Tuesday Buzz: Women Set a New High Mark on Capitol Hill

On Capitol Hill, there are four major congressional staff  diversity associations, and for the first time, they are all run by women.

It happened at the end of February, when Victoria Rivas, legislative assistant for Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard of California, was elected president of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association, reports Roll Call  (opens in a new tab).

“When you look back on history, it’s kind of the same thing that you see in any elected office—there’s always a panel of all men up top,” Rivas said to Roll Call. “It’s really unique and really exciting that it’s all women this time around.”

With sexual harassment and the movement against it in the news and a record number of women  (opens in a new tab) running for political office, the fact that women have assumed leadership roles in these associations may come as no surprise.

“It’s reflective of the year we’ve had,” said Yasmin Rigney, president of the Senate Black Legislative Staff Caucus.

Travel Calculator

How does travel affect the economy of each state? The United States Travel Association recently released a tool  (opens in a new tab) that reveals how travel to a state positively impacts its economy, reports TravelPulse  (opens in a new tab).

Using a slider, users can increase or decrease travel spending to reveal its impact, in terms of how it directly affects tax revenue and public sector jobs like police officers  and teachers.

“Travel is an engine for economic and job growth, and it helps communities maintain a level of service that would require more taxes, had it not been for travel-generated tax revenue,” U.S. Travel Association CEO Roger Dow said in a statement.

Other Links of Note

Is confirmation bias getting in the way of smart technological decision making? The DelCor blog shares ways to stop that from happening  (opens in a new tab).

All organizations are looking for top talent, but one Forbes contributor argues that you shouldn’t focus on recruiting from top colleges  (opens in a new tab).

When thinking about SEO strategies, many people overlook the power of images. Search Engine Land provides helpful tips for getting more image links  (opens in a new tab).

(miralex/E+/Getty Images Plus)