Loon, JeniferMurphy, ErinPearson, Kathryn2019-05-072019-05-072019-02-26https://hdl.handle.net/11299/202782How do women legislators make a difference? What are the challenges and opportunities for women leaders in St. Paul and in Washington, DC? This event will provide the perspectives of former state representatives Jenifer Loon and Erin Murphy, as well as congressional expert Professor Kathryn Pearson on the ever-evolving role of women in politics. Jenifer Loon represented district 48B in the Minnesota House from 2008-2018. Ms. Loon served as deputy minority leader in the 2013 legislative session. In addition to being an elected representative, her political experience includes being a policy consultant and legislative aid. She was a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Larry Pressler from her home state of South Dakota. Erin Murphy represented district 64A in the Minnesota House, covering the Summit Hill neighborhood in St. Paul. She is also a former executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association and is a registered nurse. She was first elected to the MN House in 2006, and was elected by the DFL House caucus to be Majority Leader in 2012. She finished second in the 2018 DFL primary for governor to then-U.S. Rep Tim Walz. Ms. Murphy has a masters in organizational leadership from St. Kate’s and was a policy fellow at the Humphrey School. Kathryn Pearson is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota specializing in American politics, congress, and women in politics. She is the author of the book Party Discipline in the House of Representatives, published in 2015. Professor Pearson received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.enAudio