2020 Workshop Schedule

Saturday, March 28, 2020 All panels take place in the Old Chapel Multipurpose Room (1st floor), unless noted.

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast Buffet and Networking Location: Old Chapel Great Hall (2nd floor)

Attendees:

• , State Representative • , State Representative • Alisa Brewer, Town Councilor • Jo Comerford, State Senator • , State Representative • , State Representative • , State Representative • Nicole LaChapelle, Mayor, Easthampton • , State Representative • , State Representative • , State Representative

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Breakfast Conversation: Working Across the Aisle Location: Old Chapel Great Hall (2nd floor)

"Working across the aisle” is a common phrase in politics today, and learning to work with those who hold different – and sometimes opposite—opinions from you is a critical skill for any professional. In this panel, elected officials will discuss their experiences working with colleagues from different political parties and/or with different values.

Panelists:

• '86, MA State Representative (D. Stow) • Hannah Kane, MA State Representative (R. Shrewsbury) • Maria Robinson, MA State Representative (D. Framingham) • Alyson Sullivan, MA State Representative (R. Abington)

Moderator: Rachel Ellis ’21, UWiL Alumna

UWiL is a part of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and supported by a grant from Women for UMass

10:15 AM – 11:30 AM Law and Government Laws are central to public policy, and they are shaped by many different actors. This panel will highlight the role of law in government, policy and politics, and panelists will discuss the range of opportunities to engage with law in the public sector, both with and without a JD.

Panelists:

• Karen Dalheim ’85, Senior Attorney, US Department of Defense • Shaneka Davis ’09, Stuart J. Novick Legal Fellow, Boston Children’s Hospital • Jennifer Flanagan, Commissioner, MA Cannabis Control Commission • The Honorable Charles W. Groce, III, Associate Justice, Springfield District Court • Monserrate Quiñones ’95, Commissioner, MA Commission Against Discrimination

Moderator: Victoria Abramchuk ’20, UWiL Alumna

11:30 AM – 11:50 AM Mindfulness break Use this session to briefly pause, de-stress, and reflect on the workshop so far.

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch with Board Members Passes to the Blue Wall will be provided to participants. Please grab your food and eat in the glass room at the far end of the Blue Wall. It has been reserved for UWiL only.

1:15 PM – 2:30 PM Interviewing and Sound Bites In this interactive panel, reporters and public relations specialists will interview students on the spot, so they can practice their responses to unexpected questions. Reporters will provide feedback about how to improve interviewee sound bites and self-promotion and discuss their own interviewing styles and techniques.

Panelists:

• Mike Deehan ’07, State House Reporter, WGBH • Nicole Defeudis ’19, Reporter, Lowell Sun • Cayenne Isaksen ’05, Senior Director, O’Neill and Associates • Stephanie Murray ’18, Author, Politico MA Playbook • Afnan Nehela ’18, Communications Director, Sen. Jamie Eldridge • Elizabeth Roman ’06, Reporter El Pueblo Latino and MassLive

Moderator:

• Ann Murphy ’77, Senior Vice President, O’Neill and Associates and co-chair, UWiL Board of Directors

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM Making Change: Lobbying, Organizing, and Direct Services Although elected officials are the ones who pass bills and change or create rules, it is the lobbyists and advocates who often drive those changes and who are the experts on particular issues. This panel will explore direct service, lobbying, and organizing as ways to make change. Panelists will discuss which issues they’ve advocated on or organized for in their careers and what skills are necessary to succeed in that field.

UWiL is a part of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and supported by a grant from Women for UMass

Panelists:

• Beth Huang, Director, MA Voter Table • Kathi-Anne Reinstein ’93, Chief Development Officer and Head of External Affairs, Roca Susan Stearns ’86, Deputy Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness, New Hampshire • Krina Patel, J.D., M.S., Associate Director of State Public Policy & Government Affairs, Biogen

Moderator: Reilly Lee ’20, UWiL Alumna

4:10 PM – 5:10 PM Where to go from Here? A Reflection on the Weekend with UWiL Alums UWiL alums join us for our closing dialogue to reflect on the day and discuss next steps after the workshop and the UWiL program.

Panelists:

• Lily Wallace ’18, Legislative Aide, Office of Representative Natalie Blais • Ellie Pasternack ’18, MPP candidate, Brandeis University • Kim Phan ’19, Political Operations Assistant, ActBlue • Ellie Matos ’19, AmeriCorps Legal Advocate, MetroWest Legal Services

Moderator:

• Jessica Sizer ’19, ’20MPP, UWiL Graduate Program Assistant

5:10 PM – 5:30 PM Closing We will close out the workshop with a reflection on the day and plans for next steps

UWiL is a part of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and supported by a grant from Women for UMass