Palm Beach Political Consultants Launch Firm Near Winter White House
Long-time Washington-area political consultant Daryl Glenney, a Georgetown University alumna, has launched a new firm in Palm Beach, Fla., to encourage more women to run for – and win – public office. Her partners are former West Palm Beach Mayor Nancy Graham and Palm Beacher Carla Cove.
Winning Women Florida, headquartered just a stone’s throw away from the Winter White House in Palm Beach, plans to recruit women for a series of nonpartisan workshops that will equip them to play a variety of roles in the political process.
Glenney has been a political consultant since 1974, handling more than 400 campaigns in 17 states and working with political parties in several countries. She has designed and conducted political advocacy training for women in the U.S. and Canada, and in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
“Many municipalities have a history of electing women,” says Glenney. “But that’s not the case across Florida or in most parts of the country. Only 25% of Florida representatives and 30% of State senators are women. Even fewer women get to Congress, where 19% of House seats and 21% of Senate seats are held by women. If we can help even a few women take the first step toward Town Hall, Tallahassee or Washington, that’s a win for all of us.”
The Winning Women Florida team also includes Palm Beacher Carla Cove, a former wealth management professional who has been active in local politics. She notes that Winning Women Florida workshops will teach not only campaigning skills, but how to make critical decisions once in office. “Just getting women into office isn’t enough,” says Cove. “We want to make sure that women appreciate that they are stewards of taxpayer dollars. Studies indicate that even well-educated women are not confident that they are prepared to make these kinds of financial decisions.”
Nancy Graham, the third team member, is a former Mayor of West Palm Beach who, as she says, has walked in the shoes of both a candidate and an officeholder. She warns, “Sometimes, in being sensitive to community needs, we fall into the trap of trying to make everyone happy. Yes, you have to listen – and really hear – what constituents are saying. But then you have to weigh what people want against the reality of what is actually possible. That’s hard to decide, and can be even harder to explain to constituents.”
In addition to their training programs, Glenney, Cove and Graham will continue to work together as consultants to political campaigns for both men and women candidates. Contact: Winning Women Florida, 561.868.8835.