May Luncheon with Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis
Every day, we seem one step closer to losing our rights, our government, our very democracy. We now know it's up to us, and other Californians, to lead the fight against the Trump/Musk agenda.
But are we in California really safe?
Our Lt. Governor has already been in hand-to-hand combat with the president. She knows the danger he and Project 2025 represent. She discussed with us what our state government is now doing, and what it is planning for the future, to maintain California's independence and values, and what might be some weaknesses in our armor. And how we all can help.
Eleni Kounalakis is California's first woman Lieutenant Governor. She was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. She is running to become Governor in 2026.
April Luncheon with Ann Southworth
Citizens United and other campaign finance rulings by the Roberts Court have dramatically changed elections in the US. These rulings are the result of a decades-long campaign to deregulate election spending in the name of free speech.
Guest speaker Ann Southworth, Irvine School of Law Professor and author of “Big Money Unleashed: The Campaign to Deregulate Election Spending,” told us about her research into how lawyers, advocacy organizations, and their political and financial patrons helped to make the First Amendment law that stands in the way of campaign finance regulation.
Drawing from the interviews she conducted with lawyers on both sides of the fight, she described the campaign and some of its consequences. She also discussed how these developments relate to the current political crisis.
Ann teaches and writes on the legal profession and lawyers. She is Co-Director of the UCI Center for Empirical Research on the Legal Profession and has a joint appointment in UCI’s Criminology Department. Prior to joining the founding faculty at UCI Law, she was a law professor at Case Western Reserve and an affiliated scholar at the American Bar Foundation. She has also been a visiting professor at Harvard and UCLA.
February Luncheon with Laura J. Nelson
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Laura J. Nelson is a go-to source for news about California politics.
Who will be the next governor of California? A woman - finally? Perhaps a friend of WIL? Someone who's not even on our radar today? A Republican???
It's early in the cycle, but the 2026 gubernatorial race is well underway.
We were thrilled to welcome first-time guest speaker Laura J. Nelson, who will be covering the gubernatorial race for the L.A. Times. She shared her insights into how the field is taking shape and what the key issues could be for voters next year.
Laura covers politics and campaign finance for the Times. She was part of the team that won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack, and the team that was a 2020 Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a dive-boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara.
During the 2024 cycle, she was one of the Times journalists who tracked election spending in Southern California, including the mind-boggling amounts invested by outside groups in Orange County congressional races
January Luncheon - Back by popular demand! UCI Dean Jon Gould helped us make sense of what happened in 2024 so we can prepare more effectively for 2026 and beyond.
The 2024 election proved beyond all doubt that Orange County is a truly "purple" county. Voter registration is evenly split across OC, and many November races were won by thin margins.
Understanding the views of the local electorate is of course key to WIL's mission of endorsing and supporting candidates who can win. And no one has more inside knowledge to share with us on this topic than Jon Gould, Dean of UCI's School of Social Ecology and a leading expert in voter sentiment and behavior here in OC.
Jon spoke at our October lunch on his polling research and the insights it could provide as to how the election might turn out. In his return visit, he walked us through the actual results of local elections, including the high-profile congressional races that left Republicans with the narrowest of majorities in the House. He discussed UCI's post-election poll - click here to read a summary - including whether and how his prior polling proved accurate and how the results can help us prepare for future election cycles.
October Luncheon with Jon Gould
Jon Gould has been studying our county and believes that our vote may hold the key to who will control Congress. We are one of only three counties in the entire country that is truly purple. In Jon’s words, Orange is the new purple.
As Dean of UCI’s School of Social Ecology, Jon has delved deep into local residents’ views on important issues, from housing to voting intentions.
Jon will discuss how his polling and research can help us understand how the replacement of Joe Biden with Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket may have changed the mood of Orange County voters and impacted close House races, and could even help predict which voters are likeliest to turn out in November.
We are truly fortunate to have an expert like Jon share his insights with us at what will be the last WIL luncheon before the truly historic 2024 election.
September Luncheon with School Board Panel
The recent chaos and culture wars happening in local schools is not by accident. Well-funded national organizations wanting to shut down public schools have set their sights on Orange County. They support candidates who claim to be about "parents' rights," when in fact their goal is to take full control of public schools with no regard for the impact it will have on students and communities.
