Lift IOWA Weekly 10.8.18

Catt Center: Iowa cities making small steps toward gender balance on public board

By Lift IOWA staff

In the last two years, Iowa cities made measurable strides toward achieving gender balance on public board and commissions, according to Iowa State University’s Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics.

Between 2016 and 2018, city boards and commissions saw a 6 percent increase in the number of women represented on boards and commissions. Of the 211 cities surveyed by the Catt Center, this brings the total number of cities that have achieved gender balance on all boards to 63 percent.

"The improvements are a positive sign," Kelly Winfrey, interim director of the Catt Center, said in a release. "It means cities are doing a better job following the law and our city government is becoming more representative."

The Gender Balance Project launched in 2014 in an effort to hold officials accountable and to measure the effectiveness of a law passed by the state of Iowa in 2012, which requires all city, county and state boards to be gender balanced.

In the past two years, the greatest improvements were seen on waterworks boards, planning and zoning boards, and airport boards.

To see other data, as well as a list of cities that have achieved gender balance on all boards, visit the Catt Center’s website.

Guest opinion: What's next beyond retirement

By Jann Freed | Leadership development and change management consultant

Diane Ramsey’s two-part series titled "Reinventing yourself without losing your mind" was timely because many older workers are adventuring into uncharted territory. According to the Pew Research Center, every day for the next 19 years, about 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65. As these people exit the workplace and many feel a sense of emptiness, the question becomes "What’s next?" What will I do with my time, talents, and energy?

Diane described the journey she and her husband have encountered in navigating this territory and what she learned in the process. Her anecdotal stories and examples are helpful in stimulating thinking and providing ideas. Since this is an area of focus for my leadership practice, I want to ground Diane’s articles in research from the positive aging movement. As a certified Sage-ing Leader through Sage-ing International (www.Sage-ing.org), I have been immersed in learning how to become a Sage rather than age. In fact, I have a podcast series titled: "Becoming a Sage." Since a Sage is a wise person who is still engaged and relevant in society, I interview monthly some of the top thought leaders in the field of positive aging. My passion is to make the rest of life –the best of life.

As Diane shared in her articles, it is important we devote time, thought, and effort into making this transition. It is possible we will live as many years after our main career as during it. Research indicates after people have the financial part of retirement figured out, it is everything else that preoccupies their thinking. This is preparation beyond the money. Some of the main themes I have learned are in the list below.

Plan for this transition. Start early enough. It takes about five years to "let go," make some connections, do some exploring in order to make the leap. Speaking from experience, it took me five years to feel ready to move on from my tenured teaching position and endowed chair in leadership and character development.

Do not retire. I am out to retire the word "retirement." We are not retiring, but moving on. The question becomes: Moving on to what? Where? We are going to be doing something.

Push back on society’s focus on anti-aging. Messages of anti-aging bombard us continually. Push back by embracing life experience. When we learn from life experience, transform the lessons into wisdom and pass it on.

Explore and discover. We don’t have to have all of the answers. Try some things out. Take a gap year and give yourself permission to pursue your bucket list. Work part-time. Volunteer. Start an encore career. That is what I am doing now. I can attest that the challenges and opportunities keep me growing, engaged, relevant, and alive.

Find meaning and purpose. Research is consistent in stressing that life is about meaning and purpose at any age. But this becomes more critical in the absence of a career.

Engage in legacy. We all leave a legacy every day. But what is it? Are you living your life in ways you want to be remembered? The legacy you leave is the life you live.

Seek out role models. Who is living a life that looks attractive to you? How can you live such a life? I believe role models are essential at every age. Look for people who inspire you whether you know them or not.

As one of my role models likes to say: "What is going to get you up in the morning?" Thinking about that question is a start for what’s next for you.

Jann Freed, Ph.D., is a leadership development and change management consultant at The Genysys Group. Contact her via email.

ONE GOOD READ
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford, from Iowa cornfield to C-suite

CNN Money: Beth Ford's first job paid $2 an hour. Early in the morning, she climbed on the school bus to go detassel corn, joining other kids in Sioux City who did it as a summer job. "Back then, two dollars an hour, that was real money," Ford tells CNN's Poppy Harlow in the latest episode of "Boss Files." Now, as the first female CEO of Land O'Lakes — and the first openly gay female CEO in the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. companies — Ford remembers a conversation with her mother years ago that taught her that "while we may not have everything, we have enough, and given what we have, much was expected of us." Read more

Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame seeking nominations

By Lift IOWA staff

The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women is now accepting nominations for 2019 inductees into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame.

To provide visible examples for tomorrow's female leaders, the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women established the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1975. The honor is designed to recognize Iowa’s women leaders who contribute their talents and skills to improve the state's quality of life.

The Iowa Women's Hall of Fame inducts contemporary (living) or historical (deceased) women who were born in Iowa, achieved prominence within the state, or have been a resident of Iowa for an extended period and have. They should also have:

Made significant and enduring contributions to their field of endeavor, professional or otherwise.
Impacted the social, cultural, economic or political well-being of the community, state or nation.
Elevated the status of women and positively impacted women and girls.
Helped open new frontiers for women and for society in general.
Inspired others by their example.

