Emerge Wisconsin Is Seeking A New Executive Director

My  friend, Wendy Strout, has chosen to move on from her job as Executive Director of Emerge Wisconsin.

As a result, Emerge Wisconsin is now looking for a new executive director.  The details regarding this can be found on their website.

I would like to thank Wendy for her years of service at Emerge and for training many of the wonderful women leaders this state is benefiting from.  I look forward to working with her again in her future endeavors.

And just for Wendy:

Gun Reform in America: Changing the Debate & Forging Solutions

Emerge America is having a webinar on Wednesday to discuss the growing crisis in our country, where gun-related deaths have reached epidemic proportions.  The discussion will be moderated by Wendy Strout*, Executive Director of Emerge Wisconsin:

CHANGING THE DEBATE AND FORGING SOLUTIONS: HOW TO LEAD THE DIALOGUE ON GUNS IN AMERICA - EMERGE JANUARY WEBINAR

JAN 30 2013 - 12:00PM - 1:00PM

Each year, more than 30,000 people die from gun violence.

That's 85 people a day.

Since 1990, the gun lobby has given Congress over 21 million dollars in campaign contributions to prevent the enactment of common sense gun control legislation and maximize profits in their industry.

Changing the Debate and Forging Solutions: How to Lead the Dialogue on Guns in America 

Featuring Janet Fitch of the award-winning film series Guns, Grief and Grace in America 

and Jim Kessler of Third Way

The gun reform debate has been ongoing yet we have not sustained consistent legislative victories. Join our panel of experts as they look at the recent history of gun violence in America and re-frame the debate in terms that will help win the crossover support necessary to achieve lasting and effective policy solutions. 

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

12:00pm PST/1:00pm MST/2:00pm CST/3:00pm EST

To RSVP, please click here.

With:

Janet Fitch

Director

Guns, Grief, and Grace in America

and 

Jim Kessler

Senior Vice President for Policy & Co-founder

Third Way

Moderated by:

Wendy Strout

Executive Director

Emerge Wisconsin

Documentary filmmaker and community-engagement specialist Janet Fitch is the director of an in-depth look at gun violence in the United States. Her award-winning 3-part series, Guns, Grief and Grace in America, is a unique multi-purpose body of work. The series views gun violence through the lenses of local, state, and national communities, and reorients the discussion towards a solutions-based public health issue. With a focus on prevention, the film series serves as a highly-useful tool that spurs community engagement and civil dialogue.

Jim Kessler brings a wealth of knowledge and insight on economic and social issues across the policy spectrum. A longtime veteran on Capitol Hill and in campaigns, he served as Legislative and Policy Director to Representative/Senator Charles Schumer where he helped pass landmark legislation on crime, gun safety, and domestic violence. From 2001 to 2004 he served as Director of Policy and Research for Americans for Gun Safety. He has appeared frequently as a commentator on television, radio, on the web, and in newspapers—including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, 60 Minutes, MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, The Financial Times, Congressional Quarterly, National Journal, ABCWorld News Tonight, The CBS Evening News, NPR’s Morning Edition, Bloomberg and Marketplace Radio. A prolific writer, his columns have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, POLITICO, Roll Call and DEMOCRACY: A Journal of Ideas.

Wendy Strout is the Executive Director for Emerge Wisconsin and has been working in Democratic politics since 1992.  Wendy has worked on Congressional Races in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas in various roles, including Finance Director.  Wendy also worked as a fundraiser in 2002, for Governor Doyle’s successful gubernatorial campaign.  She has also worked as the political organizer for AFSCME in Southeast Wisconsin where she also coordinated several labor coalitions.  Before joining Emerge Wisconsin, Wendy served as the Director for the Wisconsin Civic Engagement Project (now Wisconsin Voices).

And in full disclosure, I do work for Emerge Wisconsin, which makes Wendy my boss. But more importantly to me, she's been my friend for more than 15 years.

Emerge Wisconsin Recognizes Women's Equality Day

From the great people at Emerge Wisconsin:

Emerge Wisconsin Recognizing Women’s Equality Day with Women On the Move

Madison – Today, August 26, is recognized as Women’s Equality Day. This is the date selected to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. It also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality. Emerge Wisconsin continues to work towards full equality of women in elected offices at the local and state level by training Democratic women who have an interest in running for elected office.

Leadership On the Move

Emerge Wisconsin recently held elections for its new Executive Committee serving 2011 – 2012. Sharon Corrigan, who most recently serves as Chair of Emerge Wisconsin, has moved up to serve as one of four affiliate representatives on the Emerge America Board of Directors.

Bethany Ordaz, who most recently served as Emerge Wisconsin’s Vice Chair, was elected to the position of Chair. Bethany has been both a leader in encouraging and recruiting more women to run and has set the example herself by recently running for State Assembly. Bethany Ordaz is joined by Rachel Currans-Henry (Vice Chair), Carousel Bayrd (Secretary) and Annie Wacker (Treasurer).

