Please Wait a Moment
X

News Board

Resources News Board

About the News Board

Check back often for the latest state and national events, resources, and opportunities of interest to Virginia’s local governments.

Virginia Women's Municipal Leadership Institute - 2024 applications now available

Friday, December 8, 2023/Categories: News Board

The Virginia Women’s Municipal Leadership Institute (VWMLI) provides women in local government with the connections and tools to further develop their skills, strengthening the pipeline for women to lead communities in Virginia and beyond. The Institute is designed to:

  • Teach tangible and transformational leadership skills to increase self-confidence, knowledge, and ability.
  • Provide connection and content to strengthen leadership skills.
  • Create an everlasting support network among participants, past and present.
  • Build the pipeline of women leading government in Virginia.

Program Details

Who: The Institute will be limited to 25 women aspiring to fill leadership positions in local government. Participants should be committed to be actively engaged and attend every session to learn from one another and from content leaders. Participants may miss one in-person session and one virtual session, if necessary. Missing more than these two sessions will disqualify a participant from receiving the Certificate of Completion.

What: The delivery format is hybrid including six two-day in-person sessions and two virtual half-day sessions. Tuition of $1,800 includes the opening dinner on March 20, breakfast and lunch for all in-person sessions, as well as hotel accommodations for Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21 at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. All other accommodations, meals, and travel expenses are at the participant’s expense. Participants are responsible for purchasing the book needed for the July virtual session.

When: The Institute will launch Wednesday evening, March 20, 2024, with a “Connections before Content” dinner in Roanoke. The Institute will conclude at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. Institute schedule is attached.

Where: Participants will be asked to meet regionally at a common venue with fellow participants for the virtual half-day sessions. Locations for the April, June, August, and September sessions are noted on the attached schedule. Note: These locations are subject to change pending availability.

Download the informational flyer here >

Application process 

Email a cover letter expressing why you are interested in participating in the Institute at this stage in your career as well as your current resume to Bonnie Svrcek, Institute coordinator at bsvrcek@gmail.com no later than midnight Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Explain in your cover letter your career goals and how you believe the Institute will help you achieve such goals. Explain how you will use your experience to “pay it forward.” Please email Bonnie with any questions you may have prior to application.

Participants will be notified of their acceptance in the 2024 Institute no later than Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Depending on demand, the number of participants per locality may be limited. Virginia Tech will award up to 7.2 Continuing Education Units / 72 contact hours to participants upon successful completion of the Institute requirements.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to locality members of the Virginia Risk Sharing Association (VRSA) through their Risk Management Grant Funds. Contact Peter Stephenson at pstephenson@vrsa.us for details.

About the sessions

Every session will begin with an optional “pay on your own” dinner on Wednesday evenings prior to the content rich sessions on Thursdays and Fridays. This “Connection (or Reconnection) before Content” will be an opportunity to get to know one another on a more personal level and to build everlasting relationships.

Download the full 2024 schedule here >

VWMLI Contact: Bonnie Svrcek, bsvrcek@gmail.com