Katy Simon Holland: Challenges, strategies for women in local government
When Katy Simon Holland became involved with the local government sector in the 1990s, she looked around and saw relatively few women in senior positions. In some ways, the situation has improved dramatically, but in others she says change remains slow in coming.
Over the course of her own career, Simon Holland would go on to serve as county manager at Washoe County, Nevada, before later adding on the role of interim president at the Alliance for Innovation. Today she serves her community in an elected capacity as president of the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees.
Overcoming Barriers to Local Government Involvement
All this experience has given Simon Holland a perspective on the challenges facing women within the local government sphere. It is a subject she eagerly discussed with Municipal World CEO Susan Gardner during the Alliance’s 2019 Transforming Local Government conference in Reno, Nevada.
“Local government is a great place for women to bring skills they can share with others – convening, and collaborating, and facilitating, bringing people together,” she said. “There are still, as we know, lots of bullies in government, and elsewhere. I think for women to learn how to deal with those situations is a real challenge in the profession.”
There weren’t as many women working in high-level positions in local government when Simon Holland became county manager in 1998. She estimates there were “perhaps 10 or so” women at similar-sized organizations across the U.S.
Studies show that while some 13 percent of senior positions were filled by women 30 years ago, the percentage in those roles today remains essentially unchanged.
Take the Next Step, Whether Ready or Not
There are many reasons for this situation, she explains. Sometimes it is personal preference while in other cases there is systemic discrimination against women based on everything from their appearance to stereotypical views of their ability.
However, Simon Holland said sometimes women don’t move up the corporate ladder because they don’t feel ready. That, she said, is a problem.
“You should never feel quite ready. You should push yourself to take those challenges, and go up to the next step,” she said. “I certainly didn’t feel qualified to be the best county manager when I stepped up for the job. It was funny that I did end up getting appointed by the board without a national search. I didn’t feel ready, but I was.” MW
✯ Municipal World Insider and Executive Members: You might also be interested in the article: Why small towns elect more women. Note that you can now access the complete collection of past articles (and more) from your membership dashboard.
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