COLUMBIA, Mo. – Stephens College announces the Women in Civic Leadership Lecture Series will present a lecture featuring Jenifer Brandeberry, Principal in Brandeberry McKenna Public Affairs (Denver) and Ellen Vollrath, Director of Contracts and Grants Accounting with International Relief and Development, Inc. (Washington, D.C.). The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, 2011, in the Kimball Ballroom of Lela Raney Wood Hall, 6 N. College Ave.

For more than a decade, Brandeberry has served as a principal in Brandeberry McKenna Public Affairs (BBMK). The company, one of the oldest all women-owned public affairs firms in Colorado, serves a wide variety of clients from public entities to nonprofits to Fortune 500 entities. Brandeberry began her public affairs career in Washington, D.C., as an assistant to Senator Robert Dole, Majority Leader of United States Senate. She also spent a year serving in the Reagan White House in the office of Cabinet Affairs. Brandeberry worked for the Federal lobbying firm Black, Manafort, Stone & Atwater, where she worked with a diverse group of client interests on Capitol Hill. While in graduate school at the University of Kansas, she began her state lobbying career specializing in civil justice, local government and transportation issues. In 1997, Brandeberry moved to Denver to lobby before the Colorado General Assembly. She continues to specialize in legislative advocacy for transportation and local government issues. In 1999, she served as campaign manager for the Referendum 4-A transit funding campaign, which, in tandem with Governor Owen’s Referendum 4-B highway campaign, resulted in historic victories for transit and transportation funding for the Denver metro region. Brandeberry was featured in Colorado’s 5280 magazine’s, “22 to Watch in 2002” and was awarded the Consumer Protection Award in 2007 by the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association.

Vollrath joined International Relief and Development, Inc., (IRD) in 2009 as Director of Contracts and Grants Accounting. IRD is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that aims to reduce the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable groups and to provide tools and resources needed to increase their self-sufficiency. Vollrath is responsible for the fiscal administration of grants, contracts and restricted gifts ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, donor requirements, audit provisions and organization policies. In 2010, IRD implemented more than $500 million in grants and contracts. Originally from Sheboygan, Wisc., Vollrath ventured to Washington, D.C., for an internship with Senator Kasten (R-WI). She landed her first “real” job, clipping newspapers at the Republican National Committee. After the GOP lost the Senate in 1986, she spent the next two years in various short term employment with the Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution, Dole for President Committee (’88 Campaign), US Departments of Energy and Labor. She spent 20+ years at the American Bar Association, where she started as a staff assistant in the resource development office and ended as Director Grants and Accounting Services.

The lecture series highlights Stephens College alumnae with careers in federal, state, or local government, international relations or military service. It is funded by Stephens alumna Mary Josie Cain Blanchard. Blanchard’s long involvement in civic leadership includes former positions in Texas state government, as well as several roles in the U.S. Department of the Interior, including her current position as deputy director, Environmental Policy and Compliance, Office of the Secretary.

Stephens College, established in 1833, is historically committed to meeting the changing needs of women. Stephens prepares students to become leaders and innovators in a rapidly changing world, and engages lifelong learners in an educational experience characterized by intellectual rigor, creative expression and professional practice.

-30-

Sign up to receive press releases automatically from Stephens College in your inbox. Visit www.stephens.edu/news/media/ to subscribe to the free RSS feed.

Email this release