What is it? The Branch Activity of the Year (BAY) award provides branches an opportunity to showcase and share an activity that is novel, inspirational, reproducible, and promotes AAUW’s mission and image. It is also critical to incorporate elements of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The activity may be a one-off program or event or a sustained recurring project for which the branch is known. The deadline for this year’s application was March 15, 2025.
Questions? Please contact Patricia Souza at souzapellow@gmail.com
Awardees
Congratulations to the awardees who were announced at the 2025 Pivoting 4 Our Future Annual Event!
Projects submitted
Click on the title to view the description and contact information. The content displayed is directly from the submission form and has been edited only for length.
The content
Afghan Refugee Establishes a Kitchen in San Luis Obispo
Five Cities-Pismo Beach
Contact: Jean Burns Slater
Our Branch was given the name of an Afghan women who is establishing herself in San Luis Obispo with her family and operating a food catering and small restaurant. We invited her to speak to our Branch and tell of her journey. We also invited all of the San Luis Obispo County AAUW Affiliates/Branches to join us for this in person presentation. This program fulfills the goals of diversity, global connections, gender equity and advocacy.
Members from the San Luis Obispo AAUW Branch joined Five Cities Pismo Beach Branch Guest speaker, Sophia Zekria. Sophia told her story. She was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan, where she attended an American University in Kabul and studied accounting. She learned English from watching television.
Her husband worked in security for the American Army, and when the Army left Afghanistan, the family had to go into hiding. It took them two years to get to the US with the assistance of Church World Services. They moved to San Luis Obispo through the SLO 4 Home organization who provided a home, found jobs for her husband and a school scholarship for her 5-year-old daughter. Sophia shared her story, pulling together the bits and parts we have all learned about the refugees from Afghanistan, making real connections with our branch members.
We feel that other branches can work with organizations within their community to invite a guest speak to explain the details of assimilating into a community, explaining their background and struggles within their home country and reasons for leaving their homeland.
Come Sail with Us: Dr. Connie Mariano
La Mesa-El Cajon
Contact: Sue Sutton
We invited Retired Rear Admiral Connie Mariano, author of The White House Doctor: My Patients were Presidents, A Memoir. This was also the meeting where our scholarship recipients were introduced and gave brief presentations.
What made this meeting special was that Dr. Mariano was so inspirational that her presentation not only touched the hearts of those present but brought the scholarship women to tears hearing about a small Asian American woman who didn’t say no to reaching her goals and never gave in to the gender biases she faced. They all said they needed to hear her words. It reignited their spirit to continue with their education while overcoming many hardships.
The meeting was emotional, profound and entertaining. $25,000 in scholarships were represented that day and it reminded all of the members what our branch and AAUW are about.
Consumer Fraud & Identity Theft
Turlock
Contact: Nancy Turner
The Turlock/Modesto branch offered a free one-hour community event on a Saturday morning, titled Consumer Fraud & Identity Theft because economic security is significantly critical to women. This workshop was facilitated by detectives handling financial crimes from the General Crimes Investigations unit of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. Our branch had never offered a program on the topic previously, and had never heard of it offered by any other branch.
The event took place in an accessible community center room that seated up to 48. Attendance was just under 40 people ranging in age from 20s to 80s, multiple races and genders. Questions and answers throughout the presentation were extensive. The audience was quite engaged. We received very positive feedback from the attendees for a program that they felt was relevant and interesting, and provided actionable information for the security of their finances and personal data.
75% of attendees were non-members. We were just over 80% of the room capacity, which worked well as we weren’t packed in. Attending members of another non-profit took contact information to duplicate our program for their organization. The program was fairly inexpensive, and did not require long range planning on the part of our branch program committee.
Eager Readers: A Treasure Hunt
Five Cities-Pismo Beach
Contact: Jean Burns Slater
Students hunt for a favorite book at Elementary Schools in the Lucia Mar Unified School District. This carefully aligns with the mission of AAUW: advancing gender equity for women and girls through education. We know that many of our young students do not have ready access to books within their homes. Each student selects a book of their choice from an array of books from which to select. The goal is to select schools with the greatest need for reading support, based on publicly available English Language Arts/ Literacy scores through California State Department of Education Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments.
