Volume 73 Issue 4

March/April 2026

Calendar of Coming Events

Wednesday, March 4 - Hike at Fort Ord Monument Park 

Wednesday, March 11, 10:00 am - RTC: Rancho Cielo Tour and Lunch, 710 Old Stage Road, Salinas

Wednesday, March 18 - Hike at Garrapata

Saturday, March 21, 2:00 pm - March Branch Meeting, Marina Branch Library, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina

Saturday, March 28, 2:00 - 4:00 pm, No Kings Event, Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Avenue, Monterey

Wednesday, April 1 - Hike at Rana Conservancy 

Wednesday, April 15 - Hike at Badger Hills

Thursday, April 23, 10:00 am - RTC: Tour of "Doc" Rickets Lab, 800 Cannery Row, Monterey

Monday, April 27, 1:00-3:00 pm - Bocce, City of Monterey Bocce Courts adjacent to Custom House Plaza

Thursday, April 30, 1:00-3:00 pm - April Branch Annual Meeting and Social, and Election of Officers, First Presbyterian Church, 501 El Dorado, Monterey

Presidents' Message

Report from Anne and Debbie...

Each March since 1987, we have celebrated Women’s History Month—honoring the achievements of women past and present. The 2026 theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future", reminds us that our work is not only to reflect, but to lead. Today more than ever, women’s voices, leadership, and engagement in our communities are essential to building a more just and sustainable world.

This month, our branch will receive a proclamation from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors recognizing the important work of AAUW in advancing pay equity for women. On March 21 at 2:00 pm, we will also hear from an AAUW scholarship recipient as she shares her educational path from Music to Mathematics.

We hope you will join us as we celebrate Women’s History Month—honoring progress made and recommitting ourselves to the work still ahead.

Anne Albano and Debbie Hobbs, Co-Presidents

MARCH BRANCH MEETING

AAUW Fundraising Speaker Event

From Music to Math

Date: Saturday, March 21

Time: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Place: Marina Branch of Monterey County Free Libraries, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina (Click here for a map.)

This year’s speaker is Kate McKinney, the recipient of a Career Development Grant from AAUW Fund. She studies towards an MA in Mathematics at San Francisco State University and is working on a research project in "Topological Data Analysis". 

Her way to math is unconventional, though. She started out studying Music Performance and holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of South Carolina. Kate is transitioning into mathematics after a decade-long career in arts leadership. She will tell us in person about her successful path in arts administration and development, including such prestigious employers as the San Francisco Symphony and the SF Ballet.

Kate rediscovered her interest and aptitude for math during Covid times and has built on that with courses at City College while fully working, until now she is ready to study math full-time. She is committed to mentoring women in STEM through education and service. I am very much looking forward to her presentation and hope that many of you will share that interest and attend our March meeting.

As you know, AAUW Fund is national, and donations to its different parts enable our organization to amplify its impact, adapt to evolving needs, and continue leading the fight for gender equity. This is especially the case of the Greatest Needs Fund. There is also the Public Policy Fund that is focused on increasing the impact of our Action Network through growing the number of advocates across the country and providing timely, accurate, and actionable information about our key issues. Finally, there is the Education and Training Fund, renamed “Defend Higher Education Fund”, given the massive attacks on higher education recently. Your support ensures AAUW can effectively fight on behalf of women on campuses across the country and ensure that AAUW remains a trusted and powerful voice for equity.

And of course, there are the Fellowships and Grants given out each year, many funded by endowments. Between 2020-2025, fellowships and grants were given to 1,538 women and community projects. In the same period, $29.6 M were awarded by AAUW nationally. This academic year, 18 of these recipients study in California and we are very fortunate to be able to welcome one of them to our branch meeting on March 21.

Although our branch members seem to prefer donating to local scholarships and Tech Trek, I feel strongly that support and engagement at the national level is paramount today. We made excellent progress with our contributions to AAUW Fund in 2025, reaching just over $6,000. The increase in donations earned us a star in the advancement category for the first time which then led to our branch being awarded the 5-Star recognition. We are proud of that and should build on this success for next year with hopefully even higher donations from more branch members. So be sure to bring your check books March 21.

Guests of members are welcome to attend. Please RSVP by Wednesday March 18 to Gabriele Simbriger-Williams at gsimbriwilli@aol.com 

Gabriele Simbriger-Williams, AAUW Funds

AAUW Branch Annual Meeting & Social

and Election of Officers

Date: Thursday, April 30

Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Location: First Presbyterian Church, 501 El Dorado Street, Monterey. (Click here for a map.)

Mark your calendar and join us for our Annual Meeting and Social! This special afternoon brings us together to celebrate our branch, conduct important business, and enjoy time with friends.

