On March 1 and 8, the La Follette School and Wisconsin Women in Government brought together 24 women who work in state and local government throughout Wisconsin to discuss leadership in public service during the annual WWIG Leadership Seminar. This year’s participants came from Milwaukee, Appleton, Fort Atkinson, Port Washington, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Burlington, Wind Lake, and Madison and included two La Follette School alumni.
The two-day seminar, which took place at the Pyle Center in Madison, included instruction, learning activities, and networking. Participants learned about managing and leading in public organizations from La Follette School faculty and other leaders in policy-related positions.
La Follette faculty members Tana Johnson, Susan Webb Yackee, and Mariel Barnes shared their expertise with participants through discussions about management, organizational culture, and workplace challenges. They engaged participants to think about policy option evaluation, identifying and speaking to people’s motivational focus, and facilitating group decision-making. Participants also learned about the wildly different trajectories of four women in government during a panel discussion with a city councilwoman, a state representative, a leader in victim witness services, and the Wisconsin Lottery director.
Jill Mueller, a coach from Darcy Luoma Coaching and Consulting, discussed ways to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and decrease conflict both professionally and personally, and how to use one’s calendar to reflect boundaries and priorities. Special guest Ana Catalano Weeks, a senior lecturer at the University of Bath, shared her research on the political consequences of mental load for women. To close out the seminar, La Follette School Interim Director Greg Nemet and WWIG President Chelsea Shanks handed out certificates during a graduation ceremony.
Participants said they appreciated having take-home tools to enhance their professional and personal lives, and connection with women in public services with whom they would not have otherwise met. “This seminar rejuvenated my energy and excitement toward my current job and inspired me to keep striving to elevate my career to new levels,” said one participant in a survey response. Another noted, “I am already applying some tools and concepts that I learned for team building, which I believe is making me a better colleague, supervisor, mentor, and leader.”
Applications for next year’s WWIG Leadership Seminar will open in the fall. Program costs not covered by tuition are funded by the WWIG Gala and generous sponsors, including the Wisconsin Counties Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Gail Sumi WWIG Scholarship Fund.
Founded in 1987, WWIG is a nonpartisan volunteer organization that recognizes and supports women by providing scholarships as well as educational and networking opportunities. WWIG and the La Follette School launched the leadership seminar in 2001.