Feb 2025 Presidents Msg from Lauren Hawkins

February 3, 2025

Thanks to all who joined us at our January 2025 “INAUGURAL LUNCHEON.” It was a very well attended event, in anticipation of the celebratory Inauguration of our 47th President, Donald J. Trump, and our 50th Vice President, JD Vance on January 20, 2025.

What a day of celebration, tradition, and anticipation of what is to come!! We certainly didn’t have to wait long to see action! President Trump and his Team hit the ground running and have not looked back. It was obvious that the overwhelmingly elected Trump Administration had been developing their action plans and gearing up for their First Day in Office as soon as the November election was over (and maybe even sooner!). They had defined their priorities, identified immediate actions, prepared their teams, and set their plans in motion.

It was just a matter of 2 months until they could spring into action on Inauguration Day, and this is a sampling of what happened:

· The Oath of Office – The Oath was administered in the Capitol Rotunda, in front of hundreds of dignitaries, business leaders and family. A change in venue was required due to cold weather, but nonetheless impressive and exciting.

· Executive Orders -- 45 Executive Orders have been signed, sealed and delivered by the end of January (2 weeks into the 2nd term). Donald Trump shared those actions with the American people as only he can. He brought representatives of the Press Corps into the Oval Office to witness the signing and ask questions. He signed EO’s during the Inauguration Parade in the Capital Arena with crowd participation. In addition, President Trump rescinded 78 Executive Orders, actions and presidential memoranda put in place by President Biden, many of which reinstated actions from his first term in office.

· Cabinet Appointments – Weeks prior to taking office, President Trump had already nominated a significant number of cabinet and government appointments. Subsequently, Senate hearings began shortly after the Inauguration, followed by confirmations allowing Trump’s team to move forward rapidly.

· Securing the Border – Within the first week of President Trump taking office, Tom Homan and his ICE team have been forging ahead, arresting hundreds of dangerous criminal illegals, setting the stage for deportation. And border crossings have significantly decreased in a very short time.

· Additional Positive Actions – President Trump affirmed the existence of two sexes, eliminated discriminatory DEI practices, unleashed America’s energy potential, terminated the electric vehicle mandate, secured over $1 trillion in new investments, pardoned the J6 hostages, and ended government censorship.

President Trump has been aggressively pursuing the America First Agenda that he promised, and it’s amazing to see what has already been accomplished in just a few weeks. It’s an exciting time for our country.

Several of President Trump’s choices for key positions within his administration are emerging as shining stars. His newly appointed Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, initiated her press conferences this week and was very impressive. As the 36th and youngest Press Secretary at age 27, she demonstrates professionalism, determination, knowledge, and confidence. Her experience and background include an internship at Fox News, a writer in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence, assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany (Trump’s Press Secretary in his first term), Communications Director for Republican U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik (current nominee for US Ambassador to the United Nations), and National Press Secretary for Donald Trump’s 2024 Presidential campaign. Karoline grew up in New Hampshire, in a humble family who owned an ice cream shop and a used truck dealership.

A second shining star is Kristi Noem, former Governor of South Dakota and now the newly confirmed 8th Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing Alejandro Mayorkas (thank goodness!). Raised in a farming and ranching family, Kristi was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, followed by U.S. Representative for South Dakota’s at-large congressional district from 2011 to 2019. She then successfully ran for Governor and served from 2019 to 2025, resigning from that position once confirmed in her new position. She took a firm stand during the COVID-19 crisis in her state and is also an author of 2 books. The day after being confirmed, Kristi was already actively involved with ICE in New York City, observing the arrests and hearing the thank you’s from New Yorkers for addressing this vital issue in their city.

These are 2 shining stars in this current administration, and I can’t help but wonder about the factors that shaped their experiences and lead them to where they are today. Family, friends, mentors, job experiences, professional growth, and character all play a role in their accomplishments as professional women. All of these factors contributed to and shaped their decisions.

Our luncheon on February 6th is focused on Women Supporting Women, a workshop that will encourage thoughtful and active participation for all attendees (yes, including the men in attendance. We want your input too!). You will have a chance to contribute and share your thoughts and creative ideas during this workshop, based on your collective backgrounds and experiences, to improve PVRW effectiveness, to develop and elect future women leaders, and to grow our club and its impact in the community. Thank you for attending, and we are so looking forward to seeing you there!