WASHINGTON, DC, January 08, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ — Women In Government, a national non-profit, nonpartisan membership organization representing women state legislators since 1988, approved the 2021 – 2022 Board of Directors at its October board meeting. A record number of women state legislators will serve in 2021 – more than 30% of the total – and they will address critical issues related to the pandemic, the economy, redistricting and many others.
Women In Government’s Board of Directors is excited to work with the record number of women who have been elected to state legislatures. Beginning January 1, 2021 Washington State Representative Cindy Ryu (D) will lead the Board as Chair, Hawai’i State Representative Lauren Matsumoto (R) will serve as Vice Chair, Alaska State Representative Geran Tarr (D) will serve as Treasurer, Connecticut State Representative Christie Carpino (R) will serve as Secretary, and Maine State Senator Stacey Guerin (R) will serve as Immediate Past Chair.
Serving as Regional Directors are Colorado State Senator Julie Gonzales (D) as a Western Regional Director, Nevada Assemblywoman Lisa Krasner (R) as a Western Regional Director, Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter (D) as a Midwestern Regional Director, Missouri State Representative Patricia Pike (R) as a Midwestern Regional Director, Georgia State Senator Gloria Butler (D) as a Southern Regional Director, South Carolina State Representative Heather Crawford (R) as a Southern Regional Director, Maryland State Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes (D) as an Eastern Regional Director, and West Virginia State Senator Patricia Rucker (R) as an Eastern Regional Director.
“Women In Government is looking forward to a new year and new ways to empower and educate women legislators from around the country. We will continue providing resources, events and platforms that assure that our members are ready to face the challenges of legislating in their states,” stated Senator Stacey Guerin (R-ME), Immediate Past Chair.
“I appreciate Women In Government’s dedication to not only increasing the knowledge base of women to become more effective legislators, but also WIG creating a safe space for both industry experts, business council members and associates to interact with women legislators in intimate settings, while truly enjoying each other’s company,” stated Representative Cindy Ryu (D-WA), Incoming Board Chair.
Board terms become effective in January 2021. Brief biographies of each Board Director appear below.
State Representative Cindy Ryu (D-WA) Rep. Cindy Ryu is serving her 6th term in the 32nd House District. She chairs the Community and Economic Development Committee with additional jurisdiction over community resilience, emergency preparedness, parks & recreation, telecommunications, broadband, and tourism. Chair Ryu also serves on the Consumer Protection & Business and Appropriations Committees, WA Tourism Marketing Authority, Pacific NW Economic Region, CSG Leadership Council and is completing her last year as Chair of Overseas Korean Politicians Council.
State Representative Lauren Matsumoto (R-HI) Representative Lauren Matsumoto currently serves Hawai’i’s 31st House District. Representative Matsumoto currently serves on the Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee, Agriculture Committee, Transportation Committee, and the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee. Representative Matsumoto is a coconvener of the Hawai’i Women’s Legislative Caucus.
State Representative Geran Tarr (D-AK) Representative Geran Tarr currently represents Alaska’s 19th House District and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the House Resources Committee and the Joint Armed Services Committee. She is also a Member of the House Fish & Game Finance Subcommittee, Fisheries Committee, Natural Resources Subcommittee, and the Health & Social Services Finance Subcommittee.
State Representative Christie Carpino (R-CT) State Representative Christie Carpino is the House Republican Caucus Chair and currently serves the 32nd House District. Representative Carpino serves on the Public Health Committee, the Government Administration and Elections Committee, the Regulations and Review Committee, as well as the Legislative Management Committee.
State Senator Stacey Guerin (R-ME) Senator Stacey Guerin currently serves House District 10 in Maine. Senator Guerin also currently serves on the Joint Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business, and the Joint Committee on Labor and Housing.
State Senator Julie Gonzales (D-CO) Senator Julie Gonzales serves Colorado’s 34th Senate District, which is comprised of north, west, and downtown Denver. Senator Gonzales serves as Chair of the State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee, the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee, and a member of the Appropriations Committee. She serves as the Colorado Senate Democrats Caucus Chair, and is also the Secretary of the Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus.
Assemblywoman Lisa Krasner (R-NV) Assemblywoman Lisa Krasner serves House District 26 which includes part of Washoe. Assemblywoman Krasner currently serves on the Assembly Education Committee, Assembly Health and Human Services Committee, and the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-IL) Senate Majority Caucus Chair Senator Mattie Hunter currently represents the 3rd Senate District that includes Chicago, Illinois. Senator Hunter serves as Chair of the Executive Committee, Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Special Issues (EX). She is also a member of the Appropriations I Committee, Committee of the Whole, Energy and Public Utilities Committee, Human Services Committee, Special Committee on Opioid Crisis Abatement, Public Health Committee and the Subcommittee on Special Issues (HS).
State Representative Patricia Pike (R-MO) Representative Patricia Pike currently serves House District 126 which includes Vernon County and the majority of Bates County, located south of Kansas City, Missouri. Representative Pike currently serves as the Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement as well as the Chair of the House Pensions Committee. She also currently serves on the Consent and House Procedure Committee, the Veterans Committee, and the Special Committee on Aging. Representative Pike held the position of president of the Women Legislators of Missouri organization from 2019-2020.
State Senator Gloria Butler (D-GA) Senator Gloria Butler currently represents Georgia’s 55th Senate District that includes parts of DeKalb County, Georgia. Senator Butler is the currently the Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus and serves as Secretary for the State and Local Governmental Operations Committee and the Urban Affairs Committee. Senator Butler also currently serves on the Ethics Committee, the Health and Human Services Committee, the Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee, the Rules Committee, and the Transportation Committee.
State Representative Heather Crawford (R-SC) Representative Heather Crawford represents South Carolina’s 68th House District. Representative Crawford has served in the South Carolina legislature since 2012 and currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee.
State Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-MD) Speaker Pro Tempore Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes currently serves District 37A. In the House of Delegates, she also serves on Health and Government Operations Committee and the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. Delegate Sample-Hughes is the President of the Maryland Woman’s Caucus.
State Senator Patricia Rucker (R-WV) Senator Patricia Rucker serves West Virginia Senate District 16. Senator Rucker currently serves as Chair of the Education Committee. Senator Rucker serves on the following committees in the West Virginia Legislature: Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, Banking and Insurance Committee, Children and Families, Select Committee on Confirmations, Health and Human Resources Committee, Judiciary Committee, Natural Resources Committee, and the Workforce Committee.
Women In Government Foundation, Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators that provides leadership opportunities, expert forums, and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues to all women state legislators across the country. Women In Government serves as a member-informed, policy-driven organization leading the nation with a bold, courageous and passionate vision to empower and mobilize all women state legislators to drive sound policy.
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