By Janice Garry
Dear Communications Chair,
This evening I had the distinct pleasure of conversing with Gwendolyn Saffo, our new VP. We shared aspirations of discovering new outreach opportunities to broaden the diversity of our League. We also want to find ways to collaborate and partner with other organizations. We anticipate relationship building and touching more of the issues that are important to our local community. And, you know what? The vision is already coming to fruition.
- For starters, we have a team creating a Fall Luncheon where we can gather and celebrate being Leaguers while learning from a guest speaker. It will be in late October. Watch your email and our website and Facebook page for more details.
- Speaking of new partnerships, the Matheson Museum has asked us to join them in creating an exhibit for the spring titled, “Voices and Votes”. Our League is contributing to their application for a grant that would bring a traveling exhibit to complement the local exhibit. We are putting together a committee to brainstorm ideas. Want to help? Contact me.
- Another roll-out is the newly formed Health Care Committee. The first meeting was on August 14th. Want to know more about their plans? Contact co-chairs Barbara Frentzen and Kim Walsh-Childers.
There are many things that we can’t control. But we can control our actions. We can be part of the solution, and we can nudge ourselves, our community, and our natural environment to a better place. Join us. Find a way that you can help. Earn the comfort of your pillow each night.
In League,
Janice
[email protected]
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Local League Legislative Priorities - Due 9/1 | |
Local League Legislative Priorities Ballot
As a local League, we have the opportunity to provide input to the League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVFL) on the 2024 Legislative Priorities. The LWVFL Board of Directors has predetermined that the issue of “voting & election reform” will remain our number one priority this session. The subsequent three priorities will be determined by submissions from local Leagues coupled with input from LWVFL's Board of Directors.
Our current issue areas (excluding voting & election reform) are: Clean Energy, Education, Gun Safety, Health Care, Home Rule/Preemption, Juvenile Justice, National Popular Vote, Natural Resources, Poverty & Affordable Housing, Reproductive Health & Justice.
The Local League Legislative Priorities Ballot is how we provide input to LWVFL regarding the four legislative priorities for the 2024 session. Review and rank EVERY item in the Local League Ballot in order of importance.
Please submit your priorities by September 1st.
Listening Sessions
In an effort to increase communication between all members of the League and our state League, LWVFL will host two all-member listening sessions prior to the legislative priority submittal deadline for local Leagues in order to hear from our broader membership on the issues they see as important.
One listening session took place on August 14 and the other will take place on August 30 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Watch for a link to a recording of the August 14th event and/or register now for the August 30th event.
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Introducing Your New Board Members | |
At the LWVAC Annual Meeting in May, the following members were voted onto the LWVAC Board. Please welcome them! | |
President: Janice Garry
I am pleased and excited to continue as your president this year. Moving beyond Covid, our league will enjoy fellowship and build on partnerships we began last year. We will focus on outreach to a broader community and prepare for the upcoming 2024 election. If democracy and community are important to you, please join us. Your voice matters. Our work matters.
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Vice President: Gwendolyn Saffo
I joined the League in 2019. My background spans over 35 years in diversity and inclusion, social action, and social justice. Active involvement in my community is ingrained in me. Community activism and public service are key to effective and equitable positive community change. As I continue my work with the League, I hope to focus on increasing partnerships, collaborations, and diversity. Voter registration, engagement, and mobilization is my passion, along with other issues facing our community. I am a graduate of Shaw University with a BA in Criminal Justice/Public Administration and UF with a MA in Political Science. I retired as a Manager from the City of Gainesville Office of Equity & Inclusion in 2019, and I currently work as the Competency Restoration Training Coordinator for ITM Group and Associates.
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Treasurer: Anne D'Amico
I was born in Mexico and raised in a Missouri river town. I’ve been a lab tech in Austin and Boston, a pretty good waitress everywhere, and worked in a New York advertising firm. I have been a Business Manager for over 30 years, with an MBA from UF. I’ve been a League Member since 2016. Voting rights is the thing that all else depends on. To preserve our democratic institutions and keep this republic we must all work to preserve the principle of one person, one vote.
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Elected Director: Lisa Holley
I am a graduate of the University of Illinois, the University of Houston, and Houston Baptist University. I have a Master’s degree in mathematics curriculum and another in educational technology. After a 40+ year career in education in Texas and Florida, I joined the League. I have two daughters and two grandsons. My priorities are Education and Voter Services. I believe the only way Democracy works is for everyone to exercise their right and responsibility to Vote. I look forward to working with the impressive women in this organization.
