Health and social disparities, as well as workforce issues were front and center at a day-long summit hosted by the Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Thursday.
In his opening remarks to a group of more than 300 participants, Leon County Commission Chairman Nick Maddox recounted the role of women in his own life: his mother, and a former teacher named Mrs. Williamson:
“I said, Ma, I don’t understand why I get all the attention from Mrs. Williamson. And she said, ‘well, what does she tell you?' I said, 'she said I’m not going to be like the rest of my friends, I’m going to be someone one day'. And my mom looked me square in the face and said, 'call on God, my son. SHE will help you'.”
Maddox says he expects the summit to yield a list of recommendations for the city and county to take up sometime next year. Women and Girls Commission Chairwoman Robin Thompson says Maddox will get all he bargained for and more:
“I’m glad the commissioner asked for that and we’re going to give him a lot to say grace over when it comes to these recommendations for action and we’re going strong.”
The last time the group wrote a report and submitted recommendations to the city and county commission, it was able to get local city and government employees training on domestic and sexual violence in the workplace.
