Women Officials Network Learns from US District Attorney Dawn Ison
(Elizabeth Schanz, July 3, 2023)
Bloomfield Township, MI – The Women Officials Network Foundation (WON) recently held its annual meeting and breakfast, featuring guest speaker Dawn Ison, the United States Attorney for the East District of Michigan.
The WON Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to empower and connect women leaders in the community. Like many other events hosted by WON, the annual meeting and breakfast allow the organization’s members to connect and network with other women leaders.
“That annual meeting is to me like the culmination of the whole year’s worth of activity,” Vice President of Programs Yolanda Smith Charles said.
President of WON Foundation Janice Berry said the annual breakfast meeting is a requirement for the organization because it is a public non-profit. However, she wants the event to be more than just a box to check. Berry said she likes to “add some flavor” to the event by bringing in guest speakers like Ison in order to create an inspiring and engaging experience.
Ison is a Michigan native who received her law degree from Wayne State University in 1989. During her career, Ison was a Prehearing Attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals and worked for 19 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption Unit as an Assistant United States Attorney.
In November 2021, Ison was appointed by President Joe Biden to become the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. In this role, Ison acts on behalf of the United States in litigation in federal court. The Eastern District of Michigan’s jurisdiction includes 34 counties and essentially splits the state in half.
During Ison’s talk at the WON Foundation breakfast, she addressed her goals for the eastern Michigan community: reducing crime through community engagement initiatives and transparency. She hopes to create trust in the community in order to reduce violent crime.
Ison aims to create executive committees for places in the eastern district that have higher instances of violence. The committees are meant to promote a connected effort to reduce crime by engaging both law enforcement and community partnerships like faith-based organizations.
“We have so many people doing great work in this community but they operate in a silo,” Ison said.
Ison said she wants to work “collaboratively and cooperatively” with local communities. She hopes to focus on “enforcement, prevention and re-entry” when it comes to reducing crime and promoting public safety.
Smith Charles said Ison’s talking points gave a better lens into the work that she does in her role and was “illuminating” to what the job entails.
Tracy Peters, a solo practitioner attorney in state and federal education law and member of WON, said having Ison as guest and speaker attests to the experiences and lives of women leaders.
“(Ison’s) recognition of the need to amplify that female perspective extends to many WON members’ current workplaces and political landscapes,” Peters said. “Ms. Ison’s professional background shows that diverse work experiences build deep and multi-faceted competency levels.”
Speakers like Ison highlight the goals of the WON Foundation: developing networks, inspiring leaders and building an understanding of citizenship and democracy. Additionally, the WON Foundation aims to cultivate these goals through its work as an organization and its impact on individual members.
“WON reminds me that I’m interested in laws and policies that affect our lives and that fellow WON members may provide me with avenues outside my own spheres of influence to contribute to future laws and initiatives,” Peters said.
The WON Foundation aims to create events and opportunities that reflect the interests of the women in the organization.
“We (WON) have a whole menu that people can pick from in terms of what they are passionate about and why they choose to be a part (of the organization),” Berry said.
Smith Charles feels WON creates similar opportunities to meet and uplift a wide array of individuals with many perspectives, connections and backgrounds. She says the organization opens pathways for professional and personal relationships.
“The rationale to joining WON was certainly building a network with ‘movers and shakers,’ particularly women, in my neck of the woods,” Smith Charles said.
In addition to interpersonal connections, the WON Foundation works to create discussions around current events and issues. Berry said the WON Foundation “doesn’t tend to avoid issues but takes them on” through an informational standpoint and diverse perspectives.
“We take on those things maybe not in a way to solve them but certainly from an awareness standpoint because once you’re aware then you’re empowered to be able to make your own decisions,” Berry said.
As the WON Foundation continues to lay out their plans for the upcoming fall they want to continue to expand their reach and impact in the community. Berry said the organization has strong roots in Oakland County but hopes to continue to reach out and connect with women in the neighboring counties of Wayne and Macomb. Learn more about WON at https://www.wonfoundation.net/
