Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee

CalSPAC Fall Conference 2015

11/18/2015

CalSPAC hosted its Fall Conference in San Francisco from Friday, October 16 - Sunday, October 18. Approximately 35 delegates from all over California traveled to learn about how the California legislative process works, what other Junior Leagues are doing to "Bring CalSPAC Home," budget advocacy, and more!

Several speakers addressed the delegation including: Susie Berg, President Elect of the Junior League of San Francisco; Cynthia Foster, board member of the Association of Junior Leagues International and past President of Junior League of San Francisco; Political Solutions, CalSPAC's legislative analyst; and Minouche Kandel, Women's Policy Director of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women.

CalSPAC had a historic vote at Fall Conference to add a fifth policy subcommittee - Human Trafficking - to its current list of policy subcommittees: Education, Health, Family Support, and Violence Prevention. This is an important step, as CalSPAC will now have a dedicated group of delegates reviewing human trafficking related bills for legislative action and to help us further develop our sponsored legislation platform.

Fall Conference concluded with a presentation of SPAC-tacular Awards, a new way to continually recognize delegates throughout the year from the Co-Chairs. Christie Bettendorf (Junior League of Long Beach) was awarded for her leadership within CalSPAC's education policy area and helping with the 2015-18 Strategic Plan. Kathryn Drewry (Junior League of Bakersfield) was recognized for her help with our Twitter and Periscope social media efforts.

Thank you to our Fall Conference Host Shannon Conner (Junior League of San Francisco) and the Junior League of San Francisco, for their hospitality. The next conference will take place in Los Angeles, March 18-20, 2016. We're excited to see all of our delegates then!

CalSPAC Summer Conference 2015

11/18/2015

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Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee (CalSPAC) hosted its annual Summer Conference on Saturday, August 1 at the Junior League of San Francisco (for Northern Junior Leagues) and at the Junior League of San Francisco (for Southern Junior Leagues). CalSPAC delegates were invited to this quick introductory training to set up the year for success including how to navigate CalSPAC's matrix project which Junior delegates collect information about their Leagues so that CalSPAC may represent their interests when taking legislative action.

The morning began with a social media training led by Rita Scurich (Junior League of Monterey County) followed up by updated from our Policy Subcommittee Chairs Lenka Wright (Junior League of San Jose), Christie Bettendorf (Junior League of Long Beach), Ann Yih (Junior League of Palo Alto*Mid-Peninsula), and Marla Livengood (Junior League of San Joaquin County). CalSPAC's Co-Chairs Katherine Ahlswede and Sarah Percoulis also revealed their Road Map for the year.

In the afternoon, delegates learned how to conduct visits with elected officials led by Summer Ugale, Trainer. Junior delegates were assigned mini-placements, a new way for delegates to get involved early on in their CalSPAC placement. Senior delegates were trained on how to successfully mentor Junior delegates.

The day concluded with delegates sharing their plans for the year. Thank you to the Junior League of San Francisco and Junior League of Los Angeles for hosting our delegates.

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CalSPAC Spring Conference and Day at the Capitol

5/23/2015

CalSPAC delegates at the 2015 Spring Conference in Sacramento, together for the first time as a delegation after being honored with the Association of Junior League International's inaugural Public Policy and Advocacy Award for Maternal Mental Health advocacy!

2014-2015 CalSPAC Legislator of the Year Jim Beall with CalSPAC Co-Chairs Caroline Bruister and Virginia Chambers.

Junior League of Sacramento volunteers were exceptional stewards of the Capitol coordinating an awesome training experience for all!

The Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee (CalSPAC) held its annual Spring Conference May 1-3, 2015 in Sacramento and capped off the conference with CalSPAC's annual Day at the Capitol (DATC) on Monday, May 4th. A special thank you to Jenny Chavez, Senior Delegate, from the Junior League of Pasadena for organizing the conference and to Sandra Butler, Senior Delegate, from the Junior League of Sacramento, along with many of their members, for making our Day at the Capitol a memorable event.

CalSPAC will officially welcome Junior League of San Joaquin County (JLSJC) on June 1, 2015 as a voting member to our statewide delegation at this conference. CalSPAC will now represent 17 member leagues comprised of over 10,000 women who volunteer over 110,000 hours and give over $1.1 million dollars to community projects annually.

