3:18 p.m., Feb. 15, 2010----Myrna Bair, policy adviser in the University of Delaware Institute for Public Administration (IPA) and director of its Women's Leadership Development Program (WLDP), will be honored on Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Hotel du Pont, as the recipient of the Delaware YWCA's The Advancement of Women Award.

The award is one of several presented by the Delaware YWCA during its annual Evening of Style event.

Helping women become the leaders they are capable of being has been Bair's mission, whether through legislative initiatives or direct leadership training. Hundreds of women from all walks of life have participated in WLDP training sessions.

This program seeks to help women build leadership capacity and skills by learning, growing and embracing change to successfully meet the many challenges of the 21st century. Her impact has been particularly great among women within the state government workforce.

“Myrna is one of the most effective and sought-after trainers in the state,” says Kathy Wian, IPA policy scientist and occasional training colleague. “Her ability to motivate aspiring leaders and cultivate their skills is unsurpassed. She is a dedicated and caring teacher who combines theory with real-world experiences and, most importantly, has fun doing it.”

Bair's own leadership skills were forged from 1980 to 2000 as she served in the Delaware State Senate. She held the position of minority leader for 14 years in what was a male-dominated political arena. During her senate career, she was the co-founder of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families - dubbed the Kids' Department -- and co-sponsor of the legislation to create the Office of the Child Advocate.

During the 140th General Assembly, Bair served on the Health and Social Services Committee, the Executive Committee, the Ethics Committee, and the Legislative Council Committee.

Bair has also served on various commissions and task forces, including the Family Preservation Project, the Children at Risk Implementation Task Force, the Joining Generations Steering Committee, the Family Law Commission, the Homeless Task Force, the Commission of the Courts 2000, and the Public Utilities Task Force.

IPA Director Jerome Lewis says of Bair, “I met Myrna when we were working to come up with a plan for the new 'Kids' Department.' We realized then that she was a special person with unique leadership qualities and determination.”

Lewis subsequently asked her to join his IPA team at the University of Delaware where she developed the Women's Leadership Development Program.

“This program has a 21-year legacy as one of our most popular professional-development programs,” Lewis says. “Myrna Bair is truly deserving of YWCA's The Advancement of Women Award.”

Among her many awards, Bair has received the International Women's Forum's Women Who Make a Difference Award and the State of Delaware's Order of the First State. In 2001 she was inducted into the Delaware Women's Hall of Fame.

In 2009, Bair and some of her WLDP colleagues were featured on the cover of a special edition of Leadership Excellence magazine.

Bair currently serves as an executive steering committee member of the American Council of Education Network's Office of Women in Higher Education-Delaware chapter.

Bair's passion for helping women discover and nurture their leadership potential may perhaps overshadow her academic brilliance. She received her doctorate in inorganic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and her undergraduate degree in chemistry summa cum laude from the University of Cincinnati.

Article by Mark Deshon
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson