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ccording to a 2020 CNBC.com article, “…Retaining and promoting
female talent is more than just a diversity issue. According to McKinsey & Company data, it’s also a critical business issue: $4.3 trillion can be added to the country’s economy if gender parity is reached by 2025.”1 In a recent article in the New York Times, the author explained that the reason women-led nations were doing better with COVID-19 is because of their leadership style. “Male leaders can overcome gendered expectations, of course, and many have. But it may be less politically costly for women to do so because they do not have to violate perceived gender norms to adopt cautious, defensive policies…. What we learned with [the COVID-19 pandemic] is that…perhaps people will learn to recognize and value risk-averse, caring, and thoughtful leaders.”2 During the 2019–2020 Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) program year, one of President Shannon Lewis’s initiatives was to encourage the promotion of women into local government executive positions. President Lewis designated the two of us, long-time Florida managers, as co-chairs in developing an initiative to increase the number of women in local government executive positions in Florida. Background
In 2018, FCCMA conducted a diversity survey of their membership. Only 25 percent of the “full” members were female. At the time, full membership was restricted to chief appointed officials (CAOs) and the deputy or assistant CAO. There was a more even split between males and females in the affiliate category, which consisted of all other local government employees or those employed by a notfor-profit agency, association, university, etc. Forty-five percent of the affiliate members were female. Based on that study, it would seem that while there are women serving in local government in Florida, they are not progressing to top leadership positions. Efforts within Florida local government circles to encourage more female leadership have been ongoing for many years. One effort, a 2018 article co-authored by Hannah-Spurlock and Dr. Robert E. Lee, assistant professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Florida Gulf Coast University, and former Florida city manager, BY SARAH HANNAH-SPURLOCK, ICMA-CM; examined factors that influenced women’s rise to the CAO position.3 It cited a statistic pulled AND JILL SILVERBOARD, ICMA-CM MARCH 2021 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | 45