by Christine Lidbury, Executive Director, Wisconsin Women's Council

July 2021 marks the 100th Anniversary of women in Wisconsin gaining the right to hold public office. The provision came fifth in a list of “rights and privileges” extended to women in the landmark 1921 Wisconsin Equal Rights Act, with the preamble, “[t]o remove discriminations against women and give them equal rights before the law.” The first state to ratify the 19th Amendment, a year later, Wisconsin was again recognized nationally for passing the first equal rights bill in any U.S. state.

In 1923, a UW-Extension survey of Wisconsin cities and villages identified Wisconsin’s first “Lady Mayor” (Crandon), county board supervisor (Brown County), alderwomen (Clintonville, Janesville, Marshfield, Mellon, Phillips, Platteville, Waukesha, Wausau), more than a dozen village trustees and nearly three dozen municipal clerks and treasurers. In 1924, the first women were elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature as “Assemblymen.” It wasn’t until 1975 that a woman was elected to the State Senate.

That was then, where are we a century later? Women’s representation in public office still lags. Often significantly. The influx of women into elected office began in numbers in the late 1970s, making slow progress to the current day. Today, women in elected office in state and local government still account for less than a 25% of office holders and only about 12% of leadership positions.

Marking this Centennial, women sworn into the 2021 State Legislature exceed 30% of all Legislators for the first time and passed the previous record of 29% set more than three decades ago, in 1989, and again in 1993 and 2003. In fact, the share of women in the State Legislature had hovered around 25% for more than 30 years. “First” for women holding office in Wisconsin state and federal elected offices gained momentum starting in the 1970s and continue today – with some yet to come.
See a timeline here. 

In a new report from the Wisconsin Women’s Council, more than 3,000 women serve in elected office across state and local governments in Wisconsin. Today, women’s representation in elected office includes, 25 mayors (14%), 41 state legislators (31%), and about 250 county board, 400 city council and 650 village board members. Women represent most of the state’s elected and appointed local government clerks  and treasurers.

The 1921 Equal Rights Act did not live up to the hopes of reformers, having included loopholes that quickly undermined reforms. Nonetheless, on the heels of suffrage, it presaged a modern era for American women and set Wisconsin women on a new path as government leaders.

Women’s place in public office in this next century starts today. What happens with that is up to us.

Hello TEMPO Madison Sisters,

It is with great honor that I step in this month to serve as your 2021-2022 TEMPO Madison President. As I write this, my inaugural message, on June 27th 2021, I am reflecting on this past year with the hardships and tragedies we have endured, from the pandemic to social injustice. However, I feel that there is a sense of hope and an opening for healing emerging. While we are just days from celebrating another year of our country’s independence on the Fourth of July, I am proud of the fact that our nation has finally recognized Juneteenth as a national holiday. It may seem like a small step toward facing our nation’s toll of slavery and a too long legacy of systemic racism and social injustice, it is thus, a step forward. This is a moment where we can recommit ourselves to working toward diversity, equity and inclusion.

To that charge, our newly formed TEMPO Madison DEI Committee will soon be meeting to develop a vision, goals and objectives and to hold our organization accountable to meet the commitments we created in our Diversity Equity and Inclusion Statement.

I am so excited for and hope you can join us on July 13th when we will feature a moderated panel on the four sororities that are members of the Divine Nine Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). We’ll learn more about the rich history and impact of these strong, female-led organizations. It’s going to be yet another opportunity for TEMPO Madison Members to learn from leading women and to connect and engage.

One final note, we will be kicking off our 40th Anniversary year-long celebration this fall with a not-to-be missed event on October 27th at the Edgewater Hotel. Look for more updates on this and all of our exciting 40th Anniversary plans soon!

Warmest Regards,

Elaine Rich

President, TEMPO Madison

At the 2021 TEMPO Madison Annual Meeting, the membership took action to modify the bylaws to incorporate our new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement and to make minor changes to the terminology used within the bylaws. 

The TEMPO Madison Board discovered that the correct version of the proposed revisions was included in the Annual Meeting booklet, while an incorrect version was displayed on your screens. 

We apologize for the error.  For purposes of your files, the following revisions to the bylaws will be recorded as adopted during the 2021 TEMPO Madison Annual Meeting:

Corrected Version

Patti Coan, Yoga Instructor and Coach, Samapatti Yoga

The world is reopening, and it's time for us to blossom! After 30 years of informal coaching, Patti Coan took the leap during lockdown to earn a Brain-based Coaching Certificate from the Neuroleadership Institute. The next step is to earn the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Credential. One hundred hours of high-impact coaching are required to achieve this gold standard in coaching.