We will:

• Celebrate our outgoing Board

• Vote in our incoming Board   

• Enjoy a special guest presentation

Our featured speaker is AAUW member and librarian Mary Housel, who will share inspiring stories from her remarkable 50-year career in libraries. Mary will reflect on the joys and challenges of being a librarian, the fascinating people she has met, the technology revolution in libraries, and the vital role libraries play as community builders.

If you loved The Library Book by Susan Orlean, you won’t want to miss Mary’s personal and engaging “behind-the-scenes” version of life in the library world.

We’ll conclude with plenty of time to socialize and connect with friends. We hope to see you there!

Please RSVP by April 20 to Anne Albano apalbano@att.net

or Debbie Hobbs 2debbiehobbs@gmail.com

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Our AAUW Monterey County Branch Officers for 2026-2028 will be voted on by a majority of those members present at our Annual Branch Meeting. The following members have agreed to be nominated for the officer positions for the two-year term beginning July 1, 2026.

OFFICERS

Co-Presidents:          Anne Albano and Debbie Hobbs

Co-VP, Membership:  Nancy Coss-Fitzwater and Judy Nejasmich

Co-Secretaries:         Kathleen Kahn and Joanne Webster

Treasurer:                Randy Clark

At the Annual Meeting, other nominations may be made from the floor with permission of the nominee.

The following Directors are appointed by the Branch Board. These members have agreed to serve.

DIRECTORS

Tech Trek:               Andrea Madsen and Gail Widener

Local Scholarships:   Noelle Hetz and Maggie Pedersen

Public Policy:           Paula Jordanek

Programs:               Phyllis Jordan and Claire Scalzo

AAUW Funds:          Gabriele Simbriger-Williams

Communications:     Bonnie Lockwood and Caryl Rojas

Volunteer opportunities are available on the following Committees: Programs, Tech Trek, Communications, Local Scholarships, and Membership. If you are interested in serving on any of these committees, please contact the appropriate Director.

Submitted by: Pat Fletcher and Joanne Webster, Nominating Committee

January Meeting

California Condor Recovery Program

On January 24, Joe Burnett, Senior Wildlife Biologist and Manager of the California Condor Recovery Program, spoke to our group about the Ventana Wildlife Society Condor Preservation, and the condor recovery to a population of over 300 birds in 2023 – up from just 22 in 1982. We had a large group and lots of questions.

Additionally, Monterey Weekly published a wonderful article on this very topic. Click here for the article and additional information.

February Meeting

Breaking Generational Violence

Lana Nassoura, Asst. DA for Monterey County, presented a new objective of the Monterey County Family Justice Center: The Mission of Holding on to Hope.

The Center plans to provide one single place for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking to receive services from governmental agencies and community-based organizations to aid in the breaking of generational violence. To learn more, please visit: www.HoldingOnToHopeFJC.org.

Celebrate Women’s History Month - March

Remembering and Honoring our Founders

Our story begins in 1881 with Marion Talbot, a then-recent graduate from Boston University, and Ellen Swallow Richards, Talbot’s mentor and also the first woman professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On November 28, 1881, they invited 15 alumnae from eight colleges to a meeting in Boston. Out of this meeting, they created the idea for the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. The plan was to join together to help other women attend college and to assist those who had already graduated. On January 14, 1882, a group of 65 college women graduates met and officially formed the Association of Collegiate Alumnae to “unite in practical educational work.” In 1921, the organization became the American Association of University Women. The rest is history, right?

Social Justice/Advocacy

Our Branch is going to be honored by the County Board of Supervisors this month, recognizing our work on pay equity for women for over 20 years. The event will take place in its chambers.

Pay equity for women has taken a hit the last two years - it takes until late March for caucasian women to earn what a man earned in the previous year. The data are much worse for Black, Hispanic, and Native American women-sadly!

In February, and now March, National AAUW offers 16 free webinars highlighting salary negotiations for women on its website. Tell all the young women in your circle to tune in.

No Kings

Date: Saturday, March 28

Time: 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Location: Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Avenue, Monterey

(Click here for a map.)

AAUW will again partner with NO KINGS, the peaceful movement sponsored by Common Cause, focused on no thrones, no crowns, and no kings in our nation.

Members are invited to participate in the event.

Each of us is encouraged to read the Public Policy newsletter found under Public Policy on the AAUW California website http://aauw-ca.org/. And please also sign up for the Two-Minute Activist via the national website.

Sharyn Siebert - Public Policy and Gov Trek Liaison, Director

Bocce in the Park

Date: Monday, April 27 

Time: 1:00-3:00 pm

Location: City of Monterey Bocce Courts adjacent to Custom House Plaza. Click here for a map.

