Effort to Appoint More Women to Public Boards Expands in Kansas

Eleven Kansas municipalities are now participating in the Women’s Foundation’s Appointments Project™

Wichita, Kan. – An innovative program to increase the number of women serving on state and local boards and commissions, now serving eleven Kansas municipalities, held a live training in Wichita. The live hands-on training, hosted by the Women’s Foundation as part of their Appointments Project™, was designed for Kansas residents who are interested in serving on a board or commission. 

Started in 2014, the Appointments Project partners with state and local leaders to increase the number of women serving on public boards and commissions in Missouri and Kansas. In just four years, the Appointments Project™ has successfully placed more than 80 women on publicly-appointed boards and commissions throughout Missouri and Kansas. 

“In 2014 we commissioned a study into the reasons women don’t become civically engaged and too often, the answer was simple: they weren’t being asked,”  said Wendy Doyle, Women’s Foundation President & CEO. “That’s why we created the Appointments Project, and we’ve  been thrilled with the response." 

In November, the Women’s Foundation announced a partnership with the League of Kansas Municipalities, Kansas State University Extension and the Kansas Health Foundation to further expand into the state of Kansas. 

In addition to the state government of Kansas, the Appointments Project is now operating in 11 municipalities including Abilene, Atchison, Eudora, Merriam, Olathe, Pittsburgh, Shawnee, Topeka, Wichita, Johnson County and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.