My goal is to help more women find and raise their voices.
Chris Jahnke, 1963-2020
Christine K. Jahnke was a media trainer, a public speaking coach, author, and a stalwart ally of the Center for American Women and Politics in our mission to increase women’s political representation in the United States.
Chris was a fixture in our educational and campaign training programming. One of our most frequent workshop leaders, she participated in our Ready to Run® campaign training program for over 20 years, both at our flagship program in New Jersey and at partner programs throughout the country. Through these trainings and her own work as a speech coach and author, she helped thousands of women sharpen their public speaking skills, hone their political message, and prepare for a life in politics.
“She was consistently one of the highest rated speakers at any of our programs. Ever.” said Jean Sinzdak, CAWP Associate Director and program manager for Ready to Run®. “People loved her workshops because of her warm, accessible style; she made everyone feel more confident and prepared, especially those who were most nervous about speaking publicly or to the media.”
In addition, Chris was a regular contributor to our expert analyses, both on our blog and through CAWP-led conversations on social media. She was also a key source of advice and guidance in CAWP’s own media strategy, helping to lay a foundation of central media training practices that CAWP experts and scholars continue to rely upon. And we regularly give our NEW Leadership® students copies of her books, The Well-Spoken Woman: Your Guide to Looking and Sounding Your Best and The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out: How to Use Your Voice to Drive Change, both invaluable resources to women considering a life of public leadership.
“There isn’t a press interview I do, or a public presentation I make that I don’t reflect on her advice or pause on a piece of wisdom she offered. Her presence continues to be felt in all the work of the Center,” said CAWP Director Debbie Walsh. “However, in addition to and beyond all these collaborations, Chris was a dear friend, and I miss her very much.”
In the last months of her life, in the midst of an ongoing 
struggle with cancer, she remained committed to the mission of women’s political advancement, participating in our first COVID-era Ready to Run® virtual campaign training session and contributing advice for political campaigning in an online world for our blog. We are grateful for all the work she did with the Center throughout the decades of our partnership, but we are especially humbled and honored that she dedicated this time in her life, with the world in turmoil and her own health uncertain, to our shared values and ongoing collaboration.
"There was no better friend, mentor, feminist, teacher, and beautiful person than Chris. She was a magician in helping us all do better and feel better about ourselves," said political strategist Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners. "She made an unmeasurable difference with her skills, fame, and generosity."
Our friend Chris Jahnke died on August 4th, 2020. Her extensive contributions to the women’s political community were lauded in obituaries by The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others. Born and raised in Minnesota, Chris spent most of her career in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the remarkable life and career of Chris Jahnke, during which she advised numerous high-profile clients in politics as well as non-profit and philanthropic leaders, visit the memorial site created and maintained by Chris’s family.
We are honored and grateful that Chris’s family has entrusted us with her memory by establishing the Christine K. Jahnke Legacy fund at CAWP. The proceeds from this endowed fund will support CAWP’s educational and campaign training programming, helping us to carry forward the work that Chris devoted her life to.
“My dear friend Christine Jahnke was a true champion for women in politics. Chris was an inspiring advocate who worked tirelessly to teach women how to become better candidates and public speakers. She always imparted a boost of confidence when people needed it most," said Barbara Lee, President and Founder of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation. "Chris was a shining light in my life, and in the lives of so many women who she inspired over the years. I am so pleased her legacy will continue through this program.”
The Chris Jahnke Legacy Fund is made possible thanks to the generosity of her husband, Paul Hagen, extended family, and friends. You can help honor Chris' legacy with a gift to this fund.