UIS Speaker Series explores ways women can lead in traditionally male environments

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series and the UIS Women’s Center presents “Does Leadership Have a Gender?” featuring UIS alumna Samantha Drew Gordon. In this International Women’s Day presentation, Gordon will share her experiences as a leader and identify ways that women can lead in traditionally male environments.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 8, 2017, at 6 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Increasingly, women are rising to leadership roles in traditionally male environments. These women often find themselves struggling to be respected and taken seriously unless they resort to traditional aggressive leadership modalities. Gordon will offer suggestions on ways that women can lead and achieve respect.

As a student at UIS, Gordon was president of the Student Government Association her junior and senior years. Following graduation, she started her career working at a shelter for survivors of domestic violence, Sojourner Center in Phoenix. In 2008, she began working for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in Arizona as an organizer working to bring child care providers a living wage and a union. Over the last nine years at SEIU, Gordon has worked on various political campaigns, organizing initiatives, and helped build and implement a national leadership development program for the union. In 2015, Gordon moved to California as statewide field director of SEIU Local 1000.

Individuals with disabilities who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217/206-8507 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance.

This event is part of UIS Campus Safety Week and Women’s History Month. For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.