The future of public leadership in America never appeared brighter than during the Stennis Center for Public Service Annual Southern Women in Public Service Conference (SWIPS) held May 20-21, 2007 at the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza in Tampa, Florida.

Several members of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women (FCSW) attended the event, including FCSW Chairman Norma S. White and Commissioner Kathleen Passidomo who both chaired Plenary Sessions during the conference. Commissioners Thelma V. Crump and Anne B. Voss lead workshops on managing responsibilities and daily stress and how to present issues and field questions when giving a speech as a candidate.

Some of the Members of the FCSW who attended the
SWIPS Conference in Tampa, FL.

This year’s SWIPS theme, Coming Together to Make a Difference, brought together women from different backgrounds – Democrats, Republicans, Independents, stay at home mothers, business executives, community leaders, political novices and veterans – to promote women in public service leadership in the South. The goal of SWIPS is to improve the quality and character of government by tapping the talents of women currently serving in leadership positions and by opening doors for others interested in making a difference in public service.
 
The SWIPS conference was founded in 1991 under the leadership of Lindy Boggs, former U.S. Ambassador of the Holy See (Vatican), who also served as a member of Congress from Louisiana. In 1995, the Stennis Center established the Lindy Boggs Award to honor an outstanding female political leader from the South. Former Florida Congresswoman Carrie Meek was the recipient of this year’s Lindy Boggs Award. Past recipients include Dolly Parton, Lady Bird Johnson, Condoleezza Rice and Janet Reno.

Several sessions and concurrent workshops were conducted during the conference. Keynote speakers included Judy Genshaft, President, University of South Florida; Pam Iorio, Mayor of Tampa; Betty Castor, former Commissioner of the Florida Department of Education and former President of the University of South Florida who is currently Executive Director of the Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions, University of South Florida; Kathy Castor, Florida Representative, 11th District; and Alex Sink, Chief Financial Officer, Florida. First Lady Laura Bush spoke via video.

The John C. Stennis Center for Public Service is an independent, legislative branch agency created by Congress in 1988 to promote and strengthen public service leadership in America. The Stennis Center, headquartered in Starkville, Mississippi, also has a mandate to attract young people to careers in public service and to provide training for leaders in or likely to be in public service, and to offer development opportunities for senior congressional staff. For more information on the Stennis Center, please visit its web site at www.stennis.gov .