Spring Conference was the first time the delegation convened after receiving the Association of Junior Leagues International’s inaugural Public Policy and Advocacy Award. The award was given to the Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee (CalSPAC) on behalf CalSPAC, the Junior League of Los Angeles (JLLA) and the Junior League of San Francisco (JLSF) for their collective work on maternal mental health.

Throughout the weekend, CalSPAC delegates engaged in training provided by our 2014-15 Co-Chairs, Caroline Bruister and Virginia Chambers and CalSPAC Trainer, Paula Barrow. Our legislative consultants Political Solutions provided more in-depth training on the current political climate in Sacramento, budget advocacy, the difference between advocacy and lobbying, and how to meet with legislators. We also learned some valuable social media tips from Ogilvy Digital Strategist, Toby Phillips. Guest Speaker Rachel Michelin, CEO of California Women Lead spoke on the benefits derived from holding a state appointed board position and tips on how to become appointed and Dani Mole, Junior League of Sacramento Board of Directors Member and Advocacy Coordinator with California Alliance of Child and Family Services, shared her experience working to prevent human trafficking in her community.

The Spring Conference concluded with a recap of the year and presentation of the 2014 – 2015 Delegate Awards from the Co-Chairs. Shannon Conner (Junior League of San Francisco) was awarded the Rising Star award for her incredible leadership with CalSPAC’s social media strategies as she continued to enhance our profile amongst policy stakeholders, elected officials, and the 17 regions we represent.

Katherine Ahlswede (Junior League of Orange County) was awarded the Community Impact Award for her remarkable and sustainable impact in both her local community and her home League. Under her leadership, Junior League of Orange County’s Public Affairs Council has hosted numerous trainings, engaged with numerous policy makers and participated in various local task forces and advocacy groups. Her community and League leadership has helped to build a robust public affairs program, which trains effective advocates, as well as, create lasting change in her community.

Lastly, Valerie Minton (Junior League of Napa-Sonoma) was honored with the Above and Beyond Award for her integral part in the organization’s success throughout the year as she continuously stepped up to take on more duties outside of the scope as her role as Vice Chair including her willingness to lead the Health Policy Subcommittee.

Day at the Capitol had a record breaking turnout this year, with just under one hundred Junior League members in attendance from throughout the state. We were addressed by Roseville City Councilmember Bonnie Gore, Assemblymember Roger Dickerson, Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, Appointments Secretary Mona Pasquil, Assemblymember Brian Mainschein and Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen. The day was packed with an amazing array of speakers; who covered engaging topics ranging from important issues within our four main focus areas, the unique advantage women have in politics, to tips on how to become part of a solution to our local community challenges.

Senator Jim Beall was awarded CalSPAC's 2014 -2015 Legislator of the Year Award for his tireless work in foster youth and human services. After graciously accepting his award, he spoke to attendees about the staggering statistics regarding low foster youth college completion rates and the high incarceration rates of former foster youth. At lunch, we heard from keynote speaker, Ted Lempert, President of Children Now, who discussed their nonpartisan effort to lead policy research and advocacy efforts dedicated to improving children’s overall wellbeing.

During the afternoon, attendees returned to the Capitol to visit various legislators from their respective home districts. League members discussed with their legislators about issues important to both their home Leagues and CalSPAC. Additionally, many attendees enjoyed a guided tour of our State’s Capitol. Stay posted for details on next year’s Day at the Capitol which will be held May 2, 2016. We hope to see you there!

Assembly Republican Leader Kristen Olsen addresses over 100 CalSPAC delegates and Junior League leaders from all over California at CalSPAC's Day at the Capitol.

California State Public Affairs Committee Honored for Maternal Health Advocacy by the Association of Junior Leagues International

4/19/2015

At the 93rd Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) Conference Awards Banquet, hosted in Los Angeles California on April 18, 2015, AJLI awarded its inaugural Public Policy and Advocacy Award, given to a league or State Public Affairs Committe. The award was given to the Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee (CalSPAC) on behalf CalSPAC,the Junior League of Los Angeles (JLLA) and the Junior League of San Francisco (JLSF) for their collective work on maternal mental health.

