Fiona Ma
The campus community is invited to take part in training designed for women who want to learn how to secure appointments on local boards and commissions.
The free training is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in room 302 of Health Sciences West on the Parnassus campus. Due to limited capacity, registration closes on Monday, Feb. 2. To register and for more information, contact Chelsea Simms, program assistant in the UCSF Center for Gender Equity (CGE), at 415/476-5222.
Presenters at the workshop include Fiona Ma, member of the California State Assembly; John Cruz, appointments secretary in the Office of the Governor; Sophie Maxwell, member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; and Rachel Michelin, executive director and CEO of California Women Lead and gubernatorial appointee to the Private Security Disciplinary Review Committee (North).
The training is sponsored by the CGE, UCSF Community and Governmental Relations (CGR), California Women Lead, and the California Commission on the Status of Women.
CGE is committed to providing advocacy, education and support services to both women and men in the interest of sustaining an inclusive and equitable campus community and addressing persistent inequities. All CGE programs are open to the San Francisco community.
“If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” These words from the 1960s still hold true today, said Amy Levine, EdD, director of CGE. “If you want to create change, then become civically engaged in your community and use your voice to influence policy. Boards and commissions need more women.”
Assemblywoman Ma, who began her political career in San Francisco, serves as a mentor and role model to women and minorities who aspire to gain entry to the political arena. Ma has been a longtime advocate for women and minority business owners, and in 1995, President Bill Clinton appointed her to the White House Conference on Small Business.
“Our voice matters,” said Ma. “When important policy decisions are being made, we need to be at the table, sitting on local boards and commissions. Providing aspiring women with the necessary resources is essential to ensuring our representation.”
The recent inauguration of President Barack Obama has sparked hope and interest across the nation about serving the public in government. One UCSF staff member stated that a year ago, she would not have thought of serving on a county board, but following President Obama’s victory she is now more interested.
Related Links:
UCSF Center for Gender Equity
UCSF Director Named to Harvard’s Women’s Leadership Board
UCSF Today, Jan. 10, 2006
