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January 2015                         News & Views                         Issue No. 1

Members and friends of the Institute, we are pleased to present to you this inaugural issue of our monthly e-newsletter. Let us know how you like it and how it might be improved. If you are a member and would like to contribute an essay on a topic related to our mission, send a query to contact@iwpflorida.org. Read on!

REPORT

Local Women See Few Gains in 2014
There are five new women in the halls of government and the judiciary in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties but a gain of just one seat for women as a result of this year’s election cycle.

Jennie Kinsey is the newest circuit judge in the First Judicial Circuit. She will preside in Escambia County and replaces Walton County’s Howard LaPorte, who did not run for re-election. The gain of this office, however, was negated by the loss of Pensacola City Council member Dr. Megan Pratt, whose at-large A seat was cut in the first phase of a voter-approved reduction from nine to seven Council positions.
 
Pensacola City Council member Sherri Myers and School Board member Linda Moultrie were re-elected. Incumbents Lois Benson (ECUA), Sandra Jackson (Century Town Council), Circuit Judge Jan Shackelford, and County Judge Darlene Dickey ran unopposed. Of 61 elected offices in Escambia County women hold 20 or 33%.
 
In Santa Rosa County Mary Ellen Johnson and Ashley Lay were elected to the Milton City Council, winning against male candidates in open races. Their election would have given women a two-seat gain in Santa Rosa but for Holley-Navarre Fire Commissioner Nancy Morgan, who did not run for re-election and was replaced by a male.
 
In the City of Gulf Breeze Renee Bookout won a seat on the City Council without opposition, but her win was balanced by the retirement of Mayor Beverly Zimmern, whose successor is male.
 
The other new face in Santa Rosa is Carol Boston, who defeated a male opponent to win the District 3 School Board seat previously held by retiring member Diane Coleman.
 
Milton City Council member Patsy Lunsford and School Board member Diane Scott were re-elected. Of 64 elected offices in Santa Rosa County women hold 14 or 22%.
 
From a comparison between races and candidates for the 2014 primary/general election cycle two conclusions may be made:  Women incumbents held their own, and women challengers could not win against male incumbents.
 
In the primary/election cycle in Escambia County 22 offices were up for election; that number includes the circuit judgeship and the two state house seats that primarily represent the county. Twelve women competed for ten of those seats, and six won. Three incumbents were unopposed; one incumbent defeated a male challenger; one incumbent won against a woman challenger in the primary and defeated a male challenger in the general election; and one woman candidate defeated another for an open seat.
 
In Santa Rosa County 28 offices were up for election, including a state house seat. Fourteen women competed for seven of those seats, and six won. One incumbent won against a male challenger, and another incumbent won against a woman challenger. Three women defeated male candidates for open seats, and one woman was unopposed for an open seat.
 
This information is provided by the Institute for Women in Politics of Northwest Florida, Inc. as the starting point of elections data that will provide a yardstick for measuring women’s progress in the political arena in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties. As research resources become available, the database will also accumulate historic elections data.

Leadership Workshops for 2015
Here's a sneak peek at the schedule for the coming year. Check your inbox soon for details.

  • February 28 -- From Booster Club to County Commission: How Successful Candidates Prepare for Politics. FREE
  • March 28 -- Make the Microphone Your BFF. 
  • September -- Political Fundraising Made Simple. Date TBA
All workshops will be half day. A special advocacy workshop may be offered in October. 

PEOPLE

UWF Intern Will Research  Women Legislators
Alexis Causey, a senior in the international studies program at the University of West Florida, will conduct research for the Institute on the legislative accomplishments of prominent women officeholders in the Southeast U.S. The information will be used by the Institute in its public education efforts. Thank you, Alexis, and the UWF Department of Government!

WOMEN IN OFFICE
 

With Thanks to Those Who Served...
 

Northwest Florida's first woman mayor, Beverly Zimmern, retired from her post after 14 years of devoted service to the people of the City of Gulf Breeze.

