Category: Stories of Impact

Sarah Reyneveld, MPA ’08, is Assistant Attorney General at the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, chair of the King County Women’s Advisory Board, and serves on the boards of the Washington Conservation Voters, Washington’s Paramount Duty, the UW Alumni Association, and the 36^th District Democrats. Sarah was also a founding member of Graduate Washington, an organization dedicated to maintaining and expanding access to higher education in Washington. Plus, she’s a wife and mom to two young children, Julia and Joel!

What inspired you to pursue your career in the public sector?

I was inspired to pursue a career in public service because I wanted to help people, create a better world, and protect our planet for future generations. I first saw the power of public service when I worked in the Washington State Legislature and in the Governor’s office. I later served as the elected President and Vice President of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate and successfully lobbied the Washington State Legislature for increased investment in child care and mental health services for graduate students.

I still believe that the best way I can personally help to create equity and opportunity for all is to work in government. As a public-sector attorney, I take pride in helping to ensure access to justice for vulnerable and underrepresented populations that may not understand the system. Changing the systems of government to help break down barriers, provider services for those that needs them most, and create opportunities for all is the best job and the highest honor.

What skill has helped you be a more effective leader and advocate for others?

Listening, understanding and empowering people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to reach agreement on a policy solution. Progress takes building a big tent. You have to be committed, tenacious and work hard to bring people to the table.

What other women inspire you?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg because she is courageous, indefatigable and has been a tireless champion for women’s equality. Elizabeth Warren for her progressive leadership and focus on working families and ending income inequality.

In Washington state the women that inspire me are women I’ve worked for or been represented by including, but not limited to: Senator Maria Cantwell, Governor Christine Gregoire, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Senator Pat Thibaudeau, and Representative Gael Tarleton.

What’s the most important piece of advice you’ve ever received? 

Be prepared. We control almost nothing, but we can be as prepared as possible. And trust yourself.

What advice would you give women in public policy and leadership today?

Be proud of the work you do each day and be your own advocate. Don’t expect or wait for others to advocate on your behalf. If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Continue to believe in your dreams, work hard and don’t give up.

What are you going to take on next?

I want to continue to combat climate change and create livable communities and access to opportunity for all. I would love to run for office in the future. We still need more women to step up and serve as elected leaders.

Dr Constance Rice, MPA ’70, is chair of the UW Board of Regents, president of the Very Strategic Group, and a longtime advocate for social justice both in Seattle and internationally.

What inspired you to pursue your career in the public sector?

I grew up during the Civil Rights movement- that’s been the greatest influence for me. I am working for social justice in society and focused on the Black experience in America. I wanted to be in an environment that can change the structures of our society.

What skills have helped you be a more effective leader and advocate for others? How did you develop those skills?

Early on, I developed strong public speaking skills and small group communication skills by being on public sector boards and for-profit boards. In those spaces, if you want to make change, you have to work behind the scenes and understand the value of relationships. Relationships will help you leverage the outcome you want through the allies you have in the larger room.

I have also been fortunate to have a network of good friends that are kindred spirits. They support me, and I support them. My best friend is my husband, Norman, but I also have an interesting group of individuals that I call the African American Young Women’s Brain Trust. They are a group of women that I have mentored over the years, and now they mentor me. That has been a really powerful, important thing for me.

What other women inspire you, and why?

Well, first off, my mother and my maternal grandmother. They were foundational in terms of reinforcing my spunkiness! With them, there was always someone who loved me no matter what.

Another person who really inspired me as I was growing up in Brooklyn NY, was a woman with the same first name as me: Constance Baker Motley, an African-American civil rights activist, lawyer, judge, state senator, and Borough President of Manhattan.  She was one of the only black women I saw consistently in the newspaper. I finally had a chance to meet her when I was 61 years old, and that was really special.

Recently, I met Graça Machel, who has been a huge advocate for girls in Africa. She encouraged me to not only help youth here in the US, but young people abroad as well. After talking to her, I set to work on building two educational centers for girls in Swaziland.

There are really so many women who inspire me: Non-profit leaders, Seattle Public School teachers; the people who do the behind the scenes work, who do the research, monitor the grants, things like that. I benefit from their hard work.

What advice would you give women in public policy and leadership today?

Go beyond yourself always. We tend to limit ourselves, or think we have to be super over-prepared for every situation. We let that voice in our heads say, “Give it another year or two.” I believe in jumping in. Go for it- politics, CEO positions, whatever it is! Think of yourself there in the room and push yourself.

What are you going to take on next?

Even though I’m semi-retired, I am working on something! I noticed a huge number of Black and Brown boys being suspended in comparison to their peers; even as young as in pre-school. Right now, I’m in Mississippi working with leadership in the South to address this issue, and over the next decade we hope to turn things around. Here in Seattle I’m doing similar work with Alliance for Education, and the Seattle Public Schools Whole Child Whole Day Initiative to reduce school suspensions and increase graduation rates. Superintendent Juneau and Mayor Durkan are providing wonderful leadership in these efforts for better achievement.