We only need to look at Orange Unified, Placentia Yorba Linda Unified and the Orange County Board of Education to understand their agendas when they gain a majority. They defund their districts by suing the state, they ban books, throw out curriculum standards, and refuse to protect children who are bullied or need additional resources and support.
The roadmap for these national groups, like Moms for Liberty and the Heritage Foundation, is to quietly take over school boards without disclosing their agendas during the election.
Many have no idea candidates backed by these groups will be on our ballots this November.
WIL hosted a panel of prominent local school board members and candidates to discuss the challenges they face with this growing movement of anti-public education candidates.
WIL Election-Year Fundraiser
Women in Leadership held our election-year fundraiser in the beautiful Newport Beach home of one of our founding board members.
We celebrated the phenomenal candidates WIL has endorsed for November and the elected officials who've won in the past with WIL's backing.
We raised an amazing amount towards our goal for 2024--to max out contributions to as many candidates as we can. These are the women who will be voices for reproductive rights and freedoms inside local and state government, and they deserve our generous support!
July Luncheon with Betty Yee
WIL is proud to have endorsed Betty when she ran for Controller and won in 2014 and again in 2018. She has spent over 35 years serving the people of California.
We welcomed her as our speaker in 2018 when she was California’s Controller and again last year, in 2023.
We know Betty to be open, bright, honest and charismatic.
Betty is a native of San Francisco, a graduate of UC Berkeley, born to immigrant parents who ran a laundry and dry-cleaning business. She worked at her parents' business when not in school, dealing with customers, translating for her parents and helping with their finances. Those early lessons helped her in running California’s finances.
Now Betty is ready for the big job. She has always been a fighter for women’s and civil rights and would be our staunch advocate as California Governor.
We know the dangers that lie ahead if anti-women forces take control of the White House and Congress. Having a strong governor who will go above and beyond to protect and improve the lives and rights of all Californians is more important than ever.
June Luncheon with Huntington Beach Council Members Rhonda Bolton and Natalie Moser
Huntington Beach has become the national poster child for bad behavior and bad governance. The City Council is now controlled by extreme right-wingers. This has led to such actions as a ban on flying the Pride flag over City Hall in June and other actions hostile to the LGBTQ community; book banning in the city's public libraries as well as threatening to privatize the entire system; and the general nose-thumbing at various state legal mandates, at a substantial cost to residents who must pay the litigation fees.
While we thought the Council majority was out of step, when the citizens were allowed to vote on its agenda, they approved the ban on flying the Pride flag as well as a measure requiring IDs to vote in the city, a violation of State law.
What has caused this reversal on what was previously a moderate City Council? Where is this all headed? Newport Beach has already started to mimic Huntington Beach by removing books objected to by a vocal minority from the children’s section of the Newport Beach Public Library, mostly due to content related to sex and gender identity issues. Will this troubling trend spread further across Orange County?
We looked for answers from Rhonda and Natalie, two of the three remaining reasonable City Council Members, both running in the fall for reelection.
This was a fascinating lunch for those of us who have been following Huntington Beach's move to the far right.
It was also a reminder of the importance of WIL's mission: Electing good women who are committed to protecting everyone's basic rights.
May Luncheon with Professor Jane Stoever
It's 2024, and domestic violence is still:
- the leading cause of houselessness among women and children,
- the leading cause of injury to women in America aged 15 to 44 - more than car accidents, muggings and stranger rape combined,
- closely linked with reproductive coercion, even in states like California.
Professor Jane Stoever, the speaker at our May luncheon, is one of the premier experts in the field. Jane brought us up to speed on the factors behind these infuriating statistics, emerging issues in research on the topic, and the initiatives she and others are leading to combat domestic violence and advocate for survivors locally and nationally.
Jane teaches family law and legal ethics, and directs the UCI Law Domestic Violence Clinic, which represents abuse survivors in civil, criminal, immigration, and policy interventions in abuse. She also directs the interdisciplinary UCI Initiative to End Family Violence, and co-chairs the Orange County Domestic Violence Death Review Team.
