Where
This is an online event.El Pomar Foundation, Colorado Municipal League and Colorado 50-50 Present "Women in Politics"
Event Agenda
4:00-5:00 Youth Panel
Socializing young women and girls to the idea of running for elected office and leadership.
State Senator Faith Winter (D-24) In 2018, Faith Winter was elected to the Colorado State Senate to represent Colorado’s 24th District, which includes parts of Westminster, Thornton, and Northglenn. Senator Winter currently is Chair of the Transportation and Energy Committee as well as a member of the Finance Committee. Senator Winter previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives and on the Westminster City Council where she supported bills that would improve the lives of students, mothers, and families. She brings great leadership experience from her time prior to serving as an elected official. She is an organizer at heart who served as a high-level Director for Enviro Citizen, The White House Project, Emerge Colorado, Colorado Conservation Voters, and VoteRunLead. She is a strong proponent of environmental protection and holds a bachelor's degree in environmental management and biology from the University of the Redlands. She lives with her husband Mark and their two children, Tobin and Sienna.
Jess Davidson, 2015 Student Body Vice President, University of Denver Davidson graduated with Distinction and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Denver in 2015, where her work as Student Body Vice President gained national attention for innovative sexual assault prevention and education programs and policy reform. Her advocacy has been featured in the New York Times and on the front page of The Huffington Post, and she’s presented her work at The United State of Women Summit, The National Network to End Domestic Violence, and Google. In 2014, MSNBC recognized her as a top female leader in college politics. She worked in the Obama White House Office of Public Engagement in Fall 2016, as intern to Senior Advisor to the President, Valerie Jarrett. Davidson was named an It’s On Us White House Champion of Change in April 2016, an honor given to ten students in the United States for their work to address campus sexual assault.
Jeeva Senthilnathan, Candidate for Parker Town Council After graduating with her Associate's Degree at 18, Senthilnathan is currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering and computer science from the Colorado School of Mines, and is running for the Parker Town Council to continue a life of service. While helping her sister recover from her struggle with mental illness, Senthilnathan served as one of the youngest paid staffers at the Colorado state capitol, where she worked alongside Rep. Tom Sullivan to see common-sense gun violence prevention passed into law. Senthilnathan has also been recognized for her talents on the international level, having recently been nominated for UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Diana Award and the United Nations' 2021 Global Teen Leader Award.
5:00-6:00 General Session
Encouraging more women in Colorado to run for elected office, clarifying the process of running and providing resources for them as they consider running for elected office.
Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-1) Diana DeGette represents Colorado’s 1st Congressional district and has established herself as a leader here in Colorado and on the national stage. She proudly stands on the frontlines for progressive change on health care, reproductive rights, climate change, consumer protection and the environment. DeGette serves on the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce where she has leveraged her leadership position to improve health care, expand medical research, reform corporate business and accounting practices, ensure that our homeland is adequately protected, take on global climate change, and move America toward energy independence. In 2019, Rep. DeGette was named Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. In that role she has worked to advance COVID vaccine availability, hold the Trump Administration accountable for their family separation policy, and advance the work of the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition to her committee assignments, DeGette is the Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus, Vice-Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus and holds membership in 20 Caucuses focused on advancing medical research, culture and renewable energy. A fourth-generation Coloradoan, Diana graduated from Denver’s South High School, received her B.A. magna cum laude from Colorado College in 1979 and her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1982. She served two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives serving as Assistant Minority Leader from 1993-1995. DeGette is married to attorney Lino Lipinsky. They have two daughters, Raphaela and Francesca and a dog, Charlie.
State Representative Iman Jodeh (D-41) As a first generation American, born to Palestinian immigrants and refugees, Jodeh has called Colorado, specifically HD41, home her entire life. As the first Muslim and Arab woman elected to the Colorado State Legislature, she is passionate about social justice work and advocates for criminal justice reform, universal healthcare, fighting the rising cost of healthcare, increasing access to jobs and education, ensuring equal and civil rights for all, and combating our climate crisis. Jodeh is the Founder and Executive Director of the locally based non-profit, Meet the Middle East (MTME), which fosters relationships between the US and the Middle East through education and immersion travel. As the first female Spokesperson for the Colorado Muslim Society, the largest and oldest mosque in the Rocky Mountain region, Jodeh also plays a major role in representing the Muslim community on a variety of social justice areas statewide. She was the Community Advocate and Liaison at the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado where she spent many years on the frontlines during the Colorado legislative session fighting for progressive legislation. She is also a proud board member at Ready to Work Aurora, and board member emeritus at the Village Exchange Center, and the Women’s Lobby of Colorado. She received her master’s in Public Policy from the University of Colorado at Denver. Jodeh is fluent in Arabic and maintains a second home in Ramallah, Palestine. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with her large family, and fly fishing the beautiful rivers of Colorado.
State Representative Stephanie Luck (R-47) Luck is the Representative for House District 47 in Penrose, Colorado. She previously ran for the Colorado State Senate in 2018. She is passionate about America’s founding values, particularly in education, having spent the year before her run for office teaching sixth grade. As an attorney, she has worked to strengthen non-profit organizations and defend American constitutional rights across the state. Luck has also served as President of the Penrose Chamber of Commerce and as a community board member with Fremont County Communities that Care.
Alamosa City Councilor Liz Hensley Liz Hensley is originally from the San Francisco/Bay Area but has lived in the San Luis Valley for 20 years. Hensley is Department Chair and professor in the School of Business at Adams State University. She is passionate about her students and her community and has found her true calling. She loves being a part of Adams State, Alamosa, and the San Luis Valley. She graduated with her PhD in organization and management from Capella University and her MBA from Arizona State University. Hensley currently serves as immediate past president for the Colorado Municipal League Executive Board, Alamosa City Council Member, board member on the Golf Board, Marketing Board, and San Luis Valley Housing Coalition, and is a member of Kiwanis International. Hensley and her husband Lynn have four adult children, Erin, Sammie, Chelsie, and Alan; four grandchildren; and three dogs and three cats.
6:00-6:30 Networking Breakouts
- State Senator Faith Winter (D-24) and Alamosa City Councilor Liz Hensley
- State Representative Iman Jodeh (D-41) and Jess Davidson
- State Representative Stephanie Luck (R-47) and Jeeva Senthilnathan