SPOTLIGHT ON OUR MEMBERS
JLW’S MISSION IN ACTION Laura Collins
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he Junior League of Washington’s (JLW) mission statement has four main objectives: (1) to promote voluntarism; (2) to develop women; (3) to improve communities with effective action; and (4) to improve communities with volunteer leadership. These objectives are reflected in almost every member of the League in their professional and personal lives. Now, more than ever, our professional and personal, extracurricular and day-to-day lives have been blended together. We hold Zoom business meetings from our bedrooms, while our family members do the same or make cameos in our video calls. The different areas of our lives overlap and work together more seamlessly. Why wouldn’t that apply to our experiences in the League? Four League members share how they have applied their League experiences to the professional arenas of their lives.
PROMOTING VOLUNTARISM Kristen Soltis Anderson appreciates how it feels to be placed in new roles with new goals, whether with the League or on a nationally syndicated television show. Anderson joined the League in 2007 and has served in various positions, most notably on the Strategic Planning Committee and as the Communications & Public Relations Council Director. Professionally, Anderson is the Founding Partner of Echelon Insights, an opinion research and analytics firm. She frequently speaks on emerging public opinion trends on various news platforms.
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When she initially started her time with the League, she was drawn to the Strategic Planning Committee because it focused on surveys of membership, similar to her “day job.” Working in the polling and opinion research field, Anderson was comfortable with identifying a certain group of people, determining the information to collect, gathering the information from the individuals, and analyzing the results. During the 2012-2013 League year, JLW’s Board of Directors tasked Anderson with launching a magazine for JLW, which we now know as 3039M. Admittedly, Anderson said that “it forced me outside of my comfort zone. I knew nothing about this part of communication.” But, working with another League member with a publications background, Anderson learned about the different facets of print media. She knew certain objectives of the project, like selecting a publisher or naming the magazine. But, she also knew other guidelines and guardrails would need to be implemented for the magazine’s production and publication, and she was diligent in flushing out what was necessary. Ultimately, 3039M has been a League success and is still published today. Anderson said her experience creating 3039M stretched her in ways that she applied when she decided to establish her own polling company. Already comfortable with starting something from scratch, like she had with 3039M, Anderson was skilled at identifying what information she already knew and where she needed more guidance. For example, she was confident in polling and managing focus groups, but she had to learn various other facets about starting a small business, such as getting a tax identification number, making company hires, renting office space, and opening a business bank account. Using her
volunteer experience, Anderson’s company is now in its eighth year.
DEVELOPING WOMEN Jackie FrederickMaturo is passionate about the development of women. She has been a member of the League for eight years, and she is presently serving on the Board of Directors as Membership Development Council Director. When she started with the League, she admitted that she did not necessarily see herself in future leadership of the organization. Rather, Frederick-Maturo joined the League largely to be connected to volunteer opportunities in the DC metro area and to build relationships. After her second year, Jackie served as Vice Chair of Esprit, a committee that she chaired the following year. Eventually, Jackie served as Ways & Means Assistant Council Director, and now, she is on the Board of Directors. When reflecting on the roles she has served, Frederick-Maturo firmly believes that the League was a safe space for her to develop leadership skills that she would not have necessarily had at the beginning of her career in a professional environment. Her League leadership experience has allowed her to problem solve with different groups of people and resolve conflict among colleagues at a basic level. She has also honed her skills at large-scale event planning. Most profoundly, Frederick-Maturo believes that her time in leadership with the League has built her confidence in “making the ask.” She is presently an Executive
