ADVANCE: Montgomery Women's Leadership Digest

March 2024

A Message from Leadership

Welcome to March!

March is a month of celebration for women as it brings us International Women's Day on March 8th and Women's History Month. As an organization dedicated to the advancement of Montgomery County women who aspire to leadership positions in political, business, non-profit, educational, civic and governmental sectors, this is a month to focus on forging networks with other like-minded women and recognizing the women leaders making contributions and a difference to our community.

Women continue to make great strides in the professional arena. Today, you can find many of us in industries and leadership positions we were once presumed not qualified for. I don't take our progress for granted; nor will I become complacent. There is still work to be done. Many women still face discrimination in the workplace, and we are still demanding equal pay. However, there is something very important that we cannot forget to do: we must continue to mentor and encourage the young women and girls in our community that are charting a path for themselves.

This month, Montgomery Women along with the Montgomery County Commission for Women will host our third Virtual Career Exploration for Her on March 21st at 7:00 PM on Zoom. This event allows high school (and college) students to meet professional women in non-traditional careers who will share information about their professional and educational background. These professional women will provide real world insights into their careers. We invite you to be a part of this event. More information about the event and how to register can be found on our website.

I am excited to celebrate the accomplishments women have made not just to our community, but to history.

Here's to many more accomplishments in the year ahead!

Ijeoma Enendu

Vice President, Montgomery Women

Member Spotlights

Natali Fani-González

Councilmember - District 6, Montgomery County Council

Natali is a member of the Montgomery County Council representing District 6 and serves as the Chair of the Economic Development Committee. Until August of 2021, Natali was the Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board, where she was a key player in supporting the growth of the county’s life sciences sector through master plans in the Great Seneca Science Corridor, White Flint, and Bethesda. With a particular focus on addressing the needs of small, local, and immigrant-owned businesses, she also helped steer the County Growth and Infrastructure Policy, Veirs Mills Corridor Master Plan, Montgomery Hills/Forest Glen Sector Plan, the MARC Rail Community Sector Plan, and the Bicycle Master Plan, among many others. Prior to her service on the Planning Board and starting her own business, Natali worked for the regional immigrant group CASA, where she successfully fought for the Maryland DREAM Act, banking services for the unbanked, and other local and state policies to uplift low-income communities.

Deborah Peeples

Chief Development & External Affairs Officer, JSSA

Deborah is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and the Chief Development & External Affairs Officer for JSSA, a health and social wellness agency that supports individuals and families in Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC. At JSSA, Deborah leads a dynamic team of professionals in the development, communications and marketing department. Her role is to ensure that JSSA has the resources required to keep its life-enhancing services and programs affordable and accessible. Prior to JSSA, Deborah held executive leadership fundraising positions at the Humane Society of the United States, WETA-TV/FM, and Capital Hospice (Capital Health). She also served as the Executive Director of IONA Senior Services. As a senior consultant, Deborah has helped dozens of national, regional, and local nonprofit organizations with capital campaigns, development assessments, annual fund planning, and board development. In 2008, Deborah was named Outstanding Fund Raising Professional by the Washington DC Chapter of AFP.

Quick Tips

For the Everyday Leader

The timeless adage "if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together" underscores the transformative power of solidarity and the spirit of collective progress. When it comes to women championing women, a recent Lean In article outlined six simple ways women can support, celebrate, and advocate for their female colleagues:

1) Make sure women's ideas are heard and that they get credit for those ideas.

2) Challenge the 'likeability penalty' that often creates double standards for women.

3) Look for opportunities to celebrate women's accomplishments.

4) Encourage women to 'go for it' and offer reminders of their capabilities.

5) Give women direct feedback and input that helps them learn and grow.

6) Mentor and sponsor other women.

For more details about each of these areas and to read the full article, click here.

Have a leadership tip or resource you want to share? Click below.

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Key Updates

Empower Our Next Generation of Leaders

As County Executive Marc Elrich highlighted in a recent press release, "Women in Maryland earn about 87 percent of what men earn. In order to create more gender pay equity in the future, it is important that we provide career mentorship opportunities to young women in middle and high school now." This is one of the main goals of our upcoming Virtual Exploration for Her event. Whether or not you are a Montgomery Women member, if you are interested in participating as a speaker to share your knowledge and experience with young women in our county, please send an email to programs@montgomerywomen.org.

Membership Renewals

Each member of Montgomery Women will receive email reminders to renew their membership prior to the one year anniversary date of their current membership period. If your membership expires, you will receive an email informing you of this status and instructions for reinstating your membership. Keep an eye on your inbox for these important emails or simply renew on our website at any time. If you have questions, please email membership@montgomerywomen.org.