She has advised the Obama and Biden administrations on domestic violence policy, and has received numerous awards for her service and advocacy.
This was very informative luncheon for many of us who did not understand just how pervasive domestic violence is or how closely connected it is to other ills affecting women and children including poverty, job loss and being unhoused.
April Luncheon with Professor Michele Bratcher Goodwin
The Alabama Supreme Court ruling giving frozen embryos outside the womb the same legal status as living children left us shocked and dismayed.
Even some politicians who have been trying to enshrine "fetal personhood" into law seem to have been caught off-guard. As if it had never occurred to them that IVF would come under threat along with abortion if life, as they claim to believe, begins at conception.
We could not have asked for a better guest to unpack this latest ruling and its broader implications for the fight for reproductive freedom than Michele Bratcher Goodwin.
One of the country's leading experts on health law and reproductive rights, Michele has been studying and writing about the "fetal personhood" movement and the policing of reproduction for decades. She helped us understand what just happened in Alabama, how it fits into the ongoing war on reproductive health, and what we can expect next.
Michele is a Professor of Constitutional Law and Global Health Policy at Georgetown Law. She has been a good friend of WIL's since she was with UCI as Chancellor's Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy.
Most of you probably know Michele, but just in case, you can find her bio here. If you'd like to read more about the issue, this link will take you to a piece Michele wrote back in 2018, "If Embryos and Fetuses have Rights."
March Luncheon with UCI Law Professor Courtney Cahill
Courtney Cahill - another amazing UCI law professor (bio here) - discussed some of the fascinating subjects she researches, including constitutional sex equality in the wake of Dobbs, the role of disgust in the passage of laws surrounding abortion and LGBTQ rights, and the use of criminal topless laws to enforce female sex subordination.
Professor Cahill is a two-time Dukeminier Award winner and has notably published or will be publishing in the Yale Law Journal, Harvard Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Northwestern University Law Review, Georgetown Law Journal, Minnesota Law Review, and North Carolina Law Review, among other journals.
January Luncheon with Dean Bernadette Boden-Albala
The speaker for our first luncheon of 2024 was Bernadette Boden-Albala (bio here), MPH, DrPH, Director of the UC Irvine Program in Public Health and Founding Dean of the future UC Irvine School of Population and Public Health.
With more than 30 years of experience, Dean Boden-Albala is one of the country's leading experts in her field and a truly dynamic speaker. She discussed the nexus between public health, health equity and reproductive health, and the role comprehensive sexual education plays in empowering young men and women to make good health decisions for themselves and to become lifelong defenders of science-based knowledge.
For the sake of the 5.8 million K-12 students in California, we must act now to tackle the anti-science culture that is infecting our school systems. It will take elected officials, educators, school board administrators, healthcare providers, caretakers - the "Village" - to raise a more informed and discerning citizen of the future.
Every election cycle, Women in Leadership gets behind local school board candidates who believe in science and evidence-based thinking, and understand how high the stakes are. 2024 will be no exception. Thank you to all of our members who allow WIL to support these courageous women.
November Luncheon with Dr. Allyson Brooks
How Hoag Hospital lost, then regained, its freedom to offer science-based healthcare to the whole community
WIL members were devastated to learn in 2012 that Orange County's beloved community hospital, Hoag Memorial, was joining local Catholic hospital chain St. Joseph Health.
Many of us took to the streets to protest. We understood the dangers that lay ahead.
Despite assurances that nothing would change, that Hoag would continue to be allowed to make its own decisions and offer its patients science-based healthcare, it didn't take long for our worst fears to be realized. Elective abortion was banned immediately. St. Joseph merged with Providence in 2016, and more religion-based restrictions were added.
By the time Hoag was finally able to disaffiliate from Providence in 2022, religious directives were dictating some of the care that could be offered to women, to LGBTQ patients, even to those seeking end-of-life care.
Dr. Allyson Brooks was there from the beginning. She'll share the painful story of how Hoag doctors were blindsided by the drastic changes that occurred starting in 2013, and the role she and other doctors played in freeing Hoag from the grip of Providence.
