Juneteenth: Take Action and Be W-I-S-E

It is hard to believe another Juneteenth is already upon us. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but it wasn't until two years later on June 19, 1865, that the last enslaved people were freed in Galveston, Texas.  For many in the Black community, Juneteenth is a day of independence and celebration. 

Last year, we encouraged you to learn, listen and reflect with us on Juneteenth and beyond. In July 2020, we hosted two listening sessions with black women, made possible with funding from the Black Community Fund. The sessions focused on barriers to and opportunities for black women’s economic participation and civic engagement, and on the impact of the Coronavirus disease outbreak. We continue to use the information collected to suggest policy solutions that will better meet the needs of a diverse community of women.

Ensuring that women are treated equally is a mission we've always fought for in order to make meaningful change. I am excited to share some of the actions we are taking the remainder of 2021 to improve equity for Black women and women of color:

• New Collaboration: United WE and Suburban Balance are excited to launch a collaborative partnership to support people of color who are interested in running for local boards, commissions and offices. With generous support from the Truman Heartland Community Foundation’s Racial Equity Action Fund, we’ll create lasting change in Eastern Jackson County, Missouri, by addressing the lack of racial diversity in decision-making leadership positions in our community. This collaboration ensures that diverse candidates are considered for a broad swath of leadership positions.

• Listening: This summer we will host a Missouri statewide virtual town hall for women of color. We will hear firsthand the barriers they’re facing and use the insights to better translate our research into actionable change. This virtual town hall is part of United WE’s larger effort to put forward a pragmatic advocacy platform that unites policy makers and delivers lasting, high-impact change for women in Missouri, Kansas and beyond.

• Partnering: We’re joining forces with Black Excellence KC and Jackson County to present a “Women in Civic Leadership” panel discussion on June 24th at 7:00 p.m. on Facebook Live. This program will showcase the success of municipalities and community organizations working together and feature local civic leaders empowering women to follow in their footsteps.

This year — in honor of our 30th anniversary of serving women — we’re calling you to step up and take action. We all have a role to play in racial justice and anti-racism. We all have opportunities to learn from each other and wisdom to share. This Juneteenth, remember the acronym W-I-S-E and take the next step to get involved:

Watch for updates about serving in civic leadership and on school boards. Through our partnership with Suburban Balance, we will educate and support people of color interested in leadership opportunities by hosting Appointments Project overviews, providing school board workshops, hosting an education panel discussion, collaborating with Suburban Balance on a research report that investigates the state of the suburban black family, and more.

Invite others to join and register for our Appointments Project, particularly Black women. We have seen from our research that when women have a seat at the decision-making table, better outcomes are realized, and entire communities are lifted.

Share this email with everyone you can and encourage people to participate.

Engage with the Black Excellence and Jackson County panel on civic leadership and the importance of boards and commissions. As mentioned above, this event is taking place on June 24th at 7:00 p.m. on Facebook Live. RSVP here.

When we acknowledge and address the systemic barriers that Black women face, and work together to amplify their voices and stories, we can be one step closer to truly achieving equality for all. 

We are committed to supporting our community so that we may grow stronger together. Unite with us this Juneteenth and join our commitment to fight for change. We’re stronger together. 

Kindly,

Appointee Profile: Desarae Harrah

Desarae G. Harrah was appointed to the Jackson County Mental Health Fund Board.  Desarae is the founder and managing partner of Harrah Law, LLC, a firm focusing on business, real estate, and construction located in the heart of Kansas City’s Westport District. Desarae earned her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, and both a B.A. in Political Science and B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Kansas.

Appointee Profile: Karla Williams

Karla Williams has been appointed to the Jackson County Mental Health Fund Board.  Karla was born in St. Louis and graduated from Raytown South High School.  She received a BSBA from William Woods University, with an emphasis in accounting and minors in Mathematics and Political Science.  Karla settled in Columbia before moving to Lee’s Summit where she currently resides. 

She has an extensive career in banking and non-profit organizations and presently works for Pro Deo Youth Center as Community Relations Director.  Her community involvement includes a variety of organizations; Women’s Network of Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Assistance League of Mid-Missouri, Columbia Public School Board, Heart of Missouri United Way Board, Room at the Inn (overnight lodging for homeless), Boone County Functional Zero Task Force, Boone County Cradle to Career, Lee's Summit Sunrise Rotary, Feed Lee's Summit, Meals on Wheels, and Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce.

Women building a legacy for all women.

United WE Donor Feature: Connie Loveless

“During my 35-year career, I was almost always surrounded by men,” said Connie Loveless, former board member and supporter of United WE. “The harried world of Finance and Investments- with its trading floors, wall street bankers and board rooms really didn’t invite many women into it.”

