Emerge Vermont Annual Report
Transcription
Emerge Vermont Annual Report
E M E R G E V E R M O N T: Ushering in the next generation of female leaders in Vermont 1 OUR MISSION Emerge Vermont recruits, trains and inspires Democratic women to serve in elected and appointed office. White Logo © 2015 2 Emerge Vermont is the premier training program for Democratic women in the state. We inspire women to run. We hone their skills to win. Our goal is clear: to increase the number of Democratic women in public office. Letter from our Board Chair 5 Our Launch at a Glance 6 The Inaugural Class of 2014 8 Emerge America: The National Movement 14 Join Our Movement 15 2014 Budget 16 Madeleine’s List & Donors 17 Our Team 18 3 4 Dear Friends, In late 2013, Vermont Woman Newspaper ran a story on Emerge Vermont with the headline, “Can Emerge Vermont inspire more women to run for office?” With the tremendous support of so many, Emerge Vermont inspired three women from our inaugural training class to run for office, two of whom were elected. Emerge Vermont has much to celebrate since our official formation in August of 2013! In July 2014, we graduated 17 women from our inaugural five-month campaigntraining program. Our alumnae range in age from 29-58 and hail from 13 different towns and 8 different Vermont counties. Three of our alumnae ran for the Legislature in 2014 and two won: Senator Becca Balint from Windham County is the first openly lesbian women to win a Senate seat and Representative Kiah Morris is the first African-American woman elected to the House in over 25 years. More than 200 people celebrated the success of Emerge Vermont and our inaugural graduates of the Class of 2014 at our annual Legacy & Leadership reception at Shelburne Museum. I was honored to be recognized for the 30th Anniversary (hard to believe) of my election as the first female governor of Vermont (so far). That’s a stark reminder of the importance of our work. We are building the political bench with qualified, female leaders, and I am confident that soon another woman will follow in my footsteps. Emerge Vermont is part of a larger national movement to increase the number of women serving in office at all levels of government. Thirteen other states run Emerge programs and this year 245 Emerge alumnae ran for office across the country, and 54 percent of them won their races. Even in a difficult electoral year for Democrats, Emerge alumnae across the country won because our training program works. We are proud that you believe in our mission to recruit, train and inspire Democratic women to run for office. Together, we will change the face and voice of Vermont politics! GOVERNOR MADELEINE M. KUNIN Emerge Vermont Founder and Board of Directors Chair 5 Our Launch at a Glance 2013-2014 Emerge America’s fastest-to-launch state! NOVEMBER Inaugural Board of Directors meeting held in Burlington. Waterbury-Stowe Kick-Off Tour Event. JANUARY 2014 First application window opens and recruitment begins for inaugural program members. AUGUST It’s official! Emerge VT affiliates with Emerge America becoming the 14th Emerge state program. DECEMBER Brattleboro Kick-Off Tour Event JANUARY 2013 Emerge America & Governor Madeleine Kunin convene an interest meeting at the State House. 6 SEPTEMBER Inaugural Kick-Off Celebration at Hotel Vermont and Press Conference announcing Emerge Vermont’s formation and launch. OCTOBER JUNE Three women from the Class of 2014 declare their candidacies to run for the Legislature. Emerge VT honors Governor Kunin in her 30th Anniversary of being elected VT’s first female governor and celebrates the inaugural Class of 2014 at Legacy & Leadership: An Evening Celebrating Democratic Women in Politics. 200 people attend including Senator Patrick Leahy and Congressman Peter Welch. . NOVEMBER MARCH OCTOBER Inaugural Class of 2014 begin their five-month training journey at the State House. JULY Emerge VT establishes the Cheryl Hanna Scholarship Fund to honor Cheryl’s legacy and commitment to empowering the next generation of female leaders in VT. Emerge VT alumnae win! Becca Balint is elected to the VT Senate in Windham county becoming the state’s first openly lesbian senator and Kiah Morris is elected to the VT House in Bennington. Kiah is the first African-American woman elected to the Legislature in 25 years. Emerge VT graduates 17 women from their inaugural training program in Rutland. 