The Voter

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President's Message

Is there a role for you?

Essential positions are listed in bold.

Board positions

PRESIDENT (consider co-presidents)

The president supports committees, provides administrative tasks in keeping with the LWVFL and LWVUS, responds to public inquiries, speaks on the League's behalf at selected events, provides a monthly President’s Message for the Voter, collaborates with the treasurer to assure that the annual budget is followed, ensures that League bylaws and policies are followed, presides over board meetings, guards the League's nonpartisan stance, collaborates with the Hospitality Chair to plan annual functions and other programs. This year the president will provide guidance as the Transformation Plan continues to roll out. Each president has flexibility in setting priorities based on their time and interests.

COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR (consider a team, each person doing a specific task)

The Communications Chair maintains the League website and social media (now Facebook and soon, Instagram), including frequent updates of information on current events in collaboration with the president and committee chairs, uses graphic design to create event flyers and handouts, compiles the monthly Voter email newsletter, tracks dates of events for the monthly calendar, and guards the League's nonpartisan stance. 

VOTER SERVICES COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR

Dillon Boatner is the VS Chair. However, this role is best shared by two people. The VS Committee is the heartbeat of the League's mission. Informing voters through tabling, League at the Library events, registering voters and participating in forums and other election-year events is the essence of the League.

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE CHAIR (or co-chairs)

For decades, the LWV has advocated for environmental stewardship and sustainable energy. The NR Committee has been highly effective on local issues. NR played a part in hiring the first Climate Officer, creating a dashboard to track sustainability efforts, grants awarded to Gainesville and Alachua County for electric vehicle infrastructure and leading the Right to Clean Water petition drive. Future opportunities include supporting Alachua County’s Climate Plan and Gainesville’s sustainability and resilience efforts as climate and weather patterns change.

Non-Board Positions

TECHNICAL CHAIR

The Tech Chair maintains the League’s online presence in coordination with LWVAC Treasurer and Communications Chair. The League uses Google apps, including Gmail, Drive, YouTube and Google Voice. We have a social media presence through Facebook and the League website, along with public communication platforms including Constant Contact, Canva, Eventbrite, Zoom, PayPal and Sign-Up Genius that are maintained by the Tech Chair. The League also has laptops and a hot spot that occasionally need support. 

ROSTER MANAGER

This role requires a comfort level with online systems, but most importantly, attention to detail. The Roster Manager is responsible for updating the membership list when individuals pay by personal check and other roster-related tasks. It is a key role for our chapter, but mostly behind the scenes. Carole Fernandez has been the backup Roster Manager for years and will continue in that role.

HOSPITALITY CHAIR

There are three annual League events: The Fall Luncheon, the Holiday Party and the Annual Meeting. Arrangements include obtaining pricing from several venues for the site and meal, making table decorations, ensuring the venue has a microphone and tech for presentations. 

Volunteers in action

League of Women Voters of Alachua County members have been everywhere in the past few months, spreading the League's nonpartisan message about the importance of voting. Some of the events included tabling, attending a meeting with Rep. Yvonne Hinson and Moms Demand Action, and more.

Candidate forums for Alachua and Newberry

LWVAC is hosting candidate forums for the first time in local municipal elections. 

Dillon Boatner, Voter Services chair, said pulling the events together in a short time was challenging, but "we are excited to host forums for these elections to give candidates a setting to explain their positions on local issues, together."

Alachua

The Alachua candidate forum will be held Sunday, March 23 at 2 p.m. in the Hathcock Community Center, 15818 NW 140th St., Alachua. 

The following candidates have been invited:

Candidates for Seat 1 (Mayor)

Gib Coerper

Walter Welch

Candidates for Seat 2

Jacob Fletcher

Edward Potts

Learn more

Newberry

The Newberry candidate forum will be held Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m. in the Newberry Municipal Building located at 25420 W Newberry Road.