When Connie was first asked to join the United WE investment committee in the ‘90’s, then Women’s Foundation, Connie really didn’t know much about the mission, but came to love the work. “It brought us together to drive change for the betterment of all women. It was fun and challenging and allowed me to see real life issues facing so many women daily.”

Connie is proud to be a part of United WE. “I care about my daughter’s future and the future of our girls. United WE is making meaningful change for gender equity now and for future generations. From women being appointed to board and commissions to vital policy work, a lot of women don’t even know United WE is standing behind them.”

“A lot of women don’t even know United WE is standing behind them.”

— United WE Donor Connie Loveless

Investing in United WE with a legacy gift means Connie is investing in the future of women. “I hope and pray that our past work will help to make a difference in the life of my own daughter, Molly, and in the lives of my friends’ daughters, whether they are aware of it or not. I continue to support United WE because I know the good work being done today will make a difference for all women and girls in generations to come.”

Connie & her daughter, Molly

Thank you, Connie, for your ongoing passion and support to empower women!

As we celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2021, United WE will also be celebrating our 30 founding members of our Legacy Society. We invite you to join Connie and become a founding member of our Legacy Society by including United WE in your giving, estate plans or other financial contributions.

Contact Angie Heer, Chief Development Officer at cdo@united-we.org or 816.988.2007 for further information.

An Update from Wendy Doyle: Entrepreneurship & Occupational Licensing Reform in 2021

On May 20, I had the pleasure of speaking at a forum organized by the Kauffman Foundation. The event, titled “Access to Opportunity: Creating a Level Playing Field for Entrepreneurship,” provided a platform for researchers and practitioners to share research, insights, and experiences on entrepreneurship. 

Our research shows that there are barriers for women entrepreneurs, despite women-owned businesses being on the rise. According to a report by the National Association of Women Business Owners, more than half of women business owners are the breadwinners in their families. And among women of color, it’s an even greater share — 65% — and these breadwinning entrepreneurs are being disproportionately affected.

United WE is committed to studying, educating and supporting occupational licensing reforms. We’ve seen that occupations primarily held by women are often among those that require licensure specific to state requirements. Today I’d like to share a few key takeaways with you to show why we are committed to understanding the challenges for entrepreneurs, and advocating for occupation licensing policy changes that address them.

Occupational Licensing Overview 

For decades, occupations like nursing, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and cosmetology have required licensure as a means of protecting the public. Because occupational licensing regulations are enforced and controlled by each state throughout the nation, there are varying requirements and qualifications. 

This makes reciprocity, the policy and process of accepting an individual’s license from another state, difficult due to significant disparities among state requirements.

Our Research

In 2016, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation funded our research in partnership with the University of Missouri Institute of Public Policy to produce a report on occupational licensing. The research showed state licensing requirements have a disproportionate impact on women when their license can’t be transferred from state to state. We learned that:

• Women have a higher proportion of professional licenses in healthcare, education and law.

• In Missouri, women hold active professional licenses at a rate 3 times higher than men.

• In the United States in 2015, 28.1% of employed women held a certification or license compared to 23.2% of employed men. 

The Importance of Occupational Licensing Reform 

Moving across state lines shouldn’t mean losing your ability to earn a living, but that’s the reality many families face as a result of licensing requirements. 

Earlier this year we held a roundtable with a range of women entrepreneurs and experts in the field of entrepreneurship across Kansas and Missouri to understand issues facing women entrepreneurs and possible solutions. 

Our research paired with what we heard from these women underscores the need for less red tape for women entrepreneurs and professionals. These changes will ease this burden on women and set the stage for a more economically powerful future.

United WE Commitment to Progress

United WE has had great success in achieving policy reform for occupational licensing, including reduced licensing fees barriers and licensing reciprocity for military spouses. More of our recent achievements are detailed here on our website. 

More than ever, policymakers need to prioritize the needs of women and families in their recovery plans. Occupational licensing reform cannot be temporary or overlooked; it’s necessary for creating opportunities for prospective business owners, particularly those underrepresented in entrepreneurship today.

I encourage you to take action and visit our website to explore ways you can get involved and to view our full research report on occupational licensing.

Kindly,

Wendy D. Doyle

United WE President & CEO

From Our President & CEO: A Tribute To Our Service Members

As we approach Memorial Day, I encourage you to pause and reflect on the importance of this day. Open your ears and your heart to our community’s heroes. Service members put their lives on the line each day and their family members make great sacrifices for their loved ones to serve and protect our communities. Investing in their families is a fitting tribute to those individuals who chose to serve their communities.

