One-Line Bio
The Minnesota Women's Consortium is the largest statewide network of women's groups in the nation, currently serving 170 member organizations. The Consortium's purpose is to achieve equality and justice for all women and girls by connecting organizations and individuals that share that goal. Bonnie Peace Watkins is executive director of the Consortium, and Erin Parrish is director of communications and outreach.
Biography
ABOUT THE CONSORTIUM
* We were founded in 1980, and continue as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
* Our founding document is the Houston Plan, developed at the only government-funded nationwide meeting of American women ever, in 1977.
* To be a Consortium member group, organizations need not endorse all 26 planks of the Houston Plan, but may not be actively opposing any of the planks.
* The Consortium is governed by a 15-member board of directors, most of whom are delegates from a member organization. Jen Peterson of ACES - the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support - is our current board chair.
* Besides Bonnie, the Consortium has three other staff: Lorraine Hart, director of administration & finance; Erin Parrish, director of communications & outreach; Marie Nelson, Project Coordinator of Minnesota Elder Economic Security Initiative; and Silvia Ontaneda, Developer of the Asociacion de Latinas en Minnesota.
ABOUT BONNIE PEACE WATKINS
* "Peace" was my mom's name - she was born at the end of World War I. Feminists in the 70s introduced ourselves with our mother's names: Peace's Bonnie.
* I worked for Minnesota's Governor’s Open Appointments Commission (1977-1978) and legislative Commission on the Economic Status of Women (1978-1984).
* At the CESW, I was one of the drafters of the Minnesota State Employees Pay Equity Act and the Local Government Pay Equity Act – both still in effect, and still unique nationally.
• After the laws were passed, I assisted 1,600 Minnesota local governments in implementing pay equity, among other positions in the Minnesota Department of Employee Relations (1984-1991);
* I've also worked in nonprofit management in three neighborhood Block Nurse programs for older people (1995 – 2003).
• With Nina Rothchild, I co-authored In the Company of Women (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1996), a “narrative quilt” of the contemporary women’s movement;
• I've also worked as a self-employed management consultant and freelance writer, been a clerical worker and hippie farmer.
* I live with husband John Zakelj and our two teenagers in St. Paul, Minnesota.
ABOUT ERIN PARRISH
* Erin is the Consortium's Director of Communications & Outreach.
* She has a degree from Hamline University (2005) in Women's Studies and Sociology. She is currently earning a Master of Arts in Leadership at Augsburg College.
* Erin has published an article on Minnesota's first suffrage organization, The Political Equality Club of Minneapolis, in Minnesota History Quarterly, and a handful of articles in the Minnesota Women's Press.
* Erin volunteered with the Consortium for more than a year before she was hired. She also completed internships and volunteer positions with the Minnesota Women's Political Caucus, NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, and Feline Rescue.
* Erin currently serves on the board of directors of Family Tree Clinic as their Vice President and Marketing Committee Chair.