The talk couldn't have been more timely. Catholic systems control one in seven hospital beds in the country. Care in those facilities is governed by "ethical and religious directives for Catholic healthcare," not science.
Hoag's success story is a message of hope in these dark times.
October Luncheon with Ken Goldstein
An expert's deep dive into the politics of Orange County!
Ken Goldstein is one of the country's leading experts on politics and political campaigns.
Although WIL rarely invites a man to speak to us, we just couldn't pass up Ken, who comes to us from DC.
Ken is fascinated with our county which he says is not only among the six largest in the nation, but also one of only two genuinely purple large counties in the country. His extensive polling dissects the politics of the county, revealing surprising results.
Ken might look familiar to you - he has provided election night coverage for major TV networks for 35 years, where he also help to call elections. A former professor at University of Wisconsin and University of San Francisco, he currently directs research and policy at the Association of American Universities.
September Luncheon with our endorsed House candidates
What a treat for us to be able to introduce our members and supporters to all three of the House candidates WIL has endorsed in the 2024 primary!
Allyson Muñiz Damikolas is a chemical engineer and a mom. In 2020, she defeated a 24-year incumbent to win a seat on the Tustin Unified School Board. Now she's running to unseat Young Kim in the 40th Congressional district.
Kim Bernice Nguyen was the youngest person elected to the Garden Grove City Council. Currently nearing the end of her second term in that office, Kim is running to replace Michelle Steel as the representative for the 45th district.
Joanna Weiss is a former litigator and adjunct professor at Chapman University School of Law, and she is the founder and past president of WAVE Action Fund. Joanna is running for the open seat in District 47 currently held by Katie Porter.
We enjoyed a conversation with these three terrific candidates about what it's like to run for Congress as a woman in 2024 and their plans to improve the lives of Orange County families as members of Congress.
August Luncheon with Krista Hollinger, COO of PPOSBC
As anticipated, multiple states banned or restricted abortion access after Roe fell. Record numbers of women began traveling to California for abortion care.
Between June 2022, when Roe was overturned, and August of that year, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC) saw a threefold increase in the number of out-of-state patients seeking abortions. That came on top of the 900% increase it had seen between September 2021, when a new Texas law banning most abortions took effect, and June of last year.
Our guest speaker was Krista Hollinger, Chief Operating Officer of PPOSBC, the second largest PP affiliate in the nation with nine health centers that offer comprehensive reproductive and primary care services. She answered all our questions about how PPOSBC continues to gear up for the surge in demand for abortion care while still offering all the other vital services people turn to PP for.
Krista has over 20 years' experience in health administration and public policy, including at UCI and St. Jude's, with extensive expertise in the reproductive healthcare management field.
June Luncheon with Congresswoman Katie Porter
We were so excited to welcome Congresswoman Katie Porter for our June luncheon and we are so proud to announce that she is our first endorsement for the 2024 cycle.
WIL has supported Katie in every race since her first run for Congress in 2018. In that time, she has become a force to be reckoned with across the country, whether she's holding CEOs accountable with her much-feared whiteboard, or laying out the facts about bodily autonomy being the key to social equality and economic security.
Katie is a true champion for women, families, taxpayers and consumers. We're honored to call her a WIL Woman.
Attendees heard about the work Katie is doing in the House and everything she plans to do as a U.S. Senator.
Our thanks to Congresswoman Porter for such a fantastic event!
May Luncheon with Controller Betty Yee
WIL welcomed Betty to speak at a luncheon in 2018, when she was California's Controller. Now, hot off the press, she's running to succeed Gavin Newsom in 2026, and we have the good fortune to welcome her as a speaker again!
A native of San Francisco, Betty was born to immigrant parents who ran a laundry and dry cleaning business. She worked in the laundry when not in school, dealing with customers, translating for her parents, and assisting with their accounting. Those early jobs helped Betty in her job of running California's finances.
Now she's ready to vie for the top job in the state.
A graduate of UC Berkeley, Betty has spent 35 years in public service and local and state office. Throughout that time, she has been a champion of women's and civil rights. She's also someone we know to open, honest and funny.
