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Each year, the Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) commemorates Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October with the culmination of it's Raising the Bar Benefit Concert. This year’s concert will take place at the Capitol Theatre on Friday, November 3, at 8:00 p.m. The full-length concert will be exclusively performed by the Grammy-winning duo, Indigo Girls. The singer-songwriter twosome of Emily Saliers and Amy Ray is considered one of the most successful folk duos in history, with 16 recorded studio albums and over 15 million records sold. Popular for their crowd singalong 1990’s chart hits “Galileo,” “Shame on You,” and “Closer to Fine,” which was recently featured in the box office summer hit movie Barbie. Together, these two women are known for their activism and championing of causes.

“We are thrilled and honored to have the Indigo Girls perform for our benefit concert to raise awareness about domestic violence,” states Cindy Kanusher, Executive Director for PWJC. “As activists with a longstanding commitment to women’s health and human rights, and our common mission to amplify the voices of women and survivors of abuse, we are eager for this opportunity to show solidarity and support for PWJC’s work to end abuse.”

Each October, the nonprofit honors an individual who has dedicated themselves to supporting the PWJC mission and its clients with the Making a Difference Award. This year, Daniel Seymour, President of Cannae Advisors LLC, has been selected as PWJC’s honoree and will be given a special recognition at the benefit concert. Dan has been a devoted advocate as an Advisory Board member for over four years. His generous professional insight, and dedication to supporting the organization’s legal services has helped further the mission to combat the social justice challenges clients face. “I am in awe of the dedication and commitment to the victims of abuse that the Pace Women’s Justice Center serves,” said Seymour. “Cindy Kanusher and the team at PWJC work to increase access to legal services for victims of abuse, which fulfills a critical need in our community. I am humbled to be recognized by PWJC and honored to support this important organization.”

The fundraising event’s title, Raising the Bar Benefit Concert, is a nod to PWJC’s commitment to increasing access to justice and providing FREE critical legal services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The funds raised will allow PWJC to continue helping their clients on their journeys toward empowerment and healing. View information on individual tickets and sponsorships.

About Pace Women's Justice Center

The Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) is a self-funded nonprofit legal center located at Elisabeth Haub School of Law, under the 501(c)(3) status of Pace University. Each year, PWJC provides free legal services to over 3,500 victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse, as well as conducts or participates in over 140 training and outreach events. Serving Westchester and Putnam Counties, PWJC’s mission is to pursue justice for victims and prevent abuse through quality legal services, community partnerships, education, and awareness. With an experienced staff and a team of dedicated volunteers, including attorneys, other professionals, and students, PWJC has built an effective, coordinated community response to interpersonal violence.

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Ásthildur Sturludottir

Class of 2006

Master of Public Administration

As the mayor of Akureyri, Iceland since 2018, Ásthildur Sturludottir ‘06, MPA, has made the environment and sustainability, especially in relation to renewable energy, a top priority in her administration, serving as a role model for others.

What is your vision for a more sustainable future, and what accomplishments are you most proud of and why?

I believe that it is of utmost importance that big and small communities, even individuals themselves, become sustainable and give back what we take from Mother Nature. We must change our way of thinking and ensure a sustainable bright future for coming generations.

I am very proud of what we have been doing here in Akureyri. The town has been at the forefront of environmental issues in Iceland: recycling and producing fuel from organic waste to name a few. We have set ourselves an environmental and climate policy and a detailed action plan, which assumes that we will achieve carbon neutrality and a full energy transition by 2040. These are high and mighty goals, but realistic and necessary.

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What issues are you most passionate about and what perspective do you bring as mayor?

In this role, I first want to emphasize effective management of the municipality and balanced finances, so we can guarantee good services and a first-class daily life for the residents of Akureyri. Additionally, I place a high emphasis on quality education for the youth, environmental matters, reliable services for disabled people, advancement of culture and the arts, and sensible city planning.

You graduated with a Master of Public Administration from Pace. What attracted you to pursue this degree? How did you get started in your career? Did you always aspire to run for public office?

I studied public administration because my mind was more inclined towards that sector versus the private one. I first worked for a regional development office for a while and then was hired to be the mayor of a small municipality in the west of Iceland in 2010. It was always my intention to work in the public sector, and as a matter of fact, it was my goal to become a mayor. So, I have simply been looking for exciting opportunities in this field.

How were Dyson faculty or any other member of the Pace community instrumental in your personal and/or professional journey?

My professor, [Professor Emerita of Political Science] Mary Timney, PhD, truly had a great influence on me and helped me enhance my studies. She was a great inspiration, as were Professors Farrokh Hormozi, PhD, and Brian Nickerson, PhD.

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What challenges are you proud to have overcome and can share?

It can be extremely challenging to be a woman in a top management position, but it's one that I find satisfying and fun to overcome in most cases. It's also challenging to work with political parties that I'm not a part of, but it has worked out brilliantly and I'm proud of that.

What advice would you give to our students as they navigate their college life?

Focus on your studies. Absorb everything professors have to offer. Go on field trips. Become an intern.