Stacy McCalley of Carroll attended the first CAMPAIGN 101 for the western half of Iowa last September. This was a day long training/retreat for women who were either running for office or considering public service in their future. Stacy was running for the Carroll Community School District Board, and we may add she was successful in that effort.

When interviewed Stacy said, “It truly helped my campaign to be successful.  The reason I attended was because I was extremely new to the whole process. Besides voting, my biggest political experience was attending the caucus in 2020 with a friend to show support for Pete Buttigieg.  So, I was very green. I knew there were going to be some Moms of Liberty running for our local school board and I felt compelled to keep them out.  So, I needed to learn how to start and grow my campaign. I’m usually more comfortable behind the scenes so I needed extra help being comfortable opening myself up to the public.” 

Stacy was one of 20 women who attended the session hosted by Liz Garst, in the beautiful outdoor setting along the Middle Raccoon River. They heard from Iowa Democratic Chair, Rita Hart, who was bookended with House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst. The middle portion of the day persons heard from panelists who gave advice on creating a stump speech, and those who had run for office at the county and state levels.

Stacy reported, “My biggest takeaway was that I needed a core message.  I learned its importance from the panels but for me I gained the most from the communication skills portion of the meeting. My notes included: Be direct in who I am. Ask for the vote. Use the phrase “this is” and not “I think” in a way to be more direct.  Share with the voters on what connects me to this job. Share my experiences and stories at the same time.  So, I went home and my message was being an advocate for all students. I shared my experience advocating for my own autistic son and that really resonated with a large group of voters”. 

CAMPAIGN 101 planning for Congressional Districts 1 and 2 is being planned for Saturday April 13 in Kalona, Iowa. The panelists and speakers will be different people, but the messages will be similar. The session begins at 10:00. Mark your calendars to attend.

Stacy concludes, “I think if likeminded women keep sharing their experiences with their leadership roles and hopefully that will inspire others. Especially it feels like our voices aren’t being heard by the governor and the republican leadership we have in the state. And you feel outnumbered, but while I was running for office, I found there were more voices like mine out there like ours but we are quiet and we are too busy with our own lives and kids’ lives and running the household. I think we also need to get more young people involved to spread the message and vote.  I don’t know how this happens but hopefully it will change.

Stacy, thank you for taking the day to attend, and for providing public service on your local school board.

Eastern Iowa women, and others if you wish to travel, CAMPAIGN 101 is an excellent way to network with Iowa sisters, as we find our voices to help the State of Iowa.