Two Cedar Rapids women honored for leadership

The Women's Equality Day Celebration will honor two Cedar Rapids city employees, Sgt. Cristy Hamblin from the Police Department and LaSheila Yates, housing programs manager for the city.

Hamblin and Yates said they were taken aback when they found out about the honor.

'I didn't tell anybody because it's like I'm embarrassed,” Hamblin said. 'I didn't do anything. I just did what every woman should do, which is to be a role model for other people and especially young girls.”

Hamblin has been a member of the Cedar Rapids Police Department since 1983. She was promoted to sergeant in 1993.

Hamblin also serves on committees for the prevention of domestic abuse, as well as Waypoint Services.

She said she hopes her experience pursuing a career in a male-dominated field can encourage others to overcome societal barriers. Hamblin said the Cedar Rapids Police Department has improved, but at first did not have equal accommodations for women. For example, when Hamblin was hired the city supplied only bulletproof vests sized for her male counterparts.

Still, inequalities remain, said Anna Patty, chair of the Women's Equality Coalition of Linn County.

She said Iowa is one of only two states that have not elected a woman to serve in Washington, D.C.

'As forward-thinking of a state that Iowa is, we still have this one piece,” she said. 'Why haven't we elected a female to a national office?”

The key to equality is not just working with women, but all members of the community, Patty said. Yates' community involvement exemplifies that communitywide effort, she said.

Yates serves as a scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 4 in Cedar Rapids.

'It's not a traditional role for a female to be a scoutmaster,” Yates said. 'It's a good opportunity for young men to see women in a leadership role in a different capacity. I really enjoy it.”

She said while 'everyone has challenges,” she strives to help individuals see 'opportunities that they didn't think were possible.”

Yates has worked for many years as civil rights investigator and as the director of housing for the city of Cedar Rapids.

She started her new role as the executive director for the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission the day after she was honored at the annual Women's Equality Day Celebration Tuesday at the Kirkwood Training and Outreach Services Center.

In addition to honoring Hamblin and Yates, the event featured a keynote speech by Dee Baird, president and CEO of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.