Welcome to Members from 2016 Chair
Dear Members,
Happy New Year! I am so honored to be serving as your 2016 NFWL Chair. It has been a life-long passion of mine to support women in elective office. I’m proud to be continuing this work as head of the oldest organization in America for elected women. My focus for 2016 will be expanding the resources we provide to our members in the areas of policy, programs, and related leadership training. But I can’t do it alone.
If you are not already actively involved with NFWL, please take a few minutes to fill out our Willingness to Serve form. Together, we can continue to build this organization and support more elected women. NFWL has so many opportunities for you to benefit from, and I want to make sure as many elected women as possible have the chance to do so.
We are excited to kick off the new year with the launch of our 2015 Conference Recap Video. Our time in Oklahoma City was unforgettable, and I want to thank every one of you who attended. Whether you were able to join us in 2015 or not, be sure to save the date and plan to join us November 16-20, 2016 in Orlando, Florida.
This year is about coming together and sharing ideas. I am here to serve and support you this year, in any way you may need as Chair of this fabulous organization. Please feel free to contact me at helene@womenlegislators.org with any thoughts or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Representative Helene Keeley
Delaware House of Representative
NFWL Programming
Grab ‘n Go Resource Center
The National Foundation for Women Legislators is dedicated to empowering elected women from across the country and arming them with the tools they need to succeed. This year, we are proud to roll out our new Grab ‘n Go Resource Center!
Here, our members have information on current topics, from women in politics to fiscal policy, and tools exclusively offered by NFWL, right at their fingertips. We can help you conveniently put together any sort of presentation or program you need.
Click Here to explore the Grab ‘n Go Center
What’s Happening?
2016 Board of Directors
We are proud to present our 2016 Board of Directors who were installed at our 2015 Annual Conference in Oklahoma City, OK!
Planning for 2016 began last November at the board retreat and the results are sure to create a fabulous year for members. Congratulations, and thank you to our board for their service to NFWL!
Click Here for Board Bios and Pictures
Spotlight
A Look at Broad Influence: How Women are Changing the Way America Works
“My whole life, I always thought I’d never live to see parity; turns out women dont need to get to parity to be heard to make a difference,” says Jay Newton-Small, TIME Correspondent and author of the newly released, Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works.
What began as a story in TIME magazine about how the 20 women of the US Senate came together to end the government shutdown, became a larger story of how women are changing the world.
In Broad Influence, Newton-Small examines a scientific concept called critical mass. This is the idea that, at a certain tipping point, a phenomenon starts becoming less exceptional and more normalized. Specifically, she applies this to women in America.
Through stories collected from over 150 women leaders in this country about everything from bipartisan collaboration, to double standards in reporting and media, she truly demonstrates the differences in the ways that women govern, lead, and work together.
In the intricate tale she weaves, these differences become a strategy to succeed rather than a weakness.
She hears from the former Deputy Chiefs of Staffs in the White House about how they shared responsibility instead of competing for it. Nancy-Ann DeParle and Alyssa Mastromonaco rebelled against the traditionally male environment they worked in, even in the smallest of ways. They picked “adorable” secret service code names and “delighted in watching the mostly male, macho Secret Service agents announce the arrival of Popsicle and Peaches.”
This book is a tribute to all women, across party lines, and recognizes the impact we have on this country in both public and private life. Its inspiring and impassioned, visionary and reflective, and tells stories from women in a way we haven’t before seen.
Click here to order Broad Influence, it’s a great read!
Host an Event
Issue Summits and Dome Tours
Part of our mission is to educate, empower, and inspire elected women through events like issue-oriented Summits and Dome Tours across America. We are looking for women and sponsors interested in hosting one of these NFWL exclusive events!
Issue Summit – a summit is an issue-oriented, regional event to educate elected women on a specific topic, give them opportunities to network with their fellow legislators, and provide them with leadership training to hone and develop their skills. Click here to learn more about Issue Summits
Dome Tours – a “Dome Tour” is a small event in or near the State Capitol. All elected women in that state are invited to attend, network, and learn more about the resources NFWL has to offer. Click here to learn more about Dome Tours.
If you are interested in hosting an NFWL Event, please contact allison@womenlegislators.org
Women in the News
Congratulations, Your Honor!
Congratulations to former Freeholder, Aimee Belgard (NJ), who was offiically sworn in this past month as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge! This Jersey girl has a rich history with NFWL, attending conferences and hosting a Women’s History Month event in 2015.
She was nominated by NJ Governor Chris Christie in early December, and was initially approached about the position by none other than NFWL’s former Chair, New Jersey Senator Diane Allen.
The Honorable Judge Belgard said her new position was “another opportunity…to serve the people of Burlington County and the state of New Jersey.” Congratulations again to this dedicated public servant!
Click Here to read the full article.
Have you made headlines recently? Each month, we dedicate our “Women in the News” section to recognizing the accomplishments of our members.
Send relevant articles to meghan@womenlegislators.org so we can feature you in our next newsletter.