Helping women succeed in public service by enhancing career-building models that develop leadership skills and by networking professional women in government.
Formed in 2017 by a group of five municipal administrators, Massachusetts Women Leading Government (MAWLG) provides programming, resources, and networking opportunities for professional women working in local government. This year, MAWLG became a formal standing committee of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association (MMMA). The Committee is charged with developing programming and events for the coming year.
MAWLG’s first meeting was held in June in Carlisle, with 60 attendees. The program on building a strong résumé and honing interview skills was presented by Joellen Cademartori Earl of GovHR USA. This informative session was followed by a discussion of the book, Grit, by Angela Duckworth.
At the second meeting in October in Shrewsbury, the 75 attendees had the pleasure of being addressed by Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, who shared her career path from being elected as a member of the local Board of Selectmen to the Executive Office. Following this, two executives working for non-profit organizations, Cheryl Lapiore, Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff, and Chief Marketing Officer for UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc. (UMMHC) and Jill Dagilis, Executive Director of the Worcester Community Action Council, shared their experiences working as a chief executive and maintaining work-life balance. This discussion was followed by a group discussion of potential future topics and a book discussion.
The first meeting of the new year was held on February 7 in Auburn, with 90 registered attendees on the topic of productivity, making meetings more efficient, and organizational skills presented by Lorena Prime. The month’s book discussion after the meeting was, Thrive, by Ariana Huffington.
All meetings have been held in central Massachusetts. WLG welcomes topic ideas and suggestions.