We had a great time at our last Bocce gathering in January, and hope to see you again, and others in April. No experience is necessary as we have rules and guidance to help you as needed. Hope to see you then.

Please contact Claire Scalzo at claireascalzo@gmail.com to let her know if you will be joining us. We can accept only 24 people so sign up early!  

Deborah Stern and Claire Scalzo, Coordinators - Bocce

Hiking Group

The Hiking Group met and planned a robust schedule.

March 4 - Fort Ord Monument Park, leader Chris Parmentier 

March 18 - Garapata, leader Pat Fletcher

April 1 - Rana Conservancy, leader Kathy Greenwald 

April 15 - Badger Hills, leader Anne Albano

May 6 - Marks Ranch, leader Anne Albano

May 20 - Point Lobos, leader Kathy Greenwald 

June 3 - Hatton Canyon, leader Nancy Coss-Fitzwater

June 17 - Old Town Monterey, leader Nancy Soulé

July 1 - Fort Ord Dunes, leader Ardith Peck

July 15 - Hike TBD, leader Randy Clark

August 5 - Hike and leader TBD

August 19 - Hike TBD, leader Andrea Madsen

For more specifics about each hike, please call the leader.

Chris Parmentier and Ardith Peck, Coordinators - Hiking Group

On February 18, this group walked in Carmel.

L-R Sandy Grimmer, Nancy Coss-Fitzwater, Randy Clark, Deborah Stern, Pat Fletcher, and Kathy Greenwald. 

Romancing the Coast

  Tour and Lunch at Rancho Cielo

Date: Wednesday, March 11

Time: 10:00 am

Location: Rancho Cielo, 710 Old Stage Road, Salinas

(Click here for a map.)

See how Rancho Cielo has grown from its beginning in 2000 to a multi-faceted source for high-end and vocational training to young people at risk. This project was originally started by Superior Court Judge John Phillips, who saw too many at-risk teenagers with no prospects, and was convinced that they could excel with opportunities. Today's graduates learn top skills in trades needed locally, learning to be chefs through the Drummond Culinary Academy, skilled craftspeople in construction, experts in solar power, organic farming, and most recently, as skilled antique automobile restorers.  

Come see this expansive training site overlooking the Salinas Valley on our private tour, followed by lunch prepared and served by students of the Drummond Culinary Academy. Cost is $45 per person. 

RSVP asap to Nance Soulé at nancyksoule@yahoo.com or text her at 831-236-3763, and send your check to Nancy at PO Box 4022, Monterey, CA 93942.

Let Nancy know if you want to carpool from the parking area by California Pizza Kitchen, Del Monte Center at 9 am for the drive to Rancho Cielo. This is a great event to invite your friends/partner, as their dining room can accommodate up to 60.  Wear comfortable shoes for walking outside.

Private Tour of "Doc" Ricketts Lab

Date: Thursday, April 23

Time: 10:00 am

Location: Pacific Biological Laboratory, 800 Cannery Row, Monterey (Click here for a map.)

For all you Steinbeck lovers, this tour lets you see into the famous lab. This was both the living space and lab where Steinbeck’s “Doc” Ed Ricketts lived and worked. It also was the location for the gatherings of important artists and writers of the time, and where the plans for a Monterey Jazz Festival were born.  

The one-hour tour is limited to the first 15 people, so RSVP leader Randy Clark at her new email address, randallmarie@myctl.net or text/call her at 928-445-3100 asap. Cost is $15 each (can be paid at the door in cash or charge). No ADA accessibility. After the tour, consider an optional lunch at the Fishhopper on Cannery Row. (Bring cash for lunch.) Enjoy the bay views while making new friends. There is nearby parking at the Cannery Row garage on Foam between Prescott and Hoffman.

Julie Smith, Romancing the Coast - Coordinator

Tech Trek 2026 Is Underway

Tech Trek has received nominations from Los Arboles (Marina), North County (Castroville), Seaside Middle as well as John Gutierrez and El Sausal (Salinas). Our committee will be going to the schools in late March or early April to interview the applicants. 

If you’re interested in participating in the interviews or any other aspect of Tech Trek, please reach out to Gail Widener or Fatima Dias. Later this spring we’ll send info on how to volunteer at a camp this summer. Looking to the future, we hope to identify a liaison to work with the recent campers to create an alumni group. 

Thank you for your continued support of Tech Trek; we couldn’t do it without you.  

Fatima Dias and Gail Widener, Teck Trek - Co-Directors

Membership

Dues Reminder - April



Please note that the National dues will increase by $2 effective April 1, 2026, to $76.00. When combined with the state and branch dues, the total due will be $129 starting in April. Remember, the National dues portion is 100% tax deductible as a charitable contribution.

