President/CEO of Women’s Campaign Fund and She Should Run Announces Retirement

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Siobhan “Sam” Bennett, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Campaign Fund and She Should Run announced that she would be leaving the two organizations in mid-January 2014, after nearly five years.

“It has been an honor to lead these two esteemed organizations for the last five years,” said Bennett. “Since I started in 2009, it has been a tumultuous time for women in politics. From the 2010 election and the first backslide in the number of women in Congress in over 30 years, to 2012’s War on Women, and even the 2013 elections which featured several high profile mayoral races earlier this year, WCF and She Should Run have been there every step of the way to encourage and support women across the country running for office at all levels of government on both sides of the aisle.”

Georgia Berner, Chair of both WCF’s and She Should Run’s respective boards of directors praised Bennett’s work at the two organizations. “We are grateful to Sam for all she has done on behalf of WCF and She Should Run,” said Berner. “She has left the organizations well positioned and we are looking ahead to the 2014 and 2016 elections.”

In addition to the bevy of exceptional women candidates that WCF has supported during her tenure, Bennett cited She Should Run’s partnership with the Women’s Media Center doing groundbreaking work on sexism. “We know sexism is a huge obstacle for women in politics. She Should Run partnered with the Women’s Media Center on Name It. Change It., a program that is the result of research showing that ignoring sexism on the campaign trail is a serious mistake, and women are now counseled to fight back.”

“It was a difficult decision to leave WCF and She Should Run, but I do so knowing that the organizations are fully prepared for the difficult road ahead as we face the 2014 and 2016 elections,” said Bennett. “WCF was the first national organization to financially support women candidates. While WCF prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary and leverage its four decades of expertise in supporting women at the earliest stages of their political career, She Should Run will continue working to ‘change the game’ for women in politics by attacking the systemic barriers that stand in their way.”

The WCF and She Should Run boards of directors will begin the executive search immediately. For more information, please visit wcfonline.org.