CDBA Women’s Review: Lesli Rotenberg

The Central Business District Association’s Women’s Review bills itself as “providing professional businesswomen in Hampton Roads the opportunity to hear outstanding speakers.” Thursday’s luncheon lived up to that billing – and then some. The scheduled speaker was Paula A. Kerger, president and CEO of Public Broadcasting Service. Unfortunately, Kerger was unable to attend; as it turns out, she lost her voice. In her stead was Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, PBS Brand management and children’s media.

Rotenberg has been at PBS for eight years, having joined the management team there after a stint at Animal Planet. During her tenure, she has received numerous honors, including the 2003 Emmy for Best Commercial, the 2004 CINE Special Jury Award for Best On-Air Promo, 20 Promax/BDA awards, seven CINE Golden Eagle awards, four CTAM Awards and three Telly Awards. She also was named as on the the nation’s top 15 “Women to Watch” by Advertising Age.

In other words, she’s no slouch 😉.

Addressing the group of professional women (and a few men), though, requires more than just a great resume. Rotenberg chose to focus her remarks on women and the nature of power, invoking the names of historical women to reinforce her point.

When I think of powerful women, I always think of Bella Abzug, that trail-blazing Congresswoman from New York. She once said about women and power:

In the 21^st century, women will change the nature of power, instead of power changing the nature of women.

I watched as the women around me nodded in agreement. Many of us are old enough to remember Abzug and her colorful career – and her hats 🙂 Rotenberg wove into her commentary heroines of the women’s movement, citing the work of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the subjects of a PBS program entitled “Not for Ourselves Alone,” which “documented the struggle of women” for the right to vote.

No speech about women is complete without referring to the 2008 election – and Rotenberg did not disappoint.

In 2008, women from both parties put a lot of cracks in the proverbial glass ceiling. This is proof that women ARE CHANGING the nature of power.

And yet so much of the coverage of these women candidates has focused on what they wear, how they laugh or style their hair, and whether or not they can successfully balance their jobs with their family responsibilities.

If we are going to change the nature of power for future generations, we need to hold the press to the same standards of coverage for male and female candidates.

Can I get an “Amen?”

Women in this country have the potential to change both the face of power and the nature of power. And the women in this room have the ability to harness that potential and direct it in meaningful ways.

Our responsibilities as leaders for women goes beyond our own professions.

It goes to our choices as mothers, as members of communities, as citizens of this democracy.

What we choose to do as leaders, how to use our power for ourselves and for others will shape more than just the journey for those who follow.

It will determine their destination.

Rotenberg did a wonderful job of keeping the audience engaged, demonstrating a sense of humor while being totally serious about the topic at hand. I appreciate it when a young woman speaks about women’s issues with a real sense of history. On top of that, she seemed like a genuinely nice, unassuming person.

When I first arrived at the luncheon, I spotted Bert Schmidt, President & CEO of WHRO, and a fellow member of the board of HRCCE. I headed over to chat with Bert, and honestly, didn’t even notice her standing there. She stuck out her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Leslie!” Afterwards, I got a chance to chat with her and requested a copy of her remarks and a photo so that I could write this post. I got both in my email within a few hours (unlike another Women’s Review speaker, of whom I requested the same thing and never got). It was this persona that came through as she spoke. If you weren’t there, you missed a treat.

~

Mark your calendars!

On January 28, 2009 The Women’s Review winter speaker will be Kelli Arena, a Justice Department and Supreme Court correspondent for CNN. The fall speaker, scheduled for October 7, 2009, will be Dr. Erin Michos, Assistant Professor of Medicine within the Division of Cardiology at John Hopkins University. The spring speaker will be Glamour Magazine. The date on that is pending. If you want to attend, send an email to the CDBA with your name and address and you will be notified of the events.