The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

January 2, 2010

Event to encourage women leaders

Speakers planned for Jan. 14 message

By Marie Wood, Special to The Free Press

NORTH MANKATO — Two Minnesota women who have broken racial and gender barriers to serve in local and state government are coming to North Mankato to speak, inspire and encourage other women to do the same.

Local nonprofits are presenting a free event with guest speakers Minnesota state Sen. Patricia Torres Ray and Virginia City Councilor Nevada Littlewolf at 5 p.m. Jan. 14 in Heritage Hall at South Central College.

Torres Ray was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2006 and serves as the first and only Latina in the Senate.

Littlewolf was elected in 2008 to the City Council of Virgina and is the first and only Native American to serve. She also happens to be the only woman and the only person younger than the age of 50 on the council.

The event is an outreach of The White House Project, a national organization that aims to increase the leadership of women in government. LA-MANO partnered with The Harambee Cultural Centre to bring the event here.

“The goal is to get more women to run for office at whatever level it may be,” said Victoria Salas, executive director of LA-MANO in Mankato.

LA-MANO is a service and advocacy organization for multi-ethnic communities in the Greater Mankato Area.

The event will offer an opportunity to network; meet women in office; and connect with The White House Project, which offers leadership conferences, Salas said.

“For women, we like to encourage leadership. We like to see women who are the preservers of cultures to see how important a role they play,” said Meredith Lemiso, executive director of The Harambee Cultural Centre in Mankato.

The Harambee Cultural Centre is an online resource for people to learn about other cultures at www.thehccinc.org.

Lemiso said she believes that listening to these women leaders will plant the seed in others.

“We want women to gain confidence to lead, if not on a state level, than in their communities, neighborhood and homes and know they deserve to take the lead,” Lemiso said.

The Minneapolis Foundation is helping to fund the event.

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