This Friday, August 25, UNC School of Government will host its 3rd annual conference on the topic of Engaging Women in Public Service. Registration has been on a wait-list for weeks, and participants are traveling from across NC, Virginia, and South Carolina to attend the conference in Raleigh. Clearly there is energy and enthusiasm for this topic. And because ELGL has led the #13percent discussion around adding more women to the Chief Administrative Officer position in local government, we will be sharing this event and all its energy and enthusiasm live with our fellow members. Here’s a sneak peak!
To tell us more about Engaging Women, Rae Buckley, from the Town of Chapel Hill, spoke to the event organizer, Margaret Henderson (Lecturer in Public Administration and Director, Public Intersection Project at UNC).
Question: What is Engaging Women in Public Service?
Answer: It’s a movement! It’s an organic set of initiatives coming out of the School of Government which evolved independently but in parallel with similar efforts by organizations like the League of Women in Government. For the School of Government, the effort includes the annual conference, annual summits with specific content for women who are City and County managers, and academic research about how to equip women to pursue public service leadership positions.
Question: What is the goal of the conference?
Answer: Our intention is to harness the leadership potential of women in local government, non-profits, or any other public institution. Most leadership positions are still held by men. We believe that the processes of making decisions and setting policies improve when fully informed by diverse perspectives in leadership positions.
Question: What do you hope will result from next Friday’s conference?
Answer: Success will take different forms for different women. For some it will be the networking – meeting other women who offer useful connections. For others, it might be about learning from women who hold leadership roles and realizing that position is attainable! This year has an exciting line-up in which Futurist Rebecca Ryan will start off the day by encouraging women to DREAM BIG and be bold in setting their professional intentions and making plans. We hope women leave knowing they don’t need to wait for permission to lead. They can make it happen from wherever they are and whatever they do.
YES! ELGL agrees! Stay tuned and follow us Friday – #13percent #EngagingWomen
