Leadership Women (LW) announces The Leadership America Class of 2015

45 women competitively selected to explore “LEADING WITH A GLOBAL VISION”

COLUMBIA, SC – Dr. Gail Wilson Giarratano, Executive Director and VP, City Year Columbia, has been selected to join an elite network of more than 5,000 women as a member of the Leadership America Class of 2015.

“Gail is one of 40 outstanding women leaders competitively selected from across the nation to participate in the longest-running women’s leadership development program in the US. Throughout the year-long program, she will have the opportunity to broaden her perspective and enhance her recognized leadership skills as the program visits three of our nation’s key cities. Each city’s agenda will feature some of our nation’s leading decision-makers and future-forward thinkers who will provide our participants cutting-edge information to inform their professional and community leadership for years to come,” said Martha P. Farmer, Founding and Executive Director of Leadership America, now in its 28th consecutive year. .

Launched in 1988 as the first nationwide program for women’s leadership development, Leadership America is patterned after its sister program, Leadership Texas, and is run by the Texas-based Leadership Women, Inc. “Leadership America was started by our founders to allow women leaders the ability to expand their grasp and influence on the issues surrounding our nation and the globe.” said Candace O’Keefe Mathis, CEO of Leadership Women, Inc.

The theme for the 2015 program year is ‘LEADING WITH A GLOBAL VISION: Strategic…Collaborative…Future Focused.’ “Participants will visit Atlanta, Seattle and Santa Fe where each city’s opportunities and challenges will provide glimpses into possible futures in the participants’ spheres of influence and suggest roadmaps for leading us forward as a nation and as members of the global society,” Martha Farmer added.

“We consider it a privilege to assemble these influential women leaders from a broad diversity of professional and personal backgrounds and provide them opportunities to consider new modes of listening; to seek new perspectives; and to imagine new collaborations that will provide new solutions to the challenges of today’s interconnected global society. We recognize it is necessary for today’s successful leaders to understand the cultural, social and economic shifts confronting all nations. The Leadership America experience informs, influences and inspires these women leaders to shape the future of our evolving nation and ever-changing world.”

Through the generous contributions of the Leadership America Program Sponsors, the program continues to provide the most up-to-date information on leadership and issues affecting our nation. Leadership America proudly recognizes Kaiser Permanente and Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing as Program sponsors.

Leadership Women, Inc.

Leadership Women, Inc. (LW) was established in Austin, Texas, in 1974. LW seeks to advance the power of leadership and legacy through programs that connect, inspire, empower and honor women. To extend LW’s message of strength and build bridges to and opportunities for women, LW founded Leadership America in 1988 and helped in the creation of complementary women’s programs in California, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina, among others. LW also established the nation’s first comprehensive women’s history museum, The Women’s Museum: An Institute for the Future, which opened in Dallas, Texas, in association with the Smithsonian Institution from 2000-2010. Since 1996, LW has been offering a series of national retreats for emerging women leaders called Leadership Pipeline. In 2009, LW launched one day conferences and workshops. Their Leadership International program traveled to India in 2013, South Africa in 2014 and will travel to Mexico in 2015. For additional information please go to www.leadership-women.org.

About City Year

City Year is an education-focused organization founded in 1988 dedicated to helping students and schools succeed. City Year partners with public schools in 26 urban, high-poverty communities across the U.S. and through international affiliates in the U.K. and Johannesburg, South Africa. Diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide high-impact student, classroom and school-wide support, to help students stay in school and on track to graduate from high school, ready for college and career success. A proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is made possible by support from the Corporation for National and Community Service, school district partnerships, and private philanthropy from corporations, foundations and individuals. Learn more at www.cityyear.org.