FLASHREPORT

THE BERGESON SERIES - APPLY TODAY!

Clare Venegas, Communications Director of the Bergeson Series

There is no a better example of the power of Republican women than Gov. Sarah Palin. Republicans everywhere have been energized with Sen. John McCain’s choice for the Vice Presidency. Her long list of accomplishments in local and state government and her record of fighting corruption, even in her own party, demonstrate how firmly she is holds the core Republican principles of limited government, lower taxes, individual freedom, and accountability.

The problem is that there are far too few Sarah Palins in elected office; too few Republican women in the national spotlight for our young girls to look up to as role models. Less than 5% of Congress are Republican women, and here in California, there are no Republican women State Senators (until Assemblywoman Mimi Walters is elected to the 33rd Senate seat on Nov. 4), and there are only six Republican women in the State Assembly.

The Marian Bergeson Excellence in Public Leadership Series is trying to change that. The series is a nine-month executive training program that educates and train Republican women throughout California to run for office, seek high-level appointments, or to work in politics.  The series was launched in 2004 and appropriately named after the distinguished Marian Bergeson, the first woman of either party to serve in both the California State Senate and Assembly and one of the first Republican women to be elected to the State Senate.

The Series is modeled after a Republican training program that started in 1989 by a group of Indiana businesswomen. They were concerned about the lack of women represented in local, state and national government and began the Richard Lugar Excellence in Public Leadership Series. Since then, the program has been replicated in 20 different states including Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Participants meet monthly, in an all-day session alternating between Southern and Northern California. The curriculum exposes students to various aspects of political involvement – from learning about political philosophy, the GOP, and the Constitution to learning the nuts-and-bolts of running a campaign, such as fundraising and media training.  Sessions feature guest speakers such as local, state, and federal elected officials, veteran campaign consultants, and other political experts who share their knowledge.

The highlights of the program are the trips to Sacramento and to Washington, DC, where participants have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with elected leaders. In D.C., the Bergeson series students participate in activities with women from the 20 other similar leadership programs throughout the country. As an alumna, I can attest to the powerful statement of seeing hundreds of Republican women from all walks of life, converging on DC, all on our own journeys to learn how to enter public service.

Perhaps the most valuable benefit of the program is the network of contacts and friendships that are made with other women throughout the state. These women provide a built-in network of support for graduates who choose to run for office. Two great success stories that highlight how the Bergeson Series is already making a difference are Gabriella Holt, a 2005 Series graduate, who is running for the 54th State Assembly seat, and Teri Murrison, also a 2005 graduate who serves as a Tuolumne County supervisor.  Both ran for office after graduating from the Bergeson Series, and both have received support from their fellow Bergeson graduates.

Some might ask, why does electing more Republican women matter? As mothers, wives, and caretakers, women bring different issues to the table. We are more likely to place a priority on issues like workplace flexibility, or bring a different perspective to legislation that impacts families and small businesses. One study by the Center for American Women in Politics found that compared to men, women officeholders are more likely to opt for government in public view than government behind closed doors. (And Lord knows the country is in dire need of more accountability in government!)

Republican women, now more than ever, have opportunities such as the Bergeson Series to get engaged in politics for the betterment of their communities. I, for one, am tired of seeing a disproportionate number of liberal Democrat women in office who don’t even come close to representing my views and beliefs.

That’s why so many Republicans, especially Republican women, cheered at the nomination of Sarah Palin. She started out as PTA mom, then ran for City Council to improve her community. Despite losing her campaign for Lieutenant Governor, she rebounded to win the highest office in the largest state in the union, and is now poised to become the first woman Vice President ever -- and she’s a Republican!

Her example lights a path for all Republican women to follow. While she is now just one of a few Republican women in elected office, through programs like the Bergeson Series, our hope is that she’ll be one of many.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 Bergeson Series! Download it here and learn more about the Series at www.thebergesonseries.com. Questions?  Contact Ann Rommel, Executive Director, info@thebergesonseries.com.
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Clare Venegas serves on the Board of Directors of the Bergeson Series as Communications Director. She is also Executive Director of the Lincoln Club of Orange County.  You can e-mail Clare, via the FR, here.