As all of us are making daily decisions for ourselves, our loved ones, and our workplaces in light of the evolving situation caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Mission of the Junior League does not waver.  By now, you hopefully saw the full updates from Michelle Lentz, JL Boston President, regarding the important changes JL Boston is making to address COVID-19.  Many community projects and fundraising events have been cancelled through the end of the fiscal year, but many of our constituents need help now more than ever during these emergency conditions.  The current situation can compound and exacerbate the issues our constituents face, without access to services that we and our community partners usually provide.   Advocating for the needs of ourselves and our constituents is one way to help from home.  

Picture this…. a metaphor for advocacy  

Imagine that you are walking up a steep hill, on a cold, rainy March day.  You get to the top of the hill, and you see a raging river below you.  You look closer, and on both sides of the river, you see women pulling children out of the water.  The children have no life rafts, no floating devices, and are just helplessly tumbling down the river, while the women are frantically pulling them out.   You rush down to the edge of the banks of the river to help these women pull the children out.  You are helping, but the river is raging and there are more children tumbling down stream.  After a couple of minutes of doing this, you stand up, and turn to go upstream.  Shocked, the other women frantically look at you and shout, “What are you doing?  For Heaven’s sake, can’t you see, the children keep coming!  We have to save them…we must pull them out of the river!”   You very calmly, and with tremendous compassion, say to these women “I know, and I am going upstream to see why they’re in the river to begin with“.  

For our almost 118 years, Junior Leagues have been going upstream.  

That upstream part is where we get confused sometimes, as it cannot be separated from what is happening downstream.  Through our Community Projects, we serve our constituents by providing a service downstream. Upstream, on the other hand, is all advocacy, and about the policies, practices, the public attitudes that create the systems in which we live.

Since the beginning, The Junior League has been on the forefront of social reform, identifying problems – pollution, illiteracy, domestic violence, foster children without a safety net – and finding solutions.  Leagues have done this by educating the public on the pressing issues of the day and advocating for change, legislative or otherwise, on behalf of those who don’t have a voice. 

How to engage in this additional texture of service  

We encourage you to learn about how you can serve our mission in this crisis environment by becoming familiar with challenges the most vulnerable women in our communities are facing during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and utilize resources available to you through AJLI to learn how to navigate this crisis.  On May 13th 2020, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women held a virtual Advocacy Day, which some Junior League of Boston members attended.  They provided a guide for individuals to get started and share their viewpoints with the commonwealth.  Resources are available showing inequities and impact on women during COVID19 in Massachusetts.  

We encourage you to think about this concept, how we can put it into play, and the potential results.  Let’s continue the conversation on our private Members only Facebook group. 

Please keep your eye out for more information on JL Boston’s virtual Solutions Summit, tentatively slated for June.    

Together we’ve got this.  

Advocacy initiative is driven by member feedback   

Over the last two years, Junior League of Boston has held an Advocacy Unconference and a series of open Advocacy Meetings.  One of the key items which the Advocacy Lead and Leadership Team are working on, based on your feedback, is how to embed Advocacy in our brand and how to ensure we have a cohesive message outward.  When we focus on an issue that directly effects our communities, there are many ways to make a difference.  The Advocacy Lead is also working on structural and placement opportunities for next year.  Member involvement and input will continue to be a key part of the process.  As COVID-19 effects our communities and us all now, we cannot wait.    

By Susan Moussalli and Pamela Lynch 

Advocacy@jlboston.org 

The post Amplifying our Impact in Times of Uncertainty appeared first on The Junior League of Boston, Inc..

Get to know the Slate below!

Board of Directors

President-Elect, Kathleen Riley

Kathleen’s years at JL Boston have been, in her own words, incredible. From her very first placement in Foster Care review up to her present year as a new sustainer, she has learned about herself, met incredible women, and helped the League grow. She believes it has been a privilege to serve in every role.

Kathleen joined the Junior League of Boston in 2006, and has served as a Membership Advisor, Placement Manager, Director of Training, and Director of Community Service. Outside of her service to the League, Kathleen works as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer.