Three elementary schools from the Lucia Mar Unified School District, Grover Beach Elementary, Dana Elementary and Nipomo Elementary were selected for free book distribution, supported by Five Cities Pismo Beach American Association of University Women (AAUW). Every child in 2nd, 4th and 6th grade selects their own book through the Five Cities Pismo Beach AAUW Eager Reader program. The grade level appropriate books were ordered through Scholastic Books, and funded by AAUW members fund raising activities.
We distribute approximately 600 books to students. The greatest gift was having over 600 students walk around display tables to select a book of their choice to keep.
We asked students what we should call our program and one 4th grade fellow came up with the idea of a treasure hunt: a Treasure Hunt for a book that a reader would like to keep. We used his term when we introduced the program to each class and they all took it seriously, looking for just the right book.
Empowering Women in Sports, Breaking Barriers and Making History
La Mesa-El Cajon
Contact: Sandra Galea-Martinez
An invitation was sent out to professional sports organizations’ administrations. We set up a panel of women to answer some established questions about professional women working in a professional sports organization. Speakers included Hannah Plackowski from the San Diego Padres membership development team is an Account Executive and Sarah Cloutier currently the Executive Assistant to the CEO for the 2024 WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) Champions, New York Liberty.
The interview questions were intended to address women and their roles in sports organizations, focusing on experience, leadership style, commitment to promoting gender equality, understanding of the sports landscape, and their ability to navigate challenges specific to women with roles in sports and sports organizations. As well as pay, advancement and role equity within the organizations.
It was an excellent opportunity to hear about a professional sports team from an aspect of their organization that is seldom heard about. It was also encouraging and motivational to hear and see two very young driven women advancing in such organizations.
The theme for the March meeting was sports and members were invited wear something to represent their favorite team, sport or sports event. We also provided a sports centered ice breaker which included women in sports history, to honor our meeting theme and women in history month.
Film: Lilly Ledbetter Story
Poway-Penasquitos
Contact: Harriet Gerza
Celebrating Women’s History Month, sponsoring a film about Lilly Ledbetter for whom the Equal Pay Act was named. She filed a lawsuit that went to the Supreme Court, as a result Congress created the Equal Pay Act in her name to make it the law of the land. This docu-drama captures her fight to win equal pay against the Goodyear Tire Company.
We will be the only sponsor to show the film in San Diego. The general release date in May will be all over California but not here.
Film Fest
Redlands
Contact: Heather Abushanab
Our AAUW Redlands branch FilmFest is a reinvention of the Lunafest® fundraising event that our branch had done for many years. In 2023 Lunafest® was unexpectedly disbanded. Quickly, we pivoted and chose to host our own 2024 event, knowing that we would not have content, promotional, nor logistics support from any outside organization. It was a unique challenge!
Our resulting community-wide event was held on a Friday evening in spring from 5:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. An elegant, pre-screening reception with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, and other beverages was held at our beautiful venue, the Esri Cafe. Here, our audience was treated to a rolling slide show of AAUW activities along with promotional slides and an overview of our many event sponsors. The screening consisted of seven short films made by women filmmakers, including a documentary, a comedy, and two animated films.
AAUW Redlands members curated the films and connected with each filmmaker to receive permission to show their film as well as provide a short film introduction. We then edited all introductions and films into one reel, ensuring efficient and seamless delivery of the material to our audience. FilmFest highlighted women’s voices in film and created an audience for these rarely seen films. The evening was very well received by the community with over 250 people attending. One of the filmmakers even attended the event.
