Jane Harman, former U.S. Representative and current head of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, on the leadership lessons she's learned as a woman in Congress. Courtesy: Washington Post.

Lindy Boggs Award
In 1995, the Stennis Center established the Lindy Boggs Award at its Southern Women in Public Service conference. This award recognizes a woman from the South who has demonstrated the ideals of patriotism, courage, integrity and leadership through public service that have characterized the life and career of Lindy Boggs.

Summit of Southern Women Leaders
To replace the Southern Women in Public Service conference, the Stennis Center organized the Summit of Southern Women Leaders on May 4-6, 2008 at St. Simons Island, Georgia. Approximately 150 women leaders from 14 states attended, including state legislators, statewide elected officials, mayors, judges, commissioners, cabinet officers, academic professors and business leaders who are interested in exploring ways that women can strengthen the quality and character of public service.

Southern Women in Public Service
Since the first Southern Women in Public Service conference in 1991, the Stennis Center has developed a reputation for supporting the advancement of women in public service leadership. This annual conference has become the most significant bipartisan gathering of women political leaders from across the South.

Lifting Leaders
The Stennis Center in 2010 created Lifting Leaders, a pilot mentoring program for college women interested in becoming leaders in public service.  The first program is being conducted in Arkansas, matching exceptional women political leaders with young women who are emerging as leaders on college campuses in the state.  The concept of this program came through the Stennis Center’s work with women political leaders in 14 Southern states over the past two decades.  We hope that the Lifting Leaders program in Arkansas will be a model for similar programs in other states.