At the September monthly meeting, members of the Voices United Club listened to two remarkable speakers: Mary Anne Alhadeff, a former Emmy Award-winning television producer, public broadcasting CEO, and recently retired executive director of the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University, and Shannon Mantaro, interim executive director of the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University.
Mary Anne’s speech, “The Limitless Power of Women,” confirms that a woman who has goals and purpose can rise to the top ranks as an executive and help other women to do the same. Mary Anne volunteered at a local PBS station in Minnesota. Then the station offered her a job as a production assistant/secretary. She leaped at the opportunity, because she could learn so much by just absorbing the information that she was typing. Mary Anne said she was paid twice—once with money and then with knowledge. Mary Anne spoke about the “broken rung,” the first promotion to a management job, as the first hurdle women must cross. Without making that leap, opportunities like leadership training or conference attendance are not available. Women are left behind. Mary Anne led KERA, the PBS station in the Dallas area, the fifth largest market in the country, for 14 years. She proudly noted that she promoted a record number of women to management positions, not because of an initiative on her part to promote just women, but, rather, she treated both men and women equitably.
Mary Anne retired from KERA with the full intent of leading the life of leisure that Robson offers, but the opportunity to create a new place dedicated to helping women become leaders in business and public service was just too exciting to pass up. Mary Anne then introduced Shannon to tell us more about the institute and its purposes.
Shannon explained that the Jane Nelson’s Institute’s Sue S. Bancroft Women’s Leadership Hall provides interactive displays to tell the stories of remarkable women who have had a significant impact on Texas. The Leadership Hall emphasizes the Texas suffragette movement and its leaders, women who have held elected positions in Texas, and 12 powerful Texas women and their accomplishments. But, equally important, there are three specialized centers for leadership. The first is the Center for Student Leadership, which helps develop skills to help young women leap the “broken rung” to leadership positions. The second, the Center for Women Entrepreneurs, focuses on business advice, grants, and networking opportunities for women-owned businesses. This center focuses on women but does not exclude men. The third, the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, provides training opportunities for those women who are interested in running for elected office.
The meeting ended with an invitation to visit the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University—an invitation that everyone should accept.
Voices United is a non-partisan group of Robson Ranch women who share progressive values, perform community outreach, provide civic awareness and social contact for members, and have a good time! We’re a 501(c)(3) group. Our annual dues are $20.