Nov. 18 Online Winning With Women

The volunteers of Colorado 50-50 are proud to present “Winning With Women” on Thursday, November 18. The event will happen on Zoom beginning at 6 PM.

The purpose of the event is to demystify the process for running for office and we do it in two parts.

The first part is a panel discussion of elected women officials who will share how they decided to run for office, what was involved in campaigning, and what it is like to serve. This panel will highlight what it is like to run as a woman of color in Colorado. Our panelists are:

  • State Representative Yadira Caraveo
  • State Representative Naquetta Ricks
  • Aurora City Council Candidate Becky Hogan

Colorado 50-50 volunteer Maia Yang, who serves on our Asian American Pacific Islander Committee, is looking forward to hearing from the panelists.

“As a woman of color, it’s exciting to see myself represented in politics,” she said. “It opens the door for me to envision a world where I, too, could run and win.”

The second part of “Winning With Women” is an intentional networking session where participants will have opportunities to speak in small groups. We hope you will encourage women to attend who should take their next steps in leadership. In the Zoom breakout rooms will be elected women officials, women who are curious about running, and those who want to support women running.

Registration via EventBrite is required and costs $5. Scholarships are available. Please contact Erin@Colorado5050.org.

We are grateful for our co-sponsors: the Colorado League of Women Voters, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado, and the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network.

Encouraging Women To Run For Office

Colorado 50-50 presents a Friday, Oct. 4 event that will help demystify the process of running for office. Event organizers hope the panel discussion followed by networking will encourage more women to become candidates. The event – called Winning With Women – is being put on by Colorado 50-50, a nonpartisan group of concerned citizens that wants to promote gender parity in public life.

“When women run for office, they win just as often as men win,” said Colorado 50-50 Founder Erin Hottenstein. “So why aren’t more women in office? Because they don’t run.”

“Once women are in office, they’re good for the system,” she continued. “They seek more citizen input. They tend to facilitate and encourage cooperation.”

Joining the panel discussion will be Democratic Congresswoman Diana DeGette, former Republican State Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, and Democratic State Representative Leslie Herod. DeGette was elected to Congress in 1996, continues to serve, and is running again in 2020. She is one of only four women in Colorado history to have served in Congress. Coffman was elected in 2014 and served four years, during which time she ran for governor. She is only one of two women in Colorado history to have served as Attorney General. Herod was elected to the state house in 2016, where she continues to serve. She was the first LGBTQ African-American to be elected to the state legislature.

After speaking at a Winning With Women training, former Fort Collins Mayor Susan Kirkpatrick shared, “When women are elected to public office, they get things done. Research suggests that women perceive and use power differently than men do. There are benefits to communities when women participate in public policy making.”

The panel discussion will be followed by a networking session, which organizers hope will foster new connections among women who are curious about running and people who want to support women running for office.

Winning With Women takes place on Friday, Oct. 4, 6-9 p.m., at Lindsay Auditorium in Sturm Hall, University of Denver, 2000 E. Asbury, Denver, CO, 80208. Tickets are free for students with student ID, $15 regular admission, or higher amounts to cover students and support Colorado 50-50. Tickets can be purchased through EventBrite. Light refreshments will be served.

Childcare will be available for a small fee, provided that an RSVP is received by Oct.1. Scholarships are available. Please contact Erin Hottenstein at erin@colorado5050.org.

Paid parking is widely available at the DU campus. Lots 317 and 321 are closest to Sturm Hall; please see the campus parking map for more information. Guests can pay for parking in the visitor lots from their smart phones with the Park Mobile App. DU also has its own Light Rail stop located on the E-F-H lines.

Colorado 50-50 is grateful to the sponsors who are helping make this event possible: University of Denver, Electing Women PAC, League of Women Voters of Colorado, VoteRunLead, DU’s Dept. of Economics, DU’s Gender and Women’s Studies Dept., DU’s Dept. of Political Science, DU’s Center on American Politics, DU’s Media, Film, and Journalism Studies, DU’s College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, and InvestHER.

Greeley Winning With Women

Colorado 50-50 was happy to present our third Winning With Women – this time in Greeley on November 29, 2018. It was a great turnout with about 50 attendees, plus our fabulous panelists. Stacy Suniga (Greeley City Council), Carly Koppes (Weld Clerk and Recorder) and Rochelle Galindo (formerly on Greeley City Council and recently elected State Representative) shared their journeys. We were grateful to hear their stories and advice about getting on a path to leadership.

We also want to thank our sponsors: the University of Northern Colorado Political Science & International Affairs Department and the Gender Studies Program; Electing Women PAC; and the League of Women Voters Greeley-Weld.

Winning With Women Panelists Announced

Winning With Women will be happening at UNC in Greeley on Thursday, November 29, at 6 PM.

Colorado 50-50 is happy to announce the panelists for our upcoming event!

  • Stacy Suniga, Greeley City Council
  • Carly Koppes, Weld County Clerk & Recorder
  • Rochelle Galindo, State Representative-Elect

We invite you to join us on Thursday, November 29, 2018, at the University Center at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Doors open at 6 PM.

There will be information from our sponsors Electing Women, League of Women Voters, and the University of Northern Colorado Political Science Department. We will also provide handouts and maps about local offices, boards, and commissions.

