WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Vision 2020 announced the selection of 102 National Delegates — extraordinary women chosen to help shape the future of women’s leadership into the next decade. Vision 2020 is a national project of the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership at Drexel University College of Medicine. The project seeks to promote women’s leadership and gender equality by uniting women across disciplines to begin a national dialogue and propose an action agenda to effect positive change.

Two women leaders were selected from all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, to join Vision 2020 as National Delegates.

• More than 1,000 people registered to nominate or become Vision 2020 National Delegates
• 102 women were selected as National Delegates.
• 13 women were selected as Visionary Delegates, who will advise and assist the National Delegates by connecting them to organizations and resources that will assist in the implementation of the action agenda.

“The credentials and commitment of the women who applied to become National Delegates were astounding,” said Lynn Yeakel, director of Drexel University College of Medicine’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership. “We have no doubt these women will effectively lead the initiative in their states.”

Some of the National Delegates include a federal judge, medical doctors, college and university professors, state senators, leaders of women’s organizations and high-ranking executives. For a complete listing of National and Visionary Delegates by state, visit www.drexel.edu/vision2020/.

The national search for delegates focused on finding women who have demonstrated a commitment to helping women and girls. The delegates, who serve for three years, will mobilize resources to bring about positive change and implement elements of the decade-long Vision 2020 agenda.

Vision 2020 kicks off Oct. 21, 2010, with a two-day conference at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The conference will be composed of eight conversation topic areas: Arts & Culture; Business, Law & Finance; Communications & Media; Education; Politics & Government; Health; Philanthropy, Faith & Volunteerism; and Science, Technology & Engineering. Each conversation will have three panelists, two moderators and audience members participating in a dynamic discussion about issues and solutions pertaining to each topic.

For more information about Vision 2020 and the National Delegates, contact Drexel University College of Medicine’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership at vision2020@drexelmed.edu or 215-991-8830 or visit www.drexel.edu/vision2020/.

About Vision 2020
Vision 2020 is a national project of the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership at Drexel University College of Medicine focused on ensuring gender equality by energizing the dialogue about women and leadership. In 2010, Vision 2020 will develop and launch its decade-long action agenda to move America toward equality by inspiring and engaging new generations of women and men to finish the work of the suffragists, who pursued women’s right to vote as fundamental to social and economic justice. The centennial of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution will be celebrated in 2020.