March/April 2026

We would like to thank all of you for recognizing us with the beautiful, framed Certificates of Appreciation and the lovely orchid plants with their many blossoms. They will brighten our homes for a long time to come.

As our two-year tenure as Co-Presidents draws to a close, we want to express what a privilege it has been to serve such an outstanding organization and inspiring group of women. Your accomplishments have enriched the education and expanded the opportunities of so many young people in our community.

The responsibilities of the Co-Presidents include guiding the day-to-day operations of Board and Branch meetings, facilitating communication, and ensuring that our goals remain aligned with our commitments to our members, as well as to Florida and National AAUW.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our Branch Board; each member has fulfilled their role with exceptional skill, dedication, and professionalism. Our Co-Vice Presidents enriched our Branch meetings by securing engaging, thought-provoking speakers and organizing enjoyable Tours and Talks. Our Finance Director and Treasurer have maintained our financial records with accuracy and diligence, ensuring our continued fiscal stability.

Our Membership Director and past Co-Directors have warmly welcomed new members and thoughtfully ensured that refreshments were available at each Branch meeting. Our Communications Director and Newsletter Editor have been consistently reliable in producing a timely and well-crafted newsletter. We are especially grateful for the guidance of our Director of Bylaws and Policies, whose careful oversight has helped keep us aligned with our governing standards.

Our Public Policy Committee and Education Ambassadors have kept us well informed through their instructive “orange sheet” at each meeting, their dedicated attendance at School Board and County Commission meetings, their published newspaper op-eds, and their ongoing updates on legislative and policy developments.

We are also deeply appreciative of our Past President, whose guidance and support have been invaluable—particularly in revising our Bylaws and Strategic Plan and for her committee in identifying outstanding candidates for open positions.

We could not have functioned as effectively without the commitment, expertise, and collaborative spirit of each and every one of you.

We also want to highlight the success of our Foundation. During our two-year tenure, the Foundation has supported 34 scholarships of $2,000, provided 600 science kits to fifth-grade girls, donated thousands of books to elementary school children, and offered career guidance to college students. The number of volunteer hours contributed by our branch members to make these initiatives impactful is truly remarkable.

Finally, to our membership: you are an extraordinary group dedicated to the education of women, to advance leadership roles in the STEM areas and the core values of AAUW. Your support makes all of our work possible. We hope we have provided information, inspiration, and a strong sense of purpose during our time together, and we thank you for your continued commitment to our mission.



Serving as Co-Presidents has been a fulfilling and memorable journey. Leadership is not a burden—it is a privilege. Thank you for entrusting us with this opportunity.

Best regards,

Sylvia Natale and Lucy Williams

Co-Presidents

The next meeting of the Non-Fiction Book Club will be held on April 27, at 2:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the North Collier County Government Center, 2335 Orange Blossom Drive. The April book selection is No Place for Us:

Working and Homeless in America by William Goldstone.

We welcome new members. If you desire further information, contact the Non-Fiction Book Club Coordinator Karen Clegg at

913-488-7707 or clegg115@gmail.com.

Revised AAUW GNB 2025-2026 Directory

The Revised GNB Directory can be found on the branch website, under Members-Only. The information in the directory is for the use of branch members only in connection with the activities of the branch; it shall not be used for personal gain or made available for political, commercial, or solicitation purposes.

Tax Deductions

Reminders:

AAUW National dues are tax deductible.

AAUW Florida Tech Trek donations are tax deductible.

AAUW National donations are tax deductible.

The Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc. donations are tax deductible. 

The Great Decisions group will meet on Monday, April 6, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. at the North Collier Government Center’s community room, 2335 Orange Blossom Drive, to discuss U.S.

foreign policy.

This month we’re discussing our current relations with China. Come learn along with us and join our discussion!

If you are interested in learning more about the group, please contact Carol Light.

Reading Is Fun

Volunteers are needed for Reading Is Fun. We will hold book distributions at two elementary schools in May— May 1 and May 28. You may “work” during the morning or afternoon session.

If you want to spend time with excited children selecting books chosen by the media specialist (which AAUW funds), contact Reading Is Fun Coordinator Judy Blackburn at 732-801-7913.

C and C

There will be an AAUW-CC (Cocktails and Conversation)

Wednesday, April 8th 2026 @ 4:30 PM

Lujacks - 7935 Airport Road, Suite 20 in North Naples



Thank you

Susan Becker

Public Policy

AAUW Greater Naples Branch Public Policy Committee Searches for Co-Chair

Public policy is one of the foundations of AAUW’S Mission. Every two years national AAUW adopts a set of public policy principles which state organizations, local branches and individual members support by taking action. Generally, actions include speaking out on pending legislation, educating members about current issues and communicating with other groups to develop action plans. In the Greater Naples AAAUW branch this work has been the responsibility of the Public Policy Committee. For many years the committee has been led by Co chairs who divided responsibilities between themselves. We are seeking a volunteer to serve as second co-chair for the upcoming year

The Co-chairs for Public Policy share these responsibilities:

1. Chair a non-partisan public policy committee and recruit committee members to develop a branch public policy program consistent with the AAUW Mission, using the AAUW Public Policy Priorities as a guide. (The annual legislative and social action issues for branch action must be approved by the Board.)
2. Advocate for AAUW priorities to policy makers, elected and appointed officials, AAUW members, and, if requested to do so by the President, to the public and the media.
3. Maintain regular contact with the AAUW Florida Public Policy chair to keep the branch members informed and to share successful branch strategies with state leaders.
4. Provide current information on national, state, and local legislative/social action issues through regular reports at board and branch meetings, in the branch newsletter, and in orange sheet handouts and updates for Branch meetings.
5. Assist in planning special events that are sponsored by the Public Policy committee, such as providing tables with information at the Martin Luther King Day celebration and other demonstrations. Another shared responsibility is developing and publicizing special panels and symposia like the upcoming one in February on Women and healthcare which requires planning and organization.
6. Help coordinate visits to local officials and legislators both in Tallahassee and when they are home in the Spring.
7. Lead Branch activities coordinating responses to pending local issues, state or federal legislation through shared activities like writing postcards, making telephone calls, making email contacts, writing letters to the Editor, and voter education and turnout campaigns.

If you are interested in learning more about this Co-Chair position, please contact Barbara Richardson (brichards1000@gmailcom) 734-485-5425

or Denny McGuire (jmcguire11@comcast.net

From our Education Ambassadors…

A school board response to a lawsuit, that seeks to have CCPS release every parent email address, is on track to go to trial in March. EA will continue to support the fight against this invasion of parental privacy and trust. 

Your reps on EA steering committee announced at the February chapter meeting that we are supporting Florida SB318. At the time of this writing, we are advocating for a House companion bill, so that this can go before the legislature for a vote. The bill seeks to reform the voucher system to make it more accountable and efficient.

Currently we are also keeping tabs on SB424/HB6023 that remove provisions that require Schools of Hope to co-locate in public school facilities at no cost. This may not be a threat to any Collier County public schools at this time, but we support this legislation.

Also on our radar: laws that require teacher oaths, book bans, and other proposals that limit local control of our school system. DO let Nancy Dick or Nancy Chism know if you want more detail on these bills, our actions, or wish to get involved as a member-on-call. As we have had to call members to show up to meetings on short notice, not everyone can make it—so we love having a “deep bench”!