Episode 185: We Celebrate Women Making a Difference During National Women’s History Month

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. March is National Women's History Month, a time to recognize the vital contribution of women in American history. On this episode of the Supercast, we find out how schools are celebrating, and we sit down with a woman in our school community making history in her own right. Meet Dawn Ramsey, President of the Jordan Education Foundation and the first female mayor of South Jordan City. But first, we stop by West Jordan Middle School, where Martha Hughes Cannon, the first female State Senator in the United States, is being celebrated on morning announcements.

Rae Garrison:
Good morning, West Jordan Middle School, faculty, staff, and students. Give me a heartbeat. Today is Monday, March 20th. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here at West Jordan Middle School, talking with Principal Rae Garrison and two of our student body officers. Introduce yourselves.

Vina:
Hi, I'm Vina. I am ninth-grade historian.

Allie:
Hi, I'm Allie, and I'm eighth-grade historian.

Anthony Godfrey:
And as part of your announcements every morning, you've been focusing on Women's History Month. Principal Garrison, tell us about this project.

Principal Rae Garrison:
Yeah, so we like to recognize the various national designated months throughout the year. So, you know, Black History Month, Pacific Islander, and of course Women's History Month. So we make a slide for every day to highlight various important figures throughout history. We feel like it's really important to share with the students what these women have accomplished is what the month's all about.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have you been highlighting a different woman each day?

Allie:
Yes. Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Let's go through some of the ones that you've been featuring. Any favorites along the way?

Principal Rae Garrison:
My favorite slides that we've done are ones that recognize the collective effort of some of our great women leaders throughout history. You know, for example, the Code Breakers of World War II. Over 10,000 women worked as code breakers, deciphering enemy messages.

Allie:
I would say my favorite one so far is Mary Jackson. We learned about her last year in language arts, and I think it was really cool to see like how she was the first one to like break those codes and stuff. And it was like, she was super smart and people like didn't realize that and she showed them who’s boss kind of thing and I love that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah <laugh>. That's awesome. How about for you?

Vina:
I think mine is Patsy Mink because she just like stood up and became one of the first like women to be in the Congress, which I think is really like, powerful and for like, her time. And so I think that she's like a really good role model.

Allie:
March is Woman's History Month. So Principal Garrison's Woman's History Month highlight is Martha Hughes. Martha Hughes Cannon was a Utah Woman's Rights activist and suffragist. Martha was working at the age of 14. At 16, she enrolled in the University of Deseret, which is now called the University of Utah. She received a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry. She attended the University of Michigan and received her MD, Medical Doctor. Cannon worked as a doctor and fought for women's rights. She helped put women enfranchisement voting into Utah's constitution when it was granted statehood in 1896. On November 3rd, 1896, Cannon became the first female State Senator elected in the United States, defeating her own husband who was also on the ballot.

Anthony Godfrey:
And tell us about who you featured today.

Allie:
This was Martha Hughes, and we have a wall of her. I think she's just really cool that she did all this stuff such as like advocate for women's rights and stuff, and I love how she defeated her own husband in that <laugh>. I think that's really fun.

Principal Rae Garrison:
Martha Hughes Cannon being the first female in Congress certainly sends a message to our young ladies that you can accomplish great things.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it's a particularly important message in middle school. Just to be reminded that you can do things that you may not think you're capable of.

Principal Rae Garrison:
Yeah, absolutely.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that you've got her up on the wall. And Principal Garrison, you've done such a nice job of creating an engaging space for students. There's a lot to see here. Anyone who hasn't been to West Jordan Middle is missing out on all the murals and it's a great way of making the most of students’ time here. Thanks very much for letting us drop in on your announcements and I think you guys are doing a great thing here, so keep it up.

Allie:
Thank you.

Principal Rae Garrison:
Thank you, superintendent.

Vina:
Thank you so much.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here today with Mayor Dawn Ramsey to celebrate National Women's History Month. Mayor Ramsey, thanks for joining us.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Well, thank you very much for having me. It's an honor to be here.

Anthony Godfrey:
How many years are you into being a mayor now?

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
This is my sixth year as mayor.