This Memorial Day, I’m more reflective than ever as hundreds of thousands of American lives have been lost to COVID-19. I think about the women and families, military personnel, public safety officers, veterans, and others whose lives have been impacted. Despite the circumstances, they believed in a cause and showed up each day to fight for progress and change. If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that we must stand up for what we believe. We must overcome no matter the circumstances. No matter how high the barriers may seem. No matter how impossible the challenges may appear.

Supporting military spouses and families through our policy work is a small token of gratitude for families of fallen or injured veterans, first responders and public safety officers. United WE is a leader in creating gender equity, but our work wouldn’t be possible without state leaders who collaborate with us to advance our mission.

• An example is HB 2021 that Governor Laura Kelly recently signed into law in Kansas. This important legislation furthers our mission to advance all women’s economic leadership by expanding an education fund for military and first responder spouses and family members of heroes that died, and now includes individuals injured in the line of duty. Legislation like HB 2021 is vital for the many who have lost loved ones in the line of duty and is a step in the right direction to support the dignity and livelihood of survivors and families of our heroes.

• In addition, we are proud to see continued support from the legislature and Governor Parson for the Veterans’ Survivor Grant Program we advocated for in Missouri. This program helps improve the financial well-being of military and first responder families and strengthen our economy.

• Finally, United WE has had great success in achieving policy reform for occupational licensing, including reduced licensing fees barriers and licensing reciprocity for military spouses. More of our recent achievements are detailed here on our website.

The economic development and empowerment of women begins with understanding what is holding women back and then generating fresh solutions to longstanding challenges. We listened and learned from the challenges our military families face through our research. We developed innovative solutions to drive policy, change, and reduced barriers for military spouses and their families. We still have work to do, and with your support, will continue to listen and generate pragmatic solutions. 

This Memorial Day, I encourage you to unite with us in listening and reflecting. Ask yourself, “How can I support and remove obstacles for America’s families and our service members?”

Kindly,

P.S. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to learn more about exciting developments coming this summer as we listen, identify solutions and make recommendations to improve the economic well-being of women through the largest effort of its kind in Missouri. 

Appointee Profile: Mary Barnes

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ”

— Maya Angelou

Mary Barnes was appointed by County Executive Frank White Jr. to the Pension Plan Board of Trustees.  In this role she will serve as an advocate in an effort to strengthen and enrich the lives of county employees through Jackson County’s pension plan.

Mary Barnes has over 20 years’ experience in the legal, education, and non-profit sectors.  She is the Contract and Compliance Administrator for the Port Authority of Kansas City, Missouri where she drafts, reviews, and executes contracts for real estate, vendor services and construction.

Currently, Mary serves on the Awesome Ambitions Board, is involved with the South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and is a member of Junior League of Kansas City and Greater Kansas City (MO) Chapter of Links, Inc.  Mary earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia.

Mary is an entrepreneur and is the founder/owner of One of A Kind Gifts a specialty business that incorporates her unique flair for elegant presentation through baskets and unique gifts.   She is committed to the empowerment of youth and works with children and teens in her local church, has served as a youth leader, and hosted a young women’s mentoring group and pageant.  In her spare time she enjoys traveling, shopping, interior design, and meeting new people. 

Mary is married to Jesse Barnes.

Advocating for Systemic Change.

United WE Donor Feature: Tiffany Owens

As a United WE Board Member, volunteer, donor, and Legacy Society member, Kansas City native Tiffany Owens knows how to be a true advocate for systemic change. “I support United WE because the mission transforms women’s equity through research and breaks barriers for women and families,” says Tiffany.

Growing up, Tiffany’s mother was a small business owner. Now, as a working mother herself, Tiffany understands the challenges women face and wants to pave the way for other women and most importantly, her daughter.

Tiffany truly lives her passion for gender equity, working as a private client advisor and providing tools for women to take control of their finances. “I see how the many roles women play as parent, caregiver, and professional can have an impact on their financial success. I want to help and guide them so they can take control of their financial lives. It is a big proponent of why I chose to get involved with United WE.”

“As a Board Member, I am honored to carry on the work of so many amazing women who came before me. There’s a lot of work left to be done, but I know the multi-faceted approach creates the high-level change necessary to make a bigger impact in our communities.”

Reflecting on the last 30 years of working towards gender equity, Tiffany, and other women and men like her, have given so much of their time, talent, and treasure to make United WE’s mission possible. Thank you, Tiffany, for your passion to empower women now and beyond!

“I am honored to carry on the work of so many amazing women who came before me. There’s a lot of work left to be done, but I know the multi-faceted approach creates the high-level change necessary to make a bigger impact in our communities.”

— Tiffany Owens

We invite you to join Tiffany and become a supporter by considering a charitable gift to support United WE. Make your gift today and learn about the United WE Legacy Society.

