The 2012 Project Webinar

Don’t Get Mad, Get Elected.

On November 9, 2011 WAND partnered with The 2012 Project to host a great webinar on electing women to office.

Did you know that women hold only 17% of the U.S. congressional seats, less than a quarter of state legislative seats and only six governorships in the 50 states? This under-representation of women in public office has a profound impact on policymaking.

Women make a difference in the public arena. We need more talented women leaders serving in office to increase the breadth of knowledge and diversity of perspective among our nation’s leaders and policymakers.

Enter The 2012 Project, a national, non-partisan campaign to increase the number of women in legislative office by identifying and engaging accomplished women from under-represented fields and industries to run for office.

During this webinar, The 2012 Project’s presenters, including former elected officials, shared their experiences serving in public office, and the difference it makes to have women setting the agenda and making decisions about public policy. They will explain why 2012 is such an important year – when redistricting creates new and open seats that are better opportunities for new candidates – and how The 2012 Project can help those interested in exploring a run for office get connected to organizations that can further their campaigns in practical, tangible ways.

The power point can be found here: The 2012 Project

 The Presenters:

Moderator- Debbie Walsh:

This webinar will be moderated by Debbie Walsh. Debbie Walsh is the director of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. CAWP is nationally recognized as the leading source of scholarly research and current data about American women’s political participation. Its mission is to promote greater knowledge and understanding about women's participation in politics and government and to enhance women's influence and leadership in public life. Walsh joined the Center staff in 1981. As director, she manages and oversees CAWP’s multi-faceted programs.

Hon. Evelyn Mantilla, former State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly (D-CT)

Evelyn Mantilla is the Communications Manager for the City of Hartford’s  Department of Health and Human Services. She is responsible for all aspects of external and internal communications for the department, as well as outreach and prevention programs.

Ms. Mantilla served in the Connecticut General Assembly as a State Representative for 10 years (1997 – 2007). She was the first openly bisexual woman in the Connecticut General Assembly and was also the first Hispanic woman to serve as Deputy Majority Leader of the House.

As an activist and legislator, Ms. Mantilla has spent her professional career working on civil rights and equality issues – particularly focusing on her work with disenfranchised communities. During her tenure as a legislator, she represented an urban district with an overwhelming majority of Latinos / Puerto Ricans – a district with one of the highest populations living in poverty in the state.

In addition to her legislative work, Ms. Mantilla has worked as a lobbyist for women’s rights, a small business owner consulting to both nonprofits and political campaigns, a campaign manager and adviser and most recently a public health professional. She has served on numerous boards, commissions and public committees, and has used her unique combination of talents, bilingualism and activist experience to be an advocate for social justice issues.

Ms. Mantilla was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico and came to Connecticut in 1978. She now lives in West Hartford with her wife and two children.

Hon. Patricia Reid Lindner, former State Representative in the Illinois  House of Representatives (R-IL)

Patricia Reid Lindner lives in Aurora, Illinois and served in the legislature for 16 years from 1992 to 2008. She was a member of the House Republican Leadership team and served as the Assistant Minority Leader. She served on several key state committees, including Judiciary II – Criminal Law, Child Support Enforcement, and Adoption Reform. She also served on Elementary and Secondary Education Appropriations, Banking, Labor, Gaming, and Environmental Health. Lindner was appointed to serve on the Legislative Ethics Commission and the Juvenile Justice Transition Team.

Before entering the legislature, Representative Lindner was a family law attorney. She previously served as a court appointed attorney for the Kane County Juvenile Court and was an Assistant Public Defender.

Representative Lindner has a lengthy history of involvement in the governmental and political processes, dating back to her work in five congressional campaigns for her mother, former U.S. Congresswoman Charlotte T. Reid. She is a life-long Republican and active in her community.

Representative Lindner received a Bachelor of Science degree in speech from Northwestern University. She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in political science from the University of Colorado and a Juris Doctor degree from Northern Illinois University.