PROGRESSIVE WOMEN’S ALLIANCE
OF WEST MICHIGAN
PAST PROGRAMS
2004 - 2011
2011
January 19
Refuel, Reinvest, Reinforce: PWA in 2011
Melissa Moore Janes, Chairperson, Progressive Women’s Alliance
February 16
Context for Conflict: Progressives, Laissez Faire, & the Promise of Democratic Government
Paul Murphy, Professor, Grand Valley State University, author of The Rebuke of History
March 16
The War Against Planned Parenthood
Sarah Scranton, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan
April 20
Environmental Groups Take Stand as Michigan Prepares for Reinvention
Rep. Patricia Birkholz, Director, Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of the Great Lakes and former Michigan Senator
Rich VanderVeen, Founder and President, Mackinaw Power LLC Nicholas Occhipinti, Director of Policy and Community Action, West Michigan Environmental Action Council
May 18
Up-to-the-Minute Report on Snyder’s “State of Change” Judy Putnam, Communications Director, Michigan League for Human Services, former journalist
June 9
Strong Voices in Art, Music, and Politics PWA Fundraiser at Eve at the B.O.B. 4th floor
September 21
PACing a Punch: Money and the 2012 Election
Klaas Kwant, local political consultant, and Mary Alice Williams, PWA Candidate Committee and former City Commissioner
November 14
Creating a Culture for Change: Lessons from the Front Lines of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
PWA Fundraiser featuring Kerry Eleveld, LGBT Activist, Senior Fellow at EqualityMatters.org, Former White House Correspondent for The Advocate
2010
January 13
The Governor Speaks About Then and Now
Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Governor of Michigan
February 17
Be Very Afraid: What the 2010 Census Could Mean for Michigan
Amanda Stitt, Executive Director, Michigan Voice
March 17
Women’s Reproductive Rights, the Health Care Debate, and Margaret Sanger: What You Need to Know
Kary Moss, Executive Director, ACLU of Michigan
Sarah Scranton, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan
Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan State Senator (23rd District)
Gayla Jewell, PhD, Nurse Practitioner, Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center
April 21
PWA Membership Drive PWA Friendraiser at Bohemia Too in downtown Grand Rapids
May 19
The Stakes for Women in State Government: The Elections of 2010
PWA Fundraiser featuring Rep. Pam Byrnes, Michigan House Speaker Pro Tempore
June 16
Learn from a Lobbyist: Advice for Progressives in 2010
Jean Doss, J. Doss Consulting, LLC
August 18
Looking at the Big Picture: Your PWA $$$ At Work
PWA Candidate Committee and recent endorsees (attended by Rebekah Warren, Kate Segal, Mary Valentine, representative of Marcia Hovey-Wright, Candace Chivis, Pat Miles)
September 15
The Stakes for Michigan’s Supreme Court
PWA Fundraiser featuring Mark Brewer, Chair, Michigan Democratic Party
September 16
PWA fundraiser luncheon with journalist Eleanor Clift as special guest
September 27
PWA Progressive Leadership Awards Luncheon
PWA Fundraiser honoring Kathy Humphrey and Kristin Revere
October 20
Foul/No Foul: Refereeing the 2010 Campaigns
Susan Demas, columnist and analyst for Michigan Information & Research Service (MIRS)
2009
January 21
PWA Post-Inaugural Party
Post-election celebration at Mercury Head Gallery
February 2
Front Seat, Front Page: Covering Barack Obama PWA Fundraiser featuring Lynn Sweet, Washington Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun-Times
March 18
Upping the Gender Balance in Lansing: Run, Women, Run
Melissa Anderson, PWA Chairperson
Joan Bowman, Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Jo Ellyn Clarey, PWA Program Committee
[State Rep. Pam Byrnes was the scheduled speaker but had to cancel.]
April 15
Strong Voices in Art, Music & Politics
PWA Fundraiser at San Chez restaurant
May 20
Everybody In; Nobody Out: A Primer on Single Payer Health Insurance
Dr. John A. Cavacece, Physicians for a National Health Plan, and Grand Rapids Family Medicine, Wege Institute at St. Mary’s Hospital
September 16
Getting Into Gear for 2010: PWA on the Move
Melissa Anderson, PWA Chairperson
October 21
What’s At Stake in November 2010
Bill Ballenger, Editor, Inside Michigan Politics
November 18
Meet the Press Paul M. Keep, Editor, Grand Rapids Press
2008
January 16
Advancing Women’s Leadership: The White House Project Comes to Michigan
Shannon Garrett, Director, Michigan Field Office, The White House Project
February 16
One Year After the Surge [in Iraq]: Where Do We Stand? Where Do We Go From Here?
Sen. Carl Levin, U.S. Senator
March 19
Time to Talk: An Equinoctial Assessment of Our Progress Melissa Anderson, Chairperson, Progressive Women’s Alliance
April 16
Strong Voices in Art, Music, and Politics PWA Fundraiser at San Chez restaurant
May 21
Just War Theory: An Analysis of Bush Foreign Policy
Dr. Roger Durham, Professor of Political Science, Aquinas College
June 18
Courting Trouble: A Forum About Threats to a Fair, Open, and Independent Michigan Supreme Court
Justice Marilyn Kelly, Michigan Supreme Court
Rich Robinson, Executive Director, Michigan Campaign Finance Network
July 16
An Opportunity for Progressives: Michigan’s 7th and Mark Schauer
Mark Schauer, PWA-Endorsed Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives
September 17
Back to Basics on Stem Cells: The Science and the Initiative
Dr. Joe Schwarz, former US Representative, Current Chair of Cure Michigan
October 15
The Final 20 Days: Activism and Campaigning
Mary Alice Williams, PWA Candidate Committee
November 19
Righting the Ship of State: Challenges and Opportunities for the New President
Dan Balfour, Professor, School of Public & Nonprofit Administration, Grand Valley State University
2007
January 17
Inauguration, Celebration, Participation!
