ADVANCE: Montgomery Women's Leadership Digest

November 2023

A Message from Leadership

Fall-back to November!

My message this month is on the longer side with the following key items to share:

RSVPs: Expecting to see you
Holiday celebration
Only through our volunteers can we thrive
Where does the money go? Memberships, scholarships, and sponsorships

Here goes!

RSVPs: Expecting to See You

Montgomery Women had a fabulous Fall Kickoff event on October 15th at a great venue: Main Street Connect in Rockville. For those who RSVP'd "yes" yet did not attend, you were certainly missed. We know that “stuff happens” last minute; yet, please note that for special events like these, we plan our catering, venue, and expenses based on our RSVP count. We look forward to seeing you next at our holiday party (see below).

Holiday Celebration

Give or take a month! Our Special Events team, already over-committed themselves, realized that most of us have way too many commitments in December. So, we’re going to party like it’s 2023 … in January 2024, a celebration withdrawal month! Stay tuned to your member emails for how we’ll bring in the new year together.

Montgomery Women: Only Through Our Volunteers Can We Thrive

You’ve got skills, interests, and connections. We’ve got committees, special requests, and one-time opportunities. Let’s find matches to keep our organization meeting your needs, staying relevant, and thriving! Check out ways you can get involved. If you have interests in marketing, social media, money management, fundraising, planning events, member recruitment, website management, or so much more, we welcome you letting us know. If your interest lies in leadership and someday serving on our Board, volunteering to help and does lead to being asked to lead. Just saying!

Where Does the Money Go?

I’ve fielded several inquiries lately as to where money goes when given to Montgomery Women. While a more thorough explanation is here, I've attempted to clarify with an image. (Images help me get clarity.)

Pictured above are three buckets illustrating three specific “asks”:

(1) We support Montgomery College with an annual scholarship donation. We do not designate the specific amount to donate; it’s what we – and you – are most comfortable giving. Our Board is committed to 100% participation by year end. I consider this a “final mile” scholarship where our funds cover not the cost to attend, but rather the make-or-break expenses that challenge a student’s ability to complete their college experience.

(2) Your membership dues go to a bucket that supports the organization’s operational costs as well as some basic programming expenses.

(3) Finally, you can go above and beyond your membership dues and contribute to the organization to sponsor a program, a special event, a new (or student) member, an area of our website, or so much more. We are currently updating our sponsorship listing to be more specific and will have it at our website by year’s end. We’re a 501c3 organization so there are tax benefits to your donations and RMD gifts.

Whew! After all that, there’s nothing left to do other than to wish you a wonderful November and a happy Thanksgiving. (Were those Valentine’s Day cards I saw at the card store already?)

Until next time,

Sylvia Henderson

President, Montgomery Women

Member Spotlights

Valari Jackson

Founder & CEO,

Fierce Focus Strategies

Valari is a speaker, life coach, business strategy advisor, and the founder of Fierce Focus Strategies, a company that provides professional coaching to business owners as well as individuals who are looking to take control of their life and move forward from where they are. Valari is also a Myers-Briggs Certified Practitioner, and she works with large organizations in improving communication, collaboration, and understanding. During one-on-one coaching sessions, she digs deep into her client’s persona and provides individualized ways to help them.

Beth Shuman

Chief of Staff, Office of Councilmember Gabe Albornoz

Beth currently serves as Chief of Staff to Montgomery County Councilmember At-Large, Gabe Albornoz. Listening to the needs of diverse communities and an array of stakeholders, while building trusted relationships through extensive civic engagement has always been critical in her work. As a licensed clinical social worker, Beth has led multi-disciplinary, systemic responses related to behavioral health, substance abuse, criminal justice, education, and human service needs of our most vulnerable youth, adults, families, and communities.

Quick Tips

For the Everyday Leader

This year’s Nobel Prize Laureate in the Economic Sciences, Claudia Goldin, provided the first comprehensive account of women’s earnings and labor market participation through the centuries. Her research reveals the causes of change, as well as the main sources of the remaining gender gap. Historically, much of the gender gap in earnings could be explained by differences in education and occupational choices. However, Goldin has shown that the bulk of this earnings difference is now between men and women in the same occupation, and that it largely arises with the birth of the first child.

Supporting working mothers is a critical component of leadership in a modern workplace. Leaders can foster a supportive environment by implementing flexible work arrangements, such as allowing for varied work hours, remote work options, and job-sharing programs. Equally important is ensuring that the organization has a fair and inclusive parental leave policy, with provisions for a phased return to work, which can ease the transition for mothers coming back after maternity leave.

Moreover, it's important for leaders to promote and facilitate career development opportunities for working mothers, ensuring they are not overlooked for promotions or challenging projects due to biases like the "maternal wall." Cultivating an inclusive culture is key, one that respects and values family commitments, backed by management and staff trained to support the needs of working parents.

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Key Updates

Share Your Gifts with Young Leaders

On November 16th, the Montgomery County Commission for Women and Montgomery Women will host a free virtual career guidance session for middle and high school female students titled, “A Virtual Career Exploration for Her." We are currently looking for women in non-traditional careers and entrepreneurs to serve as panelists for this event. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Montgomery Women Vice President Ijeoma Enendu by November 8th.

Launching Future Leaders

Montgomery Women's Board wishes to recognize and thank Carol Trawick for her generous contribution to the 2023 Montgomery College scholarship fund. Carol has been a significant contributor throughout many years creating a positive impact towards launching women as emerging leaders in their new life chapters.

Since 2008, Montgomery Women members have contributed more than $100,000 to help 85 women complete their education through scholarships and other financial support. This is the first step in helping women launch their careers and advance as leaders, Montgomery Women’s mission.

Join us in donating to the Montgomery Women Scholarship and help a woman unlock her potential. A gift of any amount makes a difference. Learn more about donating on our website.