Assistant Secretary Duckworth Honored at Women to Watch Awards

VA news release,

http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel

Assistant Secretary Duckworth Honored at Women to Watch Awards



WASHINGTON (May 6, 2009) - Yesterday, the Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, L. Tammy
Duckworth, was honored by Running Start at their annual Women to Watch
Awards in Washington, DC. She spoke to a crowd of 300 young women at a
ceremony at the National Press Club.



"We make our Nation stronger by supporting the 200,000 women currently
serving in the armed forces and the approximately 1.7 million women
Veterans in our country that need our help," Assistant Secretary L.
Tammy Duckworth said. "It's time to stop being surprised that America's
daughters are fully capable of doing their jobs and fighting for our
freedoms. I recognize that I am here today because I stand on the
shoulders of the men and women who opened the doors for women to serve."



Running Start is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring young
women to run for political office. It offers high school and college
women the unique opportunity to hear from today's leaders. By educating
young women about the importance of politics and giving them the skills
they need to become leaders, they give them the running start they need
to reach their aspirations.



Assistant Secretary Duckworth was introduced by State Representative
Linda Chapa LaVia from the state of Illinois. She was recognized as a
"Woman to Watch" by Running Start along with Erin Issabelle Burnett,
CNBC Television Anchor; Betsy Fischer, Executive Producer of Meet the
Press; Julie Gilbert, Founder and CEO of Wolf Means Business; and Mona
Sutphen, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Obama Administration.