Treasurer-Elect, Kathryn Gridley

Kathryn is currently completing her first year as an active member with JL Boston. She had knowledge of the JL growing up, as her family was involved in their local Houston chapter, and was drawn to join when she moved to Boston from Los Angeles almost 2 years ago. Her original motivation to join was spurred by my desire to get involved in volunteer efforts in the community as well as expand her personal and professional network – little did she know the experience would lend itself to so much more! The experience she’s gained throughout her new member year, and the continued growth and inspiration she’s received into her first active year, has fueled her desire to seek a leadership position and take more ownership in an organization that has given and continues to give so much to her. She is so grateful to be surrounded by so many women of diverse backgrounds and experiences that ALL have something to bring to the table! She supports JL Boston in having a seat at the table when it comes to community initiatives and advocacy, but she wants us to BE THE TABLE! Kathryn is passionate about making JL Boston the advocacy leader for women in our community!

Secretary-Elect, Celeste Scott-Walker

Celeste is from Antigua, W.I. In the winter of ’79, she immigrated to Connecticut with her family and is a naturalized American Citizen. A graduate of Simmons College with a B.A. in English and Public Relations, Celeste works as an HR professional at Tufts University.

When not fundraising for the League in her current role as Director of Fund Development, you can find Celeste executing milestone events for her clients as the Creative Director of Dream Imagine Studios – Heirloom Weddings & Special Events.

She has been married to her husband, Eric Walker for 17 years and they enjoy antiquing, cooking, golfing and most importantly spending time with their nieces and nephews.  Celeste is honored to be a member of the Junior League of Boston not only because of the impact it makes in our community, but also the impact it has on our members’ lives. She wants her nieces to learn the importance of serving others and giving back to the community; being a member of the League allows her to set that example for them to be the next generation of female civic leaders.

Director of Nominating-Elect, Sarah Given

Sarah has been a member of JL Boston since 2012. Most recently, Sarah served as Secretary from 2018-2019. She has been actively involved in the Community Council and has been a chair for multiple projects including the Germaine Lawrence Run Club, Done in a Day, and Learning Circles Charlestown. As a member of Research and Development, she was instrumental in creating the Healthy Choice Initiative. She appreciates the opportunity JL Boston has given her to expand outside of her comfort zone and build new skills.

Sarah graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Latin American Studies and earned her Masters of Science in Nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions with a focus on adult and women’s health. She completed a Fellowship in Palliative Care through Harvard Medical School. Sarah currently works as a nurse practitioner in Palliative Care at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Sarah lives in Wellesley with her husband, two very active toddler sons, and mini goldendoodle. When not wrangling toddlers, she enjoys going for long runs and baking cookies.

Board Member at Large, Kirsten Alexander

Kirsten joined the Junior League of Boston in September 2001 because she’d been on the board of a failing non-profit startup and wanted to see how this organization had survived and thrived for so long. It’s been an incredible experience—from helping to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to starting projects and delving into the finance and strategy councils. Kirsten has learned so much from the organization and the brilliant women involved in it, as well as life lessons from the girls and women she worked with as a direct service volunteer. Kirsten has been on the board twice—first as Director of Community during the 125th anniversary year and then as Sustainer Director. The last few years she’s been focused on other things, including getting married, and has missed a more day-to-day connection with the League. She looks forward to being able to reconnect, share her Junior League experience, and professional expertise in the Greater Boston non-profit sector.

Board Member at Large, Marie Schmidt

Marie has been in the Junior League of Boston since 2012. During that time, she has been involved in both community and internal placements. During her provisional year, she participated in Strong Women, Strong Girls, and in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, Marie volunteered with Done in a Day. In 2013-2014, and later in 2016-2017, Marie served on Strategic Management and Planning, which she eventually led as Director in 2017-2018. This year, Marie serves as the Strategic Research & Analysis Lead, where she conducts research in support of goals specified by League leadership.

Professionally, Marie is a research psychologist and currently a Senior Interviewer and Market Research Associate at the Center for Strategy Research, a full-service market research firm specializing in both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. She graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a BA in Psychology and English. Marie has a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and also completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School. Active in community service, she has served on several school and community boards and have led three Girl Scout troops. Marie lives in Walpole, with her husband Doug, their three daughters, and their 14-year-old English Cocker Spaniel.

