2026-2027 Branch Leaders

Executive Committee

President

Martha Steele     

President Elect

Martha Steele

Vice President Membership

Debbi Sochia                        

Vice President Programs

Diane Claiborne-Carr           

Secretary

Krystyna Mrozek  

Treasurer

Sharon Parson

Parliamentarian

Suzanne Benson

Standing Committees

Public Policy

Pat Sanford

Scholarships

Jeanette Pierce

Finance/Budget

Sharon Parson

AAUW Funds

Vacant

Appointed Positions

JEDI

Barbara Baruch

Governance

Jeanette Pierce

Membership Outreach

Adrien Frank

Historian

Rachel Skelley

Communications

Malinda Gaul

NOVEMBER LUNCHEON

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN SAN ANTONIO

7 November 2026

11:30 A.M.

SPEAKER

DR. ALISHA SMITH, COLONEL, U.S. AIR FORCE (RETIRED)

OWNER & FOUNDER OF LINC CONSULTING, LLC

 LOCATION

La Fonda Alamo Heights

8633 Crownhill Blvd

San Antonio. TX 78209

RSVP To Ann Marie Rehner

amrehner1@gmail.com  

210-478-8428

Price includes meal, gratuity, sodas, coffee or tea.

Pay no later than 30 October 2026 by Zelle aauwsatx@gmail.com

You may pay by cash or check at the door.

Please bring the correct change

MENUS

Menu A - La Fonda Salad - $25.00

Fresh mixed greens topped with zesty black beans and corn medley, grilled chicken breast and avocado.

Served with your choice of dressing:

Ranch or cilantro lime vinaigrette.

Menu B - Tacos Al Carbon - $25.00

Two fajita chicken tacos, guacamole and pico de gallo.

Served with rice and beans

Menu C - Cheese Enchilada Plate - $25.00

Two cheese enchiladas.

Served with rice and beans

Menu D - Chicken Enchilada Plate - $25.00

Two chicken enchiladas.

Served with rice and beans

Protecting Constitutional Voting Rights:

A Key to Equality – Choosing Our Leaders

Building Tomorrow’s Leaders

Dr Alisha Smith, Colonel. U.S. Air Force (Retired)

The last two years have emphasized how fragile and important selecting our leaders has become. What is our duty as an advocacy group for women in developing leaders for tomorrow, opening doors, building a legacy, or lighting the way for the next generation?

Over the last 28 years, Dr. Alisha Smith, through her various leadership positions, has been involved in building leaders for today and tomorrow.

Dr. Smith is the owner and founder of LINC Consulting, LLC. She was born and raised in San Jose, California. For 28 years she humbly served in the US Air Force as a Hospital Administrator. Her diverse career incorporates all levels of leadership. She has built and led multi-functional teams, values mentorship and thrives on building relations.

Dr. Smith is an avid learner who holds a Doctorate Degree in Health Sciences with a focus in Global Health Studies from A.T. Still University, three Master’s degrees, and she is a Certified Project Management Professional. Plus, she has had the honor of serving in two deployed locations as a Hospital Administrator.



Her greatest joys are being the wife of Bruce and the mother of Kiana.

October Presentation

At a well-attended meeting on October 3, our branch learned that only 9% of eligible voters in San Antonio participated in local elections. “All politics is local” is a very old adage. But in San Antonio, we cannot afford to leave decisions about who will govern to just 9%. Our VP for Programs, Diane Claiborne-Carr invited Drew Galloway, the former Executive Director of MOVE Texas, and Facilitator of the Mayor’s Commission on Voting to speak to us. The Mayor’s Commission presented nine recommendations to increase voter participation across the city. In an interview format, Pat Sanford, our Public Policy Chair, presented Drew with questions she wanted answered. Feedback on this program showed our members were happy to have their specific questions answered.

Pat asked him about carrying out the commission’s recommendations, which can be found at the mayor’s website:

https://www.sa.gov/files/assets/main/v/1/mayor/documents/mayors-commission-on-voting-report-final.pdf 

Please take some time to look these over. You may have the opportunity to help, if you know the goals.

Drew explained that cities that had high voter turnout had an office devoted to civic engagement, with employees who could visit with neighborhood groups and get feedback. They also had a centralized site for voter information, and a large number of polling locations. (Polling locations is a county responsibility, not subject to city initiatives.)

Pat asked Drew “What are some basic actions we can take to increase consistent voter turnout as the percentage of active voters increases, especially for local voting events.” Drew replied that non-partisan groups, working together, can engage potential voters.

He said you can support the commission by 1) encouraging the mayor and your city council member to implement its recommendation of a non-profit roundtable, and 2) by volunteering AAUW’s participation in that roundtable.

December Meeting Note

Our Season of Giving meeting is Saturday, December 5, 2026, at the Baha’i Center located at 735 West Magnolia. We will gather at 11:30 am.

AAUW-San Antonio will continue our annual Christian Assistance Ministry service project but with a slight change this year. Members are asked to donate sanitary products and gently used or new bras for female clients in need. 

