Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Meet The Nominating Slate!


JLW’s Nominating Committee is the epitomy of empowered women empowering other women. This unique committee is a body of 11 women with leadership experience who identify and slate all League leaders for the following year. 

Our active members shape this committee by voting for its members each spring as part of our annual ballot. Today, we are introducing you to the 16 passionate and well-qualified women who make up the slate for the 2019-2020 Nominating Committee, and learn more about how these League leaders spread the #JLWLove!



Carol Der Garry
Carol Der Garry is one of two Sustainers on this year’s Nominating Committee slate. Did you know Nominating Committee always includes one Sustainer? Carol’s favorite leadership memory is helping select the winner of our Meg Graham College Scholarship during her tenure as Sustainer chair in 2017-2018. “This process reinforced how important JLW is to the DC community and what a huge difference we make in people’s lives!” As a member of the Nominating Committee, she wants to spread the #JLWLove by supporting diversity and elevating qualified JLW members who are new to leadership.

Rosemarie Hamm
Rosemarie Hamm has been a JLW member since 1998 and over the years, has worn many leadership hats - helping revamp the former Hotline newsletter (before it was League Lines) as committee chair, serving on the inaugural Website Task Force, and initiating Sustainer General Membership Meetings as Sustainer chair. But she says her mission moment is more low-key: “serving as a volunteer at the National Book Festival by fulfilling our organization's commitment to literacy, and being a small cog in the wheel to help make this important annual event a success to the community.” Rosemarie, one of two Sustainers on the Nominating Committee slate, hopes to find qualified, dedicated volunteers to serve as the next generation of leaders and continue building JLW’s legacy.

Ashlyn Holeyfield
As JLW’s Transfer Committee Chair, Ashlyn Holeyfield had a chance to hear every Transfer’s proudest moments, which reinforced her leadership mission to help JLW’s “high-caliber” volunteers find where they want to make an impact in our League and our community. Ashlyn believes the “continued success of JLW depends on women who are willing to ask, how can we do this better?” and she looks forward to find these women as a member of JLW’s Nominating Committee, if elected.

Zoe Louise Jackman
Having served as chair of the 60th annual Holiday Shops fundraiser, Zoe Louise Jackman knows that JLW’s network of volunteers is strong and supportive. “I have loved serving in a number of roles in the League, but I am the most inspired when other women in the League tell me they feel empowered to self-nominate for a leadership position because they realized they could rely on other League members for support and guidance throughout their time serving,” she says. Zoe believes a busy job or personal life doesn’t have to get in the way of getting involved in the League, and if elected to the Nominating Committee, she’ll “help other women in the League find their moment to shine in leadership roles.”

Adrianne James
Nominating Committee candidate Adrianne James is uniquely connected to the Transfer experience. After joining the Junior League of Washington in 2010, she spent six years in the Junior League of Philadelphia, where she chaired its Thrift Shop Committee, before returning to DC. Currently wearing two hats as the Transfer Committee’s Vice Chair of Community Experience and the Membership Development Assistant Council Director, Adrianne keeps a close eye on the member experience - not just for Transfers, but all members. She wants to continue spreading the #JLWLove on Nominating by “treating my fellow committee sisters with love and respect… because we are stronger together.”

Sarah Jorgenson
Sarah Jorgenson knows that the most rewarding JLW moments are ones that both excite our members and improve the community. When she served as chair of the Resolution Read Committee (now the Literacy Events Planning Committee), she says that planning the D.C. Public Library’s Letters About Literature contest. “It was incredible to see committee members get involved as a team, and it was inspirational to listen to the winners present letters to authors about how books impacted their lives.” Sarah hopes to continue her current work on JLW’s Nominating Committee next year in this same vein - “helping to empower and grow our current and upcoming leaders to positively impact our community, inside and outside the League.”

Jennifer Lim
Did you know that the Nominating Committee slate typically includes 1-2 returning members? This helps support continuity and the transfer of important information each year. Jenni Lim is currently on the Nominating Committee, and shared this highlight: “I was able to offer a woman who had been my new member years ago her first leadership position! That really brought home the importance of what we do in the Junior League - we all help grow DC’s best volunteers and future leaders.” If re-elected, Jenni hopes to continue improving the Nominating Committee’s communication with the League, something she has spearheaded this year.

