Organization to Recruit and Train Women for Elected Office

Emerge Kentucky, a non-profit organization established in 2009 to recruit and train Democratic women who want to run for public office, today announced that they are now accepting applications for the 2010 candidate-training program.  Twenty-five women will be selected to participate in the inaugural class that begins on February 27, 2010.  The curriculum includes training in public speaking, fundraising, campaign strategy, field operations, labor and endorsements, networking, media skills and messaging and ethics in politics.  Participants meet monthly for seven months.  Classes will be held at various locations around Kentucky including Louisville, Lexington, Northern, Eastern and Western Kentucky.

Kentucky ranks 45^th among the states for women in elected office and among the 120 county judge executives, only six are women.  The General Assembly consists of 15% women where the national average is 23%.  There are no women in congress representing Kentucky. “For the first time, Democratic women in Kentucky will have the opportunity to receive a first-class intensive training program that will give them the confidence and skills they need to step up and run for public office,” said Emerge Kentucky Board Chair, Jennifer A Moore.

The deadline for applications is December 31, 2009 and the application fee is $25.  The application is available by contacting Emerge Kentucky at www.EmergeKY.org or e-mail to: [email protected].

Emerge Kentucky’s advisory board includes the following members:  former Governor Martha Layne Collins, Auditor Crit Luallen, First Lady Jane Beshear, Senator Denise Harper Angel, Senator Kathy Stein, Senator Robin Webb, Reps. Linda Belcher, Leslie Combs, Kelly Flood, Joni Jenkins, Martha Jane King, Mary Lou Marzian, Sannie Overly, Ruth Ann Palumbo, Dottie Sims, and Susan Westrom, Judge Executive Carolyn Belcher, Jennifer Chandler, Teresa Isaac, Eleanor Jordan, Betsy Nowland-Curry, Lillian Press, Mary Karen Stumbo, Mayor Elaine Walker, Lois Combs Weinberg, and Virginia Woodward.

Board members from across Kentucky include:  Gina Berry, Ashley Jackson, Priscilla Johnson, Virginia Johnson, Kathleen Lape, Chris McGarvey, Wanda Mitchell-Smith, Kerry Morgan, Melinda Niemann, Vicki Prichard, Kennita Roy, Linda Scholle Cowan, Loren Wolff, and Kathy Wright.

For information about Emerge Kentucky, www.emergeky.org.