Ridgefield Ms President US Chapter Meets With Congresswoman DeLauro, Yale's Russo

Ms President US Launches 2026 Program Year With Rep. DeLauro, Yale’s Russo
By Elyse Pencu, Ms President US Mentor
CONNECTICUT — Ms President US kicked off its 2026 program year with a statewide virtual leadership session featuring U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Patricia Russo, executive director of the Campaign School at Yale.
The Zoom event brought together more than 50 Ms President US participants from chapters across
Connecticut, including Bethel, Old Saybrook, Ridgefield, Wilton, Westport, Greenwich, Stamford, Redding, Norwalk, Hamden, and Woodbridge.
Ms President US members, girls in grades 4-8, engaged in a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, public service, and the critical role local government plays in everyday life.
Rep. DeLauro, who represents Connecticut’s 3rd Congressional District, was first elected to Congress in 1991 and has since been re-elected 18 times. She currently serves as ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee and ranking member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and is the dean of Connecticut’s congressional delegation.
“My favorite part of my job is really interacting with people, like this conversation with you,”
DeLauro told participants. “You try to walk in other people’s shoes, and that helps shape the kinds of laws you want to make. There are so many ways to be part of your community and make a difference, and you can do it.”
Russo, a nationally recognized leader who has spent more than 35 years in senior roles across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, emphasized the urgency of increasing women’s participation in civic leadership. “There are not enough women running, winning, and leading in our country,”
Russo said. “We are 51% of the population, yet we are under 30% of elected representation at all levels of government. We need to get much closer to 50%.”
The 1.5 hour-long program also included an interactive civics quiz covering the structure of local, state, and federal government, as well as an introduction to candidate platform development in advance of the organization’s annual elections.
Ms President US is a groundbreaking, nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to motivating and preparing girls to pursue the highest levels of civic leadership.
The public is invited to the Ms President US Signature Campaign and Election event on April 26 at the Clune Center in Wilton, CT. Candidates will present their platforms, and attendees will vote for Ms President US to represent a dozen Connecticut towns. The event is free. RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/avj44en8
Learn more: https://www.mspresidentus.org