Ambassador Samantha Power Rallied & Inspired the Crowd of 1,300+
Mayor Sly James Announced 50th Appointee to the Appointment Project
Missouri First Lady Sheena Greitens Announced the Governor's Commitment to Appoint 25 more Women to Statewide Boards in 25 Days
KANSAS CITY, MO – On Tuesday afternoon, Women's Foundation celebrated 25 years at its We Work For Change annual event, attracting more than 1,300 people from across the political spectrum with the common goal of improving the lives of women of all ages in Missouri and Kansas. Central to this year's event was promoting women's civic engagement and promoting more women into positions of public leadership.
Keynoting the annual event was former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power who spoke about the importance of women's civic engagement at all levels.
“For all of the bad news out there, women in 2017 are a major bright spot -- we are stepping up more than ever,” said Power.
Missouri's First Lady Sheena Greitens and Kansas City Mayor Sly James were also featured speakers who had special announcements related to women in leadership.
Mayor James announced Allison Pericich as the 50th appointment of the Women’s Foundation Appointments Project™. Pericich will serve on the Kansas City Historic Preservation Commission.
Mayor James also shared that women's representation on Kansas City boards and commissions has increased from approximately 33% to 42% since the Appointments Project™ launched three years ago.
First Lady Greitens announced that Governor Eric Greitens has committed to appoint 25 more women to Missouri state boards and commissions in 25 days, in honor of Women's Foundation's 25th anniversary.
Women's Foundation President & CEO Wendy Doyle reinforced the importance of the Appointments Project™ during her remarks.
“The Appointments Project™ is at the heart of Women's Foundation,” said Wendy Doyle, President and CEO of Women’s Foundation. “Perhaps more than any other work or project we do, the Appointments Project™ is getting results -- moving the needle towards more women representation on public boards and commissions where decisions are made.”
The Appointments Project™ is an initiative that aims to increase the number of women serving on local and statewide boards and commissions in Kansas and Missouri. After only three years, the Appointments Project™ has had more than 700 applicants and successfully placed 50 women on boards and commissions in Missouri and Kansas. The Appointments Project™ is statewide in Missouri and Kansas and in Kansas City, Springfield, St. Louis, St. Louis County and Jackson County, Missouri as well as Olathe and Topeka, Kansas.
Women's Foundation's annual event was co-chaired by Christy and Bill Gautreaux and Yvette and UMKC Chancellor Emeritus Leo Morton. Proceeds from the event will sustain the work of the non-profit Foundation and advance its efforts to promote equity and opportunity for women of all ages, using research, philanthropy and policy solutions to make meaningful change.
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Former UN Ambassador Samantha Power made time to take photos with Women's Foundation's Girls Leadership members after her keynote address.