Get to know me…

Edie Olson

Where did you grow up?

Sullivan, Indiana.

Where did you attend school?

I went to IU Bloomington for my undergraduate degree, and then I got a master’s in social work at IUPUI from the IU school of social work.

What keeps you in indiana?

Family. I was born here, so I have siblings in Indiana. I have a son and daughter who live probably within 10 minutes of me, so I like to stay connected to them, and I have a couple grandkids and grand-dogs, haha. So that keeps us in the area. And friends of course. Being in the community for as long as I have I’ve made a lot of connections and life-long friends.

When did your interest in advocacy start?

Probably going back to high school, college. Definitely in college I was involved at that time in protests about the Vietnam war, and I became really interested in political science. I took a lot of classes on political science in college, and I was very interested in “water gate” hearings, and what was happening at that time. As well as today, I’m glued to the TV on January 6th, committee hearings, that sort of thing. Basically an interest that I’ve had for a long time, and sometimes, I think, it’s just been a matter of stepping up where there has been a void, and it felt like something needed to be said that maybe wasn’t being said. I just wanted to add my voice.

What drew you towards women4change?

My initial contact with Women4Change was as a volunteer, the executive volunteer service. Since I’ve retired, I’ve been involved with helping different organizations with executive coaching, strategic planning, and so on and so forth. So I was asked if I would help with Women4Change’s development of a strategic plan, so I did that some years ago. After that, I was asked to assist with planning the State of Women conference, and so I stayed connected to that. Then was asked to be involved with governance committee and then on the board, so it’s just been sort of a growing relationship over time. I certainly can relate and appreciate the goals of the organization, as well as the folks who are involved in its mission. It’s definitely needed, and particularly I think we feel an even greater urgency at this point in time, about the need for women to not go backward, and to try to keep making forward progress.

What are some causes you really stand behind right now?

Gun regulations, that is certainly something that I think is a major issue, or area of concern for me. A women’s right to choose is important. Equity regarding pay and representation are important issues for me. The environment. Basically I think the whole concern we all have about changes in terms of how elections are operated, governed, and so forth. The whole issue of things that would suppress voting opportunity, gerrymandering, the whole thing about alternative electors, and states having the opportunity to choose electors that may or may not match the will of the voters, or reflect the actual vote count. So those are all issues that weigh on me, and that I’m concerned about.

What are some things you do outside of being on the board at women4change?

Well, I continue to be involved with executive volunteer service. I am working with another organization on developing their strategic plan, and take those on, as I’m able to. I’m involved with the neighborhood Home Owner’s Association governance committee type of thing. I’m involved with our grandkids activities. This summer we are sort of operating camp grandma and grandpa with our 7 year old granddaughter, haha.

Is there something interesting you would like people to know about you?

I’m the youngest of 12 children. It’s a family that I feel very fortunate to have grown up in, to have had the parents I had, and the opportunities I’ve had. I relish the opporuntites to give back and provide others opportunities too. Because growing up in a family that I did with limited means and so forth, I feel thankful that each of us, of my siblings that came before me, they had mentors and people that assisted them in their development. I also did as well as having the footsteps to follow in paved by my brothers and sisters. So, I feel like I have been real fortunate.