By Steve Nakata, Administrative Services
PULLMAN, Wash. – Seventeen women from universities in Washington and Idaho are participating in the National Education for Women (NEW) Leadership Institute through June 7 at Washington State University.
The residential, nonpartisan training, organized by the WSU Women’s Resource Center, will give the undergraduate and graduate students a unique opportunity to hone their leadership skills by engaging with a variety of women leaders in politics and civic organizations. They will be mentored by female faculty-in-residence and will participate in a hands-on political action project related to women’s issues.
“The institute is packed with an incredible amount of information to foster a generation of young women who will use their voices to change and shape the future political landscape,” said Heidi Stanton Schnebly, interim director of the center.
If NEW Leadership sounds familiar to those in eastern Washington, she said, that is because it was hosted by WSU 2002-10. It was discontinued during the economic downturn but, in January, the state Women’s Funding Alliance (WFA) awarded $17,000 to the center to support reestablishing the program. Additional funding was awarded for implementation.
Workshops will focus on the history of women in politics, effective communication and presentation skills, political decision making, the legislative process and professional conduct. State Sen. Linda Evans Parlette will be the keynote speaker on Saturday evening.
“I am particularly excited that so many powerful and inspirational women in leadership positions will be speaking at the institute,” Stanton Schnebly said. “Many are WSU alums.”
Workshop leaders include a candidate for mayor in Spokane, the head of the state Institute for Public Policy, the assistant mayor of Yakima and the senior communications officer for Rutgers University, the place where the NEW Leadership Institute was created.
Two WSU alumnae will serve as faculty-in-residence: Kristine Reeves, executive director of the Washington Military Alliance, and LaKecia Farmer, data and campaign coordinator at Win/Win Action in Seattle. Also serving as faculty-in-residence will be Roxanne Murphy, a Bellingham, Wash., city council member.
WSU’s NEW Leadership Institute boasts over 200 alumni. Among them, one attended the Seattle University School of Law, several interned in city and county offices, many attended graduate school and others have volunteered in community organizations or accepted international posts in education.