Benchmarking Women's Leadership

Benchmarking Women’s Leadership

1901 East Asbury Avenue Denver Colorado 80208-1000 www.womenscollege.du.edu Benchmarking Women’s Leadership

in the United States

Author and Lead Researcher: Tiffani Lennon, J.D. Chair, Law and Society Colorado Women’s College—University of Denver

Research Associates: Dorey Lindemann Spotts (DU-CWC, 2012) Marissa Mitchell (DU, 2012)

Lead Editor: Shelley Popke

Reviewers: Miko Brown, J.D. Tiffany Dufu Jane Ehrhardt Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D. Karen Harolds Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. Deborah Klein, J.D., LL.M Lucie Lapovsky, Ph.D. Deborah Larkin Richard A. Levine, J.D. Geri Meireis Cynthia Secor, Ph.D.

Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States University of Denver – Colorado Women’s College Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States

table of contents

Colorado Women’s College at the University of Denver �� 4 Preface �� 5 Special Acknowledgement from The White House Project �� 7 Introduction �� 5 Executive Summary �� 7 Academia �� 12 Arts and Entertainment �� 27 Business and Commercial Banking �� 41 Entrepreneurship �� 55 Journalism and Media �� 67 K-12 Education �� 83 Law �� 92 Medicine �� 101 Military �� 110 The Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector �� 120 Politics and Government �� 132 Religion �� 149 Sports �� 162 Technology �� 171 Methodology �� 179

Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States University of Denver – Colorado Women’s College Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States

Colorado Women’s College at the University of Denver

Where women learn to lead.

In 1888, Colorado Women’s College (CWC) was Colorado Women’s College is a knowledge center founded as a place for women to achieve a higher and catalyst for progress in women’s leadership education in Denver, Colorado. In 1982 CWC issues. Through research, partnerships and alli- became a part of the University of Denver, with ances with individuals and entities committed to a commitment from the University to invest in the examining the complexity of leadership and areas College’s continuing development as an academi- of emerging influence for women, the College cally challenging, empowering and transforma- generates and applies new knowledge – while tional learning environment for women. Today, challenging women to exercise leadership and Colorado Women’s College at the University influence across all sectors. It is within this in- of Denver remains dedicated to educating and novative learning environment that students gain empowering women, as one of approximately 50 an enhanced ability to engage in and appreciate women’s colleges in the U. S., and the only one in multicultural dialogue and perspective, establish the Rocky Mountain region. greater self-confidence, and receive a strong preparation to influence and impact the world in Colorado Women’s College places women at which we live. Graduates exemplify the mission of the center. Here, women’s thought leadership is the College: Colorado Women’s College educates elevated in the classroom, through research, and women to boldly lead in the communities where at salons where women thought leaders – includ- they live, work and engage. ing students, faculty and members of the local community – share ideas, lead conversation and provide commentary on current issues and their impact on women. Combined with the intellectually expansive experience of the University of Denver, a private research institution dedicated to the public good, CWC students graduate with a well- respected degree from the University of Denver and with the desire to lead – as well as with the academic knowledge, skills, confidence and drive to create a better world for everyone.

Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States University of Denver – Colorado Women’s College 4 Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States

Preface

Lao-Tzu said “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” However, a more correct translation from the original Chinese would be “The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.”

Women’s colleges have been talking the talk and team of researchers. The research team was led walking the walk in educating leaders, leaders who by CWC Law and Society program chair Tiffani happen to be women, since the mid-19th century. Lennon along with a group of University of Denver While fewer in number in the 21st century, wom- and Colorado Women’s College graduate and en’s colleges still play a critical role in educating undergraduate women. In this report, Benchmark- and elevating women, and even more importantly, ing Women’s Leadership in the United States, the expecting women to be leaders—all women, not faculty-student collaboration was rich and fully just a privileged few. Certainly Colorado Women’s expressed the inclusivity and perspective that both College (CWC), celebrating its 125th anniversary Marie and Tiffany sought in the women who were this year, exemplifies the ways in which women’s to produce this 2013 report. colleges are reaching greater numbers and more diverse types of women. Nearly 50 % of our The White House Project unexpectedly closed in students identify as women of color, while an ad- December 2012 leaving a huge gap in the efforts ditional 10% of CWC students come to us from to advance women’s leadership. While I and others countries outside of the United States. deeply mourn the loss of The White House Project, those of us who remain carry on its mission “to Several years ago The White House Project advance women’s leadership in all communities founding President Marie C. Wilson was seeking and sectors—up to the U.S. presidency—by filling an educational institution to continue the legacy the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical established in the 2009 The White House Project: mass of women.” Benchmarking Women’s Leadership report. Marie wanted The White House Project to partner with a With the loss of our White House Project partner, college or university that implicitly shared the mis- Colorado Women’s College moved forward to sion and values of The White House Project and, complete this report and disseminate it widely. particularly, an institution that purposefully and CWC was fortunate to find a donor who believes in intentionally welcomed all women into its commu- the college, its mission, and this report. Thanks to nity. Marie found that partner in the University of the generosity of entrepreneur and visionary Emily Denver’s Colorado Women’s College. Spencer, The Emily B. Spencer Research Fund for the Advancement of Women’s Thought Leadership Both Marie C. Wilson and her able successor, Tif- now exists to steward ethical research that gener- fany Dufu, courageously entrusted the extension of ates knowledge, informs practice, and promotes The White House Project: Benchmarking Women’s partnerships. It is through Emily’s generosity that Leadership to Colorado Women’s College and its CWC received the funds necessary to complete

Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States University of Denver – Colorado Women’s College 5 Preface

Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United To the men reading this report, what you will do to States and for that support I am deeply grateful. partner with women to change the landscape of positional leadership in this country? And to the It is the 21st century and the fact that this report women, as you journey through your own leader- shows that women remain, on average, less than ship path, remember that “The journey of a thou- 20% of positional leaders across 14 sectors in sand miles begins beneath one’s feet.” You are the United States is unconscionable. Addressing a necessary player in changing the landscape of complex challenges of the 21st century requires who leads. diversity of thought, experience, and perspective. And yet, as my students often remind me, how Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D. can our nation meet those challenges when 80% Dean, Colorado Women’s of our organizational leaders are men? The time College—University of Denver has come for women and men to share leader- August 18, 2013 ship for the sake of our families, our organizations, and our nation. I believe that this report will assist in prompting conversation, backed by significant data, to create greater capacity for women’s leadership across the sectors.

Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States University of Denver – Colorado Women’s College 6 Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States

Special Acknowledgement from The White House Project

Leadership matters. In order to innovate new solutions to the toughest problems we face, diverse leadership matters the most. Yet at the highest levels of leadership, women, though now over half of college graduates, continue to be underrepresented. Marie C. Wilson founded The White House Project in 1998 to address this problem. Over the next 15 years, we inspired, trained, and shifted the conversation about how we advance women. .

Our 2009 report, The White House Project: the facts and insights from this report to advance Benchmarking Women’s Leadership, offered the women’s leadership in ways previously unimagi- first comprehensive review across ten sectors of nable. Technology is our most innovative tool and society and continues to be a key resource for movements such as Levo League and Lean In are those who care about maximizing the impact of providing new solutions to an old dilemma. From over half of our population. Demand for an updat- the halls of Congress to corner offices, women’s ed Benchmarking Women’s Leadership grew soon talent and ingenuity must be fully harnessed for after its publication, and we were thrilled to partner the benefit of all of us. Looking at the numbers can with Colorado Women’s College for their 2013 be daunting, but let us use Benchmarking Wom- report titled Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in en’s Leadership in the United States to make the the United States. complex doable.

The partnership choice was obvious. Out of The With the closure of The White House project, I am White House Project’s work, training over 15,000 especially proud that Colorado Women’s College women across the country on how to run for politi- has fully embraced the work of charting our collec- cal office, Colorado has yielded the most dramatic tive progress to advance women’s leadership. result — ranking first in the nation — with women representing 41% of its state legislators. In addi- Tiffany Dufu tion, Dean Lynn M. Gangone and her colleagues Former President, The White House Project share our commitment to investing in the new face March 24, 2013 of leadership.

If we want something we have never had before, we will have to do something we have never done before. I encourage all of us to creatively apply

Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States University of Denver – Colorado Women’s College 7 Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States

Introduction

In 2009, The White House Project, under the leadership of president and founder Marie C. Wilson, released The White House Project: Benchmarking Women’s Leadership. The report examined ten sectors to quantify and qualify where women were—or were not—in positional leadership roles. .

The report found that women, on average, con- By examining top performers and positional lead- stituted 18% of positional leaders across the ten ers, we uncovered data trends revealing that sectors studied. Project directors and editors Lucie women are often among the highest performers, Lapovsky and Deborah Slaner Larkin, with a team yet are often not proportionally represented in top of researchers, writers, and an esteemed advisory leadership. Among those women holding posi- panel, led the direction of The White House Proj- tional leadership, frequently the individual, orga- ect: Benchmarking Women’s Leadership. nization, office and/or entity perform exceptionally well. To illustrate, a higher percentage of women The success and overwhelming response to The sit in leadership positions in the top ten organiza- White House Project: Benchmarking Women’s tions, offices or entities than in the industry as a Leadership elicited a need for more information whole. Additionally, our methodology allowed us about women and positional leadership and influ- to uncover women’s performance relative to men’s ence. To this end, President Marie C. Wilson and consistently across most sectors whenever objec- her successor, President Tiffany Dufu, in collabo- tive measurements could be used. To determine ration with the Colorado Women’s College Dean, performance we examined raw figures, such as Lynn M. Gangone, charted the course for this profits, audiences, circulations and sales, and report titled Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in found that women are either outperforming men the United States. comparatively or proportionally. Another trend emerged when examining both positional leader- As the author and lead researcher of Benchmark- ship and performance. In new sectors, such as ing Women’s Leadership in the United States, technology and social media, where gatekeepers I began collecting data alongside my research have not yet emerged, women are better repre- associates, Dorey Lindemann Spotts and Marissa sented in positional leadership roles. Mitchell, in January 2012. After concluding our data collection and synthesis in D