FilmFest gives us a captive audience to which we can highlight our AAUW Redlands Branch and our mission-related activities in an entertaining way. Not only does it allow us to raise money for our mission, but it also showcases the voices of women filmmakers. Even a year later, members have past attendees walk up to them and chat about the interesting selection of films they viewed. With 2024 FilmFest, AAUW Redlands branch solidified our reputation of providing a fun evening out with friends, and we have created great anticipation for FilmFest 2025. The legacy will continue!
High School Public Policy Internship Project
Fremont
Contact: Reshma (Remy) Parmar
In Fremont, we have a local high school that requires seniors to complete a research paper (with citations and peer review) in order to graduate. Part of the research paper involves performing community service with a nonprofit. Every year students reach out to us when their research paper aligns with the mission of AAUW.
This year, after understanding that younger women are interested in AAUW even before they are in college, we formalized this role into an impactful internship program by coordinating with civics teachers at the high school. The opportunity to add this intergenerational approach into our branch has proven to be both highly successful and deeply fulfilling. The teachers introduced us to seven (7) students who we interviewed. The students presented a variety of research topics related to gender equity (i.e. Sexism in the workforce, period poverty, gender wage gap, female reproductive health/rights in the U.S., gender bias in the STEM workforce). We shared the mission of AAUW with the students, including the focus on equity, the history, the national and international scope of AAUW and its branches, the commitment to DEI and STEM learning.
We realized all of the students are studying public policy and offered them the role of Public Policy Intern. The requirements include the following: 15-20+ hours over a period of November 2024-March 2025 conducting research through public policy papers on AAUW’s website as well as independent research, interviewing public policy chairs at AAUW California and following their mission based agendas, coming up with their own unique research focus and possible solutions after understanding AAUW’s mission and policies in relations to current events and lobbying/bills in Washington DC, providing weekly updates of their progress either on google docs, through zoom calls or phone calls, attending at least 2 local branch events to learn how our local nonprofit engages with its membership base and community at large, as well as provide hands on help at events, write articles for our branch newsletter, provide a final presentation of their research paper at a Board meeting and describe what they gained by interning for our branch. Students are offered to continue internships into the summer and college studies. We also shared the history of AAUW Fellowships and the $5+ million that are given to researchers/career women in the U.S. and abroad.
Intergenerational Climate Change Forum
Sunnyvale-Cupertino
Contact: Emily Adorable
Emily Adorable, Program Chair, is also a member of the Elders Climate Action (ECA) and came up with the idea to have a panel of experts from both Elders Climate Action and Silicon Valley Youth Action (SVYCA) to inform about this timely topic.
All three groups advertised the event and people RSVP’d via Eventbrite which gave boosted attendance. Publicity included social media and flyers to church groups and neighboring AAUW branches and the event was free. Emily attended the city councils for Sunnyvale and Cupertino to invite them. Council members would be introduced but not allowed to speak due to time constraints. Attendees could talk with them afterwards.
Over 100 were in attendance – a mix of youth, middle agers and elders. The expert from Elders Climate Action began the presentation by giving the facts of climate change and the science behind it. The youth took it from there reporting what SVYCA is doing to fight climate change as a group and gave solutions that audience members could take to join the fight. The youth then led a multiple choice quiz for the audience to make the presentation interactive. The event closed with the audience dividing into small groups, asking that each group consist of people of different ages. The groups were tasked with answering several questions 1. How has the climate changed in your lifetime, and how have these changes affected your life? 2. If you could ask a climate scientist one question, what would it be and why? 3. What positive changes and efforts are you most hopeful to see for climate change (ex: policies, movements, restoration, tech, etc.)? The Youth had amazing control of the 100 attendees keeping fairly close to the expected time schedule yet allowing some to share answers to all.
This program led by AAUW example that we all must work together to take care of the world around us. Our goal was to have attendees listen, gain knowledge about Climate Change and then leave with solutions they could easily work into their lives and get involved in one of the biggest challenges of our lives.
Monterey Bay IBC Annual Event
Monterey Peninsula
Contact: Sharyn Siebert
This educational event dovetails with many branches holding Great Decisions international relations learning groups. It also had elements of information about the concerns of citizens about the future of our democracy-an issue that impacts every one of our organization’s positions and even our very own existence, going forward.
