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Friends,
Happy Spring to everyone. With days getting warmer and brighter, an increased opening of activities in the community, and the availability of the vaccine, there are certainly reasons to be even more hopeful for the coming months. The founder of our Center, Dr. Hugo Wall, once said: "Public administrators appear to be blessed with an unquenchable spirit of optimism and an unbounded confidence in the future." This past year we have witnessed first-hand the unwavering dedication of public servants and their tenacity to tackle challenging issues with incredible care for the future of our communities. As spring reminds us of things coming anew, may we continue that commitment to working together to this next phase in the journey of recovery.
On a different note, please participate or share the Women in Public Service Workplace Sexual Harassment Survey. Important public conversations about workplace sexual harassment have been taking place nationally and locally, and Women in Public Service wants to know how the issue affects our local public service organizations. See more information below. I wish you all the best as we head into spring and I definitely hope your March Madness Bracket is looking better than mine. Best Wishes,
Misty Bruckner
Director
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Celebrating Women's History
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The first of many.
Celebrating a Few "Firsts" in Women's History
- Kamala Harris: The first female, first Black and
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First of Many - Women's History Mont
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first South-Asian vice president in U.S. history (2021)
- Kim Ng: The first woman to be a Major League Baseball general manager (2020)
- Aretha Franklin: The "Queen of Soul" is the first women elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987)
- Katharine Graham: The first woman to become a Fortune 500 CEO and led the Washington Company when the Washington Post broke the Watergate scandal (1972)
- Edith Wharton: The first woman to win a Nobel Prize for her novel, The Age of Innocence (1921)
Make it Local: Female "Firsts" in Kansas
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| Lynette Woodard: The first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters (1985) and WNBA plater, is from Wichita.
"If you believe it, you can. Inch by inch, it's a cinch. Winners never quit. Quitters never win." |
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Amelia Earhart: The first women to fly across the Atlantic (1928) was a native of Atchison.
"Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others."
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Check out our ongoing projects!
- Wichita Bar Association | Conducting a strategic plan for the WBA. The team has finished the stakeholder engagement portion of the project and is working on the final steps.
- Sedgwick County HR Study | Compensation study including review of 800 position descriptions providing recommendations on education, wage and grade progression, policy and pay implantation development.
- Lawrence-Douglas County Emergency Services Agreement | Helped both communities reach a more efficient and equitable service agreement for Fire and EMS services.
- City of Andover Strategic Plan (NEW!) | Assisting leaders in the City of Andover to create strategic priorities for the future.
- Early Literacy | Born out of a Project Wichita initiative, the PPMC and Wesley Hospitals are working to promote reading before Kindergarten. Check out this brochure being distributed next week!
- City of Winfield Training (COMPLETE!) | Conducted a supervisory training exercise with the City of Winfield to continue employees' professional development.
- Kansas Caregivers Support Network Conference (COMPLETE!) | Recently completed the first annual conference for the organization!
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Thanks for Joining Us!
CCMFOA 71st Annual Conference
We had a great time at the CCMFOA 71st annual conference, Together Toward Tomorrow. The conference was attended by 115 finance officers from across the state. The farthest virtual "traveler" was from Kanarado!
The virtual conference was held March 17-19 and featured keynote speaker Pete Blank, CSP. In 55 Ways to Add Disney Magic to your Organization, former Disney University Leader Pete Blank shared how to add Disney Magic to your organization.
"The Executive Board was hesitant to go virtual this year, but the Morgan Barnes and her PPMC team did a great job of making sure our event was engaging and educational. Not worrying about the behind-the-scenes logistics made our full-time jobs easier and provided an excellent service to our members. We are looking forward to working with the PPMC and looking for new and innovative ways to serve our members."
- Celyn Hurtado, CCFMOA President
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Join Us for the Virtual WPS Luncheon
Featuring Adrienne Byrne!
As the Sedgwick County Health Department Director, Byrne will discuss COVID-19 Leadership Lessons Learned: Leading in turmoil and uncertainty during a time of crisis in our community, hear from Adrienne Byrne as she shares leadership lessons learned, remembered and reinforced. Along with some bright spots along the way.
Join us Thursday, April 22 from Noon to 1pm. A zoom link will be emailed out the morning of the event.
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WPS Workplace Sexual Harassment Survey
How well does your company handle sexual harassment?
How problematic is harassment in your workplace?
Important public conversations about workplace sexual harassment have been taking place nationally and locally, and Women in Public Service wants to know how the issue affects our local public service organizations.
The survey is anonymous and confidential.
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Does your community or organization need a strategic plan?
The PPMC conducts strategic plans for a range of organizations from small departments to entire metropolitan areas. These plans help set the future direction of the organization and help create focus in the right areas. Interested? Email us to learn more!
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The 22nd Annual Kansas Government Finance Officers Association (KSGFOA) Public Finance Conference will take place Oct. 6- 8, 2021 at the Embassy Suites in Olathe, KS. Stay tuned for more information!
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March PPMC Chats: Negotiating Chaos
Thanks for joining us on Thursday the 18th to hear from Dan Oblinger, Hostage Negotiator, Speaker and Author. Oblinger dove into the risky nature of chaos, confusion, and crisis all around us!
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Check out the Latest PPMC Blog!
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Negotiating Chaos:
for Fun and Profit
By Guest Blogger Dan Oblinger
Chaos is my friend. As a hostage and crisis negotiator for well over the last decade, I have come to realize that what constitutes a night's work for me and my team would be considered a monumentally chaotic experience for most people ... Read More
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Update
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We Remain Committed.
The PPMC has given thought to how or what we can do to be part of the solution of change for equity and inclusion. We ask ourselves, "What is our role in helping organizations and communities address systemic racism, exclusion and inequity? How do we help move beyond words of outrage to actions of impact?" The short answer is we are not sure AND we are committed to figuring it out.
This month we spent time reflecting and discussing:
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Hattie McDaniel: American Icon
On the heels of Black History Month and during Women's History Month, our discussion highlighted an important Black woman. This month includes resources about Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to receive an Academy Award and a Wichitan.
Read:
KMUW Article
Smithsonian Article
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Sample Discussion Questions:
- Though McDaniel's roles have sparked controversy, do you think it's important we recognize them? Why?
- Why does representation matter? What value does it have?
- What kind of progress needed to be made at the time of McDaniel's career? What kind of progress still needs to be made now?
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Resources & Information Links
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Organizational Resources on Racism & Inclusion
Involving Children in Equality Discussions
COVID-19 Resources
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