Appoint Her™
WCF Foundation’s Appoint Her is the first ever national resource for women seeking appointed roles. Our acclaimed 2007 study Unlocking the Cabinet: Where Women Stand in State Cabinets and Where We Need Them to Go revealed that women have not fared any better in obtaining appointed positions than elective ones. In fact, women occupy only 30% of cabinet level roles in our states and two states don’t have even a single woman in their cabinets! Critical policy and legislation are made and influenced in appointed office. And whereas several programs are dedicated to helping women demystify and navigate the path to elected office, few exist for these other vital leadership roles.
Deborah A. Gist, Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, spoke to WCF Foundation about her path to appointed office while serving as the DC State Superintendent of Education.
Read on to learn more about why having more women in elected office is a critical issue, or dive into the resources on the bottom of the page.
Beyond Elections: Empowering Women to Serve in Appointed Office
Did you know that there are tens of thousands of appointed officials that make decisions that affect everyone? Sadly, women's share of these positions is not equal to their representation in the population. The gap is more than just unequal: It means that the voices, perspectives, and priorities of women and families are not represented in a critical sector of government.
In 2010, 37 new governors could be elected and appoint new leaders to serve in their administrations in roles both big and small.
This creates an enormous opportunity to expand women’s representation in appointed leadership roles. However, filling this leadership gap isn't going to happen on its own. We need more women - women like you - to seek appointed office. Check out the many different paths that lead to appointed office, as well the experiences of female leaders through our New Videos.
YOU Can Serve in Appointed Office - Here's How
To advance women in appointed office, WCF Foundation has launched Appoint Her.™ This online resource center details the skills and traits shared by women in appointed office and the preparation and research that helps launch these careers. We can't emphasize enough the endless opportunities there are to serve: From paid, full time roles to volunteer positions that require just an evening a month. This website is geared towards mid-career women looking for new challenges, but also provides guidance for women both early and senior in their professional lives.
We hope that Appoint Her™ will both inform and inspire you. WCF Foundation is dedicated to helping women build the skills and infrastructure necessary to become more effective leaders in public life. Throughout this site you will see examples of talented women making important impact on their communities and the way that government is run. We need more women in government – we are asking YOU to serve.
Appoint Her would not have been possible without the support of the following individuals and organizations:
Ms. Susie Tompkins Buell
Ms. Melissa Lavinson
Ms. Michelle R. Clayman
Ms. Nancy E. McFadden
Ms. Mayree C. Clark
Wachovia Corporation
Progress Energy Service Company, LLC
Useful Resources
Appoint Her™ is a program of the WCF Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.
Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to WCF Foundation.