Join Patti during her ICF credentialing period for either virtual or in-person coaching at an introductory rate for a robust 12 session program over 12 weeks. Coaching conversations offer a safe space to explore challenges and opportunities, experiment with fresh approaches, and build sustainable, new habits. Possibilities include: Yoga; Career; Work/Life Balance. Partner with Patti to go beneath the surface to increase self-awareness, translate knowledge into action and achieve lasting change. Please reach out to Patti @ 608-345-3311 or samapattiyoga@gmail.com to schedule a 30 min. overview call to discuss your vision. The Life of Your Dreams awaits!

Sharyl Kato, Director and Child and Family Therapist, The Rainbow Project

The Rainbow Project recently finished up its month-long recognition of April, which is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. They held their Annual Stakeholder Forum and - for the first time - a Learning Series with guest speakers to bring attention to child abuse and prevention. All of the April events are now available for anyone to view on the Rainbow Project website!

The Rainbow Project is also currently planning their 17th Annual Rhumba 4 Rainbow! This year, they will be holding a live in-person and virtually-streamable Rhumba at Union South on Friday, September 17th. Tickets will go on sale soon, and the Rainbow Project will be adhering to public safety measures, including attendee numbers. Please put this date on your calendars and think about attending - whether virtually or in-person!

Darcy Luoma, CEO, Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting

Darcy Luoma's book, Thoughtfully Fit: Your Training Plan for Life & Business Success hit #1 New Release in Work Life Balance in Business. It is being published on June 1 by Harper Horizon. Learn more.

Renee More, President and CEO, United Way of Dane County

United Way of Dane County announced its intention to reduce racial health disparities across the community in partnership with nonprofits, healthcare and philanthropy.

After a year of research, engagement and prioritization by the Health Community Solutions Team (CST), United Way's Board approved the plan in late April. Donors can give to any 501c3 through the United Way Community Campaign; with unrestricted donations, United Way CST volunteers can target resources toward the greatest need, highest impact strategies to move the needle on community-level priorities. Community-level plans include goals and metrics and exist for all greatest need focus areas: Education, Income, Health and 2Gen (working with children and caregivers in the same family at the same time). United Way's mission is to unite the community to create measurable results and change lives. Read Story

Marilyn Ruffin, VP Family & Community Initiatives, One City Schools

Marilyn Ruffin was interviewed by the Wisconsin State Journal about the Black Excellence Achievement Makers (BEAM) Awards, which she founded when she was serving on the Sun Prairie School Board.

“We often hear about negative behaviors or attitudes being assigned to our Black scholars in Sun Prairie, so the effort of this event is to challenge the narrative by ‘shining a beaming light’ on the positive examples of Black excellence and achievement in our community,” Ruffin said. She was the first Black person elected to any office in Sun Prairie when she joined the school board in 2015; she served until last month. Read the article here.

Sheryl Spitzer-Resnick, MD/owner, A New Way Forward. Womens Health and Integrative Healing

Sheryl Spitzer-Resnick was one of a few physicians interviewed in an article by Harvard Medicine on the need for research on peri menopause and menopause and the impact on women personally and professionally. Read the article here.

Tracy L. Williams, Senior Director of External Relations, University of Wisconsin-Madison

As a lifetime learner, Tracy L. Williams has completed requirements of The Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development’s Transition to Executive Management certificate program. The program is for senior managers, directors, and functional area leaders who have high potential to transition to executive management. It’s also valuable for senior leaders or entrepreneurs of companies with growth potential.

In the past year, issues of racism and social injustice are finally receiving the kind of focus and attention necessary to move the collective conversation toward actionable solutions. We are noticing a greater spotlight on educating about and advocating for justice. There is stronger representation in public and government sectors serving as allies than ever before, and more intentional efforts incorporating social responsibility to the core organizational missions. For many, this has been a year of tragedies and challenges that impacted us in one form or another. We have learned that we are stronger when we work together to be that catalyst of change.

I am proud of the TEMPO Madison Board of Directors’ commitment to strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the organization. Progress to date include educating on DEI through monthly luncheons and the leadership series. In addition, our February networking event to see Forward Theatre’s THE NICETIES, included a post-show discussion, which offered a safe space for members to share their personal experiences and perspectives on racial discrimination. The NICETIES play, showcasing a debate between a Black college student and a white professor on the topics of race, history, and power in America, served as a catalyst for critical conversations, which are continuing among our members.

Looking forward, TEMPO Madison has developed the following DEI statement to reflect our commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone.

