For the City Times

The national bi-monthly publication The P.E.O. Record features Stevens Point locals Jeanne Herder and Kathy Mancl on its cover.

The September/October 2015 edition promoted the travels of Mancl and Herder to Cottey College, a fully-accredited liberal arts college for women in Nevada, Missouri, owned and operated by the P.E.O. Sisterhood since 1927.

Mancl is the current chapter president of one of three local P.E.O. chapters in the Stevens Point area. Herder is a past state and local chapter president.

“One of our chapter’s goals for the 2015-2016 year is to promote Cottey College, including recognizing potential candidates from Wisconsin for admission” said Mancl.

About P.E.O.

P.E.O. was founded on January 21, 1869 by seven women students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. This circle of kindred spirits – bonded by their enthusiasm for women’s opportunities – eventually expanded to include women off campus, as well.

Today, P.E.O. has grown from a membership of seven to almost a quarter of a million members in 6000 chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada, with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. P.E.O. exists to be a source of encouragement and support for women to realize their potential in whatever endeavor they choose. True to the mission of promoting educational opportunities for women, education continues to be the primary philanthropy of the P.E.O. Sisterhood.

The P.E.O. Sisterhood proudly sponsors no less than five international philanthropies, or projects, designed to assist women with their educational goals. In addition, more than 7,500 women have graduated from Cottey College. The first Wisconsin Chapter was organized in Milwaukee 100 years ago.

There are 138 chapters currently in Wisconsin, with the annual convention being held each year the first weekend in June at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point.  This brings in over 500 members to Stevens Point each year.