Fmr. White House press secretary speaks at U.

In 1993, Dee Dee Myers was the first woman and the youngest person to become White House press secretary. Nearly 14 years later, Myers delivered a speech, titled "Women in Power," as a part of the 2007 L'Hommedieu Visiting Lecturer Series held March 28 in Trayes Hall in the Douglass College Center on Douglass campus. The lecture series is presented by the Association Alumnae of Douglass College and was made possible by the late Class of 1926 alumnus Frances Bradley L'Hommedieu. "I have learned a lot," Myers said. "You have to do something you love because you can't predict where it would lead." Throughout her lecture, she discussed different points of her career. After graduating from California's Saint Clara University in 1983, Myers became involved in the political sphere. Myers was the press secretary for Dianne Feinstein in the 1990 race for governor, worked on the presidential campaigns for Michael Dukakis and Walter Mondale, was on the staff for Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and worked with former Sen. Art Torres, D-Calif. Most notably, Myers served as the press secretary for President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994. "Being a White House press secretary at 31 was the biggest challenge of my career," Myers said. "I had more responsibility than authority," said Myers, as she discussed how some responsibilities were split from the beginning. She said it was that women "need to be more conscious that their authority matches responsibility." As part of her job as the White House press secretary, she traveled with Clinton to 25 countries. Myers emphasized the involvement of women in different spheres of the workforce and the positive impact that they place. She also said women contribute by creating more options for leadership styles, as they are collaborative communicators. "Women have proven themselves equal in public life," Myers said. "[Myers] is a good role model for a lot of aspiring students right now, especially for women that are trying to break new ground and get into fields that are dominated by men," said Jeanette Torres, a Rutgers College. Myers said in the past three presidential elections, there were eight million more women voters than men. She also discussed issues that hinder the advancement of women, for example, the difficulty women face to re-enter the workforce after taking a leave. She also expressed how the appearance of a woman is sometimes paid attention to more than what a woman says. "I think she [Myers] is a great influence for women," said Danny Dai, a Rutgers College junior. "Even as a man, I feel that she symbolizes how women are slowly getting respect in the field of men." After leaving the White House, Myers worked as the liberal chair on the CNBC political talk show, "Equal Time." She also served as a consultant for the NBC drama, "West Wing." She is presently working as the political editor of Vanity Fair magazine.

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