The panel will begin at 6:30 PM, followed by an intentional networking session. Light refreshments will be served.

The event is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited and donations are being accepted, so we encourage you to register and donate here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/colorado-5050-13445338125

Sage Advice, Fresh Faces at November 15 Winning With Women

Colorado 50-50 organizers were pleased to see an entirely different audience at Winning With Women on November 15, 2017. This was the second time the group has put on the event and the first time it was in Loveland.

Many women attending expressed an interest in running for office, such as Julie Pignataro.

“Attending the Winning With Women event was a truly inspiring and valuable experience,” she said. “I have known that I plan on running for political office in the next couple of years, but what I did not know was what a talented and supportive group of individuals are available to help me through the process and support me as I pursue my goals!”

Another participant, Patricia Miller, found the information stations were helpful in providing details about elected positions, terms, and district boundaries. “I got a lot out of the workshop. The process for running for office was clarified and explained,” she said. “The speakers were highly qualified, informative, warm and accessible. They presented their experiences in a relatable and inspiring way.”

The panel discussion was a rich conversation with Kristie Melendez, current mayor of Windsor, Kathy Gilliland, former mayor of Loveland, and Marty Tharp, former Fort Collins city council member. The women shared their journeys to elected office, including the highs and lows. In answering audience questions, they offered many wonderful insights.

“It was great fun for me!” said Gilliland afterward. “I loved the enthusiasm and interest from the participants and am hopeful some will step up for leadership roles.”

Colorado 50-50 Moderator Erin Hottenstein encouraged the audience to get on a path to leadership and to consider applying to boards and commissions.

“We benefit from women’s experiences and we need to hear their voices,” she said. “There are so many ways that women make a difference in public life.”

The event was made possible through generous donations from Public Speaking for the Professional, the Larimer County League of Women Voters, and Electing Women. Colorado 50-50 also thanks all the volunteers who worked so hard to create a successful event.

“In the future, I hope to see women supporting each other and running for office,” said Miller. “I know now that I can be a part of it all.”

One Week Until Winning With Women!

All our volunteers are hard at work preparing for another wonderful Winning With Women next Wednesday, November 15. We’re talking to our friends about running for office, getting on boards and supporting women candidates. We hope you are too!

We are happy to announce two panelists. Kristie Melendez is the Mayor of Windsor.

Melendez

Kristie Melendez

Kathy Gilliland is a current Transportation Commissioner for the state of Colorado and a former mayor of Loveland.

Kathy Gilliland

We know the panel discussion will be a rich conversation about their experiences, what led them to run for office, what campaigning was like and how it is/was to be an elected official. Bring your questions!

Following the panel discussion will be an intentional, speed networking session. Our vision is to connect candidates and potential candidates with supporters and mentors. Bring your business cards!

We invite you to arrive right at 6 p.m. to take advantage of the many table displays. We will have maps and lots of information about elected offices, boards and commissions.

Sound good? Now’s the time to buy your tickets – $15 general admission and $7.50 for students. Scholarships are available. Childcare is available with an RSVP by Sunday, November 12 to erin@colorado5050.org.

One Won’t Cut It – Invite your friends to the next Winning With Women

Only one.

 

Eight city or town councils in Northern Colorado have only one woman on council. That corresponds to 14% female representation. Not 50-50, but 86-14. Colorado 50-50 analyzed the membership of 15 city and town councils across our region. Even with women making up half our population, these councils have only one woman each.

 

Overall, we found 98 elected council members, but only 23 of them were women. Crunch the numbers and you find that means women make up 23% of all elected council officials in our area. It’s a good thing Eaton, Evans and Milliken are leading the way with three female members each, or these numbers would look much worse. Johnstown had an all-male council until very recently.

 

At Colorado 50-50, we believe this must change. We are advocating for gender parity in politics. Research has shown the many benefits of women becoming elected officials. They collaborate. They reach across the aisle. They solve problems.

 

We believe the best place to start changing is right here – by talking to our women friends and encouraging them to get on a path to leadership. Supporting them to apply to boards and commissions. Urging them to run for office.

 

That’s why we’re happy to announce our second #WinningWithWomen, happening Wednesday, November 15, at All Saints Church in Loveland.

 

We are going to demystify the process of running for office through a panel discussion of elected women officials along with a networking session. In the panel discussion, we will hear how women decided to run and what their experiences were both on the campaign trail and in office. After the panel discussion, we will move into a speed networking session. Bring a stack of business cards!

 

Tickets are available for $15. Childcare is available for a fee with an advance RSVP. Seating is limited, so get tickets today!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/winning-with-women-tickets-38849375528

 

 

Winning With Women

On May 6, 2017, we had a fantastic panel discussion and 75 people in the audience at #WinningWithWomen. Many thanks to our speakers: Betsy Markey, Rhonda Solis and Susan Kirkpatrick! After the panel discussion, participants engaged in a speed-networking session. Many stations around the room provided maps and information about election calendars, elected offices, and appointed boards and commissions.  We are grateful to our sponsors: Public Speaking for the Professional and Northern Colorado NOW (National Organization for Women). Finally, a big shoutout  to all our wonderful volunteers!