I am thrilled to serve as the 2007 - 2008 Chair of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. We are looking forward to an exciting and busy year.

The Florida Commission on the Status of Women held a successful and productive 1st Quarterly meeting on March 12 &13, 2007, at the TCC Capitol Center in Tallahassee, FL. We were honored to be welcomed by Florida Attorney General, Bill McCollum, who commended the Commission for its work and accomplishments that improve the lives of women and girls across the state of Florida. He also addressed the Commission regarding the many significant issues facing Florida’s women and families and stressed his dedication and administrative priority to fight against cyber crimes and internet predators.

The Commission was also addressed by Lillian Lima, Education Special Projects Coordinator for the Office of the Attorney General who provided and update of her work to reach out to at risk girls through programs such as Operation M.O.A.R. (Making Opportunities by Accepting Responsibilities) and Tomorrow’s Woman Mentoring Program. The Commission offered its support of these important programs and looks forward to working with Ms. Lima this year.

The next meeting of the Commission will be the 2007 2nd Quarterly Meeting held in Sarasota/Bradenton, FL on June 9, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Bradenton Campus, Selby Auditorium, D103. We invite you to join us as we work to empower the women of Florida to achieve their fullest potential.

The FCSW is thankful for the opportunity to educate, inform, and recognize Florida women and we hope that Connections will be an important and useful resource.