Ashley MacLeay
Current Board of Directors member Ashley MacLeay knows how effective JLW volunteers can be in the community - and it inspires her to lead. When the child she mentored was able to read a new book aloud for the first time, “it was then I knew the League made an impact and I wanted to do more to empower women across community placements and the entire JLW to create more moments just like this one,” she said. She looks forward to doing so on the Nominating Committee next year, if elected. Ashley hopes to find “a diverse group of empowered women who are thinking strategically about the future of JLW and serving our community with respect and integrity.”

Alex Moses
For her first few years in JLW, Alex Moses primarily volunteered in roles that serve JLW’s members, including the Development & Training and Loughborough House Committees. This year, she answered the call to serve in the community as chair of JLW’s Calvary Women Services Committee - her first community-facing placement - but she hasn’t looked back. “Hearing the residents tell us how much they appreciate our contributions to the shelter reminded me why it’s important to be a leader in JLW,” she says. If elected to the Nominating Committee, she wants to encourage women to “put their name in the hat” even if it’s outside of their comfort zone or experience - because she knows first-hand how rewarding it can be!

Emily Patt
As Co-Chair of JLW’s New Member Committee, Emily Patt helps JLW members find their footing as volunteers and leaders from the get-go. Emily says it’s a privilege to watch members she’s advised develop into leaders and make a positive impact on the League. If elected to the Nominating Committee, she hopes to pay it forward by finding a new group of JLW leaders who will train and empower the next generation of League leaders. “I look forward to encouraging women to try new leadership roles and grow as leaders,” she says.

Phoenix Ricks
You may have seen Phoenix Ricks’ picture before in our 3039M magazine accompanying the Letter from the Editor. As chair of the Magazine Committee in 2017-2018, she was inspired by volunteers on her committee: “Seeing their months of hard work in the final publication is a feeling I will never forget!” Phoenix will bring her talents from the Communications & PR Council to the Nominating Committee to help keep the nominating process accessible to all members, ensuring the “nominating process is transparent and communicated in a timely manner.”

Laura Sherrod
Laura Sherrod is the current co-chair of JLW’s Tossed & Found fundraiser, but her leadership experience extends beyond the League. When her mother asked her to serve as campaign manager for her re-election as a judge, Laura says, “I decided if I can do this, I can do anything.” Laura will bring that can-do attitude to the Nominating Committee by “approaching every member with professionalism, respect, and up-to-date knowledge” if she is elected.

Laura Shull
Laura Shull knows how important JLW’s leaders can be to our members’ experience in the League. When serving as a committee leader, Laura reached out to a rock-star member on her committee to thank her for being a dedicated and outstanding member. “She let me know that she had been close to leaving the League, but she changed her mind due to how our committee was run. It felt really fantastic to have made such an impact on one member.” She will continue to empower women across the League if elected to the Nominating Committee by finding the strongest leaders to take JLW forward and by being open minded and thoughtful in every decision.

Aimee Picard Soller
Immediate Past President Aimee Picard Soller has done a little bit (or a lot of) everything in the League - and it shows. She says that, for her, mission moments happen all the time: “When a members says ‘Because of JLW…’, our impact in the community, friendships formed, skills gained and applied - too numerous to pick just one!” For Aimee, this translates to a wealth of opportunities along a League career to get involved, develop, and grow leadership skills. As a member of the Nominating Committee, she says, “I would like to see more women start on that path and more women continue on that path in new areas.”

Onika Williams
Onika Williams says she is inspired any time she is given the opportunity to represent JLW’s National Museum of Women in the Arts Committee - which is often, given that she serves as that committee’s chair this year! Onika also spreads the #JLWLove by sharing her path to leadership - something she will continue to do if elected to JLW’s Nominating Committee. “By hearing leaders’ stories, members will realize there is more than one way to lead in JLW,” Onika says.

Carolyn Wilson
Carolyn Wilson has been a member of JLW since 2010, and over her years in the League, she’s held leadership positions across three different councils. Because of this, she says she can’t pick just one moment that stands out the most: “I love being a part of an organization that gives me such a variety of volunteer and training opportunities.” Carolyn views leadership as a chance to share joy and appreciation for the JLW with other members, and she looks forward to doing so if elected to the Nominating Committee.

