January 2018 Member of the Month

Name: Nikki Reiss

Hometown: Sidney, Ohio

Place of Work: Carpenter Lipps & Leland

Tenure at Current Place of Work: just over 10 years

OWIG Involvement: member for 2 years, regular event attendee prior to that
 

After over a decade at the same place of employment, Nikki still starts every day feeling fortunate to be doing a job she loves. Her position with the law firm of Carpenter Lipps & Leland allows her to engage on issues that align well with her personal beliefs while influencing policy to change people’s lives for the better.

She’s been involved in some very exciting fights over the course of her career, including planning a rally around Medicaid access for thousands of people in just one week, twice. If anyone asks, she clarified that this skill was not taught in any of her law school classes.

One of her favorite aspects of what she does is being a part of the collegial community of Cap Square, which includes women she praises as “strong, opinionated, ethical and hardworking.” The representation from many generations also allows for a unique sharing of wisdom that she feels can’t be found in the corporate world.

“When possible, be kind. It is always possible.”

Outside of work, Nikki is an avid fan of Star Wars and baseball. She also serves as the Vice President of Dress for Success and was instrumental in helping OWIG host a fundraiser for the professional support organization last year. The Board of Trustees for Alvis, a nonprofit serving recently incarcerated individuals and those with developmental disabilities, is also lucky to have her as its Vice President.

Not surprisingly, the altruism inherent in her community service aligns well with her personal motto for 2018: “When possible, be kind. It is always possible.”

OWIG opens up Member of the Month Nominations

OWIG has expanded its Member Feature Program into a monthly write-up, and we are opening up the process to nominations from current members. The Member of Month Feature is intended to provide an opportunity for OWIG to highlight members who are especially engaged in the work we are doing or have recently celebrated a professional accomplishment or milestone. Nominations will be accepted up until the 20th day of each month. We look forward to celebrating our fantastic members! 

Click here to nominate a member of the month.

OWIG Hosts January Kickoff Event

OWIG hosted a January Membership Kickoff event, January 25, 2018. Over 50 women working in or with Ohio government gathered at El Arepezo for after work refreshments to meet and learn about the mission of OWIG.

OWIG Celebrates Success in 2017

Ohio Women in Government hosted its Annual Meeting December 8, 2017, to celebrate the organization's success in 2017.  OWIG was joined by members of the Columbus Women's Commission who shared a brief presentation of their accomplishments and vision for 2018. Below are excerpts from OWIG's year in review.

Membership Report

This past year was OWIG’s best yet in terms of membership engagement. We recruited a historic total of 93 paid members, a 230% increase over 2016. Our impressive membership rolls include state county & city employees, lobbyists, representatives from higher education, women in the nonprofit sector, city councilmembers, county-wide electeds, state representatives, and - after being keynote speaker at our 2017 kickoff event - Congresswoman Joyce Beatty.

OWIG was also excited to roll out its Member Feature program this year, which continues to provide an opportunity for us to highlight members who are especially engaged in the work we are doing or have recently celebrated a professional accomplishment.

Non-Profit Status

As of June 16, 2017, OWIG is a corporation recognized by the IRS as exempt from income tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3).

With this designation, we are now permitted to solicit charitable donations from the public. The ability to fundraise will enhance OWIG’s ability to promote the educational development of women in Ohio government.

Education and Community Impact

OWIG members had access to a number of educational events throughout 2017, many of which supported other women in our community. We held a breakfast networking event at Bottoms Up Coffee in Franklinton in February, where we learned about and supported the social enterprise's mission of preventing infant mortality through providing workforce development and diapers for new moms. Women's leadership expert Julie Graber led a wage negotiation workshop for OWIG members in August at Bricker & Eckler. After learning about the unique challenges women face advocating for themselves in the workplace, we practiced our newly learned negotiating tools with one another.

In October, we partnered with Dress for Success Columbus for an educational Wine Night in support of their mission. The event registration fee was donated and members were encouraged to bring new or gently used clothing or accessories to donate. OWIG Steering Committee member and Dress for Success Board member, Nikki Reiss, shared information about DFS’ mission. We also enjoyed presentations by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor about their experiences as women in public office, with special opportunities for Q&A after each presentation.

Communication and Engagement

In 2017, OWIG relaunched our Facebook presence and launched a LinkedIn Company Page and members-only group. We have grown our social media follower base by over 30% and amplified our ability to communicate with members.

OWIG looks forward to a successful 2018.