On this Thanksgiving episode, we’re talking diversity in local government across the board—not just gender. On the show today we have Libby Seguin and Lauren Stott, two graduate students undertaking the Diversity Dashboard, a new project with the organization Engaging Local Government Leaders, which will be the first-ever comprehensive look at diversity in local governments: Ethnicity, gender, age and veteran status. They’ll talk about why this kind of data is needed now more than ever, and why they aren’t expecting to find reassuring numbers.

015 Libby Seguin and Lauren Stott and the ELGL Diversity Dashboard

Women make up only 23 percent of roles in state and local government—and we’re talking to them. Join Governing Magazine's Mattie Quinn for candid conversations with the women shaping policy all over the county.

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For our season finale, we chatted to Lauren Matsumoto, a member of the Hawaii State House. Matsumoto was only 25 when she made her way to the State House, and she was almost immediately overwhelmed by the lack of resources for newly-elected women. She discusses her background in beauty pageants and how that piqued her interest in running for office, finding female mentors in politics, burning out her first year and how she’s working to help female politicians from across the aisle find mentors through the organization Women in Government.

Lauren Matsumoto, Representative, Hawaii State House

On this episode, we brought back Debbie Walsh, executive director of the Center for American Women and Politics, to break down the midterms. Walsh dissects the results of the midterms and what it means for female candidates—why it was a mixed bag for women, but also why there are also many encouraging signs for the future of women in politics.

31 Debbie Walsh, Center for American Women and Politics

This episode kicks off a series we’re working on in the aftermath of the midterm elections, examining different aspects of when women run and win. Today we’re chatting with Jennifer Carroll Foy, who was elected in last year’s wave of women and minorities who picked up seats. Jennifer represents Virginia’s 2nd District in the House of Delegates, and was working as a public defender before getting elected. She was also one of the first women to graduate from the Virginia Military Institute, and discusses on the show today about how that prepared her for running for office while pregnant with twins. The 23% is brought to you by the Governing Women in Government Leadership Program and its sponsors – including its founding member, Intuit,  Intuit, makers of QuickBooks, is committed to small businesses and support those who build and run them. Read its "Women’s One Stop Resource for Starting and Financing a Business" at www.quickbooks.intuit.com 

30 Jennifer Carroll Foy, Representative, Virginia House of Delegates

On this episode, we’re chatting with Tishaura Jones, treasurer of St. Louis. It’s a nerdy position with a lot of power—parking tickets is one of the things under her jurisdiction—but Tishaura also wants to use her influence in the city for social justice, like Black Lives Matter and healing the city from the 2014 riots. Tishaura discusses on the show today just how much the St. Louis how moved on from the racially-charged unrest, and her run for mayor that led to a racist and sexist smear campaign against her—but why she won’t rule out running for higher office again soon.

029 Tishaura Jones, Treasurer of St. Louis, MO

For our first new episode after our summer hiatus, we’re talking with Jackie Biskupski, mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s the first openly gay elected official in the notably red state, but she talks on the show today about why it was actually harder to run as a woman than as an LGBT individual. She also discusses how Salt Lake City became a hub for LGBT people and how she led the charge to get mayors to commit to 100 percent renewable energy.

015 Libby Seguin and Lauren Stott and the ELGL Diversity Dashboard

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