Members of the Build the Bench Advisory Committee and CIWO gathered on Friday, September 9, 2022 in Washington, DC to strategize the future of Build the Bench. It was the first in person meeting for the Build the Bench program since the Annual Convening in July 2019.
The half-day meeting was held at the Institute for Policy Studies, where CIWO Fellow and Build the Bench participant Kathleen Gaspard is Deputy Director. Others at the meeting included: Felicia Griffin (Formerly of PowerSwitch Action), Mackenzie Baris (Jobs with Justice), Sha Grogan-Brown (Grassroots Global Justice), Aisha Satterwhite (Coworker.org), Jenny Freedman (Center for Popular Democracy), Robin Katcher (Katcher Consulting), and CIWO’s Executive Director Marilyn Sneiderman, Associate Director Sheri Davis, Senior CIWO Fellow Maria Elva Maldonado, and Program Coordinator Mary Kate Marasco.
Build the Bench was originally conceived in 2014 and has grown into a community of learning and practice that many participants consider a cherished space to build and deepen relationships with other “number two” directors both personally and professionally. Now that our world is moving out of the solely-virtual place it’s been in throughout the pandemic, we have the opportunity to reflect on the structure and purpose of Build the Bench and consider how it can grow and continue evolving as a resource for managing directors across economic and racial justice movements. We’re grateful that we could start this conversation in person!