7 The Inaugural Class of 2014 OUR GR ADUATES 24% In July 2014, Emerge Vermont graduated 17 women from our inaugural training program. These remarkable leaders completed a five-month journey acquiring the latest skills in campaign strategy and tactics through our comprehensive training program. Our alumnae hail from 13 different towns and 7 different counties, ranging in age from 29-58. Their backgrounds and professions include lawyers, teachers and educators, researchers, small business owners, farmers, CEOs, executive directors, environmentalists and more. of our program members identify as LGBT 12% of our program members identify as women of color 5 women received scholarships toward their tuition fee of $700 totaling $2,450 in awarded scholarships 8 CL ASS OF 2014 Becca Balint, Brattleboro Elizabeth McLoughlin, Brattleboro Melody Burkins, Jericho Julie Moore, Middlesex Dawn Ellis, Burlington Kiah Morris, Bennington Barbarina Heyerdahl, Montpelier Madeline Motta, Stowe Ashley Hill, Montpelier Molly O’Brien, Burlington Vanessa Kittell, E. Fairfield Julie Raboin, Newport Michelle Laperle, Duxbury Korrine Rodrigue, Rutland Nicole Mace, Winooski Denise Smith, Saint Albans Pam McCarthy, Saint Albans In 2014, three of our alumnae ran for office, all in contested races, and two won: Dawn Ellis ran for a State Senate seat in Chittenden County and came up short by just 0.72% in a race where all 6 incumbents were re-elected. Senator Becca Balint from Windham County is the first openly lesbian women to win a Senate seat in Vermont. Representative Kiah Morris from Bennington is the first African-American woman elected to the House in more than 25 years. Below Kiah celebrates with her family on Election night. Your candidacy begins today! 9 More than 30 different trainers, speakers, consultants and elected officials presented and spoke to the Class of 2014 on a range of topics including campaign finance, fundraising, direct mail, field strategy, ethical leadership, messaging and communications and more! Emerge Vermont thanks our 2014 speakers, trainers and consultants who presented to the Class of 2014: • Liz Bankowski • Julia Barnes, Vermont Democratic Party • Rep. Sarah Buxton, Building Bright Futures • Liz Chadderdon, The Chadderdon Group • Sheila Manchester Coniff, Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA) • Ben Eisenberg, Fundraising Consultant • Ryan Emerson, Let's Grow Kids • John Faas, Vermont Democratic Party • Anne Galloway, VTDigger • Selene Hofer-Shall, Theseus Advisors, LLC • Steve Howard, Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA) • Rep. Tim Jerman, Vermont Democratic Party • Christopher Klose, Klose Communications • Governor Madeleine Kunin • Councilwoman Bianka LeGrand, Red Coral Consulting • Anne Lezak, ADL Consulting and Mercy Connections • Senator Ginny Lyons • Selectwoman Donna Macomber, Women's Freedom Center • Rep. Ann Manwaring • Sarah McCall, Emerge Vermont • Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, Marlboro College • Ryan McLaren, Office of Congressman Peter Welch • Mary Meagher, The Meagher Group • Sue Minter, Vermont Agency of Transportation • Judy Neufeld, Emerge America • Selectwoman Kate O'Connor, Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce • Treasurer Beth Pearce • Julie Peterson, Southeast Vermont Learning Collaborative • Rep. Kesha Ram • Ben Sarle, Vermont Democratic Party • Governor Peter Shumlin • Selectwoman Stephanie Thompson, Springfield Family Center • Senator Jeanette White 10 “ I could not have succeeded without the help of Emerge Vermont. There is so much you don’t know (when considering a run). Emerge turned my dreams of running for office into a reality. After just a few days of training, I felt like I could really take the plunge! SENATOR BECCA BALINT, EMERGE ALUMNA, CLASS OF 2014 “ “ Power is best used to empower others. GOVERNOR MADELEINE KUNIN “ 11 1st Annual Legacy & Leadership Celebration On October 15th, 2014, Emerge Vermont held it’s first annual Legacy & Leadership reception at the beautiful Shelburne Museum. In a night filled with powerful speakers, electrifying energy and inspirational women, we honored the 30th anniversary of Governor Madeleine May Kunin’s election as the first female governor of Vermont, and we celebrated the graduates of the inaugural Emerge Vermont Class of 2014. In addition to wonderful live music from Anaïs Mitchell, dynamic speeches from Governor Madeleine Kunin, Senator Patrick Leahy, Congressman Peter Welch and Emerge alumna Becca Balint reminded us again of why Emerge does the work we do and just how much we can accomplish when we help, support, and empower one another. As Governor Kunin said in her speech, “Power is best used to empower others.” Not only did we celebrate Vermont’s past and future female leaders, but thanks to the generosity of our donors, we also raised nearly $20,000 for Emerge Vermont, ensuring that we will continue to train Democratic women in the years to come. 12 The Cheryl Hanna Scholarship Fund The Scholarship In October 2014, Emerge Vermont established the Cheryl Hanna Scholarship Fund, which provides up to $3,000 in annual tuition assistance to one or more program members each year. The scholarship fulfills Emerge Vermont’s belief that the $700 tuition cost of the program should not be a barrier to any woman wishing to participate in Emerge Vermont training. 