WeLEAD: Women bringing women into the power center 2008-2009 Application Available Now!

About WeLEAD
Run by the Women & Politics Institute's Young Women Leaders Board, WeLEAD is a bipartisan leadership training program aimed at helping the next generation of women succeed in politics and public service. WeLEAD is the only training in the country that specifically works to increase the number of women working in political professions such as the administration, congressional staffing, campaign consulting, and lobbying, as well as encourages young women to run for elected office. WeLEAD's goal is to empower young women, ignite their passions, inspire, and give them the confidence to achieve their dreams.

WeLEAD consists of eight training sessions from September 2008 through May 2009. Five sessions are held on a Saturday in the months of September, November, December, February, and April, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at American University. In addition, there are evening programs in October and January highlighting the work of important political women and a Congressional Dialogue in March that provides participants with the opportunity to meet with women members of Congress.

About the Young Women Leaders Board
Congress. K Street. Campaigns. Unions. The White House. You will find them all represented on the Young Women Leaders Board (YWLB) that volunteers its time to run WeLEAD. It began with a few women who felt a need to pass on what they learned through years of surviving and thriving in Washington, DC. Today, the YWLB is compromised of 30 Democratic and Republican women who share that vision. The YWLB sets the WeLEAD curriculum, leads the trainings, recruits experts for panel discussions, and mentors participants. As WeLEADers travel through the program, YWLB members lead the way.

Trainings Dates and Topics:

September 9, 2008: WeLEAD Kick-Off
September 27, 2008: Campaigns & Elections
October 14, 2008: Evening Cultural Event
November 8, 2008: Communications & Message
November 11, 2008: Networking Happy Hour
December 6, 2008: Professional Development
December 9, 2008: Networking Happy Hour
January 13, 2009: Evening Cultural Event
February 10, 2009: Networking Happy Hour
February 28, 2009: Fundraising & Development
March 2009: Congressional Dialogue
March 10, 2009: Networking Happy Hour
April 4, 2009: Public Policy & Government Relations
April 14, 2009: Networking Happy Hour
May 6, 2009: Graduation

Young Women Leaders Board
History and Membership

Board History
In 2002, the Women & Politics Institute brought together a bipartisan group of 15 dynamic young women to further its mission of increasing the number of women in politics. The Young Women Leaders Board was founded to enhance the Institute's graduate programs by assisting in finding speakers for its classes and working with its students who were interested in political careers. The 2002-2003 academic year was chaired by Cherreka Montgomery and that year YWLB members mentored students in the Women, Politics and Political Leadership (WPPL) Program, as well as raised a full scholarship for a student to enroll in the graduate program. During the 2003-2004 academic year, the YWLB decided to expand its leadership by having Co-Chairs, Cherreka Montgomery and Jenifer Sarver, and continued to work with students in the WPPL Program and offer one full scholarship.

During the 2004-2005 year, in addition to working with students in the WPPL program, the YWLB made significant contributions to the Institute's National Education for Women's (NEW) Leadership DC program, a week-long political leadership training program. In 2005-2006 under the leadership of its Chair, Jenifer Sarver, the YWLB ran its first year-long political leadership program and trained 34 young women for careers in politics from September 2005 - May 2006. Building on the success of the first year, the YWLB added more Board members, welcomed a new Democratic Co-Chair, Melissa Shannon, and trained 58 young women in the 2006-2007 year.

The training program continued in 2007-2008 under a new name, WeLEAD: Women bringing women into the power, and under new leadership with Jenifer Sarver and Sarah Flowers serving as Co-Chairs. This past year, WeLEAD graduated 57 young women and WeLEADers have organized a WeLEAD Alumni Association that continues to connect them with the YWLB and works to further their political leadership skills and careers in politics and public service.

We are looking forward to another fantastic year led by Sarah Flowers and Kelly Bulliner Holly. Come join us in building this innovative and exciting bipartisan network of women in politics!

Young Women Leaders Board
2008-2009

Sarah Flowers, Co-ChairLaguens Kully Klose Partners (2006)
Kelly Bulliner Holly, Co-ChairDepartment of Defense (2006)
Angela BrightmanThe Lukens Company (2005)
Marjorie Clifton Clifton Consulting, LLC (2007)
Liz ChadderdonThe Chadderdon Group (2006)
Amanda Deatherage DCI Group (2006)
Morgan FelchnerU.S. News and World Report (2006)
Julie Greene AFL/CIO (2006)
Ann Marie HauserDepartment of the Commerce (2007)
Danielle HohosJones Day (2006)
Elizabeth KellyNational Republican Congressional Committee (2007)
Ebony LeeBill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2005)
Christina MulvihillSony Corporation of America (2006)
Meghan O'Connor McDonoghCatholic University (2007)
Jennifer MorrisOffice of Senator Mitch McConnell (2007)
Margie OmeroMomentum Analysis (2005)
Kerrie Rushton Consultant (2007)
Melissa ShannonOffice of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (2005)
Sarah SimmonsMcCain 2008 (2007)
Ryan TripletteSenate Judiciary Committee (2005)
Julia Piscitelli ValentineSpitfire Strategies (2005)