Anthony Godfrey:
And not only are you mayor of South Jordan, but you've been involved with Jordan School District in many, many ways for a very long time. And we want to talk about that. Really to start off with, I think the first time that I really remember calling on you for help was when we had a group of parents talking about a boundary change, and you came in and talked with those parents. You just did such a nice job of conveying just your confidence in the District and in the school. And we've relied on you many times since then, but I've always appreciated your support for the District with everything else that you have going on.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Well, thank you. I thought about that the other day. I went to the musical, fantastic musical that they did at Elk Ridge Middle School. They just did Suessical and I was there and I thought about the first time we met. I was PTA President at Elk Ridge is what it was. And yeah, there were some boundary changes and a good opportunity to talk about some of the great things that were happening at Elk Ridge Middle School, but that was a long time ago. I was trying to do the math. It's been at least 11 years, I think.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Yeah. It's been more than a decade. Yeah. Tell me, let's focus on your work as a mayor first of all, let's talk about that. You've been visiting classrooms with us to honor Outstanding Educators, and as a result, you get to interact with a lot of students. And there's something that a student said to you as you were leaving that I thought was particularly poignant. Well, would you talk about that a little bit?

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Yes, for sure. I love going into the classroom and seeing the students and the teachers being part of presenting some of these awards. Visiting schools means a great deal to me. But the students are so fun. If you're ever having kind of a down day go in and get greeted by a bunch of first graders or fourth graders or seventh grade, they just brighten my day. I have had more than one student say to me as I've been leaving. It's something I've heard a few times. I didn't know a girl, or I didn't know a woman could be a mayor. <Laugh>. I've had a lot of young kids say that to me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. And what's your response when they say that?

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
It's true. It is true. A woman can be a mayor and you could, whether they're boys or girls, young men or young women, you could be too if you decided. You can be anything you'd like to be. And they usually think that's pretty cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
I definitely do not remember a mayor visiting my classroom. No question about that. I'm amazed, as we've talked over the years at the number of committees you've served on and led. The groups that you've been in charge of, you really engage in ways that make me wonder, and I'm a busy guy, how you're able to do everything that you do. So tell me, let's go through some of the things, as many as you can remember, how many of the boards and advisory groups that you have been a part of as Mayor of South Jordan.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Wow. On the spot that might be hard to come up with. I’ll rattle off a few.

Anthony Godfrey:
I wasn't joking when I was saying the ones you can remember, because over the years, you've been involved in a lot.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
There have been a lot and it's been a privilege. But when I ran for mayor the first time, and then again the second time, my commitment to the residents was that I would make this my full-time effort and give it my all. That I would do everything I could to give South Jordan a seat at the table anywhere that I could. And I'm proud to say that I've accomplished that almost to an exhausting level sometimes <laugh> as you mentioned. But it's been such a blessing. So, let's see. I had the chance to serve for the last four years as a member of the Board of the Utah League of Cities and Towns. And I just wrapped up my term as president. I've been an executive officer for the last, this is my fourth year as an officer. So I guess five years on the Board.

Anthony Godfrey:
The League of Cities and Towns has kind of a mystery to it. Like the Justice League or something.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Yes, <laugh>. That is the coalition that represents all 250 plus cities and towns in the state of Utah. We have an organization where we come together and work together, and we work a lot at the legislative session with legislators to make sure that policy is crafted that is going to be helpful and not hurtful to local government. And to advocate for local control and things that are important and to also share best practices. So it was an honor to be chosen amongst my peers from across the state as President of our organization. I'm currently chair of the Wasatch Front Regional Council, which as I mentioned, does the transportation and land use plans for the entire Wasatch front. So we've got seven counties from Box Elder down to Salt Lake County, and it's an honor the next two years to chair the Wasatch Front Regional Council. And I'm also the first woman in their more than 50 year history to ever chair the council. So that's quite an honor. Let's see. My goodness, I, for the last three years have been the public sector vice chair of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. This is gonna get boring. This list is kind of long.