The 2014-2015 CalSPAC CoChair Virginia Chambers said, “We are deeply honored that Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee received the Association of Junior League's inaugural Public Policy and Advocacy Award for Maternal Health. California’s mothers and families are better off because of the work of so many fearless leaders over the past six years.”

In 2009, CalSPAC learned about maternal mental health disorders through its “There Ought to Be a Law” contest. Junior League of Los Angeles (JLLA) Provisional Britt Bowe, submitted the winning idea to CalSPAC’s contest after reading an article in Self Magazine about an Olympic athlete whose twin sister tragically lost her life due to an untreated maternal mental health disorder . The winning submission sought to provide information to mothers/families about perinatal depression at the hospital at time of discharge.

CalSPAC initially used legislative advocacy to influence the practices of health agencies, to change the stigma around this issue and to encourage the Legislature to recognize the severity of maternal mental health issues. Over three years, CalSPAC introduced one bill and two resolutions, resulting in ACR 105 (Nava)(Chaptered 2010) – declaring every May Perinatal Depression Awareness month in California; ACR 53 (Hernandez)(Chaptered 2011) - urges health care stakeholders to invest resources to educate women about perinatal depression risk factors and triggers.

The leaders of CalSPAC at the time, focused on capacity building to create sustainable change and in 2011, the California Maternal Mental Health Collaborative was created and is now a separate nonprofit. CalSPAC supported the Collaborative’s sponsored ACR 148(Lowenthal)(Chaptered 2014), creating the State Commission on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care which will kick off this June, according to Joy Burkhard, the Executive Director of the Collaborative and the sponsor of the Commission.

CalSPAC utilized community advocacy to influence public opinion and create a grassroots public education campaign. In 2010, CalSPAC worked with members from JLLA to develop awareness materials and a social media campaign for CalSPAC to utilize in May. JLSF expanded upon the JLLA developed “Speak Up When You’re Down” campaign by holding community panels and distributing materials to community partners, baby and maternity stores and partnering with the City and County of San Francisco, UCSF, and CPMC. JLSF’s Advocacy Committee continues to engage members and the community, hosting a kick off for Maternal Health Awareness Month called “What I’d Wished I Knew About Motherhood”.

The Award is shared by many fearless Junior League leaders. Past CalSPAC Co-Chair Julie Elginer spearheaded ACR 105 and the experience proved pivotal in her doctoral dissertation and continues as faculty in her UCLA reproductive health advocacy course. Past CalSPAC Co-Chair Joy Burkhard drafted ACR 53 and ACR 148, founded the California Maternal Mental Health Collaborative, hosts a national coalition and is starting a state-wide commission. JLLA members September Hill and Tasha Koumaris, helped create the “Speak Up When You’re Down” awareness campaign. JLSF Advocacy member Audrey Symes was instrumental in the development of a national social media campaign. 2014-2015 CalSPAC Co-Chair Caroline Bruister was Nava’s staffer, then decided to join JLSB/JLSF due to her experience with CalSPAC’s work. Past CalSPAC CoChair September Hill was inspired by CalSPAC’s work as an assistant and has since held every leadership placement within Public Policy Council, including Director and CalSPAC Co-Chair.

“The Junior League and CalSPAC provide members the training they need to conduct advocacy with skill on behalf of our community partners, our focus issues and our mission. The passion for building better communities is what has kept me active in the League the past seven years and excited about the difference a small group of committed citizens can do through collective advocacy efforts,” said September Hill.

Several past CalSPAC delegates continue to advocate on this issue through participation on the statewide or local taskforces including Andrea Medina (Bakersfield), Kristyn Byrne (Napa-Sonoma), Mia Fletcher (Fresno) and more. As Dr. Elginer shared, “The Junior League has a 114 year history of tackling some of society’s most vexing problems. This is an example of the power of strategic advocacy to achieve monumental, issue based community impact. Transformational change is possible.”

About the Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee:

CalSPAC is the statewide advocacy arm of 17 CalSPAC member leagues representing 10,000 women who volunteer over 110,000 hours and donate over $1.1 million dollars annually to their communities.

