NEW Leadership Nevada - History of the Program

NEW Leadership Nevada was modeled after Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) original NEW Leadership concept, which educates and empowers women to take on public leadership roles. That program was created in 1991 in response to the persistent gender gap in elected officeholders, and provides young women with the leadership skills and training they need to run for office.

According to CAWP, in 2007, women held 87 out of 535 (16.3%) seats in the United States Congress. Historically, since 1789, only 2 percent of the U.S. Congress has been comprised of women (224 of 11,524 total members). In state legislatures women hold 1,735 of 7,382 (23.5%) seats. In Nevada, women legislators hold 19 of 63 (30.1%) seats, which earned the state a ranking of #11 in the nation, falling behind Vermont, New Hampshire, Colorado, Minnesota, Arizona, Hawaii, Washington, Maryland, Oregon, and Delaware. By comparison, the #1-ranked state is Vermont with 37.8%. Nevada ranked #3 among the states in 2006. It is clear from the numbers that, while Nevada remains high for the number of women elected to state legislative office, there is still work to be done in advancing women in this area.

During the 2007 legislature, Nevada made significant strides in the advancement of women in elected office.  The first woman Speaker of the Assembly, Barbara Buckley, was elected and Heidi S. Gansert was elected the Minority Floor Leader. A woman also held the position of Senate Minority Leader, Dina Titus.

In federal office, Nevada has elected 2 Congresswomen, Barbara Vucanovich (1983-1997) and current Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (1999-present) and has elected no women Senators. In statewide executive elective office, as of 2007, only 9 states have women governors; Nevada is one of 29 states that has never elected a woman governor. Nevada had 2 women lieutenant governors, Sue Wagner (1991-1995) and Lorraine Hunt (1998-present). Women in Nevada have held other high-ranking positions, including Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Controller, and State Treasurer. Frankie Sue Del Papa was Nevada's first woman Secretary of State (1987-1991) and, later, Nevada's first Attorney General (1991-2003). Kathy Augustine was the only woman Controller (1999-2006) and Patty Cafferata, the state's only woman Treasurer (1983-1987).  In 2008, 3 women hold positions in the Nevada State Government: State Treasurer Kate Marshall, State Controller Kim Wallin, and Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto.

NEW Leadership Nevada expanded beyond CAWP’s focus on women in politics to include women in leadership positions in professions and community service. The program's workshops and panels promote leadership in an array of fields, including politics, business, law, banking, gaming, community activism, education, and more.

Additionally, NEW Leadership Nevada places an emphasis on the idea that the "personal is political" and encourages emerging leaders to make the connection between the two in their own lives. This is borne out through the creation of community projects and leadership experiences that students choose to create in their communities. NEW Leadership Nevada is committed to decreasing the gender gap in politics and the professional/managerial workforce by connecting students with successful women leaders who can provide the skills and insight necessary for students to take the next step into their professional lives. According to the 2005 Status of Women in Nevada, a report released by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (in partnership with WRIN and the University of Nevada, Reno), Nevada ranks 50th in the nation for the percentage of African- American, Hispanic, and white women who hold professional and managerial positions and 21st for women-owned businesses. The curriculum for the NEW Leadership Nevada summer institute and subsequent leadership development opportunities, such as Grassroots Lobby Days, is designed to address these challenges and to fulfill our mission of "educating and empowering the next generation of Nevada's leaders."

Finally, NEW Leadership Nevada recognizes that there are other successful leadership programs and that many students are already quite accomplished leaders, through experience in high school and/or college. While we welcome the more experienced campus leaders, our program specifically targets those students who may have little or no prior leadership experience. We believe these emerging leaders benefit most from the training they receive at NEW Leadership Nevada where they are able to meet a diverse group of accomplished student leaders and practicing community leaders in a safe, supportive environment.