Women United About

Join Us

Women United works in our community to attract women at the leadership level who recognize the importance of results-oriented philanthropy as a key to addressing critical challenges in local communities. Your membership will provide opportunities to network in educational and social settings, including membership events and public policy briefings.

Anna Mitchell Mahoney, Chairwoman

Anna Mitchell Mahoney is an Administrative Associate Professor of Women’s Political Leadership at Newcomb Institute at Tulane University. In 2016, she became Director of Research for the Institute.

Anna’s research is centered on women’s representation and gendered institutions, which is explored in her book, Women Take Their Place in State Legislatures: The Creation of Women’s Caucuses (Temple University Press, 2018). She has published articles in Politics & Gender, Representation, and Legislative Studies Quarterly.

Anna’s research agenda is strongly informed by work with practitioners in the field, and in the role of Director of Research, she has prioritized public scholarship and student engagement with intersectional and community-engaged research. She facilitates the production and dissemination of academic research to the broader community by supporting faculty as they translate their academic research into reports or editorials easily digestible by a non-academic audience.

Anna has served as Grants Allocation Committee Chair and Vice Chair of Women United of United Way of Southeast Louisiana. She was inaugurated as chair in August 2022. She is also a member of several community organizations including the American Association of University Women, the League of Women’s Voters, and in 2016 was named to the Louisiana Women's Policy & Research Commission. She is also the co-director of the New Orleans Chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network. She most recently completed a three-year appointment to Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) Board of Directors.

The Founders

United Way of Southeast Louisiana's Women's Leadership Council was founded in 2002 by the passionate women below, who united with the mission to improve the lives of women and children in our region.