Our speaker, as a foreign policy guru and former US Ambassador, was uniquely positioned to speak on this topic. His wife is also an AAUW member from outside the IBC-and that branch also had members attending.
Planning for the End: How Not to Leave a Mess for Your Loved Ones
Morgan Hill
Contact: Suman Ganapathy
The Morgan Hill Branch of AAUW partnered with the Morgan Hill Library for a series of four programs titled, “Planning for the End: How Not to Leave a Mess for Your Loved Ones.”
End-of-life planning is something many people put off—until it’s too late. Research shows that only 32% of Americans have a will or estate plan, with 40% admitting that they keep procrastinating. AAUW Morgan Hill set out to change that by partnering with the Morgan Hill Library for a free, four-part series designed to make estate planning accessible, practical, and—most importantly—actionable. The goal was to give attendees the knowledge and motivation to take control of their future, reduce stress for their loved ones, and leave behind not chaos, but clarity.
Each session tackled a different aspect of planning, featuring expert speakers, interactive discussions, and resource lists available both in-person and online. The four, one hour-long free programs were open to the public and took place at the library. Each included resource lists as handouts and that were also available on the branch website.
Session 1: Basics of estate planning: wills, trusts, power of attorney and advance health care directives. Speaker was a local estate attorney.
Session 2: Get your ducks in a row: organizing financial information, dealing with passwords, and making final arrangements. Presented by AAUW members, including a financial advisor and cybersecurity expert.
Session 3: Declutter: get rid of your “stuff” by selling, donating, giving away or recycling. Presenters were professional organizer and representative from local recycling facility.
Session 4: Legacy: how you want to be remembered through photos, obituary, and memorial gifts. Presented by a financial advisor (and branch member) with experience on this topic working with her clients.
This forward-thinking series was designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and tools to make informed end-of-life decisions. Recognizing that estate planning, financial security, and healthcare directives are often overlooked yet critical aspects of life, our branch organized a four-part educational series to address these topics in a clear, accessible, and practical manner – open to the public and making this vital information accessible to all.
Project 2025
California Online Branch
Contact: Gail Swain
The California Online Branch hosted a webinar presented by the Public Policy Committee entitled, “Project 2025 and How it Would Impact AAUW Public Policy Priorities”. Amy Hom, co-chair of AAUW California Public Policy, gave a brief overview of where Project 2025 came from, who the Heritage Foundation is, and what the project is broadly attempting to do. She then addressed specific parts of the project that would impact AAUW Public Policy Priorities, such as education, Title IX, reproductive health, and gender equity. Missy Maceyko, co-chair of AAUW California Public Policy, was also on the call to help with Q&A. AAUW California, AAUW Oregon, and AAUW Washington were all invited to attend.
On October 22nd, more than 225 attended a webinar on Project 2025. Amy Hom (Public Policy Co-Chair) did an amazing analysis, and Missy Maceko (Public Policy Co-Chair) facilitated the Questions and Answers. It was shocking and frightening to learn the contents of this very dangerous document. If implemented, it would set our country back to the 50s, if not more. A big thank you to Amy and Missy for this program, and a shout-out goes to Gail Swain, who initially came up with the idea. We had at least 16 CA Online members
attend; the rest came from other branches throughout the state, Oregon, and other states, plus friends and family. We want to thank AAUW California for agreeing to this unique request to allow our branch to invite all California members to join us and use their Zoom account.
Renaissance Scholars
San Ramon
Contact: Judy Bracken
For sixteen years we have been awarding scholarships to young women of the Renaissance Scholars program at California State University East Bay. This program was developed at Cal State East Bay in 2006 with the goal of supporting all foster youth who enter the University as undergraduates to successfully complete their degree. Recently the program has been expanded to support eligible students enrolled in CSUEB Graduate programs.
