January 2022 Newsletter

Happy New Year!  We hope everyone in the Emerge Nevada network has had a joyful start to the new year. May 2022 bring us good health, happiness, and success in the 2022 midterms!

What better time to set our intentions, goals, and reprioritize our well being than at the very beginning of 2022? We sat down with Emerge Nevada Board Member and certified yoga instructor Layke Martin to learn about how we can better take care of our mind-body wellness this year and for years to come!

Layke became interested in certifying as a yoga instructor while teaching graduate students online during the pandemic. With all of the mental health stressors students were facing, she wanted to figure out a way to incorporate mindfulness into her classroom and normalize intention setting and simple yoga practices. After completing 200 hours of yoga instructor training, Layke noticed how the practice transformed her thinking and impacted how she showed up in the world. It is free, always available, something you can do for just a few minutes at a time, and helps reset your day when you’re stuck in your own head.

One of the easiest ways to begin your yoga journey is through sadhana…

For a list of yoga and wellness resources from Layke and the rest of the story, click here.

We are thrilled to announce the incredible women who make up the class of 2022! These remarkable women are comprised of the New American Majority, with 17 women of color, 10 first-generation Americans, 4 identifying with the LGBTQ+ community, 1 veteran, 6 union members, 12 under 40 years old, and 6 under 30 years old.

If you missed our Welcome Reception, don’t worry! You can still give a gift to support the dynamic women in the Class of 2022. We appreciate your support!

How are YOUR New Year’s Resolutions going? Starting a new year is a great opportunity to refresh, reset, and set new goals as we strive to be the best we can be. These inspiring Emerge Nevada alumnae have graciously shared with us their 2022 New Year’s Resolutions. We are so proud of these driven, compassionate women and wish them all the best as they work toward achieving their goals for the year!

Class of 2018 alumna Jennifer Lopez explains, “My New Year’s resolution is to be more present in everything I do. To achieve this, I plan to practice mindfulness, focus on the situation at hand and embrace my phone’s Do Not Disturb mode, especially during family meals. I also want to nurture my energy. To do so, I intend to increase self-care (i.e. dates with my Peloton).”

Class of 2019 alumna Tanya Flanagan says, “1. Look for solutions in challenging situations rather than what is wrong or doesn’t work. 2. My self-care is about building my relationship with God – reading, studying, hearing and acting on the Word for positive outcomes!”

Nancy Brune is a Class of 2008 alumna running for Las Vegas City Council and she shares, “My New Year’s resolutions are: (1) prioritize self-care; (2) stay calm and steady and true to my core values and motivations as I launch a campaign (for LV City Council Ward 6) to serve my community; (3) prioritize my marriage and protect my family from the personal stress/anxieties of the campaign; (4) refuse to give in to my inclination to do it all myself and avoid asking for help; (5) attend church more regularly and meditate daily (see resolution #2); (6) exercise daily (even if it is a 30 minute walk); (7) use my crockpot more; and (8) write 1 note card a week to a friend/colleague telling them how much they mean to me.”

“Class of 2021 Alumna and 2022 Judicial Candidate, Kendra Bertchy’s resolutions are:

1. Be present in the moment. Our time with our loved ones is precious and I want to fully enjoy it instead of thinking of my daunting to-do list. 2.  Focus on the positives, not the negatives. I will aim to give at least one compliment per day and write down one thing that I am grateful for every night.”

Class of 2021 Alumna, A’Esha Goins shares, “My New Year’s resolutions are…. Be my authentic and full self! Embrace my flaws and perfections. It’s ok to ask for help when I need it. Remember, No is a full “ass” sentence and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable.”

CAT WORKSHOPS: On Wednesday, January 26th at 5:30 pm our alumnae candidates heard from Silver Values Consulting Managing Partner Jordy Barry about how to incorporate branding and communications into their campaigns.

Our next workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15th at 5:30 pm and will cover field operations. You won’t want to miss it – visit our Candidates Facebook group for registration information.

In 2021, Emerge Nevada celebrated 15 years of helping women run and win seats for public office. Even amidst a tumultuous pandemic, we kept going, transitioning our 72-hour, 6-week signature training program into an all-virtual course. We incorporated mental health into our curriculum, acknowledging the toll that campaigning can take on women and families. In September, we graduated 21 women from the Class of 2021, our most diverse cohort yet!

Many thanks to our fantastic donors for their generous contributions in support of our continued work to train win women to run for office in 2022 and beyond. Your support ensures our class has the opportunity to learn from Nevada’s top political operatives and access to cutting edge tools and resources needed to run a successful campaign. We could not do this without you!

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to ensuring women are represented up and down the ballot in Nevada. Your support helps us provide the resources and high-quality training needed to elect women to represent us state-wide and locally.

This month we welcomed the next cohort of program members for the Class of 2022, and many Emerge alumnae and supporters are reaching out to ask how they can best support our newest class. The tuition for our Signature Training covers only a portion of our overall programming costs, and we depend on supporters like you to fill the gap so we can continue our work to identify and recruit women of the New American Majority.

As we approach the 2022 midterms, a consequential election for Nevada, we need your support now more than ever. Can we count on you to give a $25 monthly contribution to support the women in the Class of 2022? This will help ensure our long-term sustainability and success, so women have their voices heard in every room where decisions are made about them, their families, and their communities. Thank you for your generosity!

“More women than men serve in Nevada’s state legislature. How did that happen?” Washington Post story featuring Emerge Nevada.

“Advocates strive to improve maternal mortality rate among Blacks in Las Vegas.” Las Vegas Sun story featuring Shondra Summers-Armstrong, Claire Thomas, and Erika Washington.

“Brune, former Guinn Center leader, to run for Las Vegas council.” Las Vegas Review Journal story featuring Nancy Brune.

“U.S. Senator Harry Reid dies at the age of 82.” South Tahoe NOW story featuring Kitty Jung.

“Here’s how Nevada’s child car seat law is changing in 2022.” KTNV story featuring Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod.

“GOP legislators block college student, state worker vaccine mandate.” Nevada Independent story featuring Nicole Cannizzaro

“Ten Tips to Success in Family Court Practice.” Nevada Bar Magazine story written by and featuring Dee Smart Butler

“COMMENTARY: MLK’s beautiful sentiments are still relevant.” Las Vegas Review Journal OP-ED co-written by and featuring Daniele Monroe Moreno.

“Community activist Nnedi Stephens to face Skip Daly in race for vacant state Senate seat.” Reno Gazette Journal story featuring Nnedi Stephens.

“Reid’s steady moral compass was also good politics.” Nevada Independent story featuring Astrid Silva.

“County Clerk Opening Branch Office in Mesquite.” Moapa Valley Progress story featuring Lynn Goya and Sandra Ramaker.

Paid for by Emerge Nevada
848 N. Rainbow Blvd. #3
Las Vegas, NV 89107