What is it like to be a woman in politics and how has that changed over the years? 

Why are women still underrepresented in politics today?

What can we do to move toward equity at all levels of government. 

If you've ever wondered about these questions, Capitol Information and Tours invites you to join us for this special Women's History Month virtual event. The panel will be hosted by LWVCT president Laura Smits. Sign up to attend this event at the link above.

Meet the Panelists

Kay J. Maxwell currently serves as Chair, Board of Governors, Off the Record, a program of the Foreign Policy Association. She is the former Executive Director of the World Affairs Forum in Stamford, CT and served as the 16th president of the League of Women Voters of the US. She was an active participant in the U.S. Department of State’s International Speakers and CitizensConnect Programs, traveling extensively to conduct civic participation training for women political, NGO and business leaders. Ms. Maxwell served as the vice president for Program Administration and Corporate Development at the International Executive Service Corps, an international economic development organization. She has earned several honors, including the first “Citizen of the Year” award from the Connecticut Secretary of the State in 1993, the 1999 BRAVA Award for Career and Volunteer Accomplishments from the YWCA of Greenwich, CT, the “Woman Who Makes a Difference” award from the International Women’s Forum in 2003, the Liberty Bell Award from the Fairfield County Bar Association in 2019 and the Community Impact Award from Planned Parenthood of Southern New England in 2020. Ms. Maxwell was a member of the American Bar Association’s Blue Ribbon Commission on the American Jury and is a member of the International Women’s Forum and the Women’s Foreign Policy Group.  She is a former chair of the Planned Parenthood of Southern New England Board and previously served on the Board of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University.

Sworn in on January 4, 2023, Susan Bysiewicz is serving her second term as Connecticut’s 109th Lieutenant Governor. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz’s and Gov. Ned Lamont’s first priority is to grow good-paying jobs and investing in the state’s future. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz is continuing her commitment to economic growth that made her a leading voice for Connecticut residents and small businesses while she served as Secretary of the State from 1999 to 2011. As Secretary of the State, she helped thousands of businesses grow, registered thousands of voters, cut bureaucratic red tape, honored veterans, and fought to keep elections fair. As a state representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing the towns of Middletown, Middlefield, and Durham, Bysiewicz wrote legislation to ban dangerous “drive-through” mastectomies and ensure that women being treated for breast cancer had proper care. She also fought political patronage and wrote the law to ban lobbyists from giving gifts to legislators. As a business lawyer and a job creator, she has helped over sixty companies access millions of dollars in capital, expand their businesses, and create thousands of jobs in Connecticut. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz was raised the proud granddaughter of immigrants who came to Connecticut from Poland and Greece with nothing but hopes for a better future. After many years of factory work, they saved enough to buy a farm in Middletown that became Bysiewicz's childhood home. Growing up and working on the farm, she and her siblings learned the values of hard work, education, and persistence. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz graduated from Middletown High School, Yale University and Duke Law School. She is the author of Ella: A Biography of Ella Grasso, Connecticut’s 83rd governor. Bysiewicz and her husband David Donaldson reside in Middletown.

Callie Gale Heilmann is the founder, President, and Co-Director of Bridgeport Generation Now, a grassroots member-based organization that strengthens civic engagement in Bridgeport residents and our communities. Callie was born and raised in Hartford, CT and is the 3rd generation in her family to attend Hartford Public Schools. Growing up in a family committed to civic life, a sense of place, and public education shaped Callie’s lifelong commitment to social justice. A graduate of Tulane University with degrees in Women’s Studies and Art History, she also holds a Master’s of Arts at New York University in Visual Culture and a Master’s in Education from Hunter College, City University of New York. In 2013, Callie decided to move back to Connecticut and, wanting to raise her kids the way she was raised, moved her family to Bridgeport. After Bridgeport’s 2015 mayoral election, Callie organized the first founding members of Bridgeport Generation Now into a room to begin building a movement and in May of 2016, she held Gen Now’s first official member meeting. She currently serves on the advisory boards of PT Partners and the Smilow-Burroughs Wakeman Boys & Girls Club. Callie believes deeply in the power of organized people to move the places that matter to them toward positive social change.

Gemeem Davis is the Vice President and Co-Director of Bridgeport Generation Now. Passionate about democracy, Gemeem was born, raised and educated in Bridgeport and holds a degree in film from Pratt Institute. After living in New York City for many years, she moved back to Bridgeport in 2016 intent on making a positive impact on the lives of the people in her hometown. Gemeem became a member of Bridgeport Generation Now in 2017, was voted on to its board as Vice President in 2018 and has shared the role of Co-Director with the organization's founder, Callie Heilmann, since 2019. As a testament to Gen Now’s mission, Gemeem has successfully developed into a respected community leader whose independent voice is often called upon by the community, media and elected officials. In 2020, Bridgeport City Council appointed Gemeem to the Bridgeport Advisory Task Force on Public Safety where she advocated for and advanced key recommendations resulting in a $2.5 million increase for public education and $760,000 for a new social services unit. Gemeem has served as an elected member of Bridgeport’s Democratic Town Committee and is also the President of Bridgeport Generation Now Votes, the 501(c)4 affiliate of Bridgeport Generation Now, committed to increasing voter education and turnout in Bridgeport elections.