As Heather’s last day as EWA co-director approached, we debated who should write her send-off email. In the end, we did exactly what we’ve done so many times in the last 10 years—we decided to do it together.
Back in 2015, Heather was more than 10 years into leading the original Electing Women group in Denver, and Stacy was just starting Electing Women San Francisco, which went on to become EWBA. There was never a formal decision or grand plan that we would team up to lead the as-yet unnamed Electing Women Alliance. We just did the work—one new Group, one monthly national Conference Call (for real, pre-Zoom), one Convening, one election cycle at a time.
For these last 10 years, we have worked side by side growing and nurturing EWA. We divided general responsibilities: Heather took the lead on support for Groups, which are the heart and soul of EWA, while Stacy focused on communications, operations, and organizational fundraising. It wasn’t always easy—for much of this stretch, we faced headwinds, including limited resources and competing demands. And it was a family affair—our kids put up with long phone calls, sometimes during dinner or from the soccer sidelines. (To be fair, we spent some of that time on wardrobe planning, parenting troubleshooting and daily life!) But we never wavered in our confidence about the importance of this work and the possibilities for the network, so we kept going, together.
As we mark our 10-year anniversary, we have much to be proud of—EWA has raised more than $30 million for women candidates and now has Groups in multiple locations around the country. And none of it would have been possible without our EWA members, Group leaders, and the WomenCount/EWA team. But mostly, none of it would have been possible without Heather.
As Heather transitions from this role, the Electing Women Alliance is in the strongest possible position. Thanks to the foundation she created and the systems she built, we are poised to expand and meet increased demand both from women candidates and women donors. Indeed, our work has never been more important.
It is bittersweet for Heather to be leaving her role at EWA, but here’s the great news: Shelby Friedman and Dani Musoff have joined EWA and WomenCount as the “Donor Engagement” team and bring years of experience as Democratic fundraising professionals. Together, they will prioritize growth and support for our EWA groups. Along with the rest of the team, including Annalise Pflueger, Al Acker-Lyons, Megan Clayton, Isez Roybal, and Wendy Vang-Roberts, we are here for all of you to ensure continued success for EWA.
And Heather is not going far—she will continue to lead Electing Women Denver. So we’ll see her on monthly Zooms and in DC for Convening later this year. And her legacy will be on full display as we continue to come together to do this work.
With gratitude,
Heather and Stacy
PS from Stacy: I speak for the entire team when I say we will miss her terribly, especially her fun prompts at team meetings. (She also loves commemorative days … Did you know there’s National Unicorn Day, Cheese Lovers Day, Plant a Flower Day, National Cat Herder Day? We didn’t either …) On a more serious note, none of this would have happened without Heather’s vision, commitment, and relentless pursuit of our mission to elect more women. Along the way, she reminded us to focus on our community, each other, and finding the joy in our work. Thank you, Heather!
PPS from Heather: A heartfelt thank you to Stacy for her indefatigable dedication, strategic thinking and bold ideas. Everything we have accomplished has been a true team effort, in partnership with each other and with all of you. I look forward to seeing and supporting all the success ahead for EWA with Stacy’s strong leadership and the extraordinary and newly expanded team. From the vision of our original co-founders in Denver to teaming up with Stacy and working together with all of you, I have been constantly inspired to keep going. And we will. Cheers to 10 years of EWA, to the next chapter and to you. Thank you!