TEMPO Madison DEI Statement

TEMPO Madison is committed to embodying diversity, equity, and inclusion as an organization representing members from different backgrounds, businesses, industries, and professions. We live these values by embracing and celebrating individuals and ideas that represent and reflect all dimensions of diversity including race, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, sexual orientation, gender non-conforming traits, religion, military membership, veteran status, and ability. We respect and value diverse experiences and will strive to ensure that all voices are heard and given equal value. In addition to committing to these values within TEMPO Madison, we promote them outside the organization into the broader Madison community.

TEMPO Madison Board of Directors will exemplify and provide leadership on diversity, equity, and inclusion by committing to the following:

· Examine and address inequities within our policies, programs, and services and ensure transparency by communicating to appropriate constituents.

· Expand and commit to greater diversity within the Board of Directors, membership, as well as our partners and vendors.

· Develop and offer DEI professional development opportunities for the Board of Directors, especially those newly appointed in board leadership roles, members, and guests.

· Identify and advocate resources and programs for underrepresented members to ensure an equitable, inclusive, and rewarding experience.

Our DEI efforts do not stop with a statement. The next step is forming a DEI Committee with members that represent our growing diverse membership and who have expressed interest in strengthening the organizational efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion of TEMPO Madison. The DEI Committee will work closely with the Board of Directors to develop a vision, goals, and objectives, and to hold our organization accountable to meet the commitments set forth in the DEI Statement in all aspects (e.g., membership, speakers, events, vendors, partners, etc.). If you are interested in joining the DEI Committee, please email Erin Fabrizius at tempomadison@tempomadison.org by May 31, 2021.

As we proudly embrace our differences, it is our hope you will join us during the month of May in celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. To discover more about this amazing journey, check out: https://www.etonline.com/asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month-how-it-started-and-how-to-celebrate-164426

Respectfully,

Leslie M. Petty

President, TEMPO Madison

At the June Annual meeting, the Board of Directors will ask the membership to vote on updates and one addition to the TEMPO Madison bylaws. It has been 10 years since the bylaws were voted on by the membership, and after a committee of board members reviewed the bylaws the board of directors approved the updates and additions for membership vote. 

2021 Proposed Bylaws 

Proposed Updates and Additions

Internships: EmployAbility ProjectThe EmployAbility Project

(501c3) connects college students with disabilities to internships in the field of their choice. The internships are part of their program so there is no cost to the employer, although some do choose to provide an hourly wage. The internships are generally 15 to 20 hours per week for 6 to 8 weeks beginning at the end of May when classes are over for the summer.
 
Our goal is to make the first job experience a great one although we do teach that it is equally important to learn that maybe their field of choice is not what they thought it was after all. We have worked with clients to place interns working in data, policy analysis, science & technology and just about everything in between. 
 
If you have questions about working with an intern or are interested in joining our business advisory, please contact me: BJ Pfeiffer at  608 698 3700 or bjpfeiffer@estgi.com

TEMPO Madison members are like diamonds… strong, rare, beautiful, and valuable. By definition, TEMPO Madison members have achieved an extraordinary level of success in our professional lives because of our hard work and perseverance, but also because of the support, encouragement, and guidance of other women.

We invite TEMPO Madison members to join us in a celebration of those very special women who have made an impact in our lives; who have shared their wisdom and more.  For $150, your personal message of inspiration/gratitude will appear in our Annual Meeting Booklet.  We hope that your commemorative message of 30 words or less will inspire touching memories and rich conversation.

To participate in the Diamond Tributes, please send your message to Megan Purtell at mmpurtell@gmail.com by May 17, 2021. Upon receipt, Erin Fabrizius will send you an invoice for your tribute.

Save the Date! |TEMPO Madison’s 40th Anniversary Kick-Off Event

Wednesday, October 27, 2021 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Edgewater Hotel

It’s not just any party. Come together with fellow executive women leaders with diverse backgrounds and experiences to celebrate the brainchild of three women, conceived 40 years ago: the founding of TEMPO Madison! 

October 27, 2021 will be the kick-off event for a year-long celebration honoring TEMPO Madison's role in breaking down the barriers preventing the integration of women executives into the fiber of Madison. This will be the first in a series of events that will look to TEMPO Madison's future, inspiring members to continue to lead, connect, and engage with one another and to reinforce opportunities for women.

Your 40^th Anniversary Committee is planning these in-person and hybrid events throughout 2021-2022 to build momentum for a community-wide, gala celebration in October, 2022. The keynote speaker wish list is already long and impressive, reminding us how far women have come in the last 40 years.

Mark your calendars for October 27, starting at 5:30 (location and details to be revealed closer to the date). Get ready to enjoy TEMPO Madison's 40^th anniversary year!