Women in Lawrence, Kansas encouraged to apply for positions on local boards and commissions through the Appointments Project®
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2018
CONTACT:
Channing Grate, Women’s Foundation, channing@gpsimpact.com
Porter Arneill, City of Lawrence, parneill@lawrenceks.org, (785) 832-3302
LAWRENCE, KS – An innovative initiative to appoint more women to civic boards and commissions is now operating in Lawrence, Kansas. Women interested in serving the public are encouraged to apply to the Appointments Project®, a program launched by the Women’s Foundation to help increase the diversity of public boards and commissions.
An information session will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2018, from 11:30am-1:30pm at the Lawrence Public Library, Meeting Room B, 707 Vermont St, Lawrence, KS 66044.
“We’re thrilled to expand the Appointments Project into Lawrence and encourage all women interested in serving their communities to apply,” said Wendy Doyle, Women’s Foundation President & CEO. “Adding more diverse voices, particularly women of color, to the decision-making table will improve public policy and help local boards and commissions be more responsive and reflective of the communities they serve.”
The Appointments Project is an initiative established by the Women’s Foundation to increase the number of women serving on civic boards and commissions and recently added Lawrence to its list of Appointments Project cities. The Appointments Project will work to empower women and underrepresented groups and encourage greater diversity on Lawrence’s public commissions by helping to educate and engage prospective officials on the application and appointment process. Prospective appointees can learn more and express their interest in serving at: www.womens-foundation.org/a-p.
"Lawrence’s rich diversity is one of our city’s greatest strengths, and by teaming up with the Appointments Project we’ll make sure gender diversity is reflected on our local boards and commissions,” said Mayor Stuart Boley. “We are excited to collaborate with the Appointments Project to help encourage more women to pursue leadership roles in our community.”
The Appointments Project has seen a 300 percent increase in the number of Appointments Project locations in 2018, and the two dozen locations are now present in every congressional district of Kansas and Missouri. Appointments Project cities in Kansas include Abilene, Eudora, Greensburg, Johnson County, Merriam, Olathe, Pittsburg, Shawnee, Topeka, the Unified Government of Wyandotte and Kansas City, KS and Wichita.
Launched in 2014, the Appointments Project aims to remove barriers for women to serve on public boards and commissions so they are more reflective of the populations they serve. Based on a first-of-its-kind study that identified numerous barriers causing women to be underrepresented on public boards and commissions, the Appointments Project serves as a talent bank and advisor for women seeking appointed positions in state and local government. To date, more than 90 women have been appointed through the initiative.
Women’s Foundation promotes equity and opportunity for women of all ages, using research, philanthropy and policy solutions to make meaningful change. More information at www.womens-foundation.org.
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