Dear friend, 

Every May, our country observes two distinct holidays: Mother's Day on the second Sunday and Memorial Day on the last Monday of the month.

And while the two holidays serve very different purposes, they both offer a moment to reflect on service, sacrifice, and leadership — and an opportunity to recognize the way those we honor those days have helped to shape future generations.

It's these qualities of service, sacrifice, and leadership that drive WPLN's mission to empower women to lead — in their professions, communities, and beyond.

In just one week we'll kick off WPLN's 4th annual National Summit, where we'll come together with women leaders from across the country to empower women to lead with purpose. There's still time for you to register to attend — registration closes today!

Onward,

Larissa

WPLN Founder and President

It's already been a busy year for WPLN, and we're not even halfway through 2025!

WPLN is thrilled to share that Elizabeth Montgomery has joined our team as Chief Operating Officer!

Elizabeth’s career spans international project and operations management in the non-profit and government sectors. Prior to joining WPLN, she served in several leadership positions at the International Republican Institute (IRI), working globally to increase women’s participation in public life.

Earlier this month, WPLN kicked off the launch of our new program "Lead in Style"!

The ability to convey confidence, competence, and relatability to voters is critical for any candidate. Our new program will provide women with practical skills needed to elevate their professional and personal brand.

We held our first event in Kalispell, Montana, co-hosted alongside Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Montana Chamber of Commerce, and Montana State Rep. Courtenay Sprunger.

This month, join us for a special "Mother's Day" episode of the WPLN Tips from the Trail podcast, with Jennifer Nassour on running for City Council and motherhood.

A consistent voice elevating women across the country, Jennifer has been a trailblazer for conservative women in Massachusetts and beyond, as the:

• Co-founder of the Pocketbook Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to electing more women in Massachusetts and the Northeast;
• Former CEO of ReflectUS, a nonpartisan coalition of the nation's leading women's representation organizations;
• Former Chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party and the Northeast Chair of the Women For Nikki coalition for the Nikki Haley for President campaign; and
• Host of the Political Contessa podcast.

We delve into her experiences both on and off the campaign trail, the role of mentorship in her journey, and her advice for other women considering taking that next step.

Listen to the episode below!

If you still haven't registered for WPLN's 4th Annual National Summit, it's not too late — yet!

Registration for our 2025 National Summit closes today, Thursday 5/29.

Register today to join us for keynote speakers, expert-led workshops to build key skills, and networking opportunities!

Tamika Hamilton

Congressional Candidate and Nonprofit Fundraiser

Tamika Hamilton ran for Congress in California’s 6th Congressional District and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where she served on active duty for more than 14 years. She now works in the nonprofit sector. WPLN had the opportunity to connect with Tamika for our 2023 #MomsOnTheTrail series!

... A new study reveals that when girls see women run for office, they’re more likely to vote when they’re old enough!

According to researchers at the University of Notre Dame:

"When they see women run, young women receive a message about the openness of the political system to people like them and about the capacity of women for politics. They accept this message by storing the information in their memory, perhaps even forgetting the source of the message. Then, when deciding whether to engage in politics themselves, they sample from the messages in their memory storage."

In addition, the researchers found:

"The more examples they have stored of women in public life, the more women might view political participation as appealing and accessible. It is the incidental exposure to women politicians through the normal course of life — a woman senatorial candidate comes up in conversation, a woman running for the House is featured on a billboard — that delivers the message that politics is for women."

Learn more.

And since we know you're busy, here are our top picks for other "must reads" this month!

• For the woman who aspires to the title of "Mom," Glamour asked, "What if motherhood was considered as ambitious as 'real' work?"
• For the mother whose child negotiates harder than a Fortune 500 CEO, the 2024-25 WPLN Fellows wrote about motherhood and leadership as part of our 2025 #MomsOnTheTrail series: Sarah Harper wrote about motherhood and mentorship; Grace Jackson examined how motherhood shapes leaders; and Jianna Covarelli wrote about America's Founding Mothers.
• For the woman who wants to Remember the Ladies, check out our monthly feature on key moments in women's representation and rights in the past during the month of May.

ICYMI... WPLN Leadership Spotlight with Jill Jester: WPLN Fellow Jianna Covarelli interviewed Jill Jester, who holds the Place 6 seat on the City Council in Denton, Texas, and was appointed twice to the Texas Woman's University Board of Regents. Watch the conversation on YouTube!

MAY 29  | Episode 4 of WPLN's Tips from the Trail podcast dropped! Find out more details on our website!

JUNE 5-7 | 2025 #WPLNSummit: Join WPLN and women leaders from across the country in Orlando, Florida, from June 5 through 7 for our 4th annual National Summit! Attendees will hear from experts and leaders to learn how to become a more effective leader, at all levels of government, and connect with women from across the country to build their networks!

Support WPLN programs and resources by making a contribution today!

Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.