Our Mission
closing the gender gap
To close the gender gap at all levels of government leadership, 1st Amendment-1st Vote, Inc offers high school girls a non-partisan opportunity to engage in the democratic process, and to imagine themselves in elected office or professional government-related positions. Programming began in 2018, and since then we’ve hosted almost 500 participants, including 175 current students from five NYS regions, representing 23 high schools.
Purpose
1st Amendment-1st Vote, Inc creates experiential learning opportunities for high school girls to be active leaders engaged in the American political process and provides students with a “foundational tool kit” to run for elected office.
“1st Amendment-1st Vote, Inc. offers non-partisan civic engagement and leadership development opportunities to teen girls in the effort to create a ‘pipeline or bench’ of young women ready, willing and able to run for office or seek professional government-related positions. As a result, we expect to achieve gender parity in US elected offices at local, state and national levels.”
Melina Carnicelli, Founder & President
2021
Melina Carnicelli (She/Her/Hers)
why is this initiative vital to a democratic society?
It’s been over 100 years since passage of the US Constitution’s Amendment XIX when women won the decades-long struggle for the right to vote. Women make up 51% of the current US population, yet continue to be substantially underrepresented in elected office, across-the-board, at an approximate 3:1 ratio of men to women. The 2018, 2019, 2020 Congressional elections in America marked an unprecedented time regarding the number of women running for and elected to national office. However, there’s still a long way to go to close the almost 24% gap necessary to achieve gender parity in elected office at the local, state and national levels. 1st Amendment-1st Vote, Inc is an innovative educational offering addressing this gender gap. While the program is politically
non-partisan, it IS an early opportunity for high school girls to begin to seriously imagine themselves as candidates for elected office, and to begin their engagement in the American political process. In doing so, teen girls ensure, that in their not-too-distant future, more and more women will be ready, willing, able to run for office, win, and hold an equal number of seats as their male counterparts at these all-important leadership tables.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident;
that all men and women are created equal…”
Declaration of Sentiments, 1848, Seneca Falls, New York
Board of Directors
2022-2025
Christine Alexander, Educator, Innovation Tech High School
Anthony Barbaro, Treasurer; Non Profit CFO (ret)
Luke Carnicelli, Principal, Southern Cayuga Junior/Senior High School
Melina Carnicelli, President & Founder; Educator (ret) & Mayor (former)
Ana Dobrot, Student, Victor High School
Sheri Dozier – Owens, Regional Director NYS Comptroller’s Office
Jimmy Giannettino, City Councilor, Auburn, NY
Mario Gutierrez, Attorney, WHMB Law
Linda Hall, Human Resource Consultant
Anne Herron, Provost, Higher Ed (ret)
Melissa Killeleagh, Arbonne Consultant
Grace King, Student, Auburn High School
Karen King, Vice President; Erie County Commissioner of Public Advocacy
Hailey Maloney, Student, Auburn High School
Debra McCormick, Board Secretary, Former City Councilor, Auburn, NY
Emily McCarter, Educator, Geneva Middle School
Nathan Richardson, Frederick Douglass Historian & Educator
Olivia Senall, Student Amherst High School
Amy Tormey, Educator, Skaneateles NY
At the Heart of It
LEADERSHIP | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | EQUITY
We are committed to LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT of teen girls.
We expect GENDER PARITY in governance and leadership positions.
We highly value DIVERSE STUDENT COHORTS for participation in 1st A-1st V.
We appreciate and applaud the COURAGE, CONFIDENCE, TALENT, TIME, EFFORT & FUNDRAISING of women who step (have stepped) forward to mount a campaign for public office.
We seek strategic SUPPORT & FUNDING from individuals, organizations, and companies that share our mission and vision for girls.
We encourage participants to ACTIVELY ENGAGE in 1st A-1st V by voicing their thoughts, opinions, questions, and suggestions.
We are committed to EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.
We value COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
We utilize and encourage use of MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY to aid participation and interaction, teaching and learning.
Honorary Advisors
Dr. Mona Lake Jones, Poet and Educator, Seattle, WA
Jean Sinzdak, Associate Director, Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University, NJ
Dr. Jennifer Piscopo, Associate Professor of Politics, Occidental College, LA
Dr. Jones is a celebrated author and former poet laureate of Seattle, WA.
She serves 1st Amendment-1st Vote as a role model for teen girls in America
to find and use their voices for equality and inclusion. "What a great service you are rendering to our young women! Thank you and thanks too for including me on this quest to encourage and educate them about the 'politics' of living."
Dr. Jennifer Piscopo, Associate Professor of Politics, Occidental College, LA
Jean Sinzdak, Associate Director, Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University, NJ
Dr. Jennifer Piscopo, Associate Professor of Politics, Occidental College, LA
Dr. Piscopo is widely recognized for her research in support of gender
equality in elected office and scholarly articles on gender in politics and
public policy. At Occidental, she is an affiliate faculty member of Latin
American and Latino Studies.
Jean Sinzdak, Associate Director, Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University, NJ
Jean Sinzdak, Associate Director, Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University, NJ
Jean Sinzdak, Associate Director, Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University, NJ
Ms. Sinzdak is a leader of diversity initiatives to attract women of color to
run for office, a priority outcome of 1st Amendment-1st Vote.
Julie C. Suk, Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law, New York City
Jill S. Tietjen, P.E. President and CEO, Technically Speaking, Inc., Greenwood Village, CO
Jean Sinzdak, Associate Director, Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University, NJ
Jill S. Tietjen, P.E. President and CEO, Technically Speaking, Inc., Greenwood Village, CO
Jill S. Tietjen, P.E. President and CEO, Technically Speaking, Inc., Greenwood Village, CO
Jill S. Tietjen, P.E. President and CEO, Technically Speaking, Inc., Greenwood Village, CO
After 45 years in the electric utility industry, author, speaker and electrical engineer Jill Tietjen is now an advocate for women worldwide. She writes women into history and has published twelve books to date.