To: Delrico J. Loyd, Governmental Operations Committee Chairperson
From: Jerome Threlkeld, Organizational Development Coordinator
title
RE: Approval of resolution recognizing March 2026 as Women’s History Month in Genesee County
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval of resolution recognizing March 2026 as Women’s History Month in Genesee County
BACKGROUND:
At their January 2025 meeting, the Genesee County’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission approved the attached resolution declaring March 2026 as Women’s History Month.
DISCUSSION:
Members of the Genesee County Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commission met with community members to co-curate this resolution being proposed to the Genesee County Board of Commissioners.
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
Inclusive, Collaborative Culture - Members of the Genesee County Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commission met with community members to co-curate this resolution being proposed to the Genesee County Board of Commissioners.
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
WHEREAS, Congress overwhelmingly passed a resolution in 1987 declaring March to be Women’s History Month, which proclaimed that American women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historical contributions to the growth and strength of the nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways; that American women have played and continue to play a critical economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of our nation's life by constituting a significant portion of the labor force working in and outside of the home; American women have played a unique role throughout our history by providing the majority of the nation's volunteer labor force and have been particularly important in the establishment of early charitable philanthropic and cultural institutions in this country; and that American women of every race, class, and ethnic background served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement, not only to secure their own right of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements to create a more fair and just society for all; and
WHEREAS, women in Genesee County have similarly been integral to every facet of community life, including as physicians who modeled excellence and service, such as Dr. Vivian Lewis, MD, who was the first Black woman to serve as a physician at Hurley Medical Center after completing her pediatric residency in 1963, and Dr. Evelyn “Effie” Golden, who was the first woman to intern at Hurley in 1936 and went on to a nearly 50-year career prioritizing health for children, seniors, and the working class; and
WHEREAS, women in Genesee County have become leaders in the legal profession, starting with Ruth Winegarden Berger, who began practicing law in 1929 and including the Honorable Judge Elza Papp, who became the first woman to serve as assistant prosecutor in Genesee County in 1947 and went on to serve as the first woman district judge in 1965; and
WHEREAS, women in Genesee County continue to lead in new arenas, such as through the promotion of Kariann Nelson to the position of Genesee County Sheriff Captain in 2020 after having excelled as a paramedic and in leading staff within the department.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, hereby recognizes the month of March 2026 as Women’s History Month in Genesee County and encourages the celebration of Women’s History Month, participation in community events, sharing stories, and learning about the struggles women have faced and the contributions they have made to our county and nation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Genesee County Clerk/Register is directed to provide one copy of this Resolution to each city, village, and township within Genesee County and to each County Clerk in the State of Michigan.