One of the best surprises about my first year as governor is the number of girls who tell me they know they can be a leader, too.
These moments give me so much optimism for our future, but it's clear that we have more to do now to make sure women have equal opportunity.
And that's why, every day, I wake up, I do the job, and I focus on results. We face tough choices to turn our economy around – and I've made it clear I won't shy away from that.
Women bring a different perspective and experience to leadership. I bring my experiences as a mom, wife and daughter. I realize on a deeply personal level that equal pay and paid leave aren't women's issues, they are economic issues that impact the whole family. I know all too well what it feels like to juggle a business call in one hand, and my daughter's ballet shoes in the other.
There are countless women across the country who relate to this. And if you are considering public service, I want to just say – do it! Government needs your talent, your creativity, your ideas. The problems we are trying to tackle are complicated, and they are only going to get solved if you step up.
For my part, I will keep working every day to get things done. It's through our results that we can expand opportunity for everyone to make it in Rhode Island. •