WIL was proud to endorse Betty when she ran for Controller in 2014 and 2018. Now we are excited to hear about her plan to become California's first woman governor.
May Luncheon with Congresswoman Linda Sanchez
An update from Congresswoman Linda Sanchez on what's happening behind the scenes in the 118th Congress
Many of you attended our online event in 2021 with longtime WIL friend Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, where she shared her harrowing tale of being inside the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection.
We are so fortunate that the Congresswoman will be joining us again, in person this time, at our May 2 luncheon to talk about what's really going on in this 118th Congress - the good, the bad and the ugly!
Serving the 38th Congressional District since 2002, Linda is a true trailblazer:
- First Latina to serve on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and the House Judiciary Committee
- First Latina elected to a leadership position in the U.S. Congress
- First woman IBEW member elected to Congress
- First woman to lead the congressional campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- And of course Linda and her sister Loretta Sanchez, another longtime WIL friend, were the first siblings ever to serve in Congress at the same time.
Known as a representative who "kicks ass for the working class," Linda has also been on the frontlines of the fight for reproductive freedom for decades.
March Luncheon with Michele Goodwin, Chancellor’s Professor of Law at UCI
The reversal of Roe has turned out badly for women. Michele Goodwin will give us a deep dive on what has happened since and what we should expect in the coming years.
Michele Goodwin is one of the most remarkable speakers WIL has ever hosted, and we are very fortunate that she is returning to speak at our March luncheon.
Michele is the Chancellor’s Professor of Law at UCI and currently a visiting professor at Harvard Law School.
An internationally recognized expert on women’s rights, reproductive health and constitutional law, including the erosion of our reproductive rights, Michele has been featured in Politico, Salon, Forbes, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Sun-Times, NPR, and Ms. Magazine among others. She is host of the On the Issues with Michele Goodwin podcast at Ms. Magazine. She was the recipient of the UC’s 2020-21 Distinguished Senior Faculty Award for Research, the highest honor bestowed by the University of California, and the first law professor at UCI to receive this award. She has won other awards too numerous to recite.
Michele is a sought-after lecturer in the field of reproductive justice. She is on the forefront of national and international health policy issues, notably sitting on the executive committee of the ACLU and on the Board of Directors of Russ Feingold’s American Constitution Society. She is also a past member of the board of directors of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, and a longtime friend of WIL. You won't want to miss this event!
Evening reception for WIL 2022 candidates
2022 was a very successful year for women in politics at all levels of government and across the country, including here in Orange County. Thanks to your generosity, WIL was able to support a record 40 women who appeared on local ballots. Twenty-seven of them won. Others will win next time they run.
Come meet some of the incredible women who courageously answered the call to run for public office with WIL's support.
It will be fun and inspiring and we hope to see you there!
January Luncheon with Mayors Ashleigh Aitken and Valerie Amezcua
We can't think of a better way to kick off our celebration of WIL's 30-year anniversary than a luncheon with Ashleigh Aitken and Valerie Amezcua, the newly-elected mayors of Anaheim and Santa Ana. Both women were told they would never win, but persisted nevertheless. And now they will be running Orange County's two most populous cities!
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A businesswoman, consumer advocate and former federal prosecutor, Ashleigh Aitken was raised in Anaheim and has been involved in public service in that city and throughout Orange County for decades. She is taking over the reins at city hall at a crucial moment, in the wake of a major corruption scandal and as the city works to tackle affordability and homelessness. She will be the first woman mayor in Anaheim's 165-year history. |
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Valerie Amezcua served on the Santa Ana Unified School District Board from 2014 to 2022 and was president or vice-president for 5 years. A 30-year veteran of the OC Probation Department, she stepped down from her position in 2017 to devote all her time to her community. When she becomes the first woman mayor in Santa Ana's 153-year history, her top priorities will include expanding workforce housing and reducing homelessness. |
Both women have been recognized for their work on numerous occasions and have served on far too many boards and commissions to list here. They are true public servants and community leaders.
Come hear these trailblazers tell about the road they traveled to public office and their plans to move their cities and Orange County forward.
OCTOBER LUNCHEON WITH RUSS FEINGOLD, FORMER US SENATOR AND CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY
Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is currently President of The American Constitution Society (“ACS”), which is dedicated to countering the influence of rightwing ideologues on our judicial system. The ACS is working to elevate principled judges to the federal bench, to focus on state judicial systems where the fate of abortion rights now rests for many American women, and to provide progressive opportunities for law students.
WIL's good friend Michele Goodwin sits on the ACS Board.
SEPTEMBER LUNCHEON WITH ASSEMBLYMEMBER COTTIE PETRIE-NORRIS
We're thrilled to announce that the speaker at our September luncheon will be Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, currently representing Assembly district 74 and a candidate for district 72. Cottie will speak frankly with us about the fallout from Dobbs, and discuss what the state of California is doing to save the rights of women in our state.
What exactly can California do to help not only women in California, but also throughout the nation? And what role will Proposition 1 play? And what if our WORST nightmare occurs - if anti-choice forces take control of both houses and the presidency and enact a nationwide abortion ban? Could the state protect us then?
We always love to hear what Cottie has to say. She's a true straight-talker.
AUGUST LUNCHEON WITH KATIE PORTER
Since she was first elected to Congress in 2018, Katie has been a tireless and fearless advocate for families, consumers, the LGBTQ community, public education, the environment, government accountability, and of course reproductive freedom, which is under attack like never before.
Katie spoke about what's being done (or not being done) to protect reproductive rights at the federal level, and why Orange County will be such a critical battleground in the fight to stop anti-choice forces from taking control of Congress.
WIL SUMMER FUNDRAISING FIESTA
Please join us on June 29th as we celebrate our primary victories and get ready to support more amazing WIL candidates in November.
We are hosting our election-year summer fundraiser, so plan on attending this fun event, and be ready to be inspired and generous.
There will be a great silent auction with VIP opportunities, some with our very own WIL-endorsed candidates and elected leaders. All funds raised will go to support WIL-endorsed candidates.
Thank you in advance and see at the Newport Beach Tennis Club patio on the 29th!
WIL March Luncheon
Luncheon With Congresswoman Katie Porter
Katie has become a superstar since she was elected to Congress in 2018. Known as an absolutely fearless leader and tireless advocate for women's rights, she's the real deal in every way. This recent Vanity Fair piece gives a good idea of how Katie got her start and why she's just getting started.
School Board Updates
Why is so much attention suddenly being paid to our local school boards? Who’s behind all the controversy and confrontations? What’s at stake, and what can we do to protect students?
A Conversation with WIL-Endorsed City Council Members
Click play for a conversation about their campaigns, the challenges they face as elected women, and how they see the future of city leadership in Orange County.
Sexism in California politics: Has it always been this bad? Will it ever get better? May 27, 2021
A discussion of sexism in California politics with very special guests Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and Supervisor Katrina Foley!
WIL Zoom with The Mayors, March 10, 2021
What a year it's been!
Lunch with UCI Professor Michelle Goodwin, March 12, 2020
We always love having Michele speak to WIL. She is the Chancellor’s Professor of Law at UCI where she is the founding director of the UCI Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy, on the faculty in the Stem Cell Research Center, the Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, the Program in Public Health, and the Department of Criminology, Law, & Society.
Michele has been featured in Politico, Salon.com, Forbes, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, NPR and Ms. Magazine among others. She is a nationally recognized scholar in the field of reproductive justice.
Michele brought along copies of her just-released book, Policing the Womb, a chilling study of how states are using criminal laws as a tool to incarcerate, punish and humiliate poor pregnant women, and she signed them for WIL members and guests. Her talk was inspiring, disconcerting, stimulating and spoke to our most pressing and disturbing issues. The crowd was large and enthusiastic, notwithstanding the rising concern over coronavirus. The table were set to allow more social distance than normal.
WIL Reception at Playa Mesa, January 20, 2020
WIL Members and friends joined with many WIL endorsed candidates at Playa Mesa.
WIL sponsored a rare evening reception at Playa Mesa in Costa Mesa where WIL Members and friends joined many WIL endorsed candidates for delicious appetizers and drinks, plus a fun silent auction to raise money to enable WIL to contribute more funds to the campaigns of our endorsed candidates.
