Barbara Lee Family Foundation pledges donation to COWS program amid retirement announcement!

After 25 years of supporting women in politics, philanthropist Barbara Lee has announced plans to wind down her foundation in 2024 and pledged to donate $2.5 million toward organizations supporting women's leadership. The Women Mayors Network (WMN), a project of the Mayors Innovation Project, is thrilled and humbled to announce that it has been selected as one of the recipient organizations.

The Barbara Lee Family Foundation has been an instrumental partner to the WMN, helping support and raise the profile of women mayors. Read the Women Mayors Network's full statement on the investment here.

COWS Project Updates

New ProGov21 Road Map: Recreation

Did you know that proximity to parks and recreation facilities is one of the strongest predictors of physical activity for children in America? ProGov21’s latest roadmap focuses on recreation and what city leaders and policymakers can do to create more vibrant and accessible green spaces, particularly for low-income communities and communities of color.

To learn more about this roadmap, including what local governments are doing to improve and create more parks and green spaces, visit ProGov21’s website here.

Mayors Innovation Project announces Winter 2024 Meeting keynote speaker: Ian Bassin

In anticipation of the Winter 2024 Meeting, the Mayors Innovation Project (MIP) has just announced its keynote speaker, Protect Democracy’s Co-founder and Executive Director Ian Bassin. Bassin is a writer, lawyer, advocate, and a 2023 MacArthur Fellow. 

At Protect Democracy, his work focuses on using litigation, technology, research, and more to promote stronger democratic institutions. The Winter 2024 Meeting is scheduled for January 19th-20th in Washington, DC. Learn more and register here.

New SSTI Article: Stressful Commutes Lead to Less Productivity

The State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) recently released 'Stressful Commutes Lead to Less Productivity', an article which outlines how the mental effort expended during a morning commute to work can lead to increased burnout and subsequently affect productivity. 

The new study also found that a person's feelings about their commute, regardless of the actual trip itself, can have a profound effect on them before they even get to work. To learn more about this study including what workers actually want in their commute click here.

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