Monday, Oct. 21, 2019
The meeting was called to order by Chair Sales at 7:27 p.m.
Attendance
Commissioners in attendance: Emily McCoy, Lee; Nancy Hopkins, Dranesville; Chair Lisa Sales, Mount Vernon; Jane Materna, Mason; Helen Cole, Hunter Mill; Elise Helgesen Aguilar, Providence; Michelle Russell, Springfield; Sondra Seba Hemenway, At-Large; Kayla Rothstein, Student Representative
Commissioners absent: Barbara Lippa, Sully District; Mattie Palmore, At-Large Minority; Charlie Brown, Braddock
Staff in attendance: Toni Zollicoffer, Emily Warner
Visitors: Phyllis Gordon, NACW; Elizabeth Bennis, Loudoun Commission for Women; Meg Turlington Patterson, Arlington Commission on the Status of Women; Maribel Ramos, Alexandria Commission for Women; Pat Addison, Fairfax City Commission for Women; Daphne Bishop; Azadeh Meshkaty, Arlington Commission on the Status of Women; Saba Pervaiz
All those present introduced themselves. It was noted that representatives from all five Virginia Commissions for Women were present.
- Monthly financial report was submitted and approved.
- July 2019 Minutes: Ms. McCoy moved to approve the September 2019 minutes as they stood. Ms. Hopkins seconded the motion. All Commissioners present voted in favor, except Ms. Russell and Ms. Seba Hemenway, who abstained.
- Phyllis Gordon and Elizabeth Bennis presented the vision and beginning plans for the NACW 2020 Conference to be held July 19-23 in Loudoun County, VA.
- The theme of the conference will be Celebrating Our Voices: Equality Resilience and Advocacy. Underneath is a ribbon banner to add in The 100th Anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote, 50th of NACW.
- The conference planners are counting on representation from all five of the northern Virginia Commissions for Women to participate in the planning and support of the conference.
- The focus is on nationwide content, and the planning committee is seeking support with fundraising, sponsorships, recruiting speakers and panelists, logistical support, and setting up vendors.
- There will be a DC day to meet your representatives, and some Loudoun-specific outing options as well.
- Ms. Warner presented a mini-training on the administration of the Commission and the role of the liaison.
- The liaison has three roles:
- Administrative and organizational
- Project support
- Policy work
Policy: Ms. Helgesen Aguilar reported that the commission continues to wait for the BOS Legislative Committee to address the Paid Family and Medical Leave position paper the CFW submitted. Ms. Sales reported that it would be addressed at the November 26th Legislative Committee meeting. The commissioners should email their Supervisors with a copy of the position paper and a request to support this issue when it comes up in committee.
- Ms. Zollicoffer facilitated an exercise in which the brainstormed topics were placed into the three groups of women’s health, equity, and safety by discussion of the commissioners.
- With the brainstormed topics placed either in one of the categories or the parking lot, the commissioners marked the top three topics they wanted to pursue.
- The three topics of Paid Family and Medical Leave, Women’s Health, and Affordable Housing were overwhelmingly selected.
- Commissioners plan to consider these subjects in preparation for the next meeting, at which they will select work teams, drill down on project specifics, and develop action plans.
Young Women’s Event
- Ms. Rothstein informed the commissioners that after discussion with Ms. Sales, Ms. Russell, Ms. Cole, and Ms. Warner, she had decided to postpone the event to March. She stated that she had communicated the postponement to all of the presenters and that her teen committee had selected three dates in March, in order of preference: 21st, 7th, 14th.
- Ms. Rothstein will set up a committee meeting shortly with her CFW committee to work on moving this event forward.
Report on NACW Conference
- Ms. Russell shared her report from the NACW conference and discussed how exciting it was to see so many different commissions across the country engaged in so many different important projects. She encouraged the Commission to engage fully with the Voices of Women in America survey project and move it forward as much as possible. She also suggested listening tours in the different districts to engage with women in the county about the issues that are important to them.
- Ms. Sales shared her report from the NACW conference and detailed some of the important and diverse projects going on throughout the country. She brought in information about the Girls Spark conference to support the YW Conference Ms. Rothstein is planning. Ms. Sales also presented the work going on in Columbus, Ohio regarding pay equity pledges as something that our commission could engage in.
Smartphones for Artemis House
Ms. Sales reported that she is working with DIT to wipe the phones already donated. Shelter House has the responsibility to set up the phones for the survivors, and work continues to find corporate support for phone plans. We are no longer actively pushing phone collection.
- Director Michael Becketts of DFS came in after attending other meetings, and introduced himself. Due to time, he deferred a further presentation but will meet with the executive team immediately before the full CFW meeting next month. He also plans to come to a future meeting to do a presentation.
- Ms. Zollicoffer reported that DVAC has expanded into the Herndon Neighborhood Community Center, in line with the vision to bring DVAC services into the community.
- Ms. Zollicoffer also reported that the DVPPCC bylaws are in the process of revision, and that the new name will be the Council to End Domestic Violence, or CEDV.
- DSVS is starting its strategic planning process to become more focused. DSVS also now has a seat on the state advisory committee on sexual and domestic violence.
- Ms. McCoy informed the commission that the Turning Point memorial now technically has enough money for building and the project is going well.
- Ms. McCoy raised an administrative point: in the past, the Executive Director for the CFW was an E-status employee with direct access to the County Executive. Due to the reorganization of DFS and DSVS, the Executive Director for the CFW, Toni Zollicoffer, does not have that direct access. Ms. McCoy reminded the commission that their scope is the entire government and female citizenry, and that it is crucial to have visibility in public works, IT, etc., and not just human services. She requested to set up visits up the chain of command, and will come up with talking points for this purpose.
- Ms. Sales suggested that the CFW do rotating meetings at the different supervisors’ offices.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:17 p.m.
Next Meeting
The Commission will next meet on November 18, 2019 in room 232 of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax VA, at 7:15 p.m. Ms. Rothstein 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.