July 8, 2019

The meeting was called to order by Chair Sales at 7:28 p.m.

Attendance
Commissioners in attendance: Emily McCoy, Lee; Nancy Hopkins, Dranesville; Chair Lisa Sales, Mount Vernon; Sondra Seba Hemenway, At-Large; Jane Materna, Mason; Helen Cole, Hunter Mill; Elise Helgesen Aguilar, Providence; Michelle Russell, Springfield; Vice Chair Barbara Lippa, Sully; Charlie Brown, Braddock; Mattie Palmore, Minority At-Large

Commissioners absent: Kayla Rothstein, Student Representative

Staff in attendance: Toni Zollicoffer, Emily Warner

Visitors: Briana Sewell of the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy; Michelle Mueller, former Liaison for the Commission for Women

The Commission as a whole thanked Michelle Mueller for her seven years of exemplary and tireless service. She was awarded flowers and a beautiful cake, and several Commissioners shared words of appreciation, after which Michelle departed.

Briana Sewell of the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy introduced herself.

June 2019 Minutes
Ms. Materna moved to approve the June 2019 minutes as they stood.  Ms. Russell seconded the motion.  All Commissioners voted in favor, except Ms. Lippa and Ms. Brown, who abstained. 

• Ms. Warner presented a draft of the FY2019 financial report and a doodle of some of the projected and actual expenses of FY2020.
• Commissioners discussed expenses and clarified certain line items.
• Ms. Brown moved to approve the draft FY19 financial report, Ms. Palmore seconded, and the draft was approved unanimously.

• Ms. Sewell showed a twenty-minute clip from the film Zero Weeks.
   
• Ms. Helgesen Aguilar led a discussion on the policy statement previously distributed to the Commissioners.
   
• Ms. Hopkins stated that the next step is to move the packet on to Board of Supervisors legislative staff. Ms. Seba Hemenway made that motion, and Ms. Russell seconded, and then discussion opened on this motion.
   
• Ms. McCoy queried as to the mechanics of the financial structure of the bill suggested. Ms. Sewell stated that the CFW policy statement supports an idea, not specific legislation, although the group she affiliates with does have specific legislation they endorse. Their bill has both the employee and employer contributing money to the Virginia Employment Commission. An employee seeking a payout would apply to the VEC through a specified process. Ms. Cole questioned if the commission’s position was ethereal, and Ms. Sales clarified that the commission would indicate that they would support any bill advocating for paid family and medical leave. They would be asking the BOS to consider paid family and medical leave in their legislative sessions.
   
• Ms. McCoy asked the commission to consider their level of dedication to this issue, and indicated that she would like to be more fully informed on the issue before throwing the weight of the commission behind it. Ms. Materna added that there were several ways as a commission to support this issue, including the following: make a policy recommendation to the BOS, put together a report on PFML for the BOS, and ask to have this issue included under the umbrella of One Fairfax.
   
• Commissioners discussed various methods and timelines for working on the issue of Paid Family and Medical Leave, and how much research and position clarification and maturation would be necessary.
   
• Chair Sales concluded by recommending to Commissioners the following:

1. The CFW puts this policy statement to the legislative committee.
2. Each commissioner puts it in front of their appointing Supervisor to get their reaction and input.
3. Each commissioner does her own research on any questions she may have on this topic.

• Ms. Helgesen Aguilar read out a line edit, Ms. Sales specified the addition of a phrase or sentence indicating that this position has bipartisan support, and the CFW voted to pass this issue with no abstentions.

Chair Sales stated that the Commissioners would brainstorm project ideas for fifteen minutes at the beginning of each monthly meeting until July. Commissioners added the following issues to the list from last month:

Women’s Center - maybe a website that provides more of a one-stop resource center

Newsletter, social media presence, or website for the Commission for Women
In September, they will do some deciding and voting, ideally putting some projects into each of three categories: immediate, mid-term, and long-term.

Young Women’s Event
Ms. Rothstein was unable to attend this meeting, and as the CFW was not planning to meet in August, the Commissioners decided to reach out to her to offer support for the ongoing work in preparation for the event. Ms. Russell, Ms. Cole, and Ms. Sales offered to make sure that the commission was prepared to stand behind Ms. Rothstein and fully support and sponsor the event in September.

NACW Conference
Nothing to report; all preparations have been made for this.

Smartphones for Artemis House
Ms. Sales led a discussion of ongoing communications on this effort.

Ms. Zollicoffer reported that DSVS was submitting three packages to county legislative staff:

1. A legislative initiative seeking to close the information gap between probation and certified batterers’ intervention programs.
2. A position paper on tightening the legislation requiring the surrender of firearms from persons with protective orders against them.
3. A position paper asking for closer scrutiny on DV and trafficking bills to screen for overly harsh penalties and other negative unintended consequences for victims.

Ms. Zollicoffer also suggested a commission re-orientation or training module during the September meeting. Ms. Palmore stated that doing strategic planning, hearing from Karla Bruce, and having a training module would be too much. Ms. Materna offered to do a professional decision-making process ahead of time to rank the choices of the individual commissioners on the projects they’d like to take on as a commission.

Ms. Palmore shared the following:

• a domestic violence and human trafficking event would be held from 9 AM to noon on July 27, at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 7836 Fordson Road, Alexandria. They expect over 100 women, and will have a panel of survivors that will answer questions from the audience. Breakfast will be served, and all are invited.
• there were three teens shot in the past week, and that many community discussion and events were ongoing as the community was working through this tragedy. Franconia had shootings as well.
• Shelter House had an event and gave the New Beginnings award to Ms. Palmore and Ms. Sales.

Ms. Seba Hemenway recommended that we print up certificates for Michelle Mueller and past chair Cynthia Bhatanger. Emily Warner will do this.

Ms. Warner presented a request from Colleen Armstrong that the Commission for Women sponsor the breakfast for the Domestic Violence Awareness Month event on October 15. Ms. Palmore made a motion to approve up to $250 for this event. Ms. Seba Hemenway seconded the motion, which carried.

The meeting was adjourned at 10 p.m.

Next Meeting
The Commission will next meet on Sept. 9, 2019 in room 232 of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA, at 7:15 p.m. Ms. Helgesen Aguilar is scheduled to bring the snack.

If you have any concerns, issues or thoughts that you would like to share, please send an email to Commission for Women. Your concerns and observations are important in helping the women and girls in Fairfax County.

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