Given the recent controversy over the current administration's immigration orders, we are honored and eager to have Ms. Maha  Elgenaide, CEO of the Islamic Network Group (ING), share with us her perspectives. Her topic is "Muslims in America in Light of the Trump Presidency". 

Maha Elgenaidi has a master's degree in Religious Studies from Stanford University and BA in Political Science and Economics from American University in Cairo. She is the CEO of ING, which has affiliates in 20 states that are dedicated to education and interfaith engagement. She is the author of training handbooks on outreach for American Muslims as well as training seminars for public institutions on developing cultural competency with the American Muslim community. A senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum and recently named by the San Jose Business Journal as one of Silicon Valley's Women of Influence, Maha has been recognized with numerous civil rights awards, including the "Civil Rights Leadership Award" from the California Association of Human Relations Organizations and the "Citizen of the Year" award from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. 

On Thursday, January 26th League members joined officials from the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Office to register new United States citizens as voters. The United States Citizen swearing-in ceremonies were held at the Heritage Theater in Campbell. Registration periods were conducted after each of three swearing-in ceremonies. 

Chata Alfaro,  Helen Athey, Sue Cooney, Jackie Costanzo,  Barbara Freitas,  Robin Hayr, Gloria Chun Hoo, Martha Hull,  Trudy La France, Carol Lathrop, Sandy  Mory,  Paula  Radzinski,  Suzanne Sikora,  Lois Smallwood

 

Registering New Citizens to Vote

League Volunteers  at Naturalization Ceremony

(L-R back row) Carol Lathrop, Sandy Mory, Trudy La France, Judy Chamberlin,  Claire Benson,  (front row) Marie Arnold, Rita Norton, Leslie Hallenbeck. (Not pictured) Mary Collins, Martha Beattie, Liz Bogatin-Starr, Gloria  Chun Hoo, Connie Hunter, Suzanne Malone

City of San Jose is moving ahead with a plan to consider a Community Choice Aggregate (CCA) program, San José Clean Energy (SJCE). The draft business plan and technical study are now available  http://sjenvironment.org/sjce.

SJCE goals:

• Increase consumer choice
• Offer more renewable energy
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions
• Create local jobs
• Generate local economic benefits

CCA (statewide law) allows local governments to pool (or aggregate) their electricity load to purchase and/or develop renewable power on behalf of their residents and businesses.

The City Council Study Session is Monday, February 13 (session time and live streaming information to be posted soon  http://sjenvironment.org/sjce.

Location: San Jose City Hall Council Chambers.

This summer, officials are expected to adopt Plan Bay Area 2040, the region's land use and transportation roadmap. While the plan advances environmental goals and transportation system improvements, more work is needed to resolve a confounding Bay Area problem: affordable housing.

That's why regional agencies are forming the Committee for Affordable and Sustainable Accommodations (CASA), a task force that will draw up a housing implementation strategy to accompany Plan Bay Area. CASA will identify actions to fix plan targets moving off course, focusing on displacement risk, access to jobs, and the high costs of rent and mortgages facing low-to-middle-income households.

"The Bay Area is an amazing place to live," said Leslye Corsiglia, co-chair of CASA and executive director of  SV@Home, an advocacy group. "It has beauty and is one of the most successful places in the world for innovation and opportunity - yet we have failed in providing sufficient housing for people who live here," she added.

The Piedmont, Oakland, Berkeley/Albany/Emeryville and Eden Area Leagues are hosting a leadership communications workshop led by Sarah Diefendorf on Saturday, February 18th from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm at the James Irvine Conference Center (Plaza A), 353 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland 94612.

 

LWVC has developed this workshop as part of a Leadership Academy to accomplish two goals: (1) to increase the impact of local Leagues and (2) to build local partnerships and attract new members. Sarah Diefendorf, a member of the LWVC Board of Directors, has founded and managed numerous nonprofit organizations throughout her career and has specialized in building financial, communications and leadership capacity in the US and abroad. Understanding that we can all be leaders, she has honed and implemented a wide variety of capacity-building tools in her professional and training life to enable individual and community growth and success.

 

Since the 2016 elections, many Leagues are seeing their membership numbers grow. We've received a lot of attention for our work in voter empowerment and against voter suppression. The key to making the most of these developments is communication: being able to tell our story and inspire engagement. Melissa Breach, Executive Director of LWV California, was a speaker at the recent Women's March in Oakland. Her vivid reminder of the 100-year history of women marching and her call to join in and become involved was a wonderful and inspiring example of how we can stir people to commitment and action by our words.

 

The goal of this workshop is to help League leaders and their community partners learn new approaches to presentations and outreach and to become just as dynamic in their communications.

 

The cost for members will be $35; the cost for non-members will be $65, which includes a year's League membership. We are reaching out to our community partners to share this workshop opportunity.

The Council of the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County is hosting a second Leadership Academy in San Jose on March 11, 9:30-4:00  at the SEIU office ,  2302 Zanker Road.  

The Leagues of Santa Clara County are currently partnering with Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and reaching out to more organizations. "The Next Level Communications" workshop  will be an energetic day that promises to be enlightening and fun.  The fee is $50 with maximum attendance of 50. Registration information for the March workshop will come shortly.

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Lunch with League with guest speaker Melissa Breach, Executive Director, LWVC

SEIU Local 521 Chief Elected Officer Candidates Forum Moderator, Gloria Chun Hoo League members Mary Collins, Sandy Mory, Cecilie Schulze, Liz Bogatin-Starr Women's March - San Jose Roma Dawson, Judy Chamberlin, Sharon Sweeney with friend Valerie. Sharon is a master pink hat and scarf maker!

To keep our records current please send any changes to your address, email address, or phone number, to our Dues Secretary, Sandy Remmers.  The only updates she receives are on the renewal form which is only sent once a year.