2014 SCHOL ARSHIP DONORS Elizabeth Bankowski Naomi Clemmons Sam Holmes Katharine Hutchinson Deb Lichtenfeld Hinda Miller Bess O’Brien Marissa Parisi Rep. Kesha Ram About Cheryl Hanna A graduate of Kalamazoo College and Harvard Law School, Cheryl Hanna was a Professor of Constitutional Law at Vermont Law School, whose life work was dedicated to legal and social justice for women and girls. In addition to serving on numerous boards and commissions, including the Council on the Future for Vermont, the Young Women and the Economy Task Force, and the Burlington City Arts Foundation, Cheryl joined Emerge Vermont’s Advisory Council in April of 2014, until her death in July 2014. For more info: emergevt.org/content/cheryl-hanna-scholarship-fund-through-emerge-vermont Ann Raynolds Mike Reilly Kathy Silva Ellen Sklar Christopher Stone Lynn Sutton Jennifer Taub Elzy Wick “ Cheryl Hanna, a beloved role model and educator, joined Emerge Vermont’s Advisory Council to provide our organization with her guidance and expertise. When Cheryl suddenly passed away, we, like you, were deeply saddened. She continues to be missed. We believe that her memory will live on through the Cheryl Hanna Scholarship Fund which expresses her passion for empowering women. GOVERNOR MADELEINE KUNIN “ 13 Emerge America: The National Movement Founded only 10 years ago, Emerge America has worked to change the face of American politics by recruiting, training and empowering women to run for public office across the country. Since 2005, Emerge training programs, which operate in 14 states, have trained more than 1,500 women to run for public office. In 2014 alone, 257 alumnae women ran for office, including one for U.S. Senate and five for the U.S. House of Representatives. Even in a tough election year for Democrats nationwide, 54% of the Emerge women who ran in the 2014 general election won. HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2014 With the election of Kathleen Taylor, Emerge Oregon now has seven alumnae serving in the State House, bringing the percentage of women in the state legislature to 33%. Of the 8 Democratic House leaders, 4 are Emerge graduates. Emerge Kentucky graduates helped to keep the Kentucky state legislature purple, making it the only Democrat-held State House in the South. 12 Emerge Maine women were elected to the Maine House and Sara Gideon, Emerge Maine Class of 2012, was elected Assistant Majority Leader. 14 After November 2014 elections, Republicans hold 69 of the 99 state legislative chambers—more than at any other time in history. The map may look grim, but there are opportunities here. Emerge America is focused on building the political bench with qualified, female candidates who will be ready to run and win in 2015, 2016, and beyond. Join Our Movement Run For Office Why not you? We all know there are plenty of reasons to avoid running for public office. The Emerge Vermont Training Program is the essential step for Democratic women who have a vision of running for public office, but do not necessarily know where to start. Our training program will demystify the campaign process for you and give you the tools you need to win. For information about applying to join the next class, email [email protected] or visit: emergevt.org/training Encourage a Woman to Run Help us build the political bench! Do you know a woman in your community who should run for office? Studies show that women need to be asked to run six times before they will consider running. Ask a woman to run today. Then recommend her to the Emerge Vermont training program with our online tool: emergevt.org/content/recommend-woman Follow Emerge Vermont Online Stay connected with us by joining our online communities @EmergeVT EmergeVermont Become a Donor or Renew your Commitment to our Mission We can’t do this work without your support! We rely predominantly on the generosity of individual Vermonters to meet our small budget each year. Join our movement today with a gift of any amount! You can give online at: emergevt.org/contribute Or you can mail a check to: Emerge Vermont, PO Box 8256, Burlington, VT 05402 15 2014 Budget Emerge Vermont met its revenue goal through the generosity of individual donors from across the state. Emerge Vermont raised $84,414 in 2014 from 435 individual contributions. 