Melissa Anderson, Chairperson, Progressive Women’s Alliance
February 21
See Dick and Jen Run: A Capitol Correspondent’s View of the 2006 Election
Tim Skubick, Political Journalist and Author
March 21
Being Progressive in Michigan – An Environmentalist’s Point of View
Lana Pollack, President of the Michigan Environmental Council
April 25
Strong Voices in Art, Music, and Politics PWA Fundraiser at San Chez restaurant
May 16
Regional Opportunities for Progressive Action
Mayor George Heartwell, Grand Rapids
June 20
Framing: How Language Manipulates Political Thought
Dr. Michael Wolfe, Associate Professor of Psychology, Grand Valley State University
July 18
PWA Action on behalf of endorsed 2nd Ward City Commission Candidate Ruth Kelly
Neighborhood walking, friend-to-friend cards, letter-writing
September 19
Everyday Leadership: Getting Results in Business, Politics, and Life
Dan Mulhern, First Gentleman of Michigan
October 17
PAC 101: A User’s Guide to Political Action Committees
Darlene Szumko, Election Law Attorney
Evelyn Quiroga, Bureau of Elections, Michigan Department of State
November 26
A Celebration of Progressive Values
PWA Fundraiser at the home of Marge Byington, featuring U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and Michigan State Representative Mary Valentine
2006
February 15
Progressive Women’s Alliance 2nd Anniversary
Celebration held at Tributary Art Gallery on Division at Weston
March 15
March to the Majority: Women in Politics and the 2006 Michigan House Races
Rep. Dianne Byrum, Michigan State Representative, House Democratic Leader
April 19
Strong Voices in Art, Music, and Politics PWA Fundraiser at the Urban Institute for the Contemporary Arts
May 17
Defeating the Anti-Affirmative Action Initiative on the Ballot This Fall
Trish Stein, Director, One United Michigan
June 21
Double-Teaming for the Environment: Green Building and Clean Water
Guy Bazzani, President, Bazzani Associates, Inc. Kym Spring, Community Organizer, Clean Water Action
July 19
Morning Rally for Governor Jennifer Granholm, featuring Ellen R. Malcolm, President and Co-Founder of EMILY’s List
July 19
Kent County Senior Millage on the Ballot
Local representatives supporting the ballot initiative, meeting held at United Methodist Community House
August 16
PWA Action: How to Support PWA-Endorsed Candidates PWA Issues Committee; Tom Russell, Campaign Manager for Senator Stabenow; Trevor Thomas, representative from Gov. Granholm’s campaign
September 20
Understanding the Jihad Movement and Homeland Security
Dr. Jonathan R. White, Professor of Criminal Justice, Founding Director of the School of Criminal Justice, Grand Valley State University
2005
January 19
Reproductive Rights: Past Progress and Current Threats Alice St. Clair, Communication Coordinator, Planned Parenthood of West Michigan
March 16
The Resilient Tradition of Grand Rapids Women in Elective Politics: Then and Now
Jo Ellyn Clarey, Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council
April 20
Framing Religion and Its Progressive Political Expression
Ian W. Lawton, Executive Minister, Christ Community Church, Spring Lake
May 18
Holding Local Broadcasters Accountable Jeff Smith, Director, Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy
July 20
Economic Development in West Michigan: How Our Region is Perceived, What We Do Well, What Needs Improvement
Birgit Klohs, President, The Right Place, Inc.
August 4
PWA Fundraiser for Sen. Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Senator from Michigan
August 17
Main Street Partnership: An Organization for Disenfranchised Republicans
Bob Eleveld, Attorney, PWA Endorsee, Member of recently-formed state chapter of Main Street Partnership
September 21
The Charter School Approach: University Prep High School
Doug Ross, Superintendent and Founder of University Prep High School, Detroit
October 18
The K-16 Coalition Keeps Marching Along: Proposed Changes to the Funding System for Educational Institutions in Michigan Ken MacGregor, Former Manager of Government Relations-West for the National Education Association, now with the K-16 Coalition for Michigan’s Future
November 16
Strong Beginnings – A Federal Program to Reduce Infant Mortality in the African American Community
Dr. Khan Nedd, Chairperson, Grand Rapids African-American Health Institute
Peggy Vandermeulen, Program Director at Strong Beginnings
Yvette McCutcheon, Education Manager for Strong Beginnings Dr. Marguerite Morgan, Coordinator of the mental health component of the program through Arbor Circle
Mickey Jenson-Haver, Moderator
2004
April 21
Mayor George Heartwell, Grand Rapids
May 24
Progressive Women Can Change the World
PWA Fundraiser featuring Gov. Jennifer Granholm
June 16
The Michigan Political Landscape
Craig Ruff, President and CEO of Public Sector Consultants
August 18
Working with the Governor and Legislature on the Budget Crisis in Michigan
Mary Lannoye, State Budget Director
November 17
Post-Election Analysis
Glenn Barkan, Professor, Aquinas College
December 15
The Electoral College
Keith St. Clair, Professor, Grand Rapids Community College