Radford – As 2019 kicks off, the year is the first full year of Radford’s new demographic on its governing bodies.
From left Laurie Buchwald, founder of Elect Women SWVA, helped organize efforts to encourage women to run for public office. She is seen here at an October symposium at Radford University with four women who were elected to public office in Radford including Lee Slusher and Liz Altieri, both school board members and Jessie Critterton and Naomi Huntington, both city council members. Elected in the spring of 2018, they raised representation by women from 10 percent to 40 percent on Radford’s governing bodies.
The local elections of 2018 brought a women’s wave onto Radford City Council and school board. The city went from 10 percent female representation in April 2018 to 40 percent after Radford voters chose four women from the candidates available -two for school board and two for city council.
Prior to the election Jessie Critterton was the only woman on either body, serving as a school board member. Critterton is now a Radford City Council member, along with Naomi Huntington. Lee Slusher and Liz Altieri are both school board members. The 2018 elections included more female candidates than any election in the city’s history, partly due to the efforts of former Radford Vice Mayor Laurie Buchwald, who has also run for Virginia General Assembly candidate. Buchwald says she saw a lack of female representation in government and tried to encourage women to run. Buchwald created an organization to do just that.
“When I made the decision not to run for a third term on Radford City Council, I did so knowing that I would leave the Council devoid of women,” Buchwald said via email Thursday. “I carried that worry throughout my campaign for House of Delegates in 2015 and used it as motivation to create Elect Women SWVA, an organization focused on increasing the number of women elected to office in Southwest Virginia.
“Women comprise 51 percent of the population. Our voices need and deserve to be heard,” she continued. “Until recently, women have comprised less than 20 percent of those elected to public office in all levels of government. Even with this year’s historic number of women elected to Congress, the representation of women on the federal level still hovers at 20 percent.”
Buchwald said she is pleased with results of local efforts.
“Progress is being made,” said Buchwald. “Just three years ago, there were five government bodies in the NRV without the representation of women. Now, there are just two.”
Slusher, a former teacher, says she feels a woman’s perspective is crucial to effective governance.
“When given leadership opportunities, women can bring a very unique perspective, said Slusher. “Our life experiences differ from men’s in general.”
Huntington says she agrees.
“One of the many reasons I chose to run for office was the mental anguish of seeing the city council, elected to represent me, completely devoid of female leadership,” Huntington said. “It was painful to see that one of the most basic parts of my identity was not represented by those who made fundamental decisions about the governing of Radford. I truly believed that the city needed and wanted different perspectives in leadership positions.”
“ I believe that women’s voices, at all levels of government, are crucial to our success as a community and as a country,” she continued. “Our diversity of experience gives us strength. On election day, the pain of exclusion that I felt as I chose to run for office was transformed into an overwhelming sense of pride in our community.”
Slusher says she thinks the increase in female leadership in 2018 across the country means good things to come.
“I believe 2018 was truly the year for women, especially with the very real possibility of the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment” Slusher said. “Fair treatment and equal pay should be just around the corner, so to speak. Women, however, must continue working hard, not just for ourselves, but for our daughters and granddaughters who strive to be leaders. Passage is ridiculously long overdue.”
Slusher said she feels fortunate to live and serve politically in Radford.
“Radford is a wonderfully supportive community,” she said. “Women in leadership roles is common, and I appreciate the respect I’ve received since winning a seat on the school board. As a young girl, my father encouraged me to do whatever challenged me even in a male dominated world. I’ve never personally encountered inequality and gender was not an issue for me during my campaign. I’ve been a very lucky gal.”
Altieri said she saw the school board as a way to affect change in a very impactful way.
“I realized that the position of School board member might be a way to affect change starting at the local level, and I could have an impact through the policies that guide our public schools,” Altieri said. “These are very challenging times. Schools are not seen as safe places. So many students are disenfranchised and disengaged. Serving at the local level is a way to cultivate change, to have an impact in these challenging times. Focusing on making the world a better place for our children and seeing it happen can sustain us.”
Buchwald said she plans to work to continue the trend.
“Women are just as capable; just as qualified; just as electable,” she said. “We need to build a bench of qualified women who are ready and willing to run. We do this by encouraging women to serve on Boards and Commissions, and to take on leadership roles in civic organizations. Not only will this allow women to grow in experience, it will make them visible to the traditional gate keepers who have historically asked men to serve.
“When women are asked, they run. When women run, they win.”