Anthony Godfrey:
No, no. Keep on going, keep on going.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Let’s see. I represent cities on the Utah Unified Economic Opportunity Commission that was created by the governor and legislature two years ago. And that's the governor, the speaker of the house, the president, and members of the cabinet. And I represent the seat for cities and towns on that. I serve as a trustee for the state on the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority, working on the Point as we redevelop the prison site. I serve on the Olene Walker Affordable Housing Board for the state and also on the State Drinking Water Board.

It has been a long time. I started on the Jordan Education Foundation when I was region director. I think I was still associate director for the PTA for Jordan School District. So it's been, this is my 10th year on the Jordan Education Foundation Board, and a privilege to be a part of the work, to engage the community to help provide resources to fuel success in Jordan School District, to work as a companion organization to be part of this.

When I was elected mayor, I was not willing to let the Jordan Education Foundation role go because it's where my heart is. It's what I love to do. So it's not because I'm the mayor that I'm on the Education Foundation, it's because I've been there for a long time and now I happen to be a mayor. But it's been a privilege to serve with so many great volunteers from our community and to come together with businesses, business leaders, educators to recognize teachers and provide classroom grants. And I'm very proud that we were able to start the Principal's Pantry program, which is now in every school. Beds for kids. We do all sorts of things, clothes and eyeglasses, and there's so many things that we've been able to do and grow that it's really been an honor to be part of it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Talk about your PTA involvement as well over the years.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
I've been PTA president a lot of times, <laugh>, <laugh> and I thought I was gonna be able to kind of stay under the radar. I was president at our kids elementary school. My kids have gone, we've got six kids and they've gone to several, so many of the schools that we have. As boundaries change and things move around and you join different programs and things like that. So I've served in the PTA a lot. And then I was able to serve as associate director and then as region director for the Jordan PTA for four years. So as the parent representative, working closer with the administrative level and with the volunteers at all the schools at every school. And then representing our district on the state PTA board.

Anthony Godfrey:
You've done a ton <laugh>, you've been everywhere all the time. I think the movie is Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
I don't know about that, but I actually finished my last six months as Region PTA Director were my first six months as mayor. I did both.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us when we come back more with Mayor Ramsey.

Break:
Hello, I'm Tracy Miller, President of the Jordan School District Board of Education. There are seven members on the Board of Education, one in each voting district. We are committed to listening and serving our constituents as we work together to provide the best possible learning environment for the students we serve. As members of the Jordan Board of Education, we believe it is our duty and responsibility to: increase student achievement; provide parents with the choices they deserve and desire; recognize and reward quality in educators; empower school leaders through policy governance and professional development; and communicate with the public, legislators, business leaders, cities, and parents. We invite you to get to know the Board member who represents you in your voting district and to please join us at our monthly board meeting held on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Or listen from the comfort of your home, on our live stream. For more information and to find your Board member, visit jordandistrict.org. With parent and community input and support, we will continue our work to give students every opportunity to succeed in Jordan District schools and beyond. Thank you for your support. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's talk about your time as mayor. What was it that made you want to run to be Mayor of South Jordan City?

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Well, I love the community we live in and I had been involved for many years as a volunteer in the community. Often it was through education, volunteering a lot of time in the classrooms, a lot of PTA. Just spent a great deal of time volunteering also in the arts, also in little league sports. And so had just done a lot of volunteering in the community and the mayor wasn't running for reelection. There was an open seat. And I just decided I'd love to take the opportunity to represent our community and to give my all, my full-time, my best efforts to advocating for the residents if they want me to. And felt confident that I could do a good job. I knew I had a lot I'd need to learn, but I thought, if I give my best to this, I think I could make a difference for this community. And if the residents want me to, I'm willing to give it my all. And was humbled and honored to be elected the first woman ever elected mayor in the city of South Jordan. And to have that chance and now to be reelected, it's an honor to get to represent our city.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I wanted to ask you about that. How does it feel to be the first female mayor of a city?

