WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - October 06, 2015) - The Governing Institute is proud to announce the 25 members of the Women in Government Leadership Program Class of 2016, the new class of elected officials from state and local government selected to participate in the annual program.
Governing Institute's Women in Government Leadership Program highlights the outstanding contributions of women currently in public office, provides leadership development and job critical skills during three in-person summits, and creates a network to pay it forward by inviting and mentoring the next generation of women leaders to run for office. The inaugural class of 24 completed a yearlong curriculum in July 2015 and already have taken action to mentor women leaders in their respective regions.
Each class is chosen from nominations submitted online at www.governing.com/wig. Women must be elected to a state or local office and not on the ballot during the program year. Over 100 women were nominated for the Class of 2016 and selections were made based on career and educational accomplishments, recommendations from the nominators, a commitment to actively participate, and a goal of seating a diverse class in a number of categories. Each class also includes one rising star, a young woman not yet serving in elected office, but with the interest and potential to run in the future.
The Class of 2016 will gather for their first leadership conference Nov. 7-8 in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The 25 women in the program's new class will be profiled in the February 2016 issue of Governing magazine and will participate in Governing events throughout the coming year, including a roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C. in January 2016 and a third leadership retreat in summer 2016.
The first member of the class, Tennessee State Rep. Raumesh Akbari, was selected in August 2015 as the inaugural recipient of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF) Lois M. DeBerry Scholarship winner. The annual scholarship from the SLLF enables one Women in Government Leadership Program recipient to travel to each of the three leadership conferences.
"The new class is a remarkable group of women from Alaska to Florida. We look forward to a year of inspiration, professional development, sharing best practices, and establishing relationships that will directly result in more women seeking to advance their careers in elected office," says Julia Burrows, executive director of the Governing Institute.
Women in Government Leadership Program Class of 2016
The Women in Government Leadership Program Class of 2016 includes women from 22 different states holding a variety of offices statewide and at the local level.
The Honorable Raumesh Akbari
Tennessee State Representative
SLLF Lois M. DeBerry Scholar
The Honorable Carol Alvarado
Texas State Representative
The Honorable Marlene Anielski
Ohio State Representative
The Honorable Stephanie Bice
Oklahoma State Senator
The Honorable Mary Ann Borgeson
Commissioner, Douglas County, Nebraska
The Honorable Toni Carter
Commissioner, Ramsey County, Minnesota
The Honorable Rebecca Casper
Mayor, Idaho Falls, Idaho
The Honorable Joy Cooper
Mayor, Hallandale Beach, Florida
The Honorable Shelley Goodman Taub
Commissioner, Oakland County, Michigan
The Honorable Betsy Hodges
Mayor, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Honorable Wendy Horman
Idaho State Representative
The Honorable Lindsey P. Horvath
Mayor, West Hollywood, California
The Honorable Adrienne Jones
Maryland State Delegate
The Honorable Linda Langston
Supervisor, Linn County, Iowa
The Honorable Andrea Lea
Arkansas State Auditor
The Honorable Gail McCann Beatty
Missouri State Representative
The Honorable Charisse Millett
Alaska State Representative
The Honorable Erin Oban
North Dakota State Senator
The Honorable Cherrish Pryor
Indiana State Representative
The Honorable Brenda Roberts
Auditor, Oakland, California
The Honorable Loretta Smith
Commissioner, Multnomah County, Oregon
The Honorable Melanie Stambaugh
Washington State Representative
The Honorable Ivy R. Taylor
Mayor, San Antonio, Texas
The Honorable Michelle Wu
Councillor, City of Boston, Massachusetts
Sarah Besnoff
Law Clerk, United States Courts
Rising Star
About the Governing Institute
The Governing Institute advances better government by improving performance and outcomes through research, decision support, and executive education to help public sector leaders govern more effectively.
Governing is a division of e.Republic, the nation's only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.
Contact Information:
For more information:
Julia Burrows
Executive Director
Governing Institute
916.316.0416
jburrows@governing.com