Christine Monska was appointed to the MCSW by the Caucus of Women Legislators in 2020. She is originally from Easthampton, but currently lives in Auburndale. Christine is the Youth Leadership Program Manager at The Clubhouse Network, a collaboration with the MIT Media Lab that brings innovative technology and inclusive leadership development to young people across the world, including sites across MA. Christine brings over ten years of experience in public policy, international relations and leadership development with a strong focus on women and girls’ empowerment. Before joining The Clubhouse Network, Christine worked across Western MA on various initiatives for women and girls. She designed and led the Young Women’s Initiative, a policy advocacy and leadership development program for young women, often systematically pushed to the margins, in Springfield. This program was a local implementation of a national program stemming from the White House Council on Women and Girls. Christine was also the District Director for former Senator Ben Downing in Pittsfield where she also sat on the Berkshire County Commission on the Status of Women and served as a Board Member for Berkshire County Action Council and Shout Out Loud, a small nonprofit addressing human trafficking across MA. In addition, she taught at Bard Microcollege in Holyoke, one of the nation’s first free associate degree programs for mothers whose education was disrupted by parenting and poverty. Christine also worked at The Department of Justice, Office of Legislative Affairs, International Center for Transitional Justice’s Gender Justice Program, Bean Group Global LLC, and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. Her publications, speaking engagements and workshops center on girl empowerment and policy advocacy, women in leadership across sectors and other global gender justice issues. Christine holds a B.A. in Government from Smith College, a M.S. in Global Affairs with a concentration in International Law and Human Rights from New York University, and holds Certificates in Financial Accounting, Economics for Managers and Business Statistics from Harvard Business School, a Paralegal Certificate from Boston University as well as a Certificate in Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times from George Washington University where she currently sits on the Advisory Council.