Women in Wichita encouraged to apply for positions on local boards and commissions through the Appointments Project™
WICHITA, KS – A regional initiative to appoint more women to civic boards and commissions is now up and running in Wichita, and women interested in serving the public are encouraged to apply. The Appointments Project™, an initiative of the Women’s Foundation, is designed to increase the number of women serving on civic boards and commissions and recently expanded to Wichita with the support of Mayor Jeff Longwell.
Prospective appointees can learn more and express their interest in serving at: www.womens-foundation.org.
“We’re thrilled to bring the Appointments Project to Wichita and encourage all women interested in serving their communities to visit our website and fill out an application,” said Women’s Foundation President and CEO Wendy Doyle. “Having more women at the decision-making table will improve public policy and help local boards and commissions be more responsive and reflective of the communities they serve.”
“As a vibrant and growing city, Wichita is a great place to get involved in public service,” said Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell. “I’ve made it a priority to make sure city government reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, and we’re proud to be teaming up with the Women’s Foundation to appoint more women to our city boards and commissions through the Appointments Project.”
Started in 2014, the Appointments Project is getting results with over 800 applicants with a total of 82 women appointed to Kansas and Missouri boards and commissions. In Kansas City, where the program was piloted, it has helped increase the percentage of women on city boards and commissions from 33-percent to 42-percent in just three years. Recently, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens acknowledged the importance of the Appointments Project and delivered on his commitment to appoint 30 women to statewide board and commission seats in 25 days in honor of Women’s Foundation’s 25th anniversary.
Support from the Kansas Health Foundation helped make the expansion possible to promote civic health.
In addition to Wichita, Women’s Foundation has existing partnerships with the City of Olathe, Kansas; the City of Topeka, Kansas, the State of Missouri; the State of Kansas; and other jurisdictions to address the lack of women on boards and commissions.
Learn more about the Appointments Project at http://www.womens-foundation.org/a-p/.
The Women’s Foundation promotes equity and opportunity for women of all ages, using research, philanthropy and policy solutions to make meaningful change. More information about the organization can be found at www.Womens-Foundation.org.