Press Release
Patti Solis Doyle to Receive Prestigious Award from AAUW, NASPA
First Hispanic Woman to Run a Major U.S. Presidential Campaign Made History with Hillary Clinton’s Historic Bid for the White House
WASHINGTON — Patti Solis Doyle, a partner at the Washington law firm Utrecht & Phillips and the first Latina to run a U.S. presidential campaign, will receive the prestigious AAUW/NASPA Women of Distinction Award during the 2010 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL). This year’s ceremony, to be held at the University of Maryland, College Park, on Thursday, June 3, marks the 25th anniversary of the conference, which was established in 1985.
The 2010 Women of Distinction Awards pay tribute to leaders who have made extraordinary contributions in their professions or in their communities. In addition to Solis Doyle, the following individuals will be honored:
- Dorothy Height (in memoriam),chair and president emerita,National Council of Negro Women
- Christina Lagdameo,deputy director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
- Marie Tillman, founder and chair, the Pat Tillman Foundation
- Nomfundo Walaza, chief executive officer, Desmond Tutu Peace Centre in Cape Town, South Africa
Solis Doyle and the other 2010 Women of Distinction honorees join a prestigious group of more than 100 women who have been celebrated in conjunction with the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders.
Political Adviser to Successful Campaigns
A prominent political campaign strategist, Solis Doyle has garnered unique insight into the most important campaigns of the past 30 years. Most recently, she was chief of staff for vice presidential operations at Obama for America, where she built a national team of policy, communications, political, and field operatives in advance of the nominee’s selection. She later managed day-to-day operations for vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden.
A close Clinton adviser for nearly two decades, Solis Doyle managed Hillary Clinton’s two triumphant races for New York Senate and founded and served as executive director of HILLPAC, a political action committee that became one of the largest and most successful sources of fundraising for Democrats. In 2007, she made history as the first Hispanic woman to lead a presidential effort in the United States.
Solis Doyle’s first job in politics was in her native Chicago as a campaign staffer for Richard M. Daley’s mayoral campaign. She then moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, to work on Gov. Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign. She was one of the first staffers hired. Solis Doyle served in the White House as an assistant to the president and as director of scheduling and advance for the First Lady. In this capacity, she worked to promote Clinton administration policies on children, health care, and women’s issues.
Solis Doyle received the 2007 Latinas of Excellence Award from Hispanic Magazine for her accomplishments in the area of government, politics, and civil leadership and the Siempre Inspiran award from Siempre Mujer magazine, which honors remarkable Latinas whose achievements and contributions to their communities are helping shape the future of Hispanic women in this country. Hispanic Business Magazine counted her among America’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics.
Now, Solis Doyle consults for Utrecht & Phillips and is president of Solis Strategies, a company that offers strategic communication and political advice. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Northwestern University.
The youngest of six children born to Santiago and Alejandrina Solis, who emigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1954, Solis Doyle is writing a memoir about her late father’s immigration story. He had a third grade education and worked as a janitor in Chicago to provide for his family.
2010 NCCWSL Events and Sponsors
As part of this year’s 25th anniversary celebration of NCCWSL and the awards program, a special reception will be held for the 2010 honorees. Several past honorees will also attend this celebration, including Amy Richards, Soapbox: Speakers Who Speak Out, Inc.; Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught, USAF, and president, Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc.; and Dorothy Gilliam, founder and director of the Prime Movers Media Program at the School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University.
The Ruth Z. Sweetser Honorary Fund and Prudential are platinum sponsors of the 2010 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders. Other conference sponsors include the University of Maryland, College Park, and The Princeton Review.
Since 1985, the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders has provided a platform to help thousands of college and university women to develop leadership skills, network with other student leaders, and interact with women who hold leadership positions. The conference is presented each June by AAUW and NASPA.
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AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation’s leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW’s founding more than 128 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day—educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW’s commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections. Take a virtual tour of the AAUW Experience and visit the new AAUW website!
NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education is the leading voice for student affairs administration, policy, and practice and affirms the commitment of student affairs to educating the whole student and integrating student life and learning. With more than 11,000 members at 1,400 campuses and representing 29 countries, NASPA is the foremost professional association for student affairs administrators, faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students. NASPA members are committed to serving college students by embracing the core values of diversity, learning, integrity, service, fellowship, and the spirit of inquiry. The NASPA Center for Scholarship, Research, and Professional Development for Women addresses issues relevant to women in student affairs, women in higher education, and women students through a variety of programs and publications. To learn more about NASPA, visit www.naspa.org.