Active League members in good standing will have the opportunity to elect the members of the Nominating Committee as part of our annual ballot, which opens on April 10. Keep an eye out for the link to the ballot in your inboxes!  


Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Recap: A Weekend at AJLI's Organization Development Institute


By Sadie Cornelius, Graphic Design Committee Chair

The Organizational Development Institute (ODI) is an AJLI leadership development series  held three times a year to provide Junior League members with mission-based training in key areas critical to the healthy functioning of a League. At ODIs, delegates from across the country build organizational capacity by learning about:

  • Innovative approaches to developing Junior League members as effective volunteer leaders in their communities
  • Powerful ways to design community programs and partnerships that have significant impact
  • Strategies for sustainable and diversified fund development
  • Keys to building strong internal operational controls
  • New approaches that enable the League to be governed strategically and effectively
  • Ways to build relationships, engagement and understanding through marketing and communications
  • Leading the Junior League to be more diverse and inclusive
The Junior League of Washington (JLW) sent Colli McKiernan, Onika Williams, Deena Smith, and me to represent JLW at the 2019 Winter ODI held at the Hilton Bayfront in downtown St. Petersburg February 22-24, 2019.

The opening plenary started with remarks by Summer Jensen, president of Junior League of St. Petersburg followed by a general history of the League and an overview of resources available from AJLI by its Chief Learning Officer JuWon Choi, Ed.D. JuWon showed us a number of tools available on AJLI.org including a league-wide directory where you can see the breakdown of membership, dues and requirements and search for and find contact info for others in similar roles as you anywhere in the world (and even export data) as well as a library of templates, training materials and online learning (not to mention a new placement tool that’s been in the works).


Pictured Left to Right: Deena Smith (Community Affairs Council: Assistant Director) Sadie Cornelius (Graphic Design Committee: Chair), Colli McKiernan (Cultural CP Council: Director), Onika Williams (National Museum of Women in the Arts: Chair)



In the Diversity and Inclusion breakfast session, Dr. Johnny Lake, an international consultant, trainer and speaker, told personal anecdotes about how the people in our life shape our perspectives and emphasized the importance of building community. The “Celebrating Leadership” luncheon featured Keynote speaker Elise Minkoff who gave her personal story about why she joined and then went on to become the president of the St. Petersburg league and later serve on the AJLI board. Both were impactful and inspirational.

However, the most invaluable part of the conference was the interaction and exchanging of ideas among other leagues during the breakout sessions. The four, two-hour sessions focused on various tracks including Communications, Diversity and Inclusion, Governance and Membership and more. As the representative from JLW’s Graphic Design Committee, I participated in the Communications session while others from JLW also attended the session respective of their role in the League. Hearing and sharing our struggles and success in a more intimate setting sparked conversations and helped broaden perspectives for bringing creativity into our roles and committees.
Attending the Marketing & Communications breakout session with Abby!

An enlightening takeaway is that we are not alone - there are 140,000 women in 291 communities across the world all striving for the same noble mission. To help aid in this effort, there are dozens of private Facebook groups to keep the dialogue going in between these semi-annual gatherings. In addition, all conference materials are available online (from not only ODI St. Petersburg, but all meetings from the past 10 years) so any League member can take advantage of these at anytime.

There was also a marketplace to shop all things Junior League, a kick-off mix and mingle with beach music and morning exercise activities including barre and a walking tour. It was a packed weekend, but we made the most of our time to soak in as much knowledge as possible to bring back, share, and implement within JLW.

It was affirmation that we are already excelling in numerous aspects yet exciting to know that there are so many opportunities for improvement and growth. I was inspired by 354 hardworking, talented delegates from 110 leagues all in one place. Full of new friendships, optimism for the future and the assurance of knowing no matter where you live, we have a network and backbone of a more than 100-year legacy to support our efforts. And to think it all started with “one woman” Mary Harriman at the age of 19.

Junior League of Washington with the Junior League of Atlanta (3,000+ members and 3rd largest league)