The following candidates have been invited:

Candidates for Mayor

Joy Glanzer

Tim Marden

Candidates for Group IV

Donald Lewis Long

Steve Panaghi

Candidate for Group V

Rosa Marie Campbell

Tony Mazon

Membership database work continues

Migration to new system still in progress



The LWVUS migration to the new membership database that began in early February continues. The rollout has been slowed to occur in stages, starting with board members and smaller Leagues before moving to the larger Leagues. Please be patient through the transition.

All members will eventually receive an email to log in for the first time to “claim your membership.” This just means that you will log in and update your membership information. It's important that you log in to ensure we have the most up-to-date information, as well as help the League more broadly understand who we are as an organization.

We hope these changes will make managing your membership easier. On a League level, the change is expected to boost our national membership and bolster our ability to empower voters and defend democracy.

Find answers to FAQs here. Learn more from LWVUS here.

Time to ask to Vote by Mail

Did you know all Florida voters who want to vote by mail in 2025 and 2026 must submit a new vote-by-mail ballot request to their county Supervisor of Elections?

You must renew your request every two years.

Renew now: VoteAlachua.gov/Voters/Vote-by-Mail

Do you need a speaker?

LWVAC has a speakers bureau

Are you interested in keeping LWVAC top of mind even when it's not an election year? Then please consider joining the Speakers Bureau Committee. Our small-but-mighty group enjoys making presentations, but we also need help from those who would prefer not to do the public speaking. Contact Candy Birch if you would like to talk through how you can contribute. We would love the help of Spanish speakers as well.

Request a speaker

If you need a speaker, contact Candy. Here are topics we cover:

• Building resilience to mis/disInformation
• Gun violence prevention in Alachua County
• Medicaid expansion in Florida
• Restoring voting rights to felons
• Civics/civility/critical thinking 

Committee updates

Campus Outreach

Santa Fe College

Linda Mussillo, LWVSF liaison/adviser

Gianna Rivera, LWVSF chapter president

Follow us on Instagram

After attending Lobby Days March 11-12, this March, our group is primed for our "What You Can Do" campaign launching later this month and into April, educating students about current League priorities and issues they can contact legislators about. The club also hosted the LWV SF Zoo day on March 7, inviting students to stroll the campus' unique zoo and learn about the campus LWV chapter.

University of Florida

Diana Boxer, LWVUF liaison/adviser

Stefanie Gadalean, LWVUF chapter president

Follow us on Instagram 

It's been a busy spring semester thus far. Contact us to get involved!

Gun Violence Prevention and Safety

Contact: Gwendolyn Saffo

The committee meets on Zoom the third Tuesday each month at 6:30 p.m. 

Meeting ID: 874 0958 3526

Passcode: 962879

Did you know? Under Florida law, anyone who keeps a loaded firearm and knows that a minor could access it, must keep the firearm in a securely locked box, container or someplace a reasonable person would find it secure, or they must secure it with a trigger lock, unless the person is carrying the firearm.

Health Care

Contacts: Barbara Frentzen and Kim Walsh-Childers

The Health Care Committee hosted Alex Monaco, M.D., from the University of Florida’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at its March 10 meeting.

Dr. Monaco gave an excellent presentation on the current state of women’s health care in North Central Florida and discussed many related topics, including the rules and regulations under which OB-Gyn physicians now practice, what young women are doing to monitor the possibility of pregnancy, and how the ban in Florida has affected medical resident recruitment.

Oak Hammock

Contacts: Mary White

As of press time, plans were still being made for this month's Oak Hammock meeting. The May speaker has been booked, however, and the popular Dr. Alex Monaco, a UF Health clinical assistant professor and OB-Gyn, will speak about women's health.

Voter Services

Contact: Dillon Boatner

The Voter Services committee meets the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Join us on Zoom.

Comments, Questions, Feedback? Contact the editors, Connie Nicklin and Mickie Anderson

LWV of Alachua County Leadership Team

President: Janice Garry

Vice President: Gwendolyn Saffo

Secretary: Diane Dimperio

Treasurer: Anne D’Amico

A full list of LWV of Alachua County Board Members and Committee Chairs can be found here.

To avoid missing future LWV of Alachua County email, please add our email address to your safe senders list or add the "from" address (communications@lwvac.ccsend.com) to your address book or contacts.