Capitol Network Mentorship Program

About the Program

The Mentorship Program was created in 2013 when the Capitol Network membership and leadership realized there were very few organized mentorship opportunities for women in and around the Capitol. In the fast-paced California political arena, mentoring often gets put on the back burner despite the tremendous amount of knowledge New Professionals can gain from seasoned members. Among our ranks are women who began their careers as assistants or interns and have been elevated to Chiefs of Staff, become accomplished lobbyists, been elected to local or statewide offices, or appointed to State Department leadership.

Mentors 

Mentors typically have at 7 -10 years of experience in the Capitol Community. Areas of experience include serving as legislative or Administration staff, lobbying, public affairs, law, government relations, and communications.

Mentees

Mentees are typically New Professional Capitol Network members, who are 30 years old or younger, or with less than five years of experience in the Capitol arena. Priority will be given to New Professionals but participation is open to all members as program space allows.

Program Offerings

• Coordinated Pairings:  Based on interests and career goals, mentees and mentors are matched for one-on-one pairings and meet (over lunch, coffee or in other informal settings) to exchange ideas and advice.
• Breakfast Speaker Series:  Guest speakers from a variety of career backgrounds share their insights on working in the Capitol community plus offer critical skill-set building resources. These are held quarterly on a Friday morning in downtown Sacramento.
• Social Hours:  Casual get-togethers to help build connections with other program participants.
• Cost:  There is no cost to participate. However, participants are required to be current Capitol Network members. We have a range of membership options for interns, fellows, new professionals, and veterans. 

Time Frame

The mentorship pairings runs for one year (approximately January to December). Please contact capitolnetworkmentorship@gmail.com for more information or questions about the program. Information about other Capitol Network events is available here.