Jackson Hole News & Guide Contributor Tibby Plasse interviewed Womentum Executive Director Kristen Fox about Womentum’s 3rd annual March Onward panel and published “‘March Onward’ event highlights realities of public office” in the March 5, 2025 weekly paper.
March 5, 2025
Womentum is not shying away from politics as it celebrates Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day with its third annual “March Onward” event this week. A selection of local politicians will take the stage Thursday at the National Museum of Wildlife to talk about their experiences in public office elected positions, and perhaps inspire other women to seek public roles.
Kristen Fox, Womentum executive director, said the event serves as a way to celebrate the inroads women have made and a venue to discuss actionable steps for solutions to current challenges. “We just see it as another path of leadership,” she said.
Panelists include Town Councilor Alyson Spery, Teton County Fair Board Vice Chair Amy Flores-Renova, former Jackson Town Councilor and Teton County Commissioner Melissa Turley, Teton County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Natalia Macker, and Victor, Idaho City Councilor Sue Muncaster. Hailey Morton Levinson, former Jackson mayor, will moderate.
Fox said the domestic responsibilities that fall to women, whether real or perceived, influence their ability to run for office. “There’s a very distinct bias between how people perceive women with young children,” she said, adding that finding funding is often harder for women’s campaigns.
“I feel like the panel will paint the picture of what the realities are — and that’s going to include some tough truths — and then talk about what these women have discovered in their experiences,” Fox said. “There is power in the collective action and how we inspire one another. That’s how we move the needle.”
Fox said that she hopes the event “fires up” audience members to recognize their own capacity to pursue office and the channels available to seek out mentorship, such as Womentum’s annual cohort program. Morton-Levinson, Muncaster, Flores-Renova and Spery are all alums.
March is Women’s History Month, and March Onward takes place on two evenings before International Women’s Day.