Governor Kelly has appointed equal numbers of women and men to state boards and commissions during her first year in office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2020
KANSAS CITY — Ahead of the first anniversary of Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s inauguration, the Women’s Foundation commended the governor for making progress to close the leadership gap by appointing more than 150 women to state boards, commissions, and the judiciary since taking office. The Women’s Foundation created the Appointments Project in 2014 to increase the number of women serving in these appointed roles.
“In her first year in office, Governor Laura Kelly has taken major strides to close the leadership gap and make state boards and commissions more reflective of the communities they serve,” said Women’s Foundation President & CEO Wendy Doyle. “Bringing more diverse voices to the decision-making table not only makes government more diverse – it also makes government more effective. We look forward to working with Governor Kelly and her administration to appoint even more qualified women through our Appointments Project, and ultimately close the leadership gap for good.”
Kansas has more than 200 boards, commissions, councils, task forces or advisory groups whose members are appointed by the governor. In January 2019, women held just 37 percent of state board and commission seats in Kansas. Governor Kelly’s board and commission appointments to date are at gender parity, with the governor appointing 152 women and 152 men since taking office.
Established by the Women’s Foundation in 2014, the Appointments Project® works to empower women and strengthen communities by increasing the gender diversity of public boards and commissions. Through a landmark study, the Women’s Foundation identified the barriers causing women to be underrepresented on public boards and commissions, and we established the Appointments Project to increase the number of women serving.
More about the Appointments Project® is at: www.appointmentsproject.org
The mission of Women's Foundation is to advance all women’s economic and civic leadership. We envision a world where all women are empowered to strengthen America’s economy and democracy.
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