Speaker Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer – October 17, 2019
Fiona was a big hit with the many WIL members and friends who attended lunch with Fiona. She was smart and funny, plus informative. As it turns out, the office of State Treasurer has a big impact on our lives. Fiona is our State’s chief investment officer, banker and financier of the state government. She’s in charge of our State bonds and responsible for managing the State's investment accounts. She’s is in control of YOUR tax money. She is one of only three women to hold one of California’s state-wide executive offices. Look for her to run for Governor one of these days. Fiona was elected State Treasurer in 2018, with WIL’s endorsement.
Lunch with Rep. Linda Sanchez – Aug 19, 2019
Congresswoman Linda Sanchez with WIL Board members
Jennifer McDonald and Phyllis Roberts.
Linda has been a friend of WIL since she was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2003, representing the 38th Congressional District. As usual, her talk to a large WIL lunch audience was insightful, blunt and fun. She gave us insight into the dastardly going-on in Congress and provided juicy insight information. We all know and love Linda as a staunch supporter of women’s reproductive rights.
LUNCH WITH CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR CONNIE LEYVA - JUNE 7, 2019
Speaker Connie Leyva with WIL Board Members Isabel Irvine, Jennifer McDonald, Karen Clark and Susan Seely and Past WIL Chair and current Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley.
State Senator Connie Levya, Chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, was our speaker in June 2019. She is all about helping women. Not only is she Chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, but she also serves on both the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and the Senate Select Committee on Women and Inequality. She was the perfect person to help us understand how women in California are faring both in the State Legislature and in the State as a whole. She told us about how she ended up becoming a labor activist which eventually propelled her, due to a series of serendipitous opportunities and helpful mentors, to her current powerful position.
Post Primary Election Results Luncheon June 13th
June 13, 2018
The WIL lunch on June 13 was one of our most successful ever, with over 70 in attendance, including many women who are running for office. Our topic was "NOW WHAT??? THE PRIMARIES ARE OVER; WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?" and featured three political gurus, Republican Eileen Padberg, Democrat Louise Adler and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. After lots of eye-opening facts about the results of the primary, the take-away was that, if we want to flip Congress and also get local candidates elected who support reproductive rights, we will all have to work harder than ever. This means not only donating to these gutsy women, but making phone calls, walking precincts and giving fundraisers. It will not be easy, but we can't stand still if we want to stem the tide and start to move our country in the right direction.
Dr. Jennefer Russo Lunch Event at Antonello's
April 13, 2018
Dr. Jennefer Russo
Dr. Jennefer Russo, Medical Director of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of WIL members and friends on April 13 at Antonello’s.
So many of us came to the lunch believing we know everything important there is to know about Planned Parenthood, but we soon learned we were wrong. Jennefer provided many new facts, figures and insights about Planned Parenthood and its impact on the lives of women and girls, as well as men. She also discussed the dark side, namely the increasing threats facing Planned Parenthood and women’s reproductive rights generally.
Jennefer stressed the fact that pregnancy rates have plummeted with increasing availability of family planning. The Title X Family Planning Program, enacted under President Nixon in 1970, has provided millions of Americans with affordable planning services. More than one and five women seek care from Planned Parenthood at some point in their lives. Funding for Planned Parenthood is now threatened. While family planning funding is being cut, the federal government is putting its dollars into abstinence programs and “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” – centers that appear to unknowing women to be either abortion clinics or unbiased counseling services, but which are actually anti-choice centers designed to pressure women into not having abortions.
Jennefer spoke of the lack of sex education in our community, notwithstanding the state requirement that it be taught in every school district. Planned Parenthood is now the single largest provider of sex education in the U.S. with a comprehensive curriculum covering birth control, STI’s, consent, puberty, communication skills, and decision making to kids, teens, young adults, adults, and parents.
One alarming trend discussed by Jennefer was the promotion of an alleged “abortion reversal medication” along with recent legislative attempts to require that women be notified of its existence despite no scientific proof that it works.
