Remarks from Elizabeth Cotsworth, 2010-11 President

2010 Inauguration of Officers

June 8, 2010
DACOR Bacon House

Thank you to Administrator Martha Johnson for inducting me as President of EWG. It is very special that an Administration appointee with a stellar record of public service achievement, as well as the personal warmth that she radiates, was part of EWG’s ceremony. Her remarks provided all of us with the assurance that EWG’s mission fits with the human resource goals of this Administration.

Thank you also to the membership of EWG. I am honored to serve as your President for the next year. I admit to being a bit nervous because the record of the past Presidents, especially my immediate predecessors, Peg, Kathy Gugulis and Maria Vickers, is impressive. But I pledge to do my best to build upon their initiatives, valuing the program elements they introduced, and enhancing them, with the help of the other officers and incoming Board—and I am looking for members to offer their services as Committee chairs and members. After all, active member participation, is critical to our ability to offer a set of diverse and enriching programs. An organization like this is only as successful as the vibrancy and participation of its membership. Thank you, too, to our sponsors, whose financial investment in us is evidence of their commitment to our mission.

I want to recognize the immediate past leadership of EWG—Peg and her Board and Committee chairs—for their contribution to the strength of the ongoing program, particularly in the mentoring area. 

I want to echo remarks about mentoring and networking. Each of us is responsible for our own career, it is true, but reaching out to help another, benefits both. The active role of federal executives in helping others to grow  their leadership skills is a critical performance requirement at many agencies today. EWG’s expanding programs offer all of us the clear opportunity to reach out for help or to provide practical assistance. Let’s commit ourselves to take advantage of these more than ever this year. It is, after all,  increasingly important to consider how we as an organization can contribute positively to succession planning. We have heard about the tsunami of retirements for a few years now and it is definitely upon us. The pace of SES advertisements at my agency is at an all time high.

EWG offers opportunities for those who aspire to the SES ranks to acquire valuable, credible skills. EWG also must continue to offer programs and speakers that provide the external awareness that versatile senior executives should possess. I want to make an effort to clearly identify how each of our program offerings relates to either an Executive Core Qualification or critical job elements, so that participants can take due credit. The mentorship program, under Peg Weir’s leadership, now has multiple facets. This will be a critical year as we launch the new mentor-protégé program and offer a suite of  tailored activities that will, if you and your colleagues take advantage of them, help women move up a rung on the executive ladder.

I also want to use this year to cement our alliances and partnerships with other organizations with similar missions and values. Linking together to offer a broader array of programs and jointly, clearly demonstrating our commitment to individual and organizational leadership is important for opening doors of opportunity and advancement for our members.

Finally, I want us to reflect upon what we want EWG to be like for the 74th president. Certainly, today’s members face issues that are somewhat, but not too different, from those of our founding mothers. I recently remarked on last month’s announcement of the 2009 Distinguished Presidential Rank Award recipients. Of 57 awardees, only 14 women are among this set of our most accomplished leaders. We must continue to be vigilant and supportive to talented women for filling SES positions as our colleagues or, indeed, ourselves, move on, and give them the tools and encouragement they need to make their mark as executives.

But we must remember that leadership occurs at all and any level and we owe it to make sure that we nurture the skills of high potential women down through the ranks of federal service. Our annual Summit is vital in that regard. In the near future, I want EWG to revisit the question of allowing GS-14s to be “protégé”, i.e. associate members, of the organization. Women at that grade level are already in leadership positions in many agencies and they are often the most interested and open to growing their skills and leadership attributes.

I want to express my interest as your new President to have EWG play a part in enhancing the call to public service for young women making their initial career choices. We must show ourselves as role models for strong executives with a heart, we must encourage them to consider the intrinsic value and rewards of federal service (such as we have seen), and we must communicate our belief in the promise that they, individually, hold for change.  I hope we can undertake some effort, through the richness of our program offerings and perhaps via a small scholarship program, to attract our daughters’ generation into federal service, thereby ensuring a strong EWG 37 years from now.

In starting a new EWG year, I look forward to more women executives, ever-changing  cultures, and advocacy for women’s leadership in the broadest sense, all with EWG’s help.  

- Elizabeth Cotsworth, EWG President 2010-11