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2008 NEW Leadership™ Wisconsin

June 4 – 10, 2008

To the proud applause of family, friends, and staff, 20 remarkable women proceeded to the front of Helfaer Hall to receive diplomas commemorating their graduation from the 2008 NEW Leadership™ Wisconsin program.

The third year of this week-long, residential program, which ran from June 4–10, gathered statewide talent to the Mount Mary College campus. The driven women represented a variety of ages, ethnicities, and demographics, tapping into different regions of Wisconsin, many private colleges, and University of Wisconsin campuses for their emerging leaders.

“The NEW Leadership™ program aims to interest women in exploring public policy and public service, including running for elected office,” said Yvonne Lumsden-Dill, director of Mount Mary College Women’s Leadership Institute. The attendees participated in several workshops, panel discussions, and field trips in order to learn more about the local community and politics as well as to hone their leadership and communication skills.

More than 50 visiting speakers shared their leadership involvement at various levels. Political campaign strategist and activist, Deborah Lukovich, advocated for women to run for political office. Faculty from Mount Mary College, representatives from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and leaders from Milwaukee’s businesses and non-profit communities conducted workshops on health disparities, advocacy and activism, diversity and leadership, constructive conflict, public speaking, and crafting media messages. The week’s offerings culminated in a five-person political forum, which featured women office holders from various levels of government, including State Senator Lena Taylor, City of Milwaukee Alderwoman Milele Coggs, and keynote speaker, Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton.

While on-campus activities exposed the 2008 graduates to real-life accounts of today’s leaders, the women saw the raw workings of political action and social justice initiatives through downtown fieldtrips to Milwaukee’s City Hall and social service agencies such as Health Care for the Homeless and the Bread of Healing Free Clinic.

Armed with ideas, inspiration, and the leadership development tools provided by the NEW Leadership™ program, these women also found reinforcement through the newfound camaraderie of mentoring speakers and fellow participants. These women motivated each other, teaching, sharing, and debating ideas.

The graduates departed the graduation ceremony, separate, but inspired. The fervor of this year’s group has remained alive in vibrant post-program feedback via ongoing service learning placements, Facebook contacts, use of the Educator program, a flurry of emails, and newly-implemented, monthly online lessons from Dr. Krista Moore, sociology professor.

Every woman has the seeds of leadership within her – the NEW Leadership™ program cultivates the potential inside each individual. With the support of Wisconsin’s women leaders, NEW Leadership™ has again nurtured another blossoming crop of future leaders.

Read more on NEW Leadership™.

2008 June NEW Leadership^TM Graduates and Staff