North Idaho Alliance: Women of Impact — March is Women’s History Month
Marilee Wallace
Each year, March is designated as Women’s History Month through a presidential proclamation, honoring the significant contributions of women throughout American history.
The observance began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California, where the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women organized a “Women’s History Week” in 1978. This celebration was strategically scheduled for the week of March 8 to align with International Women’s Day. The movement quickly gained momentum, inspiring other communities across the nation to initiate their own Women’s History Week celebrations the following year.
In 1980, a coalition of women’s groups and historians successfully advocated for national recognition, leading President Jimmy Carter to issue the first Presidential Proclamation designating the week of March 8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. Subsequent presidents continued to proclaim this week until 1987, when the entire month was officially recognized as Women’s History Month.
Indeed, ladies, we now have an entire month dedicated to our achievements!
The National Women’s History Alliance selects and announces a yearly theme, and for 2023, it was “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Throughout March, this theme highlighted women, both past and present, who have significantly contributed to various forms of media and storytelling, including print, radio, television, stage, and screen. This timely theme honors women from all communities who have dedicated their lives and talents to producing art, pursuing truth, and reflecting the human condition across generations.
In our community, NIA’s Women of Impact celebrate storytellers year-round, and this theme provided an opportunity to further showcase the remarkable women of North Idaho at our March 8 event, "W.O.W. (Words of Wisdom from Wise Women)." Among those wise ones were:
Evalyn Adams, the first woman to serve two terms as Kootenai County Commissioner, a trailblazer for the Centennial Trail, and a leader in various initiatives such as “Turkeys & More” and the Food Bank. Kerri Thoreson, a dedicated journalist who has chronicled our community's happenings, shining a spotlight on local do-gooders, historical anecdotes, and a weekly list of birthday celebrations published in the Coeur d'Alene Press. Linda Davis a dynamic family matriarch and entrepreneur who embodies strength and leadership. Katie Brodie current Chair of the Kootenai Health Foundation, former representative for Governor Butch Otter, a foundational member of Jobs Plus, and a former Kootenai County Commissioner. Liz Trorpe, a local dance instructor, choreographer, and advocate for drug and alcohol recovery. While unable to attend, Mary Lou Reed, an Idaho icon, deserves mention. A former state senator and lifelong environmentalist, Reed, along with her husband Scott, founded the Coeur d’Alene’s Human Rights Education Institute and worked tirelessly as an activist for the Local Land Use Planning Act. Together, they established the Kootenai Environmental Alliance and the Idaho Conservation League.
Looking ahead, NIA, the Women of Impact present the 16th Annual Onward & Upward Women’s Conference on May 21, 2025. For more information about this and all of NIA Women of Impact program go to www.NIA-Impact.com.
Research Credit: National Women’s History Alliance
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Marilee Wallace, IOM, president/CEO of the North Idaho Alliance Women of Impact. The Women of Impact Leadership Roundtable meets once a month for a nine-month series, and we base our monthly agenda on the word IMPACTED. She can be reached at marilee@theniallaince.com.