7% 7% Board of Directors and Advisory Council Members Other Donors/Misc 43% Major Donors ($1,000+) 16% REVENUE Program Tuition/Fees Budget Goal: $82,000 Actual Revenue: $84,414 27% Event Sponsorship/Tickets 5% Fundraising 15% Office/Administrative EXPENSES 80% State Program & Staffing Budget Goal: $82,000 Actual Expenses: $71,041 Emerge Vermont is a 527 political organization. Contributions to Emerge Vermont are not tax-deductible. 16 Madeleine’s List 2014 Sponsor Level Donors Madeleine’s List is a leadership group of donors deeply committed to changing the face and voice of Vermont politics. With a cumulative, annual gift of $2,000 or more each year, founding Madeleine’s List donors have been instrumental in enabling Emerge Vermont to launch with a strong base of supporters and build a financially stable organization. $1,000 - $1,999 Madeleine’s List Founding Donors — 2013 & 2014 $500 - $999 Tiffany Bluemle & Liz Shayne Eileen Growald Kathy Hoyt Michelle Fay / Fay for VT House Barbara Lee Hinda Miller State Rep. Maxine Grad (2014) Barbarina Heyerdahl (2013) Lisa Steele (2013) Jane Stetson (2013) Lola Van Wagenen & George Burrill (2013) Lisa Alther Michele Asch Dottie Deans & Lydia Spitzer Valerie Graham Kristi Brown Lovell Melinda Moulton / Main Street Landing Co. Alice Rivlin Shap Smith / PAC for a Better Vermont Gaye Symington Lola Van Wagenen & George Burrill Vermont Democratic Party Gubernatorial Council ($2,000 - $4,999) $250 - $499 Presidential Council ($10,000 +) Donna & Jake Carpenter (2013 & 2014) Barbarina Heyerdahl (2014) Congressional Council ($5,000 - $9,999) Katherine Arthaud (2013) Jan Blomstrann (2013 & 2014) Debra Lopez Gottesman (2014) State Rep. Maxine Grad (2013) Patsy Highberg (2014) Kathy Hoyt (2013) Crea & Philip Lintilhac (2013 & 2014) Lisa Lorimer (2014) Richard Paisner & Christie Weiner (2014) Jake Perkinson & Cate MacLachlan (2013) Sallie Soule (2014) Lisa Steele (2014) Jill Boardman Jean Cherouny TJ Donovan for State’s Attorney Mayor Liz Gamache Lisa Gosselin Lisa Hagerty Leslie Halperin George Hamilton John Hennessey Marcia Hindle Sheila & Jeffrey Hollender Rep. Tim Jerman Jennifer Kimmich Pamela Kraynak Gov. Madeleine Kunin Anne Lezak Donna Macomber C D Mattison Marcia Merrill Sue Minter Dawn Moskowitz Elizabeth Novotny Treasurer Beth Pearce Rep. Kesha Ram Andrea Rogers Rosalee Sprout Randy Sweeney Linda Tarr-Whelan Rep. Maida Townsend Elzy Wick t o al l u o y Thank s! p or t e r p u s r ou 17 Board of Directors Governor Madeleine May Kunin, Board Chair, is the first female governor of Vermont. She served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and was Ambassador to Switzerland under the Clinton Administration. She has authored several books including, “The New Feminist Agenda,” “Pearls, Politics and Power,” and “Living a Political Life.” Governor Kunin is a current Marsh Professor at the University of Vermont and lives with her husband, John, in Burlington. Mayor Liz Gamache serves as Director of Efficiency Vermont, the statewide energy efficiency utility operated by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC). Prior to joining VEIC in January 2015, she served for seven years as Manager of Corporate Services at Vermont Electric Cooperative. She is currently serving a second term as Mayor of the City of St. Albans, where she is leading an unprecedented downtown revitalization effort. Liz received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Vermont in Business Administration. Rep. Maxine Grad is currently the Chairwoman of the Vermont House Judiciary Committee. Maxine was first elected to the Vermont Legislature in 2000. She provides leadership on issues affecting military members, veterans, crime victims, juvenile and children’s’ issues. Governor Howard Dean appointed Maxine to the Governor’s Commission on Women, which she also chaired. She received her BA from Clark University and her JD, Cum Laude and Masters in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School. She is the mother of 3 children. Ashley Hill works as a Deputy State's Attorney in Addison County. She is a faculty member at the Community College of Vermont (CCV) and also serves on the statewide Social Sciences Curriculum Committee for CCV. She is currently serving as the Statewide Coordinator for CCV's Community of Student Representatives, the College's student governance organization. Ashley currently resides in Montpelier. Barbarina Heyerdahl is a funder, investor and citizen advocate engaged in addressing climate change and supporting sustainable agriculture. For the past few years her “day job” has been full-time mother of her four children, but over the past 25 years she has worked at environmental organizations, run an organic vegetable farm, and been a parenting educator in schools in Maine and Vermont. She sits on several boards including the Vermont Public Interest Research Group and the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Action