WLAM's blog

April 29, 2011 93rd Annual WLAM Meeting (Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant)

Something for Everyone!
Annual Meeting and Cultural Immersion

April 29, 2011, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (registration opens at 9:30 am)
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant, MI

Annual Meeting Agenda
Click here for program details

Registration

Register before April 15th to receive a discounted rate! Click here for the registration form.


Sponsorship Information

Get noticed! Become a sponsor at the Annual Meeting. Click here for sponsorship opportunities.

The Membership will be voting on proposed bylaw amendments at the annual meeting.  These proposed bylaw amendments may be viewed by clicking here or by going to the Member Services tab and clicking on the WLAM Bylaws tab of the drop down menu. 

 

The Women's Center of Southeastern Michigan celebrates Jean Ledwith King - March 26, 2011

The Power of One: Celebrating Jean L. King

 JLK

March 26, 2011

Reception 6 - 7pm / Dinner 7 - 9:30pm
Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest

On Saturday, March 26, 2011, the Women's Center of Southeastern Michigan will celebrate one of the most esteemed activists fighting for the rights of women - Jean Ledwith King. The Women's Center will honor Ms. King in a special ceremony to rename The Women's Center as the new Jean Ledwith King Women's Center of Southeastern Michigan.  We urge members to attend the wonderful event and support our celebrated WLAM member.  Click Here to Get More Information and Tickets

WLAM's 92nd Annual Meeting

WLAM's 92nd Annual Meeting Shines a Light on Gender Equity Issues, Provides Useful Negotiation Strategies and Honors its Jean L. King Award Recipient

By Teresa A. Killeen  If you missed WLAM’s State Annual Meeting at Greenfield Village on May 15, you missed out on a lot of value.  The meeting’s theme “Unconscious Gender Bias:  What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You” drew in over 100 attendees.  You could hear a pin drop as the panel of lawyers Kathleen Bogas and Jennifer Salvatore and State Representative Rebekah Warren rolled out their plan to bring proposed legislation on Pay Equity and Family Responsibilities Discrimination before the Michigan legislature.  WLAM’s Gender Equity Committee has been working collaboratively with Rep. Warren and others to draft the legislation and develop a strategy to pass it.  The panel covered everything from the reasons why the legislation is necessary to what potential unintended consequences might occur to how to lobby for its passage.

The meeting also included a panel on how to position yourself for increased compensation.  Moderated by Elizabeth Jolliffe, the panel of lawyers Peggy Costello, Julie Fershtman, David Winter, Denice LeVasseur and Susan Hartmus Hiser shared their advice on how to identify and market to potential clients, position yourself within a law firm, build a referral base, define success for yourself and then make it happen.

Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly of the Michigan Supreme Court, a long-time WLAM member, administered the oath of office to the new State-wide Officers and Board of Directors:  President Lysa Postula-Stein, President-Elect Hon. Angela Sherigan, Vice-President Hillarie Boettger, Treasurer Teresa Killeen, Secretary Julie Dykstra, Immediate Past President Kim Winokur, Directors-at-Large Julie Gafkay, Stacey King, Michele Rivas, Heidi Salter-Ferris and Suzanne Sukkar, Regional Directors Kelly Brushaber (Western), Michelle Lundquist (Macomb), Donna Mallonee (Great Lakes Bay), Cate McClure (Mid-Michigan), Julie Pfitzenmaier (Wayne), Kristen Pursley (Oakland) and Amy Reiser (Washtenaw).   

WLAM member and employee rights lawyer Kathleen L. Bogas received the Jean Ledwith King Leadership Award.  The annual award was created in honor of WLAM member Jean Ledwith King as a visionary and leading life-long advocate for women through her roles as a lawyer and political activist.  The audience warmly recognized and applauded Ms. King who was present at the meeting.

Prior to the start of the meeting, Kim Winokur conducted executive board training for all of the members of the state-wide and regional boards.  Susan B. Perlin, of Plante Moran, presented an overview of fiduciary duties, do’s and don’ts for a non-profit organization, and how to be more proficient at responsibilities and obligations as board members. 

Long after the close of the Annual Meeting, members were still engaged in the “meeting after the meeting.”   When you have people still talking an hour after a 3-½ hour meeting on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, you have ignited some strong energy!  

Please click the following link to view pictures from the meeting:  http://picasaweb.google.com/114721501752711869219/WLAMStateAnnualMeeting#

WLAM Supports Equal Pay Day on April 20, 2010

Michigan's hard-working women are seeing red. They're seeing red because they earn 72 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn, a gender-based wage gap that's even worse than the national gap of 80 cents on the dollar. Because of this, Michigan's women must work longer, on average, for the same amount of pay.

 

April 20th is Equal Pay Day, symbolizing just how far into the year a woman must work to earn as much as a man earned the previous year. On April 20th, women's organizations and people who support equal pay for women will gather at the state Capitol. In a show of solidarity, we'll be wearing red to symbolize how much women and minorities are "in the red" with their pay. We'll also hold a press conference in the rotunda to raise awareness and meet one on one with our lawmakers to urge immediate action on Michigan's wage gap.

 

Today, you can help the Michigan Equal Pay Day coalition in our fight to ensure Michigan's women get equal pay for equal work. Thirteen organizations have joined together to fight for fairness, economic security and financial independence for women. There are bills before the state House and the state Senate that would ensure Michigan's women earn equal pay for equal work, and we need your help to deliver equality for Michigan's women.  You can help by taking action and telling your lawmakers to support equal pay for equal work! Click here to find how.

 

2009 Membership Survey Responses

Click here to view the 2009 Membership Survey Results.  Each question is on a separate tab.