Women’s Fund to Celebrate LIPPI Class of 2016 on May 23
EASTHAMPTON — The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) will host “Women Lead Change: a Celebration of the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI) Class of 2016” on Monday, May 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.
The event will include remarks from Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and a keynote address from Julie Chavez Rodriguez, special assistant to President Obama and senior deputy director of public engagement at the White House. WFWM will acknowledge Polito and Rodriguez with a “She Changes the World” award presented to honor exceptional contribution to social change, creating economic and social equity for women and girls.
More than 300 participants are expected to attend the annual celebration of LIPPI graduates. LIPPI is the only program of its kind in Massachusetts. Through 11 sessions over eight months, it is designed to respond to the shortage of women stepping into leadership at all levels. LIPPI gives women the tools and confidence they need to become more involved as civic leaders in their communities and to impact policy on the local, state, and national levels.
Among the current graduating LIPPI cohort, 60% are women of color, and LIPPI graduates also embody a wide spectrum of backgrounds, ethnic groups, and ages, from 18 to over 60. They represent the entire state of Massachusetts, from the Berkshires to Boston. Together, graduates form a strong cohort of like-minded women who support each other when they run for office, meet with policymakers, form coalitions, and conduct get-out-the-vote efforts.
