WIMG Presents Leadership Award, Elects New President
by Sadira Daher
 Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) presented Sedalia Sanders, councilmember, El Centro, Calif., with its 2009 Annual Leadership Award during the Congress of Cities in San Antonio last month. Sanders was honored for her
outstanding achievements as a local elected official, including her
support of women at the local government level.
“Councilmember Sanders exemplifies the high levels of dedication
and innovation that many of us aspire to bring to our work in local
government,” said WIMG President Daisy W. Lynum, commissioner, Orlando, Fla. “I salute her and our finalists for
their leadership.” Other finalists for the award included: Alfred Mae Drakeford,
councilmember, Camden, S.C.; Joycelyn Johnson, city council member,
Winston-Salem, N.C.; Belinda LaForce, mayor, Searcy, Ark.; Kathy
Turner, councilmember, Puyallup, Wash.; and Charlina Watson, councilwoman,
Bladensburg, Md.
WIMG also elected a new Board of Directors at the Congress of Cities. Lynum was elected the new WIMG president.
Lynum commended outgoing WIMG President Susan Burgess, mayor pro tem, Charlotte, N.C., for her leadership over the past year by stating, “Our organization has had a very productive year where we examined the challenging issues that women leaders are facing today. Our focus continues to be on problem solving approaches for women so that we can emerge as stronger leaders in our communities. Under Susan’s leadership, WIMG developed two resolutions that became a part of NLC’s new National Municipal Policy.”
One resolution which supports “Aging in Place” was reviewed by NLC’s Human Development Steering Committee, and resolved that the federal government should establish programs that reduce homecare costs, increase the quality of care and reduce the reliance on nursing home and other related services so that older individuals may have a continuum of housing options and increased access to broadband and Internet services to improve health care and social networking.
A second resolution, reviewed by the Information Technology and Communications Steering Committee, focused on the importance of providing broadband service deployment, particularly for underserved communities in municipalities.
The WIMG Membership and Leadership Award Luncheon featured Gail Perry-Mason, senior director of investments at Oppenheimer and Co. Inc. She discussed the value of creating a personal spending plan for survival and beyond. She also stressed the importance of teaching children financial responsibility and described her work within her own community. Members attending the luncheon were engaged and encouraged by her speech. WIMG also sponsored the Leadership Training Institute Seminar “The Policy Makers' Role in Creating Healthy Communities: What’s Health Got to do With It?” Participants learned about the importance of quality primary prevention and how to create sustainable comprehensive community change. Also, at a special awards reception held with the Hispanic Elected Local Officials and the Asian Pacific American Local Officials, WIMG honored San Antonio Councilmember Mary Alice Cisneros for her leadership with a WIMG Local Hero Award.
In addition to President Lynum, WIMG’s officers are: Adrienne Foster, mayor, Roeland Park, Kan., first vice president; Kathy Maness, councilmember, Lexington, S.C., second vice president; Mary Brown, councilwoman, Gary, Ind., communications officer; and Burgess, immediate past president.
At-large Board members are: Margaret Ann Bailey, mayor, Clarksburg, W.Va.; Dorothy Burton, mayor pro tem, Duncanville, Texas; Gloria Chavez, mayor, Tijeras, N.M.; Mildred Crump, council president, Newark, N.J.; Henrietta Davis, city councillor, Cambridge, Mass.; Jeanne Harris, councilmember, Vancouver, Wash.; Deborah A. Hill, councilwoman, Warrensville Heights, Ohio; Helen Kawagoe, city clerk, Carson, Calif.; Patsy Kinsey, councilwoman, Charlotte, N.C.; Dot LaMarche, vice mayor, Farragut, Tenn.; Mary McComber, councilmember, Oak Park Heights, Minn.; Sheila McKay-Vaughan, commissioner, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Joyce Sheperd, mayor pro tem, Atlanta; Phyllis Smith, mayor pro tem, North Miami Beach, Fla.; and Maxine Wilson, mayor pro tem, Tijeras, N.M.
WIMG Advisory Council members are: Edna Branch Jackson, mayor pro tem, Savannah, Ga.; Margaret Barrett Simon, councilwoman, Jackson, Miss.; M. Margaret Bates, commissioner, Lauderhill, Fla.; Marie Lopez Rogers, mayor, Avondale, Ariz.; Kay Senter, vice mayor, Morristown, Tenn.; and Marian B. Tasco, council majority leader, Philadelphia.
Details: For more information about WIMG and membership and sponsorship opportunities, contact NLC staff at (202) 626-3169.
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