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January 14, 2010 Jay Finegan, 287-1445
Rep. Kimberley Rosen Elected Vice Chair of National Organization of Women Legislators

AUGUSTA – State Rep. Kimberley Rosen has been elected vice chair of the board of directors of Women in Government, a national, nonpartisan organization that focuses on health and energy issues. Her election to the group’s second-highest position took place at its winter meeting in early January in Laguna Beach, Calif.

Rep. Rosen (R-Bucksport) has been a member of Women in Government (WIG) for five years, working her way up from state director and eastern regional director to her position last year as secretary. Membership in the organization is open to all women legislators from every state in the nation. Funding is provided by corporations, foundations and state and federal grants.

“I’m deeply honored to have been elected to the position of vice chair,” she said. “Women in Government is a very active and energetic organization that has done some wonderful work. The idea is to promote the sharing of ideas and collective problem solving on complex issues. It has been a tremendous education, and the valuable tools and information I’ve learned have direct application on the home front in serving my constituents and as a member of the Legislature.”

WIG, founded in 1988, deals extensively with medical issues, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy and cervical cancer. At Rep. Rosen’s suggestion, the organization recently added energy policy to its action agenda.

The group’s accomplishments include the Challenge to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Campaign; osteoporosis legislation; domestic violence legislation; initiatives for women in prison; and the establishment of state offices of women’s health. Last October, the group released its Diabetes Legislative Toolkit, designed to provide state legislators with the information necessary to promote legislation and educate their constituents on the various issues surrounding diabetes, including education, screening and treatment.

Women in Government publishes six quarterly newsletters for all female state legislators: The Legislative Voice; Prevention Connection; Health Matters; AccessEd; Family Finance; and Rheumatoid Arthritis Today. The organization also hosts more than 25 educational conferences every year and four regional conferences, which will be held this year in Rapid City, S.D.; Louisville, Ky.; Newport, R.I.; and Seattle.

Rep. Rosen was elected in 2008 to her third term in the Maine Legislature, where she serves on the Transportation Committee.

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