have the usual access to those ahead of you.
“We thought the women’s conference would
provide that networking opportunity with men
and women at all different levels,” Chairman
Horton said.
Chairman Horton said the glass ceiling is real,
with perhaps some cracks in it, but that’s not
the only challenge women face.
“Once you break through these cracks, there’s a
thing Yvonne and I refer to as the glass slope,”
Chairman Horton told DyNAMC. “Because
once you break through you have to hold to
avoid sliding back down. The way you hold
on is through having mentors and people who
support you.”
This is the sixth year for the annual
conference, and it continues to be very
successful, Chairman Horton said. Interest
in the conference continues to rise, as do
the number of women who were positioned
to be successful.
“We were quite pleased that those skills
were taught, and at the same time, we tried
to address the need for having alliances and
building business relationships. So, we added
a networking session that went extremely
well,” Chairman Horton said. “Having them
all connected was a very, very inspiring,
powerful force. Just to see that many people
focusing on uplifting, building power and
positioning themselves for success was
extremely gratifying.”
Chairman Horton was raised by a single
mother, who he credits as being his
greatest influence.
“I’ve been surrounded by some pretty
powerful women most of my life. And it sort
of continues. Now one of the most powerful
women in my life is my granddaughter – she
controls everything,” Chairman Horton
joked with DyNAMC.
“Being raised by a single parent, I learned
to value many of the stereotypes that are
deemed to be negative for women and men. I
learned to value my nurturing skills – and how
that can help grow a business or help you
manage people by being able to understand
and appreciate the people and businesses
you work with.”
That upbringing also led Chairman Horton to
public service, which in addition to the Board
of Equalization, has included stints as a
member of the California State Assembly and
Inglewood City Council.
Honorable Chairman Jerome E. Horton