The programming for our 2023 #WPLNSummit was built around the knowledge and skills that any woman on the trail or in office would need. 

We followed up our panel on economic and community development with a panel on diversity on the trail, featuring the following leaders and experts:

• WPLN President Larissa Martinez (@LMart939 on Twitter)

• Monet Bacs from the LIBRE Initiative (@MonetBacs on Twitter)

• Nikita Pearson (@MsNikitaPearson on Twitter)

• Lorenda Overman from the American Farm Bureau Federation

• Angel Fimbres Barcelo from Big Fish Recruiting (@AngelFBarcelo on Twitter)

It’s no secret that women remain underrepresented in political leadership overall, and center-right women even more so. But our communities and country are stronger when our government reflects the people it serves. All women’s voices should be represented.

Furthermore, leaders should strive to elevate the voices of those they represent. And as speaker Monet Bacs noted, “diversity” encompasses more than race or sex – it also means a diversity of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. So reaching audiences of all kinds is critical for any candidate or lawmaker to get their message out.

Monet Bacs, who serves as Strategic Director of the LIBRE Initiative in Arizona, noted the importance of representation at decision-making tables. “We should have a seat at the table, all of us should,” she said, “because if you don’t, then something will be missed.”

And all of our speakers emphasized that women are not a monolith. Women do not all have the same beliefs, do not support all the same concepts, and do not have all the same experiences. Monet urged the audience not to let anyone speak for them or tell them what to think.

Lorenda Overman, a farmer from the American Farm Bureau Federation, highlighted that “diversity” can show up in all kinds of ways. For example, as a woman in the male-dominated industry of agriculture, “I am a walking, talking example of diversity,” she said.

Like the earlier panel, our “Diversity on the Trail” panelists urged women to empower others. “It doesn’t matter how confident that person is… everyone needs that extra push,” said Angel Fimbres Barcelo, Senior Talent Advisor at Big Fish Recruiting.

“I think it’s particularly important that we approach leadership from a humanity and women’s perspective,” said Nikita Pearson, who works at a federal agency but spoke in her personal capacity.

“We’re here for a free and open society, for people to reach their full potential,” said Monet.

And several speakers emphasized that leaders represent their entire community, including the voiceless. 

“When I think about how to reach diverse audiences, I think about representing people who may not have a voice,” said Nikita.

“We all care about the same things,” added Angel. “How do we find those solutions and how do we come to an agreement?”

“We need a common thread,” said Lorenda.

Stay tuned for more details, photos, and posts from our 2023 #WPLNSummit!

To see even more photos from the weekend, click here for our Facebook group. (If you're not a member of our Facebook group, click here to join!) 

Want to follow up with our speakers? Here’s a list of our panels, the speakers, and their social media information:

• Economic and community development, featuring the following leaders and experts:

• Former California Assemblywoman Catharine Baker (@CBakerAD16 on Twitter)

• San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones (@RebeccaJ516 on Twitter)

• Yorba Linda Mayor Pro Tem Tara Campbell (@tarapcampbell on Twitter)

• Darian Z. Harris from Advantage Capital (Darian’s LinkedIn profile)

• Diversity on the trail, featuring the following leaders and experts:

• WPLN President Larissa Martinez (@LMart939 on Twitter)

• Monet Bacs from the LIBRE Initiative (@MonetBacs on Twitter)

• Nikita Pearson (@MsNikitaPearson on Twitter)

• Lorenda Overman from the American Farm Bureau Federation

• Angel Fimbres Barcelo from Big Fish Recruiting (@AngelFBarcelo on Twitter)

• Voter outreach and community engagement, featuring the following leaders and experts:

• Arkansas Republican Party Communications Director Amber Crawford (@AmberRowlett1 on Twitter)

• Sara Marie Ridley from Majority Strategies (@SaraMarieK on Twitter)

• Former California congressional candidate Tamika Hamilton (@TamikaGHamilton on Twitter)

• Chris Lane from Cygnal (@ChrisLaneMA on Twitter)

We also offered more intimate panels on two important issues:

• The future of the workforce, featuring

  • Cheryl Jaeger from Crossroads Strategies (Cheryl’s LinkedIn profile)

  • Pennsylvania Representative Kristin Marcell, also of HBW Resources (Kristin’s LinkedIn profile)

  • Rachel Michelin from California Retailers Association (@RachelEMichelin on Twitter)

  • WPLN Board Member Matt Ralston, from Troutman Pepper Strategies (@MD_Ralston on Twitter)

• Secure and sustainable energy solutions, featuring

  • WPLN Board Chair Joel Noyes, from Hess Corporation (@JPNoyes on Twitter)

  • Emily Haggstrom from HBW Resources (@emilyhaggstrom on Twitter)

  • Kristin Westmoreland from American Petroleum Institute (@Kangus10 on Twitter)

  • Molly Determan from Energy and Technology Workforce (@molly_smart on Twitter)

And our skills building workshops centered around 3 skills critical for any candidate or lawmaker:

• Speaking with confidence, led by Jenifer Sarver from Sarver Strategies (@utsarver on Twitter)

• Building your brand, led by Madeline Fetterly of Be the Brand (@m_fetterly on Twitter)

• Fundraising, led by June Cutter of Highland Illuminate (@junecutter on Twitter)

In addition, Maria Giannopoulos (@greekmaria) and Erica Arbetter (@ThatsErica) from Google gave a presentation on the importance of digital security (“Keeping Yourself Secure with Google”).

Thank you to our 2023 #WPLNSummit sponsors!

Lastly, have questions about our national summit? Learn more here.