Fund and NRDC’s Global Leadership Council. She resides in Montepelier. Kate Lapp is a native of Ira and a current student of Political Science and Economics at the University of Vermont. Committed to motivating other young people to get active in politics, Kate is the Youth Representative to the Vermont Democratic Party’s Executive Committee and has gained experience from a variety of internships including working in Governor Peter Shumlin’s Office. Alexandra MacLean is the former Deputy Chief of Staff and Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs for Governor Peter Shumlin. Currently, Alex is President of Strategic Communications at KSE Partners, the preeminent communications and government relations firm in Vermont. Alexandra joined KSE as a Partner in 2015. She has devoted her professional career to improving the lives of Vermonters. Alex lives in the Northeast Kingdom with her husband and daughter. Selectwoman Donna Macomber works as a Legal Coordinator at the Brattleboro Women’s Freedom Center, fighting to end men’s violence against women. In addition to her service on the Board of Directors for the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, she is a 2008 graduate of Emerge Massachusetts. Dawn Moskowitz spearheads Parents for Change—the community organizing initiative of Voices for Vermont’s Children working with Burlington and Winooski Schools. She is a 2011-2012 Fellow with the Institute for Democratic Education in America, a graduate of the Vermont Leadership Institute, and a cofounder of the Greater Burlington Women’s Forum. Rep. Kesha Ram is currently the youngest Democratic legislator in Vermont, serving Burlington's Hill Section and University District in the Vermont House of Representatives. She is a member of the Natural Resources Committee and, when not serving in the legislature, works as the Public Engagement Specialist for Burlington’s Community and Economic Development Office. 18 Emerge Vermont Executive Director Sarah McCall is the Executive Director of Emerge Vermont after joining Emerge Vermont as Interim Executive Director in August of 2013. Sarah has spent her entire career working to elect to office and develop the leadership potential of women, young people, LGBT people, and people with disabilities. Before her current role at Emerge Vermont, Sarah worked with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) as their Development Consultant. Prior to joining AAPD, Sarah was a member of the development & political teams at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute, the nation’s leading organization that identifies, trains and supports LGBT candidates, campaign staff and public officials. As a member of the development team at Victory Fund, Sarah’s responsibilities included board management & relations, major donor fundraising, grant writing and event planning & coordination. Sarah also served as the Political Manager at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute. In this role, Sarah was responsible for overseeing Victory’s political operations and campaign services in the mid-Atlantic and southeast regions of the United States. Sarah began her career in political organizing in Colorado in 2006, working with the House Majority Project to elect women to the CO State House and in South Carolina in 2008, as a member of Linda Ketner for Congress’ finance team. Previously, during her stint in DC, Sarah served as Director of Development and Advisory Council Director for the Women’s Information Network (WIN); Washington, DC’s premier professional, political & social network dedicated to empowering young, pro-choice, Democratic women. When not working to elect women to office, Sarah spends her time doing yoga, snowboarding, playing bocce ball and traveling. She currently lives in the Old North End of Burlington. She can be reached at [email protected]. Emerge Vermont Advisory Council Julia Barnes, Burlington Steve Howard, Burlington Julie Raboin, Newport Claire Benjamin, Washington, DC Fauna Hurley, Burlington Ben Sarle, Burlington Melody Brown Burkins, Jericho Rep. Jill Krowinski, Burlington Rep. Sarah Buxton, Tunbridge Anne Lezak, Burlington Council President Joan Shannon, Burlington Dottie Deans, North Pomfret Senator Ginny Lyons, Williston Rep. Valerie Stuart, Brattleboro Nicole Mace, Winooski Linda Tarr-Whelan, Burlington Sara Gilbert, Rutland Hinda Miller, Burlington Tess Taylor, Barre Billi Gosh, Brookfield Sue Minter, Waterbury Center Ari Wengroff, Brooklyn, NY Catherine Dianich Gruver, Dummerston Jessica Nordhaus, Burlington Linda Wheatley, Worcester Selene Hofer-Shall, Burlington Treasurer Beth Pearce, Barre Michelle Fay, St. Johnsbury 19 PO Box 8256, Burlington, VT 05402 EmergeVT.org © July 2015 | Design by Britt Boyd 20