Grafton Woman Named First Class of Women Leadership Fellows

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Governor Deval Patrick today welcomed the first class of women chosen as Leadership Fellows to work in key positions created within the executive branch of state government and the quasi-public agencies. Fellows will serve a one-year term as part of the Patrick Administration’s effort to expand access to high-level careers and improve the outcome for all women in the workplace across the economic spectrum. The Leadership Fellows program is part of the Women in the Workforce initiative, which the Governor created by Executive Order No. 550 earlier this year.

Michelle Reid of North Grafton was named director of environmental justice.

“Both the public and private sector must achieve gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace in order to keep the Massachusetts economy thriving,” said Patrick. “The Commonwealth is at a crossroad in our economic development. Over the next decade as baby boomers retire, all levels of positions inside thousands of organizations will need to be filled. It’s imperative we create equal opportunities for all individuals to be able to participate in the workplace.”

The Patrick Administration developed the Fellowship program in partnership with Bentley University and its Center for Women and Business (CWB) to grow the pipeline of women poised to fill career paths that can lead to senior positions in both the public and private sectors. Fellows are being placed in key positions in state government and the quasi-agencies for a year, while also participating in leadership development and networking programs throughout their tenure.

“Governor Patrick has already filled more than half of his Cabinet and senior management in the executive branch with women,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rachel Kaprielian. “The Fellows program will not only help us identify future female leaders who are committed to public service, but also benefit the Commonwealth because of the unique skills and experiences they bring to these positions.”

“Research studies show that CEOs and top management teams still matter most when charting a leadership course for advancing women,” said Bentley University President Gloria Cordes Larson. “I am grateful that our governor has chosen to be one of those ‘CEOs.’ He and other leaders in our state government have stepped up to make real change in their organizations. If we can continue with these efforts, in partnership with the private sector, we will reach a tipping point. At Bentley, our mission through the Center for Women and Business is to support organizations with the tools and best practices they need to recruit, retain and advance women in the workplace. By working together, I believe we can actually move the needle on this front.”

In March, to work alongside the Massachusetts Women’s Leadership Fellowship, the Governor also announced the formation of the Successful Women, Successful Families Task Force, which is charged with creating recommendations that the Patrick Administration can implement to advance and cultivate all women in the workforce.

The Patrick Administration has led by example when it comes to advancing women in the workplace and understands that women are a critical force behind continuing economic success for the Commonwealth. According to the latest Report on Diversity Outcomes in the Executive Branch released by the Office of Access and Opportunity in November 2013, 50 percent of all managers within the executive branch were women, and 49 percent of all senior managers within the executive branch were women. Massachusetts today ranks highest among states in the Northeast for women’s equality in employment and earnings, according to the institute for Women’s Policy Research.

In contrast, The Boston Club earlier this year released a report stating that only 13.8 percent of the directors of Massachusetts’ 100 largest public companies are women. This is an all-time high, and is below the national average of 17 percent. Just 1.5 percent of all directors at these top 100 companies are women of color, and the majority of these companies have no female executive officers. Workforce challenges exist for all women, not just those at the executive level. The Shriver Report released a study in collaboration with the Center for American Progress detailing the status of working women in the United States. The study determines that there are 42 million financially insecure working women across the country, living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. They note that women make up nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers, the vast majority of whom receive no paid sick days. Twenty-eight million children depend on these 42 million women.

Information submitted by Ann C. Dufresne, communications director, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development