Dr. Jalonne L. White-Newsome, Keynote Speaker for NWHA’s Launch Party on February 25 in Manhattan
Note: This press release has been updated (in bold) to reflect a postponement of the NYC event from a February 25 launch event to a March 25 celebratory event due to the February 23 snowstorm. Returning guest speakers are tentative and we are in process of confirming all availability.
New York – The National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) – the team of educators credited with founding the first Women’s History Week in 1978 – is planning some other “firsts” for their 2026 educational campaign. They will officially recognize next month’s program in New York City on March 25 with an anticipated keynote address by the first Federal Chief Environmental Justice Officer, while releasing their annual magazine which is co-edited with a college partner for the first time in the publication’s forty-plus year history.
The Manhattan evening event which celebrates the theme “Leading the Change: Women for a Sustainable Future,” is a limited capacity affair with an emphasis on educators, students, environmental advocates, and journalists. Please RSVP at this Partiful link.
Dr. Jalonne L. White-Newsome, associate professor of environmental justice at the University of Michigan, has been invited offer the keynote address. From 2022-2025, Dr. White-Newsome served as the first Federal Chief Environmental Justice Officer, leading the White House’s Office of Environmental Justice that was charged with advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s Environmental Justice initiatives. Dr. White-Newsome earned a Ph.D. in environmental health sciences from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Southern Methodist University, a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University.
“I am so honored to join NWHA and St. John’s during Women’s History month as we acknowledge the awesome leadership of women of the past and uplift the sustainability and justice leaders of the present and future,” shared Dr. White-Newsome.
St. John’s University students will host the reception as NWHA’s new collaborators in producing both the magazine and a month-long social media campaign. The magazine features a fold-out centerfold March of Icons calendar featuring 30 sustainability icons for the 31 days of the month, with in depth social media tributes forthcoming. Illustrations of both posthumous and living icons were created by St. John’s student Theresa Lovero. International Women’s Day (March 8) was intentionally left blank to encourage communities to pay tribute to a local icon making a difference. An advanced digital copy of the magazine is now available for viewing. Advance print copies may be requested by contacting Dan Napolitano, Asst. Dean of St. John’s College of Business. A donation to NWHA of any amount is appreciated to cover printing and shipping of the magazine(s).
“In light of recent deregulations and ongoing threats, focusing on all forms of sustainability is more urgent this month than last” shared NWHA Interim Executive Director Dr. Jill Kracov Zinkgraf. “From environmental advocacy to financial reform, from community organizing to policy innovation, women are at the forefront of driving holistic change.”
Dr. Kracov Zinkgraf will open the evening with a land/labor/leadership acknowledgement that frames the land and sacrifices that the NWHA strives to remember. The evening’s program will conclude with a call for collaborators for 2027 by Siobhan Anderson of the Wella Company. As Wella’s Senior Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis, Anderson will speak to the importance of financial literacy and elevating women in business as a potential future theme.
Media inquiries may be directed to Dan Napolitano, Assistant Dean of Student Services at St. John’s University at napolitd@stjohns.edu and 607-382-9150. Contributors including the student artist who illustrated the iconic portraits, student researchers of the magazine’s centerfold concept, and student leaders of the overall partnership are available for pre-March interviews by contacting Dan Napolitano at napolitd@stjohns.edu.