Executive Vice President-Elect, Lyn Huckabee

Originally from Southern New Jersey, Lyn has called Boston home since 2000 and has been a Junior League of Boston member since 2004. She studied mechanical engineering as an undergraduate and law as a graduate. Professionally, she utilizes her technical and legal proficiency by advancing energy efficiency policy for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Her JL Boston leadership roles have included chairing too many community projects to list, transfer and new member advisor, and, most recently, Vice President of Technology. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking from scratch, yoga, and bad jokes.

As EVP, Lyn will also sit on the Executive Management Team.

Executive Management Team

Vice President of Community Service-Elect, Kendrice Newman

Kendrice’s passions in life are math and kids. She’s been lucky enough to be able to pursue these two passions through her career as a teacher and volunteer work as a part of the Junior League of Boston. Kendrice loves organization, hiking, and reading books. Her ideal day has her finishing everything on her to-do list, cooking dinner, and hanging out with friends or family in her living room.

Vice President of Fund Development-Elect, Kate Ziegler

Kate Ziegler is the Operations Supervisor at Mintz Levin and also a Boston-based Realtor, investor, and entrepreneur. Born and raised on a farm in rural Pennsylvania, she has made Boston home since attending Northeastern University to study International Affairs and Art. The daughter of a contractor, Kate grew up in roofing and construction, and now owns and manages multi-family properties in Jamaica Plain and Roslindale, where she lives with her partner, Jack Romano. Kate works as a Realtor with Arborview Realty, specializing in helping buyers find homes that fit their unique needs in a competitive market, without leaving the communities they love. She and Jack also run the design firm, Union Jack Creative. A member of The Junior League of Boston, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Leadership Alumni Council, Women’s Lunch Place Young Professionals Network, the Alliance for Business Leadership, and the Mayor’s Late Night Task Force, as well as a mentor with Northeastern’s Honors Alumni program, Kate is committed to seeing all of Boston thrive.

Vice President of Membership Elect, Fallon Cassidy Parker

As Massachusetts native, Fallon spent her first 18 years living on the Cape (year-round!), and came to Boston to pursue her undergraduate degree from Northeastern University. She’s been in Boston ever since, living in the Back Bay, Roslindale, and South Boston where she currently resides with her husband. They enjoy long walks to Castle Island and have been known to make occasional stops at Trillium and Nero where they get our craft brew and espresso fixes, respectively.

For work, Fallon puts her psychology degree to good use as a UX Researcher at Liberty Mutual. She designs and runs studies to learn what customers and potential customers want from an insurance carrier. Furthermore, she puts these skills to use internally to analyze and improve some internal service processes. Since joining the League in 2014, Fallon has been involved in placements including the Gala & Bachelor Auction Committee, Training Council, Strategic Research and Analysis Council and also served as a New Member Advisor for 2 years. During her time off, Fallon and her husband love to travel and explore new places and experience new cultures. This year, they checked out Malta, Greece, and Spain.

Vice President of Placement-Elect, Sam Larsen

Sam is originally from a small beach town in Southern California and moved to North Carolina to attend college at Wake Forest University. She moved up to Boston for work after graduation and has loved everything New England has to offer. This is Sam’s first year as an active member, and she has spent the last two years on the Signature Events Committee helping plan Moonlight Masquerade and Raise for the Roses. She currently works at Steelcase as a workplace consultant where she consults on how space shapes the workplace experience in terms of attracting and retaining talent, employee satisfaction, creating collaboration and creativity, and more. In the little over two years Sam has lived in Boston, she’s explored all that New England has to offer from lobster rolls in Kennebunkport to clam chowder on the Cape to oysters in Newport and have fully converted to cheering for all Boston sports teams. On the weekends, you can find Sam in Beacon Hill admiring all the adorable dogs, meeting up with friends to try a new restaurant or recipe, or taking long walks around Boston.

Vice President of Training-Elect, Caitlin Berger

Caitlin began her JLB career in 2011 right after her graduation from Boston College. After serving her provisional year working with Learning Circles in Allston, she transferred to the New York City League. At the NYJL, Caitlin worked with women on interpersonal skills at the Bayview Correctional Facility as well as developing a new placement with the Woman’s Prison Association in the East Village. In 2014, Caitlin moved back to Boston continuing her career in the JLB on Community Council leveraging our relationships with our community partners to host Impact Nights where education on an issue was paired with service. She then served as Transfer Manager continuing the JLB tradition of providing a welcoming landing base for all transfer members new to our league and the city. For the last year, she has served as the the chair of the Jeremiah Program working to expand our impact with the crucial organization fighting to end the cycle of poverty by empowering both single mothers and their children with the tools to pursue higher education. Professionally, Caitlin is a project manager for large scale residential construction and design projects at Koo de Kir, an Interior Design firm in South Boston.

