Elected office holders and those who have worked in campaigns shared their personal experiences and gave advice for succeeding in the political arena.
In attendance were Indiana State Senator Vaneta Becker, former Vanderburgh Coroner Annie Groves, Evansville City Clerk Laura Windhorst, recent City Councilwoman Anna Hargis and Lori Sherman, an attorney with Kittlinger & Gray who was a 2016 primary candidate for Indiana Representative for District 77.
Vanderburgh County Councilwoman Stephanie Terry and Denise Johnson, director of Mayor Lloyd Winnecke’s re-election campaign, moderated the panel.
Women were encouraged to ask questions, and network with other women.
Officials say 10 months before the last presidential election only one thousand women nationwide considered a run for office.
About 2 months ago, there were over twenty-two thousand women interested.
Here in Vanderburgh county, female public officials are encouraging women to step up and run for office.
“We are very different just in this area that we have so many women in the state legislature,†says Indiana senator Vaneta Becker, “that is very rare.â€
Women make up about a quarter of state legislators nationwide.
That is a significant increase from when Becker entered the Indiana general assembly more than 30 years ago.
Senator Becker is one of the 30 female legislators in Indiana today.
Today Senator Becker joined the free “stepping up†training session in Evansville to help other women ready to rock the vote.
“It is very rewarding to be a part of the process, and to give information and answer questions that they might be thinking about so that they also recognize that there are other women who are currently doing this.â€
At the training session, women heard from a panel of female elected officials who shared their personal experiences about running for office.
Vanderburgh county councilwoman Stephanie Terry says she faced a double-edged sword- being an African-American woman.
“It is important that we are represented at all levels of government because there are some important issues that women face and only a women can speak on behalf of a women in a very passionate way, in a very compelling way, and in many cases, to help men see a different point of view.â€
The event was designed to encouraged women to step up in any way they can in the political arena.
“It’s also about women who are professional and have a desire to improve their professional career whether that is opening a business or asking your boss for a promotion,†says Denise Johnson.
Women of all ages attended the session, in hopes of learning how they too can serve the community through elected positions.
“It kind of inspired me to even more to come back to Evansville after I graduate law school,†says Kiersten Butler,  “because I know I had been thinking about going and moving to a larger city, because the idea of being a large city lawyer is very enticing, but knowing that there are things like this in our own community that I have grown up in my entire life, it’s just more inspiring to come back.â€
Stepping up is a non-partisan organization which encourages, supports, and trains women interested in running for office, serving on boards, or stepping up in business.
They hold training sessions every quarter.
The next free training session is scheduled for March.