Pensacola City Councilwoman Megan Pratt, Ph.D., brought a larger world view and a studied thoughtful process to her six years on the Council. Santa Rosa School Board member Diane Coleman retired after 12 years of dedicated service to education, and Holley-Navarre Fire District Commissioner Nancy Morgan retired after eight years of service and stewardship.

The Institute Board of Directors offers its deep gratitude for the statesmanship with which these women served and for the example they set for their fellow public servants.

...and Congratulations to the Newly and Re-Elected

Embarking on their first time in elected office are:  Circuit Judge Jennie Kinsey, Santa Rosa School Board member Carol Boston, Milton City Council members Mary Ellen Johnson and Ashley Lay, and Gulf Breeze City Council member Renee Bookout.

Re-elected after some hard-fought campaigns are:  Escambia School Board member Linda Moultrie, Pensacola City Council member Sherri Myers, Santa Rosa School Board member Diane Scott, and Milton City Council member Patsy Lunsford.

Re-elected without opposition are:  Circuit Judge Jan Shackelford, Escambia County Judge Darlene Dickey, ECUA Board member Lois Benson, and Century Town Council member Sandra Jackson.

A complete listing of current women officeholders and their contact information may be found at these links:  Escambia County   --  Santa Rosa County

From the President of the Board



The Indispensable Foundation
 
Several weeks ago I had a conversation over coffee with two young women who advocate for organizations and causes before Florida legislators. They are lobbyists and very good at it.

We talked about women in the public sphere. They spoke energetically about how effective women can be on the private side of the aisle, as advocates for their issues and for the legislation those issues may require. I presented the case for more women on the public side, as representatives whom we elect to make decisions and to act for the common good. We agreed that success on both sides of the aisle requires particular knowledge and training, and they offered to conduct a workshop on advocacy next fall if their schedules permit. They will soon, we hope, support the Institute through membership.

Persuading women in this community to contribute toward the encouragement and training of women for political and other leadership roles has been challenging. Politics is tough and gnarly. But politics is essential; it is at the core of civilization.

"Politics, the crooked timber of our communal lives, dominates everything because, in the end, everything...lives or dies by politics," writes Charles Krauthammer. "...politics is the indispensable foundation for things elegant and beautiful....Its deepest purpose is to create the conditions for the cultivation of the finer things, beginning with philosophy and science...."

President John Adams wrote, "I must study politics and war that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, and naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain."

Politics, the indispensable foundation, needs therefore to attract and be practiced by the very best people. Half of them must be women because politics conducted primarily by men is missing half its foundation. The Institute for Women in Politics was founded to encourage women in our community to consider taking up public service and to provide the training they will need to succeed.

We who direct the organization are all volunteers. We rely on membership dollars to fund our work, and so we need you, dear friends, to support this work through your membership. You do not need to be interested in politics or leadership yourself (though we would be delighted if you are). We do ask that you be supportive of those women who are. Join us today, won't you?  -- Diane Mack
How to Become an Institute Member

 

The Institute is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2013 to develop women leaders through outreach, training, and mentoring and to work toward increasing the number of highly competent women in political office and government.
 


Board of Directors
Diane Mack
President
Amy Miller
VP/Secretary
(President-Elect)

Lola Presley
Treasurer
Kimberly Aguiar
Jenna Emery
Rachael Gillette
Lorraine Ogan

 


Members Message Board

--Thank you for your great and continuing support!

--The February 28 workshop team could use a couple of volunteers. Interested?

--Would you be willing to host a membership coffee in your home?

Give us a shout at contact@iwpflorida.org.


Grow as a leader
and help other women
grow in leadership--
become a member today!


Membership
$100
Full-Time College Students
$50
Young Professionals (25 and under)
$50

Questions? Contact:
Amy Miller
Membership Chair
asmiller64@yahoo.com
Diane Mack
850-438-0207

 

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