The following two websites were provided where we can obtain additional reproductive news:
Rewire.News – Reproductive and sexual health, rights and justice. http://rewire.news
Guttmacher Institute - A leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the US and globally. guttmacher.org
Delaine Eastin Lunch Event at Antonello's
February 16, 2018
Thank you to Delaine Eastin for being our guest speaker. Delaine is a longtime WIL friend, former CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and currently the only woman running to become our next California Governor. Delaine spoke to a room packed with WIL fans on the importance of budgets being statements of our values. The lunch crowd loved her talk and engaged with her in a spirited discussion on the current state of California.
January 20, 2018 - Women's March OC
Now that the march is over, we must keep the momentum going for women's rights. Join WIL today and get connected in our community to help women candidates who are dedicated to keeping access to full reproductive rights elected to local, regional, and state-wide office.
Lynne Riddle & Lorraine Prinsky
Linda Oeth & Nancy Skinner
Sue Michelson, Karen Clark, & Linda Oeth
Karol Gottfredson & Eileen Padberg
Lorraine Prinsky with Greg Louganis
Lunch with Jon Dunn
November 10, 2017
Jon Dunn has been the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood, Orange County and San Bernardino for 24 years! In fact, our Board member Tricia Nichols was on the Board of PP when Jon was hired.
PPAC’s mission is to create a personally and politically safe climate in which individuals have universal and unfettered access to sexual and reproductive health service and are free to follow their own beliefs, values and moral code when making decisions about these services.
The political arm of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC), known as the Community Action Fund, is a 501(c)(4) organization and is a force to be reckoned with.
Planned Parenthood believes in an informed electorate. The Community Action Fund distributes its voter guides, and builds strategies to defeat candidates or incumbents who do not support reproductive freedom. Planned Parenthood was the sponsor of the huge women’s march on March 21.
The Community Action Fund is totally focused on the 2018 elections. It is doing some exciting things aimed at making significant legislative changes. Planned Parenthood is also planning another march!
Planned Parenthood CEO Jon Dunn.
WIL Members and Friends enjoy lunch at Antonello's.
Lunch with L. Song Richardson
October 18, 2017
L. Song Richardson succeeded Erwin Chemerinsky to become Interim Dean of the UCI School of Law in July 2017. She is a multi-dimensional scholar with expertise involving the areas of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure; Law and Social Science; and Law, Equality and Race. A graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, Song gave a compelling talk about unconscious biases and how they impact women striving to be successful leaders to a sold-out crowd of WIL members and guests at Antonello’s Restaurant. For more information on this topic, please view the report on the Perception Institute’s website.
Summer Reception
June 28, 2017
Women in Leadership kicked off summer with a reception to “Meet the Women of WIL” at Ecco Pizzeria in Costa Mesa. Hosted by WIL board members Mary Bayer and Jill Kanzler, members and guests were treated to wine and pizza as they learned more about WIL and met several of our candidates and elected officials.
Lunch with Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva
June 9, 2017
Sharon is one of WIL’s success stories, having won two out of her last three assembly races with WIL’s support. She is the only woman among Orange County’s seven state assembly members, and one of only two pro-choice members from Orange County. At our June lunch, Sharon shared with us how governing is working in Sacramento in 2017 and what our state government can do to fight back against the Trump assault on the basic rights of women.
Lunch with Joan Biskupic
May 11, 2017
Lunch with Mark Petracca
April 11, 2017
Mark Petracca is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of the School of Social Sciences at UCI. He was a quick-witted and entertaining speaker, taking nearly 70 WIL members and guests through the fascinating history of Orange County politics. He also provided a glimmer of hope about the changing landscape of party politics in Orange County, reminding us that Hillary Clinton did win Orange County – the first Democrat to do so in many, many
Lunch with Michelle Goodwin
March 15, 2017
Michele Goodwin is the Chancellor’s Professor of Law at UCI and holds appointments in the UCI Departments of Public Health and Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is a nationally recognized scholar in the field of reproductive justice. Her most recent book, Policing the Womb, is a chilling study of how states are using criminal laws as a tool to incarcerate, punish and humiliate poor pregnant women. Michele gave a dynamic, rousing talk about the way women’s rights are eroding under the reign of Trump.