Other Slated Leaders

New Member Program Manager-Elect, Avery Russell

Avery Russell has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2014. She is a floral designer and has my own studio, Floral Fleurt. Avery is also an avid volunteer in Boston, particularly at Women’s Lunch Place every Tuesday morning, and Perkin’s School for the Blind. She loves reading, flowers, entertaining, stationary, and her sweet yorkie, Mickey.

Member of Nominating Council, Anamarie Farr

Anamarie Farr has been an AJLI member since 2009 and transferred from the DC league to JL Boston in 2013. She has previously served as Secretary to the Board of Directors, Community Adviser to the Community Council, and chair and a professional mentor for Strong Women, Strong Girls. Anamarie works as an executive assistant for Kirkland & Ellis, a law firm based in Boston’s Back Bay. Anamarie loves rooting for her hometown team the Oakland A’s, riding her Peloton, and traveling. She is currently working on her WSET sommelier certification series.

Member of Nominating Council, Madeleine Kuhn

Madeleine joined the Junior League of Boston to get involved in community projects and meet people outside of work. She has been a member for three years and has had amazing experiences both in her placement and participating in social and training events. She’s looking for an opportunity to give back, as well as gain more leadership experience and get more hands-on experience participating in Junior League operations.

Madeleine has taken leadership roles in the past, as president of the Students for Quality Health Care while completing her MPH at BU, and serving as chair of communications for the Boston Children’s Young Professionals post-graduation. She found both experiences to be incredibly rewarding and helped her go out of my comfort zone in a supportive environment. Both experiences also taught her how to balance my career and extracurriculars and prioritize her own desires with those of the organizations she served.

Madeleine loves to add a bit of creativity to everything she does, whether it’s updating her Etsy watercolor postcard page or learning a new cookie recipe. She likes a challenge, whether it’s taking on her first position as a supervisor on Tufts Transplant team this year or playing tennis.

The post Meet the 2019 Leadership Slate appeared first on The Junior League of Boston, Inc..

Lindsay Farrell, the chair of the 2019 Little Black Dress Initiative, shares information about the program.

Recently, The Junior League of Boston hosted its annual winter General Membership Meeting (GMM) focused on the theme of leadership. To kick-off the meeting, Michelle Lentz, President, shared inspiring quotes related to the theme. Each quote resonated with members, especially, “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be”, spoken by Rosalynn Carter. Members were then asked to describe a leader in one word. As women buzzed with excitement, they agreed on words like “inspiring”, “supportive”, and “collaborative” as great adjectives to describe an empowering leader.  

From left to right, panelists were: Ginny Harris, Pamela Lynch, Zara Spooner, moderator Tracy Prabhu, and Hayley Hannan

This year’s meeting included two panel conversations for members to learn more about leadership opportunities in the League as well as the different ways these opportunities prepare you to overcome obstacles and encourage you to take risks. During the “Using Your League Experience to Grow as a Leader” panel, four women discussed their journeys in the League and the many meaningful highlights from their placements. This panel ended with various forms of advice including: 

• Identify needs in the community and take action 
• Recognize each other’s potential and recommend them for leadership opportunities 
• Don’t be afraid to try something unusual 
• Ask questions 

Members then had the chance to ask the Board of Directors and Executive Management Team questions focused on their hopes for the Junior League of Boston, what their favorite social event is, and how to balance life and League obligations. The meeting closed with members feeling inspired, empowered and ready to take on 2019! 

Want to develop your leadership skills in the League, but could not attend the GMM? Here are a few ways you can get involved, and further your skillset: 

• Training: In addition to regular trainings, our Training Council organized all-day trainings and opportunities such as the Board Seat Initiative, Mentorship Program, and the Conference Grant Fund, where JL Boston members can pursue outside training opportunities through a grant to offset registration and related costs.  

