The 19th biennial convention, hosted by the California Caucus, is at the Radisson Newport Beach Resort Friday through Sunday, Aug. 7 through Aug. 9.
Lake County attendees are Luisa Acosta, local NWPC president, and Teresa Thurman, communications vice president, both of Lakeport; and Wanda Harris, membership vice president, and Susanne La Faver, Northern California national representative, both of Hidden Valley Lake.
La Faver will introduce speakers for “Women Elect – Filling the Pipeline,” one of six breakout sessions Saturday, Aug. 8. Panelists are NWPC member Jane Hasler Henick, Assemblywoman Lori Saldana and West Hollywood Mayor Abbe Land.
Jane Hasler Henick is the moderator and panelist. A former NWPC-California president and board member, Henick chaired the committee that created the Women Elect Project document, a model for local chapters to use to put more women into office.
Lori Saldana, now in her third term in the California Legislature, serves as Speaker pro Tempore in the State Assembly. She also serves on the Veterans Affairs, Election and Redistricting, Revenue and Taxation, and Housing and Community Development committees.
Abbe Land serves as West Hollywood City council member and now mayor. Long a champion of affordable housing, Land helped create the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to build and rehabilitate affordable housing for seniors, families and people living with disabilities.
Other breakout sessions Saturday are Healthcare Reform, Fair Pay, Reproductive Health Accessibility and Affordability, Money Management for Women, and Small Group Conversations with Women Leaders.
A panel discussion on the Title IX Education Amendments of 1972 is Saturday morning, August 8. It will be moderated by Karen Humphrey, executive director of California Postsecondary Education Commission. Panelists include Diane Milutinovich, director of Fresno University Student Union, who filed and won a Title IX lawsuit against Fresno State, and Margie Wright, National Collegiate Athletic Association division 1 softball coach, who recently won a Title IX discrimination suit against Fresno State, and State Senator Dean Florez who is crafting legislation to counteract Title IX discrimination.
The Saturday evening gala, Aug. 8, features California State Controller John Chiang, who will receive the “Good Guy” award and be a keynote speaker. Controller Chiang has long championed financial literacy and is using his position to empower working families.
Elected and community leaders participating in the convention include CA Assembly Speaker Karen Bass; CA Board of Equalization Chair Betty Yee; CA Senators Gloria Romero and Dean Florez; CA Assemblywomen Julia Brownley, Joan Buchanan, Fiona Ma, and Lori Saldana; CA Postsecondary Education Commission Executive Director Karen Humphrey; city council members Lindsey Horvath of West Hollywood and Jacque Robinson of Pasadena; West Hollywood Mayor Abbe Land; former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill; Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel; MomsRising.org Co-Founder and Executive Director Kristin Rowe Finkbeiner; NARAL Board Member Vivian Shimoyama; Ameriprise Senior Financial Advisor Shannon Ryan; CA Nurses Association Co-President Geri Jenkins, RN; Paramount Studios Vice President Chris Essel; Planned Parenthood Central Valley Public Affairs Director Patsy Montgomery; Planned Parenthood Los Angeles County member Serena Josel; Fresno University Student Union Director Diane Milutinovich; National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 Softball Coach Margie Wright; NWPC President Lulu Flores; NWPC First Vice President and Vice President of Development Linda Young; NWPC CA President Teray Stephens; former NWPC-California President Jane Hasler Henick; and NWPC-CA Finance Chair Debilyn Molineaux.
The National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) is a multi-partisan, multicultural grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women's participation in politics and creating a political power base to achieve equality for all women. Founded in 1971, NWPC prides itself in increasing the number of pro-choice women elected and appointed into office every year.
For more information, see www.nwpcca.org or www.nwpc.org .
