Newport Beach has a new win-WiNN situation with a new organization called Women in Newport Beach Networking (WiNN).
Mayor Diane Dixon along with several community volunteers including Civil Service Board Chair Debra Allen, and former Arts Commission Chair Kathy Harrison developed the new forum to increase awareness about opportunities to participate with local civic and community groups in Newport Beach.
According to Dixon, “The City’s population of 85,000 is half male, half female – yet women only represent roughly 30 percent of those that apply for, and eventually serve on, City of Newport Beach boards, committees and commissions. Women just are not applying for these positions at the same level as men in the community. We have an awareness problem we can solve through communication and education.”
The initial WiNN forum is Thursday, Feb. 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the Community Room of the Newport Beach Civic Center. The event is free and open to everyone in the community.
The City and 14 local nonprofit organizations will be onsite to inform about their volunteer needs. There will also be a brief panel discussion featuring current and former community leaders and ample opportunity to interact with the panelists.
Community groups at the WiNN forum will include Air Fair, Coastline Community College Foundation, Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce, the Environmental Nature Center, Friends of OASIS, Newport Bay Conservancy, Newport Beach Arts Foundation, Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, Newport Beach Citizens Police Academy, Newport Beach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT,) Newport Beach Public Library Foundation, Speak Up Newport and Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON.)
To RSVP for WiNN go to apps.newportbeachca.gov/events/winn.
