The St. Mary’s County Commission for Women (CFW) is proud to announce Dr. Jeannine Heynes as the keynote speaker for the annual St. Mary’s County National Women’s History Month Banquet.
Heynes is the Director of Women and Gender Resources at Johns Hopkins University. Her work focuses on the advancement of female students’ personal, academic and professional achievements, while supporting all students on matters related to gender equity and inclusion.
The 2020 Women’s History Banquet theme, “Valiant Women of the Vote,” pays tribute to those who fought for women’s voting rights in the United States. The evening will be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The drive behind this fight was a desire and need for women’s voices to be heard, valued and represented. Its achievement meant that women could now be included in the process to determine laws and policies that affected their very own lives, and it was an attempt at an immensely important step toward gender equity in the U.S.
Heynes embodies these ideals in her everyday work. She is currently supporting the 100th anniversary celebration of the 19th Amendment by serving as a co-chair on the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemoration Committee for Johns Hopkins University. Her belief in and passion for gender equity and inclusion have been the motivation for her academic and professional success for more than 20 years, as she has eagerly served as an educator, mentor, and advocate for girls and women, as well as for all who struggle to be heard, to be valued and represented.
As part of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Johns Hopkins University, Heynes places a high priority on the intersectional programming with her colleagues in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, LGBTQ Life, and Religious and Spiritual Life, helping students consider their own identities while developing an understanding of ally-ship and social justice.
Before her work at Johns Hopkins University, Heynes served as Director of the Center for Gender and Relationships at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, overseeing sexual health education, LGBTQ Life and feminist initiatives. As Coordinator of Gender Programming at Carnegie Mellon, she led sexual assault prevention education and Title IX compliance.
Heynes earned her Ph.D. in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, focusing her research on gender and education. More about her work and gender-based initiatives can be found at studentaffairs.jhu.edu/women-resources/.
Heynes will speak at the Women’s History Banquet, scheduled for Thursday, March 19, at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall in Lexington Park, which features presentations of the 2020 Lifetime Achievement, Woman of the Year, and Tomorrow’s Woman Awards.
The event is open to the public and seat reservations are available for purchase for $30. Proceeds from the banquet go to the Jane Hale Sypher Scholarship Fund, established to support nontraditional students at the College of Southern Maryland who are single parents or displaced homemakers. For more information, contact Debra Kane at 301-475-4200, ext. 71680, or [email protected], or visit ww.stmarysmd.com/boards/groups/default.aspx?board=14.