• Little Black Dress Initiative: Did you know that in every 98 seconds, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted? Every 11 minutes, that victim is a CHILD and only five out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison. The LBDI is back, and we are looking for advocates to bring awareness to the distresses of poverty and violence against women, and the impacts they can have on a woman’s access to resources, her confidence and professional opportunities. Learn more about the LBDI, and use our hashtag #LBDIBoston to start the conversation. Become an advocate today! 

• Nominate a leader: We are currently accepting applications for the 2019-2020 Board of Directors and Executive Management Team. Interested in applying or learning more? Visit the Nominating resources page, complete the online application form, or email jlbnominating1819@gmail.com. We also have immediate leadership opportunities that you can apply for, as VP of Community Service Elect, VP of Communications Elect or VP of Technology Elect. 

The post Winter 2019 General Membership Meeting Recap appeared first on The Junior League of Boston, Inc..

• Denise Amaya, VP of Training Elect 2018-2019
• Erin Harness, VP of Placement Elect 2018-2019
• Victoria Hay, VP of Community Service 2018-2019
• Alison Webb, VP of Membership Elect 2018-2019

Learn more about these leaders! We are very excited to welcome them to their new roles.

Denise Amaya, VP of Training Elect 2018-2019

Denise has been with the Junior League for about 4 years, 3 of which were spent in the Junior league of Atlanta where she was a Provisional Advisor.

Denise recently relocated to Boston from Atlanta for work. She currently works for a research and advisory firm in Cambridge and lives in the Seaport. She transferred to the Junior League of Boston where she become a New Member Advisor prior to taking on the role of VP of Membership. In her spare time she likes going for runs and exploring new areas of Boston.

Erin Harness, VP of Placement Elect 2018-2019

Erin Harness has been a member of the Junior League since 2015. During her Provisional year in San Francisco, Erin served on the Provisional Project Committee and was honored with the “Social Chair” distinction for her success in frequently coordinating both social and volunteer events to ensure the members of her class achieved their goals for graduation.  Erin went on to participate in the Enabling Funds Committee, soliciting applications and allocating ad hoc and emergency funds for community organizations in alignment with the JL of San Francisco’s core mission. Prior to her move to Boston, she was on the Recruitment and Outreach Committee, coordinating efforts to attract new members to the changing League. She is currently on the Communications Council her in the Boston Junior League, liaising with the Membership Council.

Erin made the move to Boston in January 2018, moving with her previous employer to their headquarter offices.  With a background in recruitment and account management, in the technology space, Erin is currently a Client Engagement Account Manager at Willis Towers Watson, focusing on building out the practice and improving the client experience for their Compensation Software customers.

Victoria Hay, VP of Community Service 2018-2019

Tori has been an involved member of the Junior League of Boston since 2013.  During her tenure with the League, Tori has served as Co-Chair of Leader Within from 2014-2017 and as a New Member Advisor from 2017-2018.  In 2014 she was awarded the Junior League of Boston’s Outstanding Provisional Member of the Year for her fundraising efforts and commitment to volunteerism in the Greater Boston Community.

Tori will assume the role of VP of Community Service effective immediately.

Alison Webb, VP of Membership Elect 2018-2019

Alison Webb is an Active member of the Junior League of Boston. She joined the League in 2010 and is currently a New Member Advisor. Most recently, Alison spent three years as a co-chair of the 2017 Junior League of Boston Designer Show House and as Operations and Staffing lead in the 2016 Junior League of Boston Designer Show House. In her preceding five years as an Active member, Alison was a committee member for Community and Fund Development placements. While in the League, Alison served as an Advisory Committee board member for Strong Women, Strong Girls – a mentoring organization for girls and women in the Boston area.

Professionally, Alison is a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young in the Risk Transformation Advisory Services practice. She delivers technology and data-driven solutions for large public companies to support their Risk and Compliance functions. She is also an active member and supporter of multiple professional networks, recruiting and community engagement for EY. She holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University, where she was a four year starter and captain for the women’s golf team and a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

Outside of the League, Alison is an avid skier, golfer and personal wellness advocate. She loves to travel, cook, spend time in her home state of Vermont, listen to live music and pet every Golden Doodle that crosses her path.

We are very excited to welcome these amazing women to their new leadership roles!

The post Congratulations to Our Newly Slated Leaders! appeared first on The Junior League of Boston, Inc..