New Publication to Promote Women’s Leadership Now Available

Free how-to manual provides a practical, user-friendly guide to getting appointed to state boards and commissions

The New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women announces the release of its newest publication, How to Get Appointed to State Boards and Commissions: A Five Part Guide , in hardcopy and on its website  www.nh.gov/csw. The Guide provides citizens with information about the nomination and appointment process to more than 200 state regulatory and advisory bodies.

In New Hampshire, women made some of their greatest strides in the 2006 state elections, reaching “critical mass” of 36.7 percent in the General Court. Appointments to state boards and commissions are often an important launching point for women interested in public service, providing a strong foundation on how to set policy and deal with stake-holders in governmental agencies.

According to a report by the Center for Women in Government (“Women in State Policy Leadership, 1998-2005: An Analysis of Slow and Uneven Progress,” Winter 2006), women nationally have made only modest gains in their share of appointed offices in state government, with women nationally holding 24.7 percent of state government leadership posts in 2005. Women of color, in particular, remain dramatically underrepresented in these influential posts.

“Highly qualified women remain largely untapped for leadership roles as agency heads and as members of state boards and commissions,” said Laurie Chandler, Past Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women. “Yet, women bring a unique value to the table by providing a different perspective, expanding the concerns of board discussions, asking tough questions, and, most often, encouraging collaboration and inclusiveness.”

Created in 1969 by state statute, the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women remains the only state agency exclusively devoted to enhancing opportunities and affecting positive change for the diverse population of New Hampshire women and girls. How to Get Appointed to  State Boards and Commissions: A Five Part Guide is the most recent of the many publications, handbooks, and resource guides provided free of charge by the Commission.

 For more information about the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women, call 603.271.2660, e mail: cmswweb@nh.gov

March 21, 2008

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