Jane Cleaver Becker as founding member and chair of the steering committee, will present information on the Women and Girls’ Coalition in Chautauqua County at the League of Women Voters Program luncheon. The event will be held on Nov. 9 at noon at the White Inn in Fredonia.

The poverty rate in Chautauqua County is 17.7 percent, with over half of the households living in poverty headed by single women. Women earn just 77 percent of what men earn, even though more women graduate from high school and earn college and graduate degrees. Given these statistics, Becker called an action meeting to discuss and develop strategies to address the need. The mission of the Women and Girls’ initiative is to build a better future for the women and girls of Chautauqua County within a community that provides opportunities for them to thrive. In this presentation, Becker will explain some of the programs and how members of the community may help improve lives of women and girls in this community.

Becker currently serves as an executive coach and consultant to public agencies and private sector employers on strategic planning, business development, customer service, administrative systems, program design and management development. She is a trustee of the Dibert Foundation, chair of the Coalition of Chautauqua County Women and Girls and a member of the jury panel of the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Previously, Becker was executive director of the Private Industry Council of Chautauqua County, the Job Training Program of South Bend, Indiana, and the Lenna Foundation. She was also president of Libera, a Jamestown software company and director of business development for Vacation Properties Group. She and her husband Tom Becker have lived in Lakewood and Chautauqua for more than 30 years.

All are welcome to attend the luncheon. The cost is $15 per person. Reservations for lunch must be received by Nov. 4. There is also the option to just attend the presentation on the topic at 12:30 p.m. For reservations or more information, contact Lisa at 708-5675.