"March 8th has been declared International Women's Day by the United Nations and our elected women thought today was the day they needed to get this important message out. Our research has found that communication is the key to effective coordination and women are the best communicators," said Robin Read, President & CEO of NFWL. "Recent events have emphasized how important it is for officials at every level of government to develop relationships before a crisis occurs, so they can work together and manage life-threatening situations as they arise."
"NACo is pleased to join the National Foundation for Women Legislators in this important call for action," said Larry Naake, Executive Director of NACo. "NACo is the national voice of county government and we are committed to partnering with other dedicated organizations such as NFWL to help protect our communities from disasters and to help them recover more quickly."
NFWL and NACo are highlighting the importance of women leaders joining forces at all levels of government to encourage effective communication and the building of relationships among the multi-levels of government so that when disasters strike, like Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the nation is prepared to address the situations effectively and quickly. According to the recently released book "What Women Really Want" by political strategists Kellyanne Conway and Celinda Lake, "Women are the most powerful force reshaping the future of America." Currently women officials hold 15.1% of the seats in the U.S. Congress and 22.8% of state legislator offices.
The Press Conference featured a select group of key women leaders from various levels of government who spoke on their unique experiences in their job roles including:
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA)
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D-NC)
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
State Representative Diane Winston (R-LA)
State Representative Juanita Head Walton (D-MO)
County Commissioner Colleen Landkamer (D-MN), President-Elect of NACo
Ms. Beverly Watts Davis, Senior Policy Advisor, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Admin.
Ms. Janet Murguia, President & CEO, National Council of La Raza
This "Call to ACTION" was signed by several Members of Congress in addition to many officials from all levels of government and will be officially presented to the Administration later this year.
NFWL and NACo are calling upon elected officials at all levels of government in every state and U.S. territory to unite and agree to build and maintain relationships with all the officials they will need to coordinate with when a crisis occurs. The two groups outlined their "Call to Action" (Assign, Communicate, Train, Initiate, Oversee, Network) at the Press Conference.
"March 8th has been declared International Women's Day by the United Nations and our elected women thought today was the day they needed to get this important message out. Our research has found that communication is the key to effective coordination and women are the best communicators," said Robin Read, President & CEO of NFWL. "Recent events have emphasized how important it is for officials at every level of government to develop relationships before a crisis occurs, so they can work together and manage life-threatening situations as they arise."
"NACo is pleased to join the National Foundation for Women Legislators in this important call for action," said Larry Naake, Executive Director of NACo. "NACo is the national voice of county government and we are committed to partnering with other dedicated organizations such as NFWL to help protect our communities from disasters and to help them recover more quickly."
NFWL and NACo are highlighting the importance of women leaders joining forces at all levels of government to encourage effective communication and the building of relationships among the multi-levels of government so that when disasters strike, like Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the nation is prepared to address the situations effectively and quickly. According to the recently released book "What Women Really Want" by political strategists Kellyanne Conway and Celinda Lake, "Women are the most powerful force reshaping the future of America." Currently women officials hold 15.1% of the seats in the U.S. Congress and 22.8% of state legislator offices.
The Press Conference featured a select group of key women leaders from various levels of government who spoke on their unique experiences in their job roles including:
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA)
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D-NC)
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
State Representative Diane Winston (R-LA)
State Representative Juanita Head Walton (D-MO)
County Commissioner Colleen Landkamer (D-MN), President-Elect of NACo
Ms. Beverly Watts Davis, Senior Policy Advisor, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Admin.
Ms. Janet Murguia, President & CEO, National Council of La Raza