Dear John,

It’s fitting that my last week as president of the National Partnership for Women & Families would coincide with Thanksgiving.

I have so many reasons to give thanks!

It’s been the honor of my life to lead this organization for the past 17 years. And I am immensely proud of all that we’ve accomplished together to advance health and economic justice for all women.

Before I go, I would like to send you a thank you gift for trusting me with amplifying your voice and channeling your passion for change.

This beautiful notecard features artwork by Tashi Scott to celebrate the first woman, Black, Asian American vice president of the United States. We commissioned the artwork as a special way to thank our supporters, and I’m so excited to share it with you!

Click here to accept this gift and let us know where to send your free 3-pack of these limited-edition notecards »

Since our founding 50 years ago, the National Partnership has had one mission: to create a world where all women have the freedom, opportunity and dignity to live to our fullest potential. 

There were so many things that seemed impossible until we made progress. Together, we have changed expectations and attitudes, as well as policies and behavior, in our workplaces and our health care system.

• We have fought hard to elevate the essential role caregiving plays in enabling our families and economy to thrive, and the need to address the systemic gender and race discrimination that negatively shape our society’s approach to caregiving work. 
• We’ve helped make our health care system more responsive to the needs of women and the people it serves — by promoting quality and affordability and elevating the urgent need to address health inequities.
• And we’ve continuously fought to secure reproductive autonomy for all women and to raise this up as a fundamental matter of race, gender, health and economic justice.

The National Partnership has an extraordinary history, and I feel so much hope for the work we will continue to do with incoming president Jocelyn Frye.

Jocelyn is a deeply respected and passionate leader with decades of advocacy experience, and the first Black woman to lead the National Partnership. She will advance what she describes as the three core pillars of women’s progress — prioritizing equity and anti-racism to expand opportunity, creating care-centered communities and transforming health and economic policies, and elevating the diverse experiences and challenges facing women, particularly women of color, to ensure a more inclusive understanding of who women are and what they need to thrive.

We’re excited to welcome Jocelyn officially on December 1 — but for today, I want to give thanks for my time at the National Partnership and to thank you, John, from the bottom of my heart.

I have greatly appreciated your support and partnership. 

So thank you. Thanks for all that you do,

— Debra

Debra Ness
President

P.S. Don’t forget to claim your thank you gift and tell us where to send your limited-edition notecards.