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GOOD AFTERNOON, PLEASE TAKE A SEAT AND I'M GONNA ALLOW YOU TO BREAK THE RULES AND PLEASE SIT WHERE IT SAYS SEAT CLOSE.
WE HAVE ABOUT 80 OF US RSVP TO HAVE WOMEN LEADERS.
SO, UM, PLEASE TAKE A SEAT, EVEN IF IT SAYS SEAT CLOSED, I'M USUALLY A RULE FOLLOWER, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BREAK THE RULES TODAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
UM, UH, LET EVERYONE GET SEATED.
UM, I BELIEVE I KNOW NEARLY EVERY ONE OF THE AMAZING WOMEN WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME, MY NAME IS ALISON ALTER AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS MAYOR PRO TEM FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND REPRESENTING DISTRICT 10 CENTRAL NORTHWEST AUSTIN ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL MEMBERS WENT US HARPER, MADISON, KITCHEN, KELLY ELLIS POOL, AND TOVO THAT'S EIGHT OF US.
AND SPECIFICALLY TO COUNCIL CHAMBERS AS A COMMUNITY, AS LEADERS, AS WOMEN, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, ALL OF US HERE HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES.
MANY OF US COLLABORATING IN NEW WAYS, BUT OFTEN SEPARATED BY SPACE AND WITHOUT OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT PERSONALLY, SOMETIMES WE'VE NEVER EVEN MET IN PERSON, WHICH I KNOW I'VE HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE, UM, TODAY WHERE I'VE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE.
I AM SO PROUD THAT ONE OF THE FIRST EVENTS THAT WE'RE HAVING IN CHAMBERS, WHERE WE CAN GATHER A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IS TO CELEBRATE WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY ROOM FULL OF WOMEN LEADERS TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH BEFORE WE PROCEED.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND THE ROOM.
PART OF WHY WE GET ALL OF US TOGETHER IS SO THAT WE WALK OUT OF HERE ENERGIZED SO THAT WE WALK OUT OF HERE INSPIRED.
UM, SO I HOPE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS AFTERNOON AND OUR LUNCHEON THAT YOU'LL MEET SOMEBODY NEW, UM, YOU'LL CON CONNECT WITH SOMEBODY THAT YOU'VE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME, AND YOU'LL LEAVE, UM, EXCITED AND ENERGIZED AND READY TO FACE THE NEXT CHALLENGE.
I'M NOT GOING TO DETAIL EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH OR FACED COLLECTIVELY OR INDIVIDUALLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, I DO WANT TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CREATIVITY, YOUR INGENUITY, YOUR SERVICE.
WHEN THE HITS KEPT COMING, YOU EACH STOOD STRONG AND THANKS TO YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
I BELIEVE OUR CITY WILL RECOVER AND EMERGE MORE RESILIENT AMONG US.
WE ARE JOINED BY WOMEN ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS THE CITY, FEMALE CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF LEADERS, DIRECTOR LEVEL AND ABOVE AND FEMALE MEMBERS OF OUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL STAFFS IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, I CONTINUALLY HAD TO WORRY ABOUT HAVING TOO MANY WOMEN TO INVITE AS WOMEN LEADERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS IT IS.
SO THE BUILDING SERVICES FOLKS AND KAY, AND EVERYONE'S EXCITED.
UM, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE A NEW CHALLENGE AFTER NOT HAVING ENTERTAINED FOR AWHILE.
UM, I SINCERELY WISH WE COULD HAVE INVITED EVERY AMAZING WOMAN LEADER IN THE CITY, WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION AND BEYOND.
SO TO ALL THE WOMEN WE COULD NOT INCLUDE IN PERSON GIVEN COVID AND THE SPACE.
IN THE NEAR FUTURE, AS COVID WANES, I HOPE WE CAN INVITE OTHER WOMEN LEADERS, OUR NONPROFIT EXECUTIVES, OUR CHAMBER LEADERS, OUR HIGHER ED SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, OUR BUSINESS LEADERS, OUR CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF, AND MORE SO THAT TOGETHER WE CAN JOIN IN SOLIDARITY AND ENJOY TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CALLED ON US TO CELEBRATE WOMEN'S ACHIEVEMENTS AND TO REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUALITY.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'VE MARCHED TOWARDS PROGRESS IS ELECTING
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MORE WOMEN TO OFFICE.DID YOU KNOW THAT OVER 50 WOMEN HOLD ELECTED OFFICE IN OUR COMMUNITY? LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
DID YOU KNOW THAT OVER 50 WOMEN HOLD ELECTED OFFICE AND OUR COMMUNITY? IN FACT, HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, ALL OF OUR MAJOR ELECTED BODIES ARE MAJORITY FEMALE.
OUR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS SUPER MAJORITY FEMALE.
OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT IS MAJORITY FEMALE.
OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IS MAJORITY FEMALE, SOON TO BE ALL FEMALE, THE ISD AND DEL VALLEY ISD SCHOOL BOARDS AND OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEE BOARD ARE ALL MAJORITY FEMALE.
WHAT'S MORE ALL OF OUR JUDICIAL BENCHES, AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
CAUSE I'M STILL LEARNING ABOUT ALL THOSE BENCHES.
UM, ALL OF THEM ARE MAJORITY, FEMALE OR PARODY.
IN FACT, IN TRAVIS COUNTY, ALL OF OUR MAJOR ELECTED BODIES ARE MAJORITY FEMALE.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO PLEASE STAND.
SO IF YOU'RE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, PLEASE STAND THANK YOU.
I AM SO PROUD TO BE PART OF SUCH AN INCREDIBLE GROUP OF WOMEN ELECTED LEADERS.
WE ARE JOINED BY MANY OF THE WOMEN WHO RUN OUR CITY SHOULD BE JOINED BY THREE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE HEADS OF AUSTIN ENERGY AND OUR AIRPORT, NUMEROUS DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, THE CITY CLERK, THE CITY AUDITOR, THE MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL STAFF.
IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF, PLEASE RISE SO THAT WE CAN THANK YOU.
BEFORE I HAND THE MIC OVER TO ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT FOR A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY DISTRICT.
10 TEAM MUNA SHAKUHACHI MELISSA MARKMAN, NINA DJ KURT, MARK, KURT KADINA MITCHELL FOR PULLING THIS EVENT TOGETHER AND DOING SO WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF COUNCIL MEMBER.
IT'S NOW MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUE AND PARTNER IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER COUNCIL MEMBER OF VANESSA FREQUENTIST.
AFTER, AFTER VANESSA SPEAKS, I WILL OFFER A PROCLAMATION AND PROVIDE SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE LUNCHEON.
I'M VANESSA AUSTIN CITY, COUNCILMAN REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO BASED IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY WITH YOU ALL AS WE CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.
IN FACT, WHEN I LOOK ACROSS THIS ROOM, I SEE SO MANY INSPIRING WOMEN THAT I WISH THAT WE COULD GO AROUND AND EACH INDIVIDUALLY SHARE OUR STORY BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYONE HERE HAD TO OVERCOME SOME TYPE OF BARRIER TO GET TO THE POSITION THAT YOU'RE IN.
I WANT US TO IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF OUR BOARDROOMS, IF OUR STATE CAPITOL, IF OUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS LOOKED LIKE THIS ROOM TODAY, IMAGINE WHAT A DIFFERENCE THAT WOULD MAKE AS THE MAYOR PRO TEM SHARED.
I AM SO LUCKY TO S TO SERVE ON A SUPER MAJORITY AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL OF SUPER MAJORITY OF WOMEN, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
AND I OFTEN TIMES, YOU KNOW, I GET ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT LED ME TO PURSUE THIS ROLE THAT I HAVE.
AND WHILE PUBLIC SECTOR WAS ALWAYS IN THE CARDS FOR ME, I, UM, WORKED AS LEGISLATIVE AID AND WORKED AT A NONPROFIT DOING ADVOCACY.
UM, IT WAS WHEN I FIRST MET FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE DEANNA MALDONADO, UM, THAT I REALIZED, WOW, I TOO COULD DO THIS.
AND THAT TO ME, MEETING HER, SEEING HER REPRESENT HER COMMUNITY, REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRESENTATION, AND ALSO JUST LOOKING AT, UM, AT HER EMPOWER.
I THINK WE CAN, WE SEE COUNTLESS EXAMPLES OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES AND, AND REFLECTED AS LEADER, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES ONE TO BREAK THAT GLASS CEILING.
AND IN MY CASE, I WANT TO THINK MY PREDECESSOR WHO BROKE THE GLASS CEILING, UH, WHO LET SOMEONE LIKE ME SERVE IN CITY COUNCIL.
SO I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO DELEA GARZA, OUR FIRST LATINA ELECTED TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO IT'S THIS TYPE OF REPRESENTATION THAT
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IS SO CRITICAL TO WOMEN RUNNING FOR OFFICE.AND I HOPE IN RETURN THAT MY EXAMPLE SERVES MORE WOMEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR TO DO THE SAME.
AND SO ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT THAT IT'S NOT LOST ON ME AS WE GATHERED TODAY, THAT WE'RE NEAR THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE PANDEMIC STARTING, THAT BROUGHT THIS WORLD TO A STANDSTILL.
AND THEN WE KNOW THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC IT'S WOMEN WHO'VE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED IT'S WOMEN, WHO'VE OFTEN HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A CAREER OR CHILDCARE OR SOMETIMES TAKE ON BOTH.
AND SO I RECOGNIZE THE IMPACTS THAT WE'VE HAD AMID THE PANDEMIC.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH AND ARE GOING THROUGH, UH, AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING THAT LIVING THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC IS NO EASY FEAT.
I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHILE WE'RE COMMEMORATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF WOMEN INTERNATIONALLY, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE OUR SISTERS IN UKRAINE, WHO ARE CURRENTLY FLEEING THEIR HOMES AT THE COST OF A MAN'S WAR, A STORY, ALL TOO FAMILIAR FOR WOMEN ACROSS THE GLOBE, WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECTED DURING CONFLICT.
AND THIS REMINDS US, AND ESPECIALLY REMINDS ME THAT WE NEED MORE WOMEN AT EVERY SINGLE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK OUR MAYOR PRO TEM FOR HOSTING TODAY, AND FOR INVITING ME TO JOIN YOU IN SPEAKING, AND THEN ALSO WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO EVERYONE HERE.
AND, AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE THE REPRESENTATION FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION, SO LET'S KEEP IT GOING.
I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INVITE MY CITY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO JOIN ME, TO OFFER THIS PROCLAMATION.
AND THIS PROCLAMATION IS GOING TO BE FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH UM, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS MARCH 8TH IS RECOGNIZED AROUND THE WORLD AS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND MARCH IS CELEBRATED NATIONALLY AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.
AND WHEREAS WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.
AND WHILE WOMEN CAN PRIZE MORE THAN HALF OF THE POPULATION, WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT EVERY DAY TO ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY AND EQUITY FOR ALL.
AND WHEREAS WOMEN ELECTED OFFICIALS COMPRISE A MAJORITY OF EACH MAJOR GOVERNING BODY IN AUSTIN AND HOLD A SUPER MAJORITY OF SEATS ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WITH WOMEN SERVING IN LEADERSHIP ROLES THROUGHOUT OUR CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN CELEBRATES THIS DAY OF SOCIAL ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND POLITICAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF WOMEN AND JOINS WITH WOMEN ACROSS THE GLOBE TO CONTINUE TO TAKE ACTION, TO ACHIEVE GENDER PARODY FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2022.
AND NOW THEREFORE I MAYOR PRO TEM, ALISON ALTER ALONG WITH THE WOMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AUSTIN, TEXAS DO HEREBY PROCLAIM, MARCH 8TH, 2022 AS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND MARCH AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.
IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT TODAY'S GET TOGETHER, BRINGS US TOGETHER, ENERGIZES EACH OF US AND HELPS US TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP FORWARD FOR OUR CITY.
SO I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE WE TAKE SOME PHOTOS AND THEN WE HAVE LUNCH AND GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.
UM, AGAIN, FIRST I WANT TO INVITE EACH OF YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PERSONALLY, I THOUGHT I WOULD SPARE YOU EIGHT OF US SPEAKING AND ALLOW US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE TOGETHER.
BUT I KNOW THAT EVERY ONE OF US REALLY DOES WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU IF WE HAVEN'T MET YOU.
UM, SO PLEASE COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I WANT YOU ALSO TO FIND AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT YOU HAVEN'T MET BEFORE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
UM, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW MANY OF THE WOMEN LEADERS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ON OUR STAFF, AS WELL AS WOMEN THROUGH WOMEN ELECTED GROUP THAT I'VE BEEN ORGANIZING.
AND THEY'RE JUST SO MANY AMAZING EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN IN THIS ROOM.
UM, PLEASE DO YOURSELF THE FAVOR OF MEETING A COUPLE, A COUPLE NEW ONES.
UM, LUNCH IS GOING TO BE SERVED IN THE ATRIUM.
IT IS BUFFET-STYLE AND WE'VE TRIED TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE'S DIETARY NEEDS AS BEST WE, UM, APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENTS GOING THROUGH THE LINE AND MAKING IT WORK WITH 80 IN THE ATRIUM.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TIGHT, BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL MAKE
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IT.UM, IF YOU COULD PLEASE USE THE GLOVES THAT ARE PROVIDED FOR SERVING, SO NOBODY HAS TO SERVE, SERVE YOU.
UM, AND IF YOU CAN GET YOUR PARKING VALIDATED RIGHT UP THERE, IF YOU NEED IT.
ALTHOUGH I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAVE THAT.
SO NOW I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF THE WOMEN TO JOIN US BACK OVER HERE FOR A PHOTO WITH THE PROCLAMATION.
UM, YOU MAY TAKE YOUR MASK OFF IF YOU LIKE.
UM, AND ONCE WE'RE IN THE ATRIUM AND YOU'RE EATING, YOU MAY TAKE YOUR MASK OFF AS WELL.