Learn more at www.californiaspac.com

About the California Maternal Mental Health Collaborative & 2020 Mom Project:

The CMMHC is a separate 501c3 non-profit organization that was formed as a result of the bill SPAC sponsored in 2009, Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 105. The organization has recently changed it’s name to 2020 Mom, to reflect it’s work nationaling and it’s core project, the 2020 Mom Project, which The CMMHCsets forth a pathway for change. hosts the National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health and is the organization who is sponsoring the work of the new California Commission on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care.

Learn more at http://www.camaternalmentalhealth.org

CalSPAC Winter Conference - Highlights from Santa Barbara

4/2/2015

The Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee (CalSPAC) held its annual Winter Conference on March 13‑15 in Santa Barbara, hosted by the Junior League of Santa Barbara (JLSB). Conference Chair Valerie Amparan and Tiffany Allen (JLSB CalSPAC delegates) planned an exciting team building weekend for all. Delegates from 17 member leagues gathered for a weekend of guest speakers, advocacy training and legislative analysis culminating in a slate of supported legislation.

To kick off the weekend, the delegation was welcomed by the JLSB President, Michelle Piotrowski, who introduced the Mayor of Santa Barbara, Helene Schneider, and District Attorney, Joyce E. Dudley. Mayor Schneider has worked closely with the Junior League of Santa Barbara to improve their community. She specifically highlighted the JLSB’s work to improve children’s literacy through their collaboration on the downtown library. District Attorney Dudley praised CalSPAC for the work we have done to combat human trafficking and shared with us that her office had successfully obtained their first conviction and sentencing of a man charged with human trafficking. In the words of one delegate, “It was a very inspiring way to start the conference.”

The delegation was also honored to hear from U.S. Representative Lois Capps, State Assemblymember Das Williams and State Senator Hannah‑Beth Jackson. Representative Capps, a strong supporter of women and children, discussed the work that is being done at the federal level to combat human trafficking and improve the lives of women. Assemblymember Das Williams discussed the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses and the legislation he has proposed to make college campuses safer in California. Finally, Senator Hannah‑Beth Jackson’s staff provided the delegation with a statement affirming her commitment to the women and children of our state.

In addition to hearing from local elected officials and representatives, the CalSPAC delegation was joined by our Legislative Analysts from Political Solutions, who provided focused training on budget advocacy and building relationships with our local county officials to maximize the impact we have on our communities.

Working throughout the weekend, our policy committees analyzed the newly introduced legislation under our four policy focus areas of family support, health, education and violence prevention. The delegates enjoyed learning about the proposed legislation and there were many engaging discussions amongst the delegation on important issues facing our communities. At the end of the weekend, the delegation voted to support 19 bills and two resolutions.

We are excited to report that the delegation voted unanimously to accept the Junior League of San Joaquin County’s application for membership to CalSPAC! Senior delegate Nicole Goehring and Junior Delegate Marla Livengood have represented their League throughout the year and we are thrilled to welcome their unique regional perspective and member involvement to the collective voice of CalSPAC's statewide advocacy efforts.

2015-2016 CalSPAC leaders were also selected to lead advocacy efforts in the future. Sarah Percoulis of the Junior League of Monterey County and Katherine Ahlswede of the Junior League of Orange County were elected by their peers as Co‑Chairs and Summer Ugale of the Junior League of Long Beach was elected Trainer. We are confident that their vision and leadership will continue to expand our capacity as a training organization and advocacy arm of the Junior Leagues of California.

CalSPAC will next convene in Sacramento and ALL Junior League members are invited to join us for Day at the Capitol on Monday, May 4, 2015. Inspiring elected and community leaders will address attendees, there will be a group picture taken on the Senate Floor and an Awards luncheon honoring Senator Beall will take place! Join us: http://www.californiaspac.com/.

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CalSPAC Fall Conference 2015

CalSPAC Summer Conference 2015

CalSPAC Spring Conference and Day at the Capitol

California State Public Affairs Committee Honored for Maternal Health Advocacy by the Association of Junior Leagues International

CalSPAC Winter Conference - Highlights from Santa Barbara

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