When Sarah Sanders was named White House press secretary July 21, a major milestone for women was achieved. Sanders, who had been deputy press secretary, became only the third woman to hold the position and the first mother to ever hold it.
So, what are influential women saying about the appointment?
Newsmax spoke to Penny Young Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, who said, "She [Sarah Sanders] has really conducted herself in a way that has brought grace and dignity to the role."
Nance added she is pleased by the "very sharp conservative women who have been recognized and tapped for top positions at this White House."
What is the biggest difference between Sanders and those who have gone before her? Nance attributes this to the fact "she is a southern lady. She has a great wit, but is also very charming. She is able to diffuse difficult situations. Sarah brings her own brand to the job."
A major difference between Sarah Sanders and the two previous women who were White House press secretaries is she is a mother of three.
Nance offered Sanders some advice: "Working moms all over this country every day have to meet that balance and trade-off on priorities."
"It's not a one-time decision," She added. "It is a decision every day and tradeoffs that you make every day.
"It's not easy when you have a top executive role, but I am pleased to see that conservative women are finding that balance. They are working with their husbands and their families in order to be able to balance their lives and care for their children as well as have a professional career."
Alex Sink, who was the 2010 Democratic nominee for governor of Florida and lost by a slim 1 percent of the vote, is happy to see Sarah Sanders as White House press secretary.
"It is important to have women role models in very important jobs in business and in government as well," she said.
"When I heard she had three young children, it kind of took my breath away because the job of press secretary is a 24/7 hour job," she added. "Kudos to her and to all of her family members who are helping her raise her family, because it truly takes a village."
Sink, who also served as Florida's Chief Financial Officer from 2007-2011, remarked: "She is in a very difficult position because she is working for a very unorthodox president, and it bothers me when she has to spin the truth.
"My advice to her is that there is nothing more important to her than her own personal integrity. At some point in time she has to decide whether or not her personal integrity is aligned with the demands of her boss."
Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony List, spoke to Sanders' performance so far.
"Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a strong, articulate pro-life leader who will make an outstanding White House press secretary," Dannenfelser said. "Already she has had a key role in communicating President Trump's pro-life commitments and vision to the American people, and has done so with aplomb."
The veteran pro-life activist added, "We are encouraged to see such an outspoken advocate for unborn children and their mothers take on even greater responsibility in the Trump administration."
Sanders herself recognized the importance of her new position as press secretary during the White House press briefing July 26.
She told reporters: "I also hope to send my daughter a message and to every other kid in America: Don't listen to the critics, dream big, and fulfill your potential – because in this country, you still can."
Samantha Snellings, who is studying Journalism, Political Science, and Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a summer intern at the Washington, D.C. bureau of Newsmax.
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