Ready to Run™ Iowa Workshop Series Begins Jan. 18

CATEGORIES: January 2013, Voices

The 2013 Ready to Run™ Iowa workshop series will begin Friday, Jan. 18, with the first of six monthly sessions.

“Introduction to Iowa Politics,” the January workshop, is designed to answer the most common questions about politics and government in Iowa. It will include an introduction to Iowa party politics and resources, the various types of elected office to consider, and a discussion of women’s political status in the state.

Local, state and national political leaders and campaign strategists will provide their expertise and insights as part of each training session. Speakers participating in the Jan. 18 session include:

  • Marti Anderson, state representative, Iowa state legislature
  • Sue Dvorsky, chair, Iowa Democratic Party
  • Janine Sulzner, auditor, Jones County
  • Sara Huddleston, member, Storm Lake City Council
  • Mary Mosiman, Deputy of Elections, Iowa Secretary of State
  • Teresa Simpson, member, Ames Community School District Board of Directors
  • A.J. Spiker, chair, Republican Party of Iowa

“During our Jan. 18 workshop, participants will learn and discuss the ins and outs of Iowa politics through interacting with political leaders from across the state,” said Valerie Hennings, scholar-in-residence at the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, who is directing the 2013 Ready to Run™ Iowa series. “This networking experience provides an unmatched opportunity to gain an insider’s perspective on the rewards and challenges of running for and holding elected or appointed office; it is the perfect start to the 2013 series.”

Space is still available for the February through June Ready to Run™ Iowa workshops. To reserve your seat, please register online. The registration fee for each workshop is $20. If participants register for four or more workshops, the fee is reduced to $15 per workshop (enter promo code: READY). Workshops are taught as individual training sessions; therefore, participants can choose to attend all six workshops or a selected combination.

Ready to Run™ Iowa is a statewide, non-partisan program designed to recruit and train women in Iowa to run for elected office, to prepare for appointed office or to become involved in public life as leaders in their communities. The Catt Center has offered Ready to Run™ Iowa every other year since 2007 as part of a national network founded by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

The 2013 sponsors of Ready to Run™ Iowa include: the Ames Chamber of Commerce, the League of Women Voters of Ames, the League of Women Voters of Iowa, Mediacom, and the Women’s and Diversity Grant Program funded by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost at Iowa State University.