FEBRUARY 2012
Linda Young, NWPC President
This report is coming a few days late, and while I regret that, I do not regret the frenzy of activity toward the end of February that has consumed my time. For this report, I wanted to not only share what I have been doing to represent you lately, but also to share what I am thinking of as a Six Month Check-Up. In addition to news, I will share a summary of accomplishments of our new administration, so you will know how we all have been using our time on behalf of NWPC. Please know that these are joint accomplishments, positive movement that has resulted from the work of our Executive Committee and our Board members from across the country: your accomplishments for NWPC.
COALITON BUILDING AND PARTNERSHIPS
- Significant participation with the National Council of Women’s Organizations, attending their meetings, participating in messaging, and even having one of our Executive Committee members, Vice President for Communications Pat Lynch, present at one of their meetings.
- Joined as a member of HERvotes, the coalition to address Health and Economic Rights of Women, and to recruit like-minded women to register to vote, and then to vote to protect our rights. (Now 52 organizations, with joint impact of representing millions of women, so watch for the next press release in two weeks that presents our coalition strength in quantified report)
- Participation with Department of Labor briefing on women’s issues. I was briefed by a cluster of leaders in the administration of DOL last week, invited there to hear summaries of DOL programs, regulations and initiatives for women, and also to serve as point to disseminate such information to our membership, and on to our sister organizations. This includes a new push on Equal Pay for Women; and they asked your NWPC President to be the lead on this information sharing.
- President appointed to the White House Focus Group on Women and the Economy, representing NWPC at White House briefings on the economy.
- Multiple press releases on various issues that impact our NWPC members, and gaining recognition and impact through such press contacts (thank you Pat!)
- I was interviewed for Elle Magazine article on Women in Public Leadership Roles and the Hillary Legacy, article that will be published probably in June publication but we will notify you. (Thank you Pat!)
- Specific examples: Two articles in the Washington Post in less than one week, with one being picked up by AP wire, so that your President and NWPC was not only in the Post, but in news around the world—we even made the Shanghai Press and were in the papers in London!
- NWPC President Linda Young will address the American Association of University Women’s state convention in Texas in April.
- Amazing press conference and participation with HERvotes in Washington DC, March 1, at the National Press Club. As the coalition tried to get the announcement into the Post, NWPC came through, because in one of those two articles in Post last week, I was able to get in the Press Conference time and place, so we delivered for our sisters. (Photo at the conference attached; and big thanks to VP for Education and Training Lisa Kaado for traveling from New Jersey to be in DC for the Conference, and for working that room so well!)
- New partnership with American Association of University Women, with their new national campaign to increase voter registration and voter participation, a campaign they are spending $1.5 million on, targeting 15 states for voter work, and particularly targeting college campuses. Our partnership allows us to co-brand all those wonderful materials, and to work to expand such activities in our regions as well, which is not only partnering, but the potential to expand our College Campuses at the same time. VP for Development Judy Chavis, New Jersey Caucus’s Mary Giovinazzo, VP for Communications Pat Lynch, and NWPC Program Director Bettina Hager and I all working on this one.
- Increased activity level of our Political Planning and Political Action Committee, with aggressive outputs of Endorsed Candidates, and wonderful new Press Releases for each, ones that also include an audio note that candidates love to use. (Thanks Donna, for your efforts, and for your recruiting support for Press Release development through your committee staff, and thanks Pat, for working these Releases and helping to get the audio notes and all working!)
- Meeting with candidates, and support from NWPC when candidates come to DC area. Donna Lent, Bettina and I have each met with candidates we are endorsing, to encourage them and to help them feel more connected with NWPC. VP for Education and Training Lisa Kaado also helped host a DC area reception for long time Caucus friend Senator Barbara Buono.
- NWPC VP- Education and Training Lisa Kaado raised awareness as a Keynote Speaker on a panel at the Middlesex County College on the importance of voting in primaries. The panel, which occurred on February 23rd, was a resounding success and she represented the Caucus with panache.
- To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the ERA passage in Congress NWPC will be participating in a panel discussion, moderated by NWPC Founder Ellie Smeal on the “Grassroots Heroes on the Hill” with VP-Education and Training Lisa Kaado serving to represent NWPC. She will also be in town helping lead an ERA lobby day with young women from the Alice Paul Institute, following the March 13th lobby training she will hold.
- To assist in the passage of the ERA, as a collaborative effort from NWPC-Education and Training and the National Office, NWPC has created a lobby kit to help guide the effort for an increased participation in grassroots advocacy to pass the ERA. This kit will soon be available from our website. (Thank you Lisa!)
- VP Donna DeBerry has worked to outreach to potential growth markets for NWPC, has participated in a number of Republican Women local, regional, and state meetings and conferences to share NWPC and to recruit from women in the Republican Party who are pro-choice. She arranged for me to speak at the Texas Republican Women conference later in the year, truly an achievement for us to do that, since our organization is multi-partisan. She is working to get us in for NWPC event with the RNC Convention! (Thank you Donna!)
- Donna has recruited a wonderful young woman as a new Caucus member and a member of the Diversity and Outreach Committee, one who is helping with editing and production of branding materials for us all to have in our hands soon. (Thanks Donna, and thanks to our new recruit, Lauren Thompson!)
- Donna is working now with the California committee recently convened to review membership dues, and we appreciate Donna’s efforts to share her thoughts and perceptions that prompted her to volunteer to chair a committee back in November in LA to address the value of National.
- ERA Education Project founder and director Kamala Lopez continues to wow with her video shorts campaign, and she flew to DC to present her program to the NCWO. She is working on a national tour, supported by Citizen Group, a pro-social marketing, design and brand management agency. She will be reaching across the country filming rallies, speaking engagements and promotion of the Project. As an NWPC partner, Kamala’s fundraising comes into our LDERF fund, and we retain 10% of funds raised.
- VP for Communications Pat Lynch has done yeowoman’s (coined a new word) task with us for communications, as you have read throughout my report, just remember where all you have already read about Communications. Here I must also commend our own young Wonder Woman Bettina, who has wrangled newsletters each time, and who recruits and manages our interns in the office to produce research for us, and so many things, making the communications efforts work through the office!
- New messaging from your President through Did you know…and why you matter email blasts and call to action when there is a hot issue and we need you to step up and work your networks.
- Pat has worked on a new brochure for us, and you will have that soon, and specialized materials are in the works for particular issues and needs. (Thanks, Pat!)
- Pat has been working with a woman I was lucky to recruit for NWPC, one who worked at a young age for the Ann Richards Campaign, and went on to a very successful career in media to include the Clinton campaign and many others, and lots of successfully elected progressive women! Cynthia Miller is co-owner of Rindy Miller Media, and serves as a political commentator for Fox News; she is incredible with politically savvy wording for our messaging, and is helpful to send the President suggestions for our efforts. (Thank you Pat, and welcome and thanks, Cynthia!)
- Pat has purchased and donated a wonderful new resource for national media lists, so that will help incredibly as we grow and expand our visibility.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you, and for your support!
In sisterhood,
Linda Young
President, NWPC
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