Women of Wisconsin On the Move

Emerge Wisconsin recently moved its training program up from January 2012 to start next month, September 2011. This move is to prepare the women who are ready to take back Wisconsin. “We have seen an increased interest of women interested in running for elected office. I look forward to leading Emerge into 2012 as we prepare the women who are ready to take back Wisconsin at both the state and local levels. I am very excited about the role we can play in training the women who will lead us back to true Wisconsin values.” Bethany Ordaz.

Emerge Alumnae On the Move

Today, Women’s Equality Day, is also the day where Emerge Wisconsin Alumna, Jessica King, is sworn in as State Senator! King won her recent election against one of the recalled GOP Senators. “We are proud to have one of our alumna join the Wisconsin State Senate and continue the fight for working families of Wisconsin.” Wendy Strout, Emerge Wisconsin Executive Director.

Launched in 2007, Emerge is the only organization in Wisconsin that provides Democratic women with the comprehensive training they need to achieve their political aspirations. Emerge Wisconsin is part of Emerge America, a national movement and premier training program that addresses the under-representation of women in office at the local, state, and federal level. There are Emerge affiliates in nine states: Arizona, California, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Emerge was founded to create a legion of Democratic women leaders for generations to come.

Congratulations To Emerge WI Class of 2011!

Last weekend, Emerge WI graduated their fifth class, 23 women, ready to take on the world:

Wendy Strout, Executive Director of Emerge WI, also pointed out these items of interest:

• This has been Emerge WI's largest class to date with the largest percentage (40%) coming from outside of the Milwaukee and Madison areas.
• At their second class in February, they marched in the snow in solidarity to protest Walker's intent to strip away collective bargaining rights.
• In May, they had their Shadow Day on the very day that state Republicans rammed through the voter suppression bill. Many of the women were shadowing the Democratic women of the State Senate and were able witness this from the Senate floor.

So what does this all mean? That the Emerge Wisconsin Class of 2011 from all across Wisconsin know that their presence is needed in elected government. They are ready to run and they are ready to win!

Any Democratic women that have thought about running for office at any level, any Democratic women that have marched for workers rights, any Democratic woman who collected signatures for the recall, any Democratic women that have contact their elected officials to voice their opinion, any Democratic women that are concerned about the direction the community, the state or the country is heading because of the Republicans in office, should run for office themselves.

Emerge WI has accelerated their schedule in the face of the completely wrong direction the Republicans are taking this state.  The application process is going on now and any prospective applicants have less than a week to get their applications in.  

If you're a Democratic woman and fit the above description, or even one part of it, you can get your application form by clicking here.  But hurry! The deadline is July 29th!

In Solidarity We Train

A show of support and an important message from Wendy Strout, Executive Director of Emerge Wisconsin:

In February, when Scott Walker openly declared his war on Wisconsin's working families, Emerge Wisconsin released the following solidarity statement:

Emerge Wisconsin Stands in Solidarity with Organized Labor

As over 175,000 nurses, teachers, emergency responders, state municipal and local workers lose their rights to collectively bargain today, Emerge Wisconsin stands in solidarity with organized labor. We vow to continue fighting right alongside working families across Wisconsin to take our state back from the tyranny of Walker, the Fitzgeralds and their rubber stampers.

In Solidarity and in response to both the attacks on Wisconsin and the motivation of Democratic women across the state stepping up to say "I can do better; I want to be part of taking Wisconsin back," Emerge has moved our training up to start this September 2011 instead of January 2012, our regular start date.

Our application process opens up THIS Friday, July 1st and will remain open until July 29th.

If you are a Democratic woman or know a Democratic woman ready to take our state back by running for office, please contact us. Or on July 1st, go to our website (www.EmergeWI.org) and look for the application online. Whether she is interested in running for state or local office, Emerge wants to train the Democratic women who are ready to take back our state!

In Solidarity,
Wendy Strout
Executive Director

Reminder: Emerge WI Is Holding Two Events This Week

Got this in the inbox a while back, but it's still very timely:

Dear Chris,

Yesterday, Wisconsin's citizens marched in Madison to protest this draconian and devastating budget that Walker and his Republican cronies have put forward. At the same time, the fate of collective bargaining was decided by the Supreme Court.

The Republicans are so desperate to pass this devastating budget that they called an extraordinary session to ram it through. The women of Emerge are also marching and rallying in Madison and active across the state working to take back Wisconsin. Emerge is also training the women who will help take back Wisconsin and fix what the Republicans have broken.

Wondering what you can do?

Join us in taking back Wisconsin. There is still time to sponsor our Madison and Milwaukee events and support our work to Take Back Wisconsin.

