I don’t normally just reprint press releases that I receive but this one is so important and so well-written that I’m going to break that informal rule. I am a firm believer that our country would be in a much better place if we had more women in positions of political power and Emerge Michigan plays an important role in making that a reality. They are part of a national network currently working in 16 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Across the country they encouraging and empowering women to run for office and WIN!
Registration for their next training session begins tomorrow, September 3rd and I encourage all women with even the most mild desire to run for office to sign up. Here are the details:
Emerge Michigan, Michigan’s premier organization for recruiting and training Democratic women to run for political office, will open its recruiting process for the its next class on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. The organization seeks bright, self-motivated Democratic women who are committed to effective and ethical political leadership. The multi-part application process, which includes submission of a resume and several short essays followed by an interview, will remain open from now until Nov. 14, 2016.
“Emerge Michigan is excited to begin accepting applications for our second class of aspiring women leaders,” said Beth Kelly, Emerge Michigan Executive Director. “Our organization is committed to selecting exceptional applicants, who will seize on political opportunities once they are given the skills and tools necessary to run an effective campaign. This recruitment process is a vital part of identifying those women and putting them on a path to success.”
Emerge Michigan’s training program offers Democratic women who want to run for public office a unique opportunity. Women who are accepted receive 70 hours of in-depth education over six months that inspires them to run for office and gives them the tools to win. The program’s trainers are comprised of an elite team of campaign consultants, advisors and staff from all over the country, who have been involved in some of the most successful campaigns and initiatives seen in recent election cycles. Participants learn from these experts and develop practical knowledge in areas such as public speaking, fundraising, campaign strategy, voter contact, media and messaging and others. Candidates also meet an array of dynamic women who hold elected and appointed office and become a part of a supportive network, which includes a national association of Emerge alumnae, the Emerge board and advisory council members.
“Despite making some gains over the last decade, women are still extremely underrepresented in our decision-making bodies at every level of government,” said Kelly. “At this rate, it’ll be almost a century before we achieve equal representation in our government. That’s just not fast enough. At Emerge Michigan, we’re tackling this problem head on by providing the aspiring female leaders of today with cutting-edge tools and training to run for elected office and elevate themselves in our political system. Our work is having a direct positive impact on the number of women who are choosing to jump into the political arena and are ready to win.”
Michigan ranks 35th in the country in terms of women’s representation in elected positions. Women make up a mere 20 percent of the Michigan legislature. There are only four of women in the Michigan Senate and 25 women out of 110 members in the Michigan House. Emerge Michigan is working hard to improve these numbers by recruiting, training and supporting Democratic women to give them the critical skills, confidence and network they need to run for office and win.
“After years of development on both the national and state level, we know that our training program gives women the practical knowledge they need to run for elected office and win,” said Kelly. “Emerge Michigan is committed to changing the face of politics in Michigan and the entire nation. All we need now is the for the right women for the job to step forward.”
Emerge Michigan will select 25 women who have the potential to be political leaders from their applicants. Criteria for selection include, evidence of political leadership experience or potential; meaningful involvement in workplace or community; interest in pursuing political office; demonstrated ability to bring together disparate groups to achieve a goal; ability and desire to build effective networks; ability to articulate a personal political vision; demonstrated ability to inspire others; and commitment to full participation and attendance requirements of the trainings. Applicants must be registered Democrats. Women of all ages, races, nationalities, marital status, religious affiliations, sexual orientations and physical abilities are encouraged to apply.
For more information on the application process, please visit Emerge Michigan’s website at: www.emergemi.org.
