Call For Papers

WREI is now accepting papers for the Fifth Biennial Conference on Women in Uniform. Papers and presentations are invited on both U. S. and international perspectives of women in the military, firefighting, and policing. Check out our Call For Papers online or contact Lory Manning for more information.

The conference will be held at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial in Arlington, VA on November 30-December 1, 2000. Visit our website for upcoming details on the program, hotel information, and online registration.

Save the Date!

Mark your calendar for WREI's annual American Woman Award Dinner and Gala to be held on Wednesday, September 27, 2000 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. We have already begun "recruiting" items for our famous Silent Auction which, in the past, included such treasures as: five nights in Hawaii, a weekend at the Sanderling Inn in Duck, NC; travel certificates from U.S. Airways; dinner for two at i Ricchi, Grillfish, and the Morrison-Clark Inn; tickets to the Redskins, Capitals, Arena Stage, and Odessy Cruises; a day of beauty at the Avon Spa; and jewelry by Tiffany & Co.

Stay tuned! More exciting details to come such as the announcement of this year's American Woman Award recipient.

Link It

Looking for a women's organization? WREI has expanded its link page to include over 100 new organizations. Check it out. Contact WREI if you would like to add your site our list.

Former Fellows - Where are they now?

WREI is pleased to feature an update on one of the 200 outstanding women who came to Capitol Hill through our Congressional Fellowships on Women & Public Policy.

J. Ann Selzer, Ph.D.
Class of 1982-1983
Office of then - Representative, now Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Ann is now president of Selzer & Company of Des Moines, Iowa, which specializes in public opinion research for media companies (primarily newspapers and magazines across the country). She describes it as a "small but mighty" company with a five-member staff which conducts about 80 studies a year. "What is exceptionally rewarding is to give clients more than they ever thought they could get from a study," Ann reports. "I enjoy looking at a page of numbers and seeing ideas."

After receiving her Ph.D. in communications from the University of Iowa, she worked for a major public opinion company in Washington and then took a job as research manager and director of the Iowa Poll for the Des Moines Register. "This position served as a wonderful stepping stone [toward] running my own show because the Register housed a full-service research shop within its marketing department. I had a lot of autonomy and complete authority in mounting studies, with client departments to make happy."

Ann describes her time on Capitol Hill as "a gift that has lasted my lifetime. I can't imagine learning so much about so many different things is so short a time in any other venue." "One of the great lessons from the fellowship was how critical it is to listen to all positions, see the common ground, find ways of talking about differences in a way that doesn't draw battle lines. We can accomplish so much more working together than against one another. In case that sounds like Pollyanna, let me hasten to add that I also learned the value of a solid plan B when communication breaks down!"

In addition to traveling ("to Alaska this summer"), reading ("my book group is about to tackle Hawkins' A Brief History of Time"), and entertaining her nieces and nephews, Ann sings and does fundraising for the Des Moines Choral Society. You will be impressed to learn she performed with them at Carnegie Hall.