The commission is also accepting nominations for the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice. This medal is awarded to Iowans whose life and work illustrate such service and dedication, especially in the field of social justice.

More information and nomination forms can be found online. Nominations are due by April 1, 2019. For questions, contact Kristen Corey at 515-281-4470 or women@iowa.gov. To view past members of the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame, click here.

BRIEF LIFTS

Courage League Sports founder receives 'Everyday Hero' award
Melissa Clarke-Wharff, founder of Courage League Sports, has been honored as one of the Toyota Everyday Heroes by women sports organization espnW. Clarke-Wharff was presented the award Wednesday during the ninth annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit. The award, which includes a $10,000 grant to each of the four organizations honored, recognizes individuals making a difference for women and girls in their local communities through sports. Courage League Sports, based in Urbandale, is a nonprofit adaptive sports and recreational facility that offers year-round programming for children and adults who aren’t able to go full speed due to a physical, cognitive or emotional disability. The organization, founded in 2013, now serves more than 1,000 kids and 500 adults on a monthly basis. To see a short video about Courage League Sports, click here. To read a Business Record story about Courage League Sports, click here.

Yale-trained musician hopes to help others 'discover their voice'
Corridor Business Journal: In a reversal of the state's more typical "brain drain" phenomenon, 24-year-old Jessica Patel has returned to Iowa and opened her own business after earning a master's degree in voice performance from Yale University. Patel, who recently opened Patel Voice Studio at 2441 James St. in Coralville, says she is on a mission to help students discover their voice. Patel was born and raised in Johnston, Iowa, She recently performed with the Jacksonville Symphony, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Yale Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestras, Orchestra Iowa, and at Carnegie Hall. Patel, who offers both singing and piano lessons at her studio, comes from a musical family and credits her first private voice teacher for setting her on the path to pursuing a career as a classical singer. Patel, who offers both singing and piano lessons at her studio, comes from a musical family and credits her first private voice teacher for setting her on the path to pursuing a career as a classical singer. Read the full story online.

Lilly to receive Business and Professional Women's Club honor
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier: The Cedar Falls Business and Professional Women’s Club will present its Cedar Valley Woman of the Year award to Carol Lilly this year. Lilly has been executive director of Community Main Street program in Cedar Falls since 2011. Aside from her role as leader of CMS, she is currently active with the Cedar Falls Lions Club, a Cedar Falls Parks and Recreation Commission member, as well as member of the Sartori Health Care Foundation Board, the Cedar Falls Community Theatre Board and the Cedar Falls Community Foundation Board. The Salute to Women event will be Oct. 16 at the Diamond Event Center, 5307 Caraway Lane, Cedar Falls.

10,000 Small Businesses program opens to applicants
Iowa small business owners and entrepreneurs hoping grow their businesses can now apply for the Goldman Sachs "10,000 Small Businesses Program," the Corridor Business Journal reported. The program, which is free to Iowa businesses, kicks off in January 2019 with curriculum developed by Babson College - recently named No. 1 for Entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report for the 22nd year in a row. Eligible businesses will have been in business for at least two years, have at least $100,000 in revenue and employ at least two employees (including the business owner). Qualified prospects can apply and gather additional information online. Applications are due by Monday, October 15, 2018. Participants may also learn more through online information sessions offered Oct. 3 and Oct. 9. To register, visit this website.

California’s publicly held corporations will have to include women on their boards
The New York Times: California became the first state to require its publicly held corporations to include women on their boards after Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law on Sept. 30. The bill, which applies to companies "whose principal executive offices" are in California, requires them to have at least one woman on their boards by the end of 2019. In 2021, the companies must have a minimum of two or three women, depending on the size of their boards. Hundreds of companies will be affected by the law, and those that fail to comply can be fined $100,000 for a first violation and $300,000 for a second.

NEWLY ANNOUNCED EVENTS

Oct. 16: Women of Worth October Luncheon
Host: Women of Worth
About: Women of Worth is taking their monthly luncheon on the road. This event will take place at Golden Openings, winner of last year's U.S. Chamber of Commerce Dream Big Award, and includes optional lunch and power networking.
When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: 2743 99th St., Urbandale
Learn more

Oct. 18: 6th Annual Cake Gala
Host: Beacon of Life
About: Enjoy dinner, entertainment and a silent auction of unique items paired with beautifully crafted cakes donated by the city's finest professional and amateur sweet treat artists. Proceeds from the event directly support the women in the Beacon of Life house. Beacon of Life is a nonprofit that helps empower women in crisis to create long-term change.
When: 5:30 p.m.
Where: Iowa Events Center, Des Moines
Learn more

Nov. 1-2: The Way Up Conference
About: Designed to assist women in higher education institutions continue to develop their leadership and administrative skills and expertise, The Way Up Conference offers presenters, networking opportunities and more.
When: Starts 8 a.m. Nov. 1
Where: Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville
Learn more

View our full calendar to see the latest curated business and community events, or suggest an event.