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 The
Christine Todd Whitman
Excellence in Public
Service Series
provides political
leadership training for
Republican women through
a nine month curriculum
of panel presentations,
workshops, readings, and
homework assignments.
Class sessions meet
monthly in a variety of
locations around the
state as provided by our
corporate sponsors or
other hosts. In
addition, the Series
sponsors a political
mentoring program, to
introduce its Scholars
to distinguished women
in government and
politics in New
Jersey.
Monthly
Programs
The program year
generally divides into
two semesters: Issues
and mechanics of
governing, and issues
and mechanics of campaigning, plus a session on Federal
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issues.
We begin the program in October with an introduction to the New Jersey Constitution, Republican
party history in New Jersey, the
roles women play in New Jersey
politics, as well as an exercise
in extemporaneous speaking.
In November, Scholars are
invited to assemble in Atlantic
City for a day and a half, in
conjunction with the NJ League of
Municipalities Annual Conference.
The Conference draws more than
60,000 elected and appointed
officials and employees from all
levels
of
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government. It
features dozens of
workshops and an exhibit
floor. At this session,
we explore the roles of
municipal and county
government, and focus on
select issues in
governance, such as
education, open space
and transportation.
Over the next few
months, depending on the
political calendar for
the year, we wrap up
governance issues such
as demographic trends,
urban renewal and
achieving diversity,
along with scheduling a
visit to the State House
to discuss the mechanics
of state government in
the legislative and
executive branches.
As the winter and
spring progress, we
focus our class sessions
on the mechanics of
organizing a
campaign:
- How fundraising happens, and the applicable financial disclosure laws;
- How to work with the media for outreach, in interviews, and handling damage control; and
- How to organize a campaign plan, including accessing voter information, targeting, and "G.O.T.V." (Get Out the Vote).
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In May, the Scholars
travel to Washington,
D.C. for two and a half
days to cover Federal
issues. We meet with
members of the New
Jersey congressional
delegation, staff of the
Office of New Jersey, a
foreign ambassador, and
various administration
officials and
Congressional staff.
We also tour the
Capitol and have a joint
dinner with our sister
Excellence in Public
Service Series from
other states, such as
the Lugar Series of
Indiana, the Illinois
Lincoln Series and
Davidson Series of
Ohio.
During the spring, we
focus a session on
appointments at the
state level. We wrap up
the year with a
graduation ceremony held
in the Trenton area in
mid-June.
All sessions are
closed to the press and
the contents of the
discussions are
considered confidential.
Most sessions will also
involve homework, which
may include required
reading, an individual
assignment and a team
assignment.
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The
Mentor Program
Earning an insider's view of
politics and government is
elemental to the Excellence in
Public Service Series. In order
to provide a more intimate view
of the political process, the
Series recruits a number of
accomplished women to serve as
political mentors to the
Scholars. The political and
career experience of these women
encompasses a wide variety of
skills, expertise, and
philosophies, the better to match
the interests of objectives of
the scholars. From the Scholar's
perspective, this is not intended
to be professional career advice,
but political career advice. For
example, if a Scholar is employed
in state government, our purpose
is to help you reach your
political goals at the local,
county, or state level, such as
running for office, managing a
campaign, or seeking an
appointment to a board or
commission. The mentor program is
not specifically designed to help
you identify your next paid
position.
The Mentor program makes every
effort to match interests and
geography of Mentor and Scholar.
(See the Application for a
Mentoree questionnaire).
Typically, a Scholar is not
assigned a Mentor from her own
county, but exceptions do
occur.
With the Mentor, a Scholar
should set a goal for achievement
by the end of the Series, or
within a defined time frame of a
year or two.
Along with other aspects of
the Series, the confidential
nature of the mentor relationship
must be stressed.
Here's what Scholars should
expect from a Mentor:
- Two meetings - an initial introduction and one towards the close of the Series.
- Possibly, a "shadow day" with your mentor.
- Advice from time to time, about homework, or making progress toward your political objective.
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