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Commission
Activities
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
engages in numerous activities each year in
order to empower women of the State of Florida
to achieve their fullest potential including:
Administering the
Florida Women's Hall of Fame
Conducting numerous
educational conferences for women throughout
Florida
Presenting the
FCSW Florida
Achievement Award
Organizing Women's History Month celebrations
Hosting international dialog on women's issues
Commission
News
FCSW Welcomes New
Commissioner
Florida Senate President, Ken Pruitt has
appointed
Amy
Kryak to the Florida Commission on the
Status of Women for a four-year term.
Commissioner Kryak is president and creative
director of Lost Art Advertising in Port St.
Lucie, Florida. An entrepreneur and business
owner since 1986, Kryak has won more than 200
awards for creative excellence in advertising,
along with the prestigious ANGEL award for
public service. She was Soroptimist Business
Woman of the Year in 2002 for St. Lucie County;
she has served as president of the Port St.
Lucie Business Women and is a current board
member of the Treasure Coast Advertising
Federation.
Florida Women's
Hall of Fame Seeks Nominations
Nominations
for the 2008-2009 Florida Women’s Hall of Fame
are now being accepted through Tuesday, July 15,
2008 by the Florida Commission on the Status of
Women. Since its inception in 1982, the Hall of
Fame has recognized and honored Florida women
who, through their lives and works, have made
significant contributions to the improvement of
life for all citizens of the state.
The Commission accepts nominations to the Hall
of Fame annually between April 1 and July 15.
Following deliberations, the Commission will
recommend 10 nominees to Governor Charlie Crist,
who will select up to three women for induction
into the Hall in a March 2009 ceremony.
Florida
Commission on the Status of Women
Releases Annual Report on Internet Safety
FCSW 2007 Annual Report Committee Chair Claudia
Kirk Barto, and 2007 Commission Chair Norma S.
White, L.H.D., pose with Attorney General Bill
McCollum during Capitol Press Conference.
Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced
the release of the Florida Commission on the
Status of Women’s Sixteenth Annual Report. The
report, titled
“Smart Surfing: A Resource Guide for Internet
Safety,” was created to raise awareness
about the need for women to have the knowledge
and skills to protect themselves and their
families from many types of computer crimes. The
report features information from the Attorney
General’s CyberCrime Unit and CyberSafety
presentations and will serve as a resource on
internet safety for Florida’s women.
“Internet safety is one of the most important
topics our women could become well-versed in as
they seek to protect their children and
families,” said Attorney General McCollum. “I
commend the Commission for their attention to
this topic and encourage each and every woman in
this state to pay close attention to this
essential issue.”
The Commission is charged by Florida law to
study the changing and developing roles of women
in American society, including the
implementation of recommendations to improve the
development of individual potential. As the
focus of the Commission’s mission is to empower
women from all walks of life in achieving their
fullest potential, the topic of internet safety
is one that would be essential to today’s women
as they endeavor to protect themselves, their
children and their families from the potential
dangers on the internet.
“We sincerely hope that this report will help
educate the women of Florida on how best to
protect themselves and their families from
crimes committed by computer,” says Commission
Chair, Norma S. White, L.H.D. “The Commission
commends Florida Attorney General Bill
McCollum’s leadership in the legal fight against
child pornography and the internet solicitation
of children. The report was written as yet
another step forward in these ongoing efforts to
keep our children safe as they explore the
Internet and use today’s technologies.”
In addition to information from the Attorney
General’s CyberCrime Unit and CyberSafety
presentations, the report also features material
from the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children and numerous other sources
dedicated to preventing internet crimes against
children. Topics include the CyberCrimes Against
Children Act of 2007 and its impact on Florida;
tactics and strategies used by internet
predators to target children; the “grooming”
process, through which internet predators break
down their victims’ inhibitions by lying to
them; warning signs that children may be at risk
online; a guide to commonly used chat
abbreviations; and cyberstalking and online
harassment.
Click here for a copy
of the report.
FCSW Welcomes Four New Commissioners
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
is pleased to welcome four newly appointed
members to the Commission. Attorney General Bill
McCollum has appointed
Nancy Peek McGowan
and Lourdes Castillo
de la Peña for terms beginning January 1,
2008, and ending December 31, 2011. McGowan, of
Jacksonville, has a passion for public policy
and has been instrumental in developing the
legislation which resulted in the mandatory
physical fitness standards for children in
Florida public schools. Castillo de la Peña, of
Miami, has been active in civic efforts in the
Miami-Dade community for the past several
decades, holding leadership positions with
numerous non-profit Boards, committees and
organizations.
Also, Speaker of the House Marco Rubio has
appointed
Bertica Cabrera-Morris and
Miami-Dade County
Commissioner Rebeca Sosa. Cabrera-Morris is
president of BCM Consulting, and owns two local
restaurants. She is also a member of the
Valencia Community College Board of Trustees,
having been appointed by Governor Bush.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa was
elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County
Commissioners in June 2001 to represent the
residents of District 6 and has been re-elected
twice - most recently in September 2006. Prior
to joining Miami-Dade County, Commissioner Sosa
served as mayor of the City of West Miami for
seven years.
FCSW Foundation to Publish
Florida Women's History Book
The Florida Commission
on the Status of Women (FCSW) and the
FCSW Foundation
Inc., are pleased to announce an exciting
project that, for the first time, will chronicle
the important contributions of women to Florida,
from the earliest Native American tribes, to
today’s pioneering women.
The soon to be published book, created in
partnership with
University Press of Florida and renowned
author and historian
Doris Weatherford, will be an invaluable
resource and research tool for educators,
students and the public. This project will bring
a historical perspective to the role of women in
the evolution and development of our State…one
that will inspire and motivate future
generations of Floridians.
Click here for more information.
Commission Elects 2008/2009 Officers
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
(FCSW) has elected the following members to
serve as officers for 2008-2009:
Claudia Kirk Barto,
Chair; Susanne Hebert,
Vice-Chair; Laura
McLeod, Treasurer;
Anne Voss, Secretary;
Janet Mabry, Member
at Large; and Carrie
Estevez Lee, Member at Large.
The new officers were sworn in during a
ceremony at the first quarterly meeting of the
Commission in Tallahassee on March 12, 2008.
Commission
Plays Integral Part in Florida Council
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
has been playing vital roles in two important
groups dedicated to serving the needs of Florida
Women, the
Interagency Council on Women's Health.
The
Interagency Council on Women's Health was
created by the Officer of Women's Health
Strategy to provide a mechanism for addressing
legislative mandates related to women's health.
Partners from state agencies, public and private
organizations, consumers, and stakeholders in
women's health are working together to improve
the overall health status of women in Florida
through research, awareness and education. The
Council recognizes the unique needs of women and
provides for public policy to address the
distinct characteristics of women's health
issues. The Commission is actively working with
the Strategic Planning sub-committee in studying
programs related to women's health throughout
Florida.
Upcoming
Commission Meetings and Activities*
3rd Quarterly Meeting
September 12, 2008
Lakeland, FL
4th Quarterly Meeting
November 13, 2008
Tallahassee, FL
WHOF Induction Ceremony
March 17, 2009
5:00 p.m.
Capitol Courtyard
Tallahassee, FL
*Times and dates for meetings and events may
vary. Please contact the
Florida Commission
on the Status of
Women at (850)
414-3300 for additional information.
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