For questions or more information on other ways to give and volunteer, contact Melissa Ford, Director of Development at dod@united-we.org or 816.988.2006.

From Our President & CEO: 30 Years of Uniting for Women

Last week we celebrated an important milestone; 30 years prior, on April 22, 1991, we incorporated as a non-profit and nonpartisan organization in Kansas City, Missouri. We were founded by smart, bold women with an unwavering commitment to empower all women to reach their full economic potential. 

I look forward to celebrating our trailblazing founders and the women who fearlessly made history over the past three decades. Throughout the year, we will honor the women who said “yes” to serve, the progress we’ve made, and the women leading the charge today for equity and opportunity. We hope to celebrate with some of these trailblazers in person on September 29 at We Work for Change, with three highly anticipated national speakers! 

Celebrating our history creates the opportunity to share the vision for our future. Our goals are focused on strengthening our mission to advance all women’s economic and civic leadership for meaningful change. A few specifics include: 

• Economic Development: We will accelerate advancements in critical areas like equal pay, occupational licensing, and childcare. We are particularly passionate about a national paid family leave policy as a critical piece to support women and their families. 

• Civic Leadership: We will accelerate expansion of the Appointments Project®. We are now in 30 cities across Missouri and Kansas, and have launched in four additional cities across the country: Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, and South San Francisco. We expect to expand to three additional cities across the country by the end of the year. 

• Legacy of Women: We will continue honoring the trailblazing women who paved the path for change long before we became an organization. Next up we have a state park renaming in Ste. Genevieve, MO, to honor school teacher Helen Coffer Hawn. 

• Research: We remain dedicated to research that helps us identify gaps for and feedback from women. This year, we are partnering with a group of elected officials and community and business leaders across the state of Missouri to convene the first-ever statewide Women’s Economic Task Force. We will identify strategies, recommendations and policy solutions to improve the economic well-being of women and families.Stay tuned for an update on the status of women in Kansas later this year also.

So much of our work and progress has been thanks to volunteers, from our visionary founders 30 years ago to today’s advocates like the new Groundbreakers and Ambassadors groups. We thank the countless women who have helped us get to this point, and those who will carry the mantle forward for the next generation of changemakers.

Speaking of the next generation, 11-year-old Poppy Bash joined her father, Andy Bash of Bash & Co. Sotheby’s International Realty, “on stage” during our Champion Breakfast on April 23. As Poppy told our attendees, “It’s important for us to continue to work now for changes, so as I continue to grow, I have the opportunities available to me that I deserve.” Watch Poppy by clicking here.

We agree with Poppy; she and the millions of girls across our country deserve a more equitable world. Change is needed today to address inequities for women, and we believe the challenges are solvable. We’re committed to tackling them because we know that when women -- and girls like Poppy -- thrive, communities thrive. 

We are encouraged and inspired as we reflect on this chapter of the organization, but know we have a lot of work to do. I hope you will join me this year in taking action to create opportunities, champion progress and advocate for change for women.

Thank you for your support of United WE over the past 30 years. We are looking forward to the next 30! 

 Warmly,

Appointee Profile: Bonnie Limbird

Governor Laura Kelly has reappointed Bonnie Limbird to the State Board of Technical Professions. The purpose of the Board is to register and license engineers, architects, surveyors, and landscape architects.

Bonnie Limbird is an interior designer at SFS Architecture in Kansas City. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Central Missouri. Though appointed to the Board in March 2020 as a Public Member, she is well-versed herself in the intricacies and requirements of professional certifications as a registered interior designer in the state of Missouri, a LEED AP, an NCIDQ-certified designer, and a professional member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

Ms. Limbird has served as president of the local Mid-America IIDA chapter, on the steering committee of the Centurions Leadership Program, as president of the PTA, on the boards of both the Friends of the Johnson County Library and the Girls Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri, and volunteered countless hours to all of these organizations before and after her appointments. She currently serves as a City Council member for the City of Prairie Village, Kansas, on the communications committee of the League of Women Voters of Johnson County, and as the business manager for the Girl Scouts Day Camp for her only child, Abi’s, service unit.

Ms. Limbird’s professional work at SFS, an AIA Firm of the Year in 2018, focuses mostly on furniture space planning and specification for the firm’s diverse portfolio of clients in the commercial, government, recreation, civic, liturgical, and higher education sectors. Finding the perfect solution for each client’s unique needs for their spaces to function efficiently and beautifully is where her expertise and passion lie. When not working, volunteering, or hanging out with her family, Bonnie is avidly reading anything she can get her hands on.

Ms. Limbird's term expires June 30, 2023.