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Well, humbling, honestly. It might surprise some people that South Jordan's been a community since the beginning of the settling of Utah. And so it's been a very long time. And we've got a fantastic wall that images of all of the previous mayors of the city are on. And it's gonna look a little different at one point when all of a sudden there's this blonde woman up there next to all the gentlemen who have served so well. But I'm honored to get to do it and feel like it's a chance to be a role model to young women, young men, men and women, everywhere. I never wanted to run on the vote for me because I'm a woman platform ever. Vote for me because I'm the best candidate is what I was running on. And I just appreciate the confidence that the residents have in me and the opportunity to show that decisions about who may or may not best fill a role, shouldn't come down to gender. It should come down to who's the best candidate, who's gonna do the best job there. And I feel strong about that, but it really is an honor to get to do this and to be a role model.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some things that people might be surprised or that surprised you about becoming mayor? Some things maybe people wouldn't expect are part of the job or are difficult parts of the job.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Well, no two days are the same. Anytime someone says, what's your day like, I could never give you just one example of what it is. I could say a lot of meetings, you know? No two days are the same. What has surprised me, probably what surprises me the most is how much I love it. Because if you look back over the last five plus years it's been a rocky time sometimes politically in our country. We've had a lot of public discourse that's been contentious. It might surprise you that I love it so much. It is not all roses, but I'm honored to do the work of the people. The thing that surprised me the most when I jumped into this, my intention was to give my very best efforts and to try to wear myself out. But I never understood what a benefit it would be to me. That I would be the lucky recipient who was blessed to get to know so many people and that my life would be enriched. I almost feel selfish saying that because it's enriched my life so much to get to be part of wonderful things with amazing people. That's what surprised me the most.

Anthony Godfrey:
You do get a bit of a backstage pass to the city as a whole and all of the things that are going on and I'm sure get to meet a lot of people that you wouldn't have the opportunity to otherwise.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Absolutely. And you know, I really appreciate, even if I meet people because they come to talk at city council meeting. If they come to speak during public comment or something, and whether they come to say there's something they're happy about or they have a question or a suggestion or whether they're not happy, I appreciate people's willingness to engage in the process and to come. I absolutely believe if somebody's willing to come and speak they deserve the chance to be heard. And I really am grateful and will always stand up for everyone's right to have the chance to come and say what they want to say. Even if I don't agree with what they come and say, I'll always defend the right to be able to do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Sure. What would you say to young people or others who are considering the possibility of running for elected office?

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
I would say if you get that inclination, if that crosses your mind and you find yourself interested in thinking that might be something you'd like to do, absolutely do it. The trouble these days as things have become a little more contentious is that there's a lot of good people who might be interested, but they just won't run because it's not easy. It is not easy. And as long as you go into it, knowing that, that it's not meant to be easy. The nature of our system, the way things are set up is that anyone in this government of the people has the chance to run and to participate. And so, you know, when you're going to represent the people you're opening yourself up to criticism, if that's how the people feel, whatever it is.

The opportunity to be part of this great work to be stewards over the money, the taxpayer's money, which I believe is sacred. Sacred funds and a sacred obligation and I don't mean that in a spiritual sense. I just think there is a deep significant responsibility with overseeing the taxpayer's money. And the obligation to get that right is significant. But there are so many great opportunities for people to serve that. If anyone out there is ever considering, ‘ah, someday I might wanna do that.’ Absolutely do it. Inform yourself, learn about the issues, participate. My counsel would be to be well informed. Go for it. I appreciate and tip tip my hat to anyone willing to put their name in the ring to run for public office.

Anthony Godfrey:
So in other words, if you have that inclination, listen to it and pursue it and see where that takes you by becoming more informed and kind of envisioning that possibility for yourself. Don’t just tamp it down and move on.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Absolutely.

Anthony Godfrey:
Any parting thoughts on Women's History Month?

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
I'm honored to stand on the shoulders of giants. There are great men and great women who have gone before. Who have paved the way. I'm grateful for the good women and men who fought for women's suffrage, who really paved the way for me to do this work that I love. To do the work of the people and to be involved because I wouldn't have had this opportunity if I'd been born a hundred years ago. And it's an honor to be part of it and to serve with so many good people. And I think it is important that we have the voices of both good men and good women at the table. It gives balanced perspective that I think helps us come up with the best policies, leading to the best outcomes. I think that's critical. And so I'm just honored to be part of it now and paving my own little tiny trail through history and just grateful for everyone who went before who have allowed me the opportunity to be here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you very much for everything you do as mayor and everything you've done for Jordan School District at school, students and employees over the years.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.