Page 10 - The EDGE Winter 2024 WEB

LEADERSHIP

BY JILL BARRAGAN
Empowering Women Leaders – AASBO Launches

Women's Executive Leadership Development Series
Jill Barragan

This past July, at the AASBO Annual Summer The unfolding sequence of fortunate events reached
Conference, we introduced our latest initiative aimed a pivotal moment at the AASBO Spring Conference
at fostering leadership and professional growth – the 2023, where Nicole Lance emerged as the keynote
Women's Executive Leadership Development Series. speaker. This serendipitous occurrence provided a
This program seeks to empower women leaders and solution by offering a platform for these remarkable
allies in Arizona school district administration. women to realize their potential. Nicole's expertise not
only addressed the concerns inhibiting women from
The formation of the Women's Executive Leadership pursuing administrative roles but also contributed to
Development Series (WELDS) was the culmination of resolving the broader pipeline issue faced by qualified
a series of fortuitous events. During my tenure on the school business officials in Arizona.
AASBO Board of Directors and subsequently, I often
pondered the completeness of our extensive professional In essence, WELDS serves as a strategic response to
development offerings. Despite excelling in numerous fortuitous events, aligning with AASBO's commitment
areas, discussions with fellow business officials to professional development and addressing the
highlighted a concerning trend — the diminishing challenges faced by the education sector in cultivating
talent pool entering the school business official domain. a strong and talented workforce.
The allure of this profession had waned over time.
The program has been designed to provide a
Observing an imbalance between the number of women transformative learning experience for current and
in business offices and those reaching leadership roles future women leaders in Arizona school business.
within districts, it became evident that a solution to Leading this exceptional offering is the esteemed
our pipeline predicament existed. While more than coach, Nicole Lance, known for her unique blend of
90% of districts had women in field positions, only charisma, humor, and guidance. Nicole’s expertise
about half saw them occupying Director or Assistant guides participants through a journey of self-discovery
Superintendent positions. Recognizing this imbalance, and professional advancement.
a clear opportunity arose for AASBO to address the
gender disparity in leadership roles. The series covers an array of pertinent topics,
including Emotional Intelligence, Executive Readiness
It was apparent that a key challenge lay in encouraging & Understanding, Political Savvy, Leadership and
qualified women in business offices to aspire to Teamwork, Work/Life Balance, Negotiations, and much
higher positions, with concerns ranging from work/ more. Participants can expect to gain insights into how
life balance to self-doubt hindering their pursuit of to navigate challenges, enhance personal satisfaction and
administrative roles. This gap in our professional success, and build a strong network of women leaders.
development solutions became a focal point: How could
AASBO empower these talented women to believe in The program caters to women and ally leaders
themselves and apply for elevated positions? committed not only to personal growth but also to the
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10 THE EDGE WINTER 2024