Since we began, we have awarded over $44,000 in scholarships to 43 students. Each year, the students must complete an application and go through an interview process. Once selected, we prepare a “Back to School” gift basket for each student in addition to their financial award. These baskets are filled with member donated gift cards and cash, in addition to useful or personal items. We raise the scholarship funds through email gift card auctions, a shredding event, a gift basket drawing at one of our programs, restaurant fundraisers, proceeds from volunteering at the Alameda County Fair, and member donations throughout the year.
This year, we presented $1,500 scholarships to two very talented and impressive young women. They have demonstrated significant determination and focus to achieve their academic and personal goals. Each recipient also receives a Student Affiliate Membership to AAUW along with an invitation to our September Welcome Event, where they share their goals and aspirations with the membership. These exceptional young women, with all their many challenges, continue to inspire us every year. Many of them develop close relations with the Scholarship Committee members and continue to stay in touch with us or join us in some of our Branch activities.
School Board Project
Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek (DAW) & Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette (OML)
Contact (DAW): Laurinda Ochoa, ochoalaurinda@gmail.com
Contact (OML): Denise Burian, denburian@gmail.com
Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek (DAW)
Since Aug. 15, 2023, DAW has attended each monthly school board meeting for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD). Under the leadership of DAW Public Policy Chair Laurinda Ochoa, we decided that we wanted to be a visible, consistent voice of support for public education and for schools where all children can feel respected, supported and valued.
We sometimes attend with a few members, sometimes with as many as fifteen. We are recognizable – initially because we printed nametags for attendees and wore same-color shirts. Later, beginning in January 2024, we had t-shirts printed and wore them, to strengthen our collective presence.
We began by obtaining DAW Board approval to attend SRVUSD meetings on behalf of the branch, then we sent an email to our branch membership asking people if they’d like to attend. The response was enthusiastic. After a few months we established an email list of DAW members who wished to be included in the reminder announcements of upcoming meetings. In addition to the SRVUSD meetings, we also occasionally attend school board meetings for other local districts, when a topic of particular importance is on their agenda.
We bring with us AAUW CA Public Policy brochures and AAUW DAW membership information cards, to hand out to people we meet who wish to learn more about us.
The results have been amazing.
First, the community is grateful: Other attendees at school board meetings have reached out to us to thank us for attending. The Trustees, as well as district staff members, have thanked us repeatedly for our presence and support. Our branch members have expressed gratitude as well.
Second, visibility in the community is a very important factor in reaching out to potential AAUW members. People have expressed interest in joining our branch because they have seen us at board meetings.
And third, we realize that this form of advocacy for public education is relatively easy. We just show up. There are no costs, very little preparation, and we can feel good about being a visible voice in the community supporting our mission and vision.
Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette (OML)
In support of AAUW California’s Public Policy Priority of “Equal Access to Public Education for All Students”, the Orinda Moraga Lafayette Branch has developed an outreach program to support local school boards’ efforts to provide safe and unbiased education for all students.
We began our efforts in January 2024, in response to Moms for Liberty candidates running for positions on local school boards the previous Fall as well as an active Moms for Liberty presence at local school board meetings.
This outreach program includes:
• Tracking board agendas for relevant agenda items in all school districts within our service area, both at the elementary and high school level.
• Attending district board meetings to monitor the boards’ efforts first hand.
• Speaking in support of board agenda items where equal access to public education for all students may be in jeopardy.
We have attended board meetings and made comments in support of issues such as Title IX, LQBTQ+ communities, district discipline policies and various resolutions including Hispanic Awareness Month, Black Awareness Month and Disabilities Awareness Month. When unable to attend a meeting in person, we have written letters of support to the district superintendent and school board members. In 2024, we also participated in a larger community effort to elect pro-public education candidates to local school boards. We are currently supporting the Acalanes Union High School District’s efforts to pass a Parcel Tax to raise needed funding for the District.
We know our efforts have been impactful because:
• Response from local superintendents and school board members
• Positive responses from members of the audience attending school board meetings (e.g., clapping after comments, direct comments from audience members following meetings)
• Parents and community members who have reached out to us about upcoming key issues on school board agendas where they would appreciate our support.
