.png)
Welcome to Florida Women Leading Government (FWLG)!
We are a professional organization committed to empowering women in public service and government leadership roles across Florida. Our mission is to inspire, support, and connect women leaders, providing them with the tools, resources, and networks necessary to achieve their professional goals and make a meaningful impact in their communities.
At FWLG, we believe in fostering an inclusive environment where women in government can grow, lead, and succeed. Through education, mentorship, advocacy, and collaboration, we strive to advance the role of women in public service and create a future where gender equity in leadership is not just a goal but a reality.
Whether you’re an aspiring leader, an established professional, or simply passionate about the advancement of women in government, FWLG is here to support your journey.
|
The story of the Florida Women Leading Government initiative started in 2015 when Jill Silverboard was FCCMA President and the topic of diversity among city manager’s first came up. We recognized then that there were very few women who made it to the top seat in local government. Shortly thereafter, ICMA began an initiative to update a study from the 1970’s that counted how many women managers there were in the membership. It was 13% in the 70’s and unfortunately was still 13% in 2016.
As we started to discuss why more women weren’t sitting in the “chair,” we began dialogue about why things were different for women leaders. Oftentimes the theory of minority representation was part of the overall conversation rather than a dialogue about why women just weren’t provided the same opportunity as our male counterparts. We recognize that women regardless of race or creed make up 50% of the population. So this isn’t a minority question. The question becomes do we value women in the workforce as it relates to career opportunities in the same way we value men? The answer is the experience is different. In the State of Florida, the percent of female City and County Managers is closer to 25%. We have continued to influence our industry from our perspective and try to work within the limits of current organizations to do it. Many of us have had amazing male and female mentors and have been afforded fantastic opportunities in our careers. All of us have male counterparts that we respect and call friends. But it's important to acknowledge that the female experience in the workforce is different than males. After years of trying to fit into other models, it became clear that if we really dive into the issues women face in the local government profession, we need to have an organization that focuses on that experience. For the Founders of our Organization, our goal is to embrace female leadership. As we do this we welcome the participation of our male counterparts. Additionally, this organization is not just for female leaders at the top, rather we are here to help women at all levels be the best public servants they can be. At FWLG we are committed to helping women succeed in public-service roles by enhancing career opportunities through leadership and professional development, networking, and strengthening relationships among local government professionals. We value "Education, Excellence and Empowerment." We invite you to join with us as we have a different conversation about women in the local government profession. |
.png)