Representing West Virginia women and families on a national scale

On May 3, West Virginia Assistant Attorney General Janet James stood before the YWCA USA Annual General Assembly in Washington, DC and repeated an oath to uphold the YWCA’s mission of “eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.”James, who currently serves on our board of directors, was one of eight women sworn in that day to the National Coordinating Board (NCB) of the YWCA USA. This 21-member board represents nearly 300 affiliated local YWCAs serving 2.5 million women and girls each year. Globally, the YWCA USA is a member of World YWCA, which has affiliates in 122 countries that serve 25 million women and girls worldwide. James was elected as one of the two representatives of the Mid-Atlantic Region, which encompasses 49 YWCAs in nine states. Below you will find her reflection on being elected to this important position.

"I first became involved with the YWCA of Charleston because its work is crucially needed in our community and because those who do this work have such passion for the people they serve. I served as the YWCA of Charleston’s board president from 1999-2003, and for the past eight years, I have acted as the organization’s liaison to the YWCA Mid-Atlantic Region, along with our Executive Director Debby Weinstein.

When our Mid-Atlantic Region volunteer member came to her term limit on the YWCA's National Coordinating Board (NCB), I was compelled to run for the NCB because of my passion for and belief in the YWCA USA’s advocacy work at the national and world levels, and its development of hallmark programs dealing with racial justice and women's economic empowerment. I was thrilled to hear that I had won the election in January, and humbled to stand before the more than 300 women from across the country to be sworn in to the NCB on May 3, 2009. It is extremely important that the YWCA USA be visible and active on the national and world stages.

On the NCB I will be a part of the decision-making process for the endowment fund, property acquisition and sale, development of peer review standards and other business with local associations, such as gender-neutral petitions and disaffiliation, and maintaining linkages to the World YWCA, including determining delegates to the 2011 World Council Meeting in Switzerland. I am very grateful to the YWCA Charleston for providing me with the opportunity to have a leadership role in the work of the Mid-Atlantic Region and the YWCA USA. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which I will never forget.

The YWCA USA just celebrated its 150th anniversary in Washington DC. It is my hope that 150 years from now, the YWCA will no longer be needed for its current mission because there will no longer be homeless women and children, no one will be the victim of domestic violence, racism will have been eliminated, all employers will have on-site daycare, and women will have leadership roles in every aspect of life. But to get there, much work remains."