Student Immigration Rights – Fundraiser for Community College Dreamers
Berkeley
Contact: Karen Weinstein
Karenweinstein.berkeley@gmail.com
Understanding that the issue of immigration was timely and important, AAUW Berkeley felt it deserved attention. Student immigrants are in jeopardy of being deported and many of the students are frightened. AAUW strongly believes in the importance of education and the importance of opening our hearts and minds to students of all races and cultures.
We invited 4 speakers who were just terrific to speak about the history of DACA, legislative issues, school issues and immigrant issues. The room was packed and people were in the hallway trying to get in. The Assemblywoman and the Deputy Superintendent of Schools gave specific tasks that community members could do to help pass new resolutions. We had at least 20 local electeds co-host the event and we worked closely with two unions that brought in their members. We raised funds for the Dreamers at Berkeley City College. Timing, outreach, good publicity and helping immigrant students was unique.
Community members loved the event and asked for more events dealing with the issue of immigration and students. A committee is now being formed to work on this issue: Members plus community members. Some of our members are now working with the Berkeley City Commission which is dealing with sanctuary city issues.
Teen Mental Health
Turlock
Contact: Nancy Turner
The Turlock/Modesto branch hosted a 1 1/2 hour Zoom meeting on Teen Mental Health on a Thursday evening utilizing an interactive Power Point presentation, and ending with a Question / Answer time. A branch member that is a science CTE Biotech teacher at a local high school facilitated the program along with one of her senior female students, and the Family Resource Division Director of a local non-profit, Sierra Vista, that provides quality resources and services in behavioral health to youth and families. The high school HOSA group co-hosted the event. (HOSA is a career technical student organization that supports students that seek interest in Health professions.) This was a free program open to the community, where pre-registration was required to receive the Zoom information. The topics discussed were current mental health challenges and statistics, along with strategies for effectively dealing with these issues among teens. Approximately 25 were pre-registered. This was the first time our branch has provided a program on this topic and we had not heard of it offered by any other branch. Mental health is an aspect in our physical well-being that especially impacts female students. According to AI Overview “In 2021, a significantly higher percentage of female high school students reported poor mental health (40.8%) compared to male students (18.1%) in the United States. This disparity is seen across various mental health outcomes, including depression and suicidal ideation.” The audience was engaged and reacted very positively to the presentation.
The Authors Forum 2025
Napa County
Contact: Starr Green
“Plant the seeds; you might be planting a redwood, which means you won’t see it in your lifetime. But maybe someone else will.” These are Nina Schuyler’s words at the close of ‘In This Ravishing World’. This is what our author’s forum are all about. The funds will be awarded towards our scholarships, we are planting the seeds of success for our scholarship recipients. More than 200 people attended the The Authors Forum at Napa Valley College. Four female Bay Area authors were able to exhibited how their books a template for equity for women and girls, education and research.
The Demise of Fundamental Rights?
Monterey Peninsula
Contact: Joanne Webster
The speaker talked about the theory of “originalism” that is used by some US Supreme Court justices to interpret the US Constitution as it was intended when the Constitution was drafted vs. interpreting it with consideration for standards of the current society.
The program evaluations resulted in high marks for being a timely topic, being informative, and being thought provoking.
Title IX: Upcoming Changes and Concerns
Five Cities-Pismo Beach
Contact: Jean Burns Slater
AAUW has the mission of advancing gender equity for women and girls and Title IX is an integral legal provision that supports our mission.
With the upcoming election in November this program was presented in October to raise an alarm regarding the proposed changes. Kathi Harper, past Chair of Public Policy AAUW-CA was contacted for a suggested guest speaker for this topic. She graciously accepted the challenge and developed a presentation and slide bank explaining Title IX and the pillars of AAUW Public Policy and the potential threats of changing this law. She attended our October meeting and presented in person, accepting clarifying questions.