In July, Emerge will graduate our 2011 Class, which has learned firsthand the importance of democracy and the need for more Democratic women in office. In July, we will also be accepting applications for our 2012 class, which we have moved up from January 2012 to September 2011 so we can train those women who want to be part of taking back Wisconsin next fall.

Join us in Madison or Milwaukee or both to help Emerge take back our state!

Madison Event:
Tuesday, June 21, 5:30 - 7 PM
Argus Bar and Grill, 123 East Main Street
To Sponsor or RSVP, Click Here

Milwaukee Event
Thursday, June 23, 5:30 - 7 PM
BYO Studio, 2246 S. Kinnickinnic Ave
To Sponsor or RSVP, Click Here

Please join us and fight back against Walker by joining us as we work to Take Back Wisconsin!

In Solidarity,

Wendy Strout
Executive Director

Show up and learn about the exciting things they are doing. And you'll never know who else might show up.

And when you go, tell Wendy that I sent you.

The Emerge(ing) Force - Taking Back Wisconsin

From my good friend, Wendy Strout, executive director of Emerge Wisconsin, with some exciting opportunities for our future women leaders:

There Is Change In The Air
Emerge is ready to take back Wisconsin! Are you?
In July, Emerge will both graduate our fifth class of future Democratic leaders while at the same time accepting applications for our 2012 class! These women are part of the change that is coming to bring our state back from the destruction that is the Walker administration.
To welcome in the change that is coming, Emerge invites you to join us in Madison or Milwaukee to help us to Take Back Wisconsin.

Please join us:

Madison Event:
Tuesday, June 21, 5:30 - 7 PM
Argus Bar and Grill, 123 East Main Street
To Sponsor or RSVP, Click Here

Milwaukee Event
Thursday, June 23, 5:30 - 7 PM
BYO Studio, 2246 S. Kinnickinnic Ave
To Sponsor or RSVP, Click Here


Please join us and fight back against Walker by joining us as we work to Take Back Wisconsin!

Sincerely,

Wendy Strout
Executive Director

Drinking Liberally: Rock Star Edition

This coming Monday, May 16, will be the next rendition of Drinking Liberally, with a cast of thousands, including some real rock stars!

First, there is the host, Zach of Blogging Blue fame, the man who broke teh Internets as he broke the story of Randy Randy "Bed" Hopper.

Then the night will be filled with two rocking guests.

One is the famous Chris Larson, State Senator and member of the Fab 14.

Also on hand that day will be Wendy Strout, Executive Director of Emerge Wisconsin and a rock star in her own right.

Drinking Liberally's new home is Transfer Pizzaria & Cafe, located at 101 W. Mitchell Street.

The festivities start at 7 pm.

Can't say that I'll be there as I don't even know if I'll be in town, but do go and enjoy yourselves.

Emerge Stepping Up Programming To Help Women With Political Aspirations

From an old friend, Wendy Strout, who is now the executive director for Emerge Wisconsin, and who is up to great things:

Emerge Wisconsin Moves Program to Address 2012 Election Needs

Madison – In direct response to the ongoing divisive overreach of Scott Walker and his Republican rubber-stamp Legislature, the Emerge Wisconsin training program for women Democratic candidates has been fast-tracked and moved up from 2012 to September 2011.

The program, which has graduated such figures as Oshkosh Deputy Mayor Jessica King, who is running against recalled Senator Randy Hopper, gives women the tools, the networks and the confidence to compete in local and state elections.

Moving up the program to 2011, will allow Emerge graduates extra time to construct the foundation for winning campaigns.

“We want to capture the enthusiasm of women motivated to run for office by the shameful policies of the Scott Walker administration. We want to make sure that those women not only have the training, but also the time to be successful when they run against the Republicans in their district.” Emerge Wisconsin Chair Sharon Corrigan said Monday.

The recall movement was only the start. Emerge Wisconsin has the opportunity to build on the momentum that’s out there to stand up to Scott Walker and translate it into electoral success for a strong bench of Democratic women. The program, designed to train women candidates at all levels, will also continue to recruit and train women for this upcoming 2012 class that are planning to run for local office in 2013 and 2014.

The new schedule for the 2012 class is:

July 1 – July 29:                       Applications accepted for 2012 program
August 2011:                           Interviews/acceptance of 2012 class members
Sept. 2011 – March 2012:       Emerge WI’s 2012 Program

Launched in 2007, Emerge is the only organization in Wisconsin that provides Democratic women with the comprehensive training they need to achieve their political aspirations. Emerge Wisconsin is part of Emerge America, a national movement and premier training program that addresses the under-representation of women in office at the local, state, and federal level. There are Emerge affiliates in nine states: Arizona, California, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Emerge was founded to create a legion of Democratic women leaders for generations to come.