Mid-level women managers interested in building their skills in management, networking and leadership so they can move into leadership positions can apply to enroll in Wisconsin’s premier women’s leadership seminar.
The program begins January 14 and includes two full Saturdays and four evening sessions. Now in its 12th year, the Wisconsin Women in Government seminar is a project of the nonprofit organization Wisconsin Women in Government and the La Follette School. Scholarships are available and the application deadline is Friday, December 2. Application materials are available online.
The six-week program includes sessions on the process of decision-making and the effect of gender, management style, small groups and organizational culture on that process. Other classes examine how policy issues emerge and develop, and how the policy process unfolds. Participants practice their writing and presentation skills and share stories about work life-balance.
The seminar also helps participants establish mentoring relationships with former members of WWIG’s board of directors, many of whom have worked in Wisconsin government, says Bridget Pirsch, La Follette’s coordinator of the program since its inception. “The speed mentoring session gives participants the chance to speak one on one with former WWIG board members,” Pirsch says. “This networking evening gives participants an informal opportunity to talk to professional women who have the skills, knowledge and experience seminar participants want to know about.”
“The Wisconsin Women in Government Seminar promotes women’s participation in public affairs and helps them take the next step in their careers,’’ says Dennis Dresang, an emeritus professor with the La Follette School who helped set up the program. He said the seminar strengthens WWIG’s mission to help women build careers in government-related fields. For the La Follette School, the seminar is a component of its practice of the Wisconsin Idea, of extending the boundaries of the university to the borders of the state.
In addition to Dresang, seminar faculty include Susan Webb Yackee, an associate professor at La Follette; Georgia Duerst-Lahti, a professor of political science at Beloit College; and Terry Shelton, La Follette School outreach director.
— posted November 18, 2011