Topic: AAUW and Title IX: Title IX – It’s Not Just About Sports. “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational programs or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Ms. Harper explained the importance of Title IX as a timely topic as there have been “revisions” to Title IX in the last few years. Ms. Harper explained the differences between 2017 and 2024 enactments. She stated that there are the procedures of “Duty to Address” any issue in a hearing. In the “Investigation” piece of the hearing, there are Procedures, Standard of Proof and Appeal Rights outlined. Training and monitoring were enhanced with specific language in the 2024 enactment. The wording was also made more specific for sexual orientation, characteristics, stereotypes and identity to allow students more autonomy.
Welcome to the World Cafe: Stronger Together!
La Mesa-El Cajon
Contacts: Sue Sutton & Sandy Galea-Martinez
ssutton1950@gmail.com, sagaleamartinez@gmail.com
The World Cafe is a strategy for exploring ideas and consensus building. European Cafes, thinkers and artists would gather and discuss issues. Join in conversation focused on our vision/goals for 2024-2025 and beyond.
Procedure: 4 questions 15 min discussion each. Select a table host to stay at table and give a brief 1-minute replay of previous discussion to the new group. You may only serve as a host once. After each question move to a new table with different people. Following the fourth-question discussion each table will select the top one vision/goal, concern/obstacles, strategies and contributions to report on. Record on Large Group paper taped on the wall using VISION/GOALS, CONCERNS/OBSTACLES, STRATEGIES & CONTRIBUTIONS as paper topics. Using forced choice dots each person places a dot by their first (blue), second (red) and third (yellow) item of importance.
This allowed for every member who wished to participate a voice about our vision and goals for the 2024-2025 year. The results of this strategy were shared with the board at our next board meeting and drove the discussion at our summer retreat. Members were given the final results and some abridged items as the process played out.
We took a chance with this meeting and found it to be very well received. Everyone loved the cafe setting and the hospitality snacks. All members present felt that their voice was heard, and issues and concerns were appropriately addressed.
For the first time there was a true continuity from one year to the next, it added in the succession plan and lead several conversations as we prepared for the next year. It did help that the president was continuing for the second year.
Women in Charge: Empowering Women through Leadership
La Mesa-El Cajon
Contact: Sue Sutton
The San Diego and La Mesa-El Cajon Branch of the American Association of University Women sponsored an informal conversation with San Diego Tourism CEO, Julie Coker and San Diego County Sheriff, Kelly Martinez on Saturday, March 9, 2024. The topic of discussion was Empowering Women Through Leadership.
Julie Coker is the President and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA), where she oversees the organization’s efforts to promote San Diego as a top destination for meetings, conventions, overseas travelers, and leisure visitors. The San Diego Tourism Authority is recognized as one of the best in the business and continues to set the standard for destination marketing organizations under Coker, who assumed the role in March 2020.
Sheriff Martinez is responsible for providing law enforcement services to 4,200 square miles of unincorporated San Diego County, nine contract cities, seven jails, and security for the courthouses. She is responsible for the department’s $1.165 billion budget and more than 4,700 authorized employees.
Through an open dialogue these two leaders were asked questions about how they empowered the women in their organizations. They were given 5 questions ahead of time to also address.
This program aligned primarily with the Workplace and economic equity issues along with barriers to gender equity. The speakers were inspiring and very personable. The open dialogue was a perfect strategy to include anyone who wanted to participate.
These two leaders of San Diego County were approachable and left with a feeling of support and commitment from our branch. Our members felt like doors were opened to women who, prior to the meeting, seemed unapproachable.
Women Warriors Presentation
Poway-Penasquitos
Contact: Harriet Gerza
Celebrating Women’s History month, Annette Hubbell, local actress and author, presented excerpts from her one woman show about notable women in history. She portrayed Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mary Macleod Bethune and Gladys May Aylward. All women who made a difference during their time. Examples of how one woman can accomplish and change the world.
Our audience was the capacity of the room. Attracted about 60+ over our normal meeting size.