If you have questions about dues or when your annual membership expires, please call or email either:

   Judy Nejasmich, (831) 238-2280 or janejasmich@icloud.com

   Nancy Coss Fitzwater, (408) 316-0443 or nancycoss-fitzwater@comcast.com

Directory Updates

If there are errors or changes in your directory listing, please tell us so corrections can be made. - Editors

Georgia Van Dam and Randy Clark have new contact information, which

will be updated in

our online directory.

New Members

Marjory Kaplan

Heather Oliver

Michele Ransom Rowlett

Lorraine Surprenant

Meg Walker

*****

See the online directory.

Online Directory

The password to our protected online directory on our website in the Member Center is on the second page of your pink membership directory. (If you cannot find it or do not have a directory, call Judy Nejasmich at 831 238-2280.) This is where all members' contact information is readily accessible.

http://mpb-ca.aauw.net

New Member Bios

Marjory Kaplan

Marjory is a family law lawyer who lives part-time in San Francisco and part-time in Carmel Valley. She loves hiking, playing games, reading, entertaining, and traveling. She also is involved in get-out-the-vote work. Her education includes an undergraduate degree from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA (1969), and a law degree from Hastings College of Law (1974). She is interested in our Branch’s book groups, Great Decisions, hiking group, Romancing the Coast, Gourmet Supper Club, and Program Committee.

Heather Oliver

Heather graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1990 with a degree in Agricultural Business Management. She continued her education at Cal State Northridge, earning her teaching credential in 1992.  She plans to focus her interests in our Great Decisions, Romancing the Coast, and Local Scholarship programs. Heather works at York School in Monterey.

Michele Ransom Rowlett

Michele graduated from UC San Diego in 1984 with a BA in Sociology, and followed with a Master’s degree in Teaching from Chapman University (Orange, CA) in 2004. She is interested in joining an evening book group, the hiking group, and the Local Scholarship Committee.

Lorraine Surprenant

Lorraine graduated from Cal State University Long Beach with a BA in Sociology/Liberal Arts and a teaching credential in 1977. She continued her education, earning an MA in Special Education in 1984. Lorraine is interested in Great Decisions, hiking, Romancing the Coast, and our Local Scholarship Committee.

Meg Walker

Meg moved to Monterey in 2023 after living 20 years in San Francisco. She is a former journalist and retired from a career in Communications at Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente. She graduated from Stanford with a BA in International Relations (1978) and continued her education at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, earning an MS in 1985. Meg is interested in Great Decisions, hiking, Romancing the Coast, and the Gourmet Supper Club.

Nancy Coss-Fitzwater and Judy Nejasmich, Co-VP - Membership

Board Meetings

Mar. 5 at 4:00 pm

By Zoom



April 2 at 1:00 pm

CFMC, 2354 Garden Rd.

Monterey

Websites

AAUW-MCB

https://mpb-ca.aauw.net/

==========

AAUW-CA

http://aauw-ca.org

May/June

Messenger

Please email articles for the May/June newsletter to

Caryl Rojas and

Bonnie Lockwood by

April 15.

AAUW Deductible Donations

The full amount of National dues you paid is tax deductible as a charitable donation. (This does not include State and Local dues.) In addition, any donations to our charitable funds will be tax deductible for a tax year if paid by December 31st of that year and if you itemize deductions. Note that a donation to any of these three areas can also be made in honor or in memory of a friend or family member. More information and a donation form (optional) may be found at this link to our website. If making a donation directly from an IRA as a qualified charitable donation (QCD), consult your tax advisor or www.irs.gov for more information.

Tech Trek

Make check payable to "AAUW MPB"

with "Tech Trek, Monterey County"

in the memo line.

Send to Noelle Hetz,

200 Hawthorne St.,

Monterey, CA 93940.

(Tax ID # is 81-0567656)

AAUW Fund

Donate at aauw.org, or write a check payable to "AAUW".

Send your check to Gabriele Simbriger-Williams,

1822 Links Drive,

Seaside, CA 93955.

Local Scholarships

Make check payable to "AAUW-MPB Local Scholarships".

Send your check to

Kathy Poulson,

1092 Presidio Road,

Pebble Beach, CA 93953.

(Tax ID # is 81-0567656)

Newsletter Schedule

Newsletters are published around the 1st of the months of September, November, January, March and May. There will be short "eblasts", containing reminders or special announcements. If you do not receive a newsletter, please contact us so we can fix it. Please note that newsletter content will relate only to AAUW and branch matters, a policy of AAUW National.

Bonnie Lockwood and Caryl Rojas, Co-Editors - Newsletter