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Elected Director: Jerry Kidder
I’ve been in the League since 2001 when my wife, Kathy, signed me up at the time she joined. I served on the Board for ten years as chair of Natural Resources or as Treasurer. Kathy and I attended a national convention and several state councils and legislative days and held numerous local new member orientations. I gave training workshops at two state conventions. I believe as current League members we must be ever vigilant in guarding our nonpartisan status while we educate voters and work tirelessly for voting justice in our democracy. Our name is valuable because of our long history of doing so.
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Elected Director: Marcia Storch
I have been in Gainesville for almost 12 years. I moved here from Olean, NY, a small town South of Buffalo. Lots of snow. I was a third-grade teacher for 16 years. I have four children and nine grandchildren and have been married for almost 54 years. For fun, I like quilting, volunteering, working for my synagogue, and baking. My biggest passion is democracy. I want to make sure everyone has a voice and will take the opportunity to use it by voting. I believe in justice for all, and I have always admired the workings of the League of Women Voters. I joined LWV right after we moved here in 2012. I'm looking forward to working with the fine people of LWV.
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A full list of all LWVAC Board Members and Committee Chairs can be found here. | |
LWVAC Board & Leadership Team Meeting
August 22nd @ 6 p.m.
via Zoom
Vice President Gwendolyn Saffo and others will speak about the gun violence summit at our August 22nd Board & Leadership Meeting. Everyone is invited to attend. Please contact Janice for the agenda and Zoom link.
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Friends of Susan B. Anthony
Annual Women's Equality Day Luncheon
August 26th @ 11:30 a.m.
Best Western Gateway Grand
4200 NW 97th Blvd
Gainesville Florida 32606
On Saturday, August 26, 2023, Friends of Susan B. Anthony will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848 and the 103rd anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (woman suffrage) in 1920 with a luncheon featuring an award presentation and a speaker.
For more information and to register, please visit the event page. The deadline for registration is August 20. There are no sales at the door.
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Oak Hammock Committee Meeting
September 12th @ 7 p.m.
at Oak Hammock
Ryan Smart, director of the Florida Springs Council, will speak on, "How to Successfully Correspond with your Legislator". This event is open to all LWVAC members. Please contact Mary for more information.
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LWVAC Fall Luncheon
Details Coming Soon
LWVAC will be hosting an in-person fall luncheon. Watch your email, our website, and Facebook page for more information.
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Petitioning and Tabling
LWV of Alachua County is joining LWVFL in supporting the Florida Right to Clean Water campaign, which is a constitutional amendment to clarify our priorities and a civil action to enforce our right to clean and healthy waters, and the Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion campaign, which is a constitutional amendment to establish an explicit right to abortion and ensure that Floridians’ reproductive freedom is codified into law and no longer subject to the whims of extremist politicians and judges. The mission is to take both of these issues to Florida's voters; to educate them, to collect their petitions, and to ensure their voice is heard.
We are petitioning at local events and farmers markets around town. When we have enough volunteers we are also tabling at community events. Tabling includes voter registration assistance (training required) and education activities.
At present, we are scheduling several tabling events for this fall. Watch our emailed calendars, web calendar, and Facebook page as new events are added all of the time. Please contact Voter Services to volunteer.
If you are interested in being added to the contact list for future events or if there is an event you think we should attend, please contact Janice.
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Re-Request Your Vote by Mail Ballot
Please be aware no voter’s Vote by Mail ballot status rolls over into the 2023 and 2024 Election Cycles. The law has changed, and everyone must re-enroll in Vote by Mail every two years. To vote by mail in an election, the request must be in the Supervisor of Elections office no later than 10 days before the election. You can learn more and re-request your Vote by Mail ballot on the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website.
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LWVUS League Updates
To help keep members informed, LWVUS sends a bi-weekly, internal email newsletter, called League Update, to state and local League presidents, as well as other highly engaged League members. The League Update includes important announcements about upcoming trainings and webinars, grant opportunities, messaging resources, stories from Leagues nationwide, and surveys to help LWVUS serve Leagues better. This newsletter is curated for League members specifically and is not intended for public consumption or distribution. If you don't already receive League Update but would like to, you can subscribe here.
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LWV of Alachua County Leadership Team
President: Janice Garry
Vice-President: Gwendolyn Saffo
Secretary: Eileen Roy
Treasurer: Anne D’Amico
A full list of LWV of Alachua County Board Members and Committee Chairs can be found here.
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To avoid missing future LWV of Alachua County email, please add our email address to your Safe Senders List or add the From address ([email protected]) to your Address Book or Contacts. | | | | |
