Letter to the Editor: Diversity and the Women in Leadership Symposium

Letter to the Editor:
I was called to task in your October 22, 2015 front page story of the Whitman College Pioneer.  For the record I submit names of women who have been included in this symposium. Women’s Education: For Living and Leadership.
Outstanding Black, Latina and Asian women leaders who have been members of previous panels include:
Barbara Thomas – Executive Director, Northwest African American Museum, Seattle WA
Nina Nguyen Collier – Founding Partner, Washington Advocates, Bellevue WA
Dorothy H. Mann – Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Health Services, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Ann Kawasaki = Director of Finance and Operations for Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District
Constance Rice – Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement, Seattle Community College District, First Lady City of Seattle, now Regent, University of Washington
Martha Choe – Seattle City Council Member, Initiated Asian Youth-at-Risk program
Lt. Rosa Melendez – Seattle Police Department and United States Marshall Nominee
Mary E. Pugh – President of Pugh Capital Management, Inc.
Dr. Sandra Madrid – Assistant Dean for University of Washington School of Law
R.Y. Woodhouse PhD – President and CEO Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Other women who were “First’s”
Linda Heller – first female partner at Price Waterhouse, Accounting
Elaine Perkins – first female Sports Announcer for KING TV Seattle
Some have advanced in their careers:
Martha Chou – Member City Council Seattle, to CEO Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Sally Jewell – President West One Bank, CEO REI, Secretary of the Interior, President Obama’s current Cabinet
Some have built new institutions:
Ida Cole – renovation of the Paramount Theatre in Seattle to a public auditorium
Debbie Brainerd – Islandwood School, on Bainbridge Island which is currently used for several King County school districts as their environmental learning center.
This progress has been demonstrated over several years.  Often the panels have had a theme.  I chose this year, 2015, to honor our first female President of Whitman College and congratulate her on our behalf for being a trail blazer.  I selected only Whitman graduates on this occasion as speakers.
I introduced the panel by citing from a book by Professor G.Thomas Edwards (a revered history Professor during my time at Whitman) and his book entitled, Sewing Good Seeds.  It is the story of the journey Susan B. Anthony made to the Northwest, particularly to Oregon, Washington and Walla Walla.  I was inspired by her slogan for her crusade,  “Equality of Citizenship”  She achieved her dream in 1920 when United States women won the right to Vote.  In my lifetime, that doesn’t seem so long ago.
Promoting women’s leadership is important to me and our world.  Insight, inspiration and inclusion are guiding values.  I am grateful and thank the over 100 women who have given 24 hours of their day and night to travel from Seattle and to deliver their stories and pearls of wisdom to our students at Whitman College over the last 30 years.
May Whitman College always be a place to learn, contribute and share.
Regards,
Colleen Seidelhuber Willoughby ’55