In addition, we will hear a presentation from Pam Goble of the San Antonio Assistance League, about their programs that benefit babies through school-aged students. We are asking members to start surveying your closets for women’s clothing suitable for re-sale. Bring the items to our meeting to donate to their well-known, successful Thrift House store located at 2611 West Avenue. 

Look for more information about our Season of Giving in our December newsletter.

Jeanette Pierce

Plan for the Midterm Elections

Election Day is November 3^rd, with early voting running from October 19^th-30^th. Being able to vote is our privilege and right. Being an informed voter is a responsibility we each have. Some media reports would have you believe that voting is unsafe this year, that voting is too difficult, or that your vote doesn’t matter. Don’t believe it! Marie Carew, Bexar County Elections Director, guest speaker at our August 29^th meeting, assured us that measures are in place to ensure that voting will be safe throughout Bexar County.

This election is crucial to the continuation of our democracy. Take action.

• Make a plan to vote.
• Encourage family and friends to vote.
• Vote!

A Goal of AAUW national, state, and our branch is for each of us to increase what we do

this year in order to Get Out The Vote -- GOTV. The following is to support you in obtaining information you may need for yourself and to share with family and friends.

• Check your voter registration. This is a direct link to the AAUW website form.

Be sure your voter registration is up to date. Currently, there are 153,000 voters in Bexar County on the voter suspension list.

• Put first things first. Be an informed voter. Get the election information you need on issues and candidates by using the comprehensive, easy to navigate League of Women Voter’s VOTE 411 at https://www.vote411.org or the Texas Legislature Online at https://capitol.texas.gov

• See what’s on your ballot. A new feature on the Bexar County Elections Department this year enables you to see only the races on your ballot. Click in the box below.



Click Here: Find your ballot by address →See every race.

o  There are six parts on your ballot.

• Statewide offices that lead all of Texas: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, Land Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, Railroad Commissioner
• Statewide courts: The Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals
• Federal offices: One US Senator for all of Texas plus one US Representative for the district where you live
• Texas Legislature by district. This is your voice in Texas: You get to vote for one state senator and one state representative for the district where you live.
• County offices in Bexar County: District Attorney, county judges and commissioners, county courts, and more. Some are countywide and some by precinct.
• Local measures: These are city and school district propositions for where you live. There are no statewide propositions this year.

Making a plan to vote may sound like something you’ve never done before, but having a plan is good practice.

• Decide how you will vote:

o  By mail

• Vote by mail ballots from within the US are due by 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 3^rd, if carrier envelope is not postmarked. If carrier envelope is postmarked, the postmark must show it was mailed by 7:00 pm on election day, and it must be received by 5:00 pm on the fourth day following the election.

o  During early voting

• Early voting is from October 19^th through October 30^th.

o  On Election Day

• Election Day is November 3^rd.
• Choose which polling place you will go to ahead of time whether you are voting early or on Election Day.
• Call family and friends and encourage them to vote in the weeks and days prior to voting.
• Offer transportation to friends and family members if they need assistance in getting to the polls.
• Bonus: The American Medical Association identified voting as a determinant of health in 2023. So, when we encourage people to vote and help enable them to vote, we are contributing to their health as well as encouraging their civic responsibility.

We’ve worked diligently this year to increase actions to GOTV by becoming informed voters, talking to family and friends, posting on social media, sending postcards, attending motivational rallies, sharing our state Roscoe posters that encourage voting, and more. We are doing more than ever before because the stakes are so high. GOTV!

Thank you all for your many actions and contributions to GOTV.

Pat Sanford

AAUW SA Public Policy Chair

AAUW TX Public Policy Committee

Get Out The Vote Recognition for September and October

A major focus in Texas is to Get Out The Vote for the November 3^rd midterm election. Thank you and congratulations to the members listed below for their GOTV actions in September and October! We’ll give these members a shoutout at the November meeting. Please email me with actions you are taking to GOTV. If you send a message to me before our next meeting on November 7^th, I will include you and your actions. I encourage all of you to share what you do because it motivates other to act too! The impressive list below begins with member actions in October.

Member Actions to GOTV

October:

Rachel Skelley          

Wrote postcards, posts on Facebook and Instagram about reminders to vote,

helps friends and family with reminders to vote and locations where they can vote.

Suzanne Benson       

Continues posting on social media about voting.

              Helped Rachel Skelley with questions a friend had about voter registration, made sure a neighbor and her daughter were registered to vote, collected a registration card from Rachel to turn in to the registration office.

Malinda Gaul

Posted AAUW Texas GOTV information on Facebook and Instagram.

Passed out voter information in the neighborhood.            

Diane Claiborne-Carr

Volunteered for a Meet and Greet for candidates running for District Attorney.

Martha Steele            

Volunteered for a Meet and Greet for candidates running for judicial positions.

Peg Seger                  

Volunteered for a Meet and Greet for candidates running for District Attorney.

Pat Sanford              

Volunteered for a Meet and Greet for candidates running for District Attorney.

September:

Malinda Gaul             

Media posts on Facebook and Instagram; sends out Constant Contact emails weekly with Roscoe; attended a candidate meet and greet sponsored by the LWV.

Janet Black               

Displayed Yard Sign (Sept. 4, 2026)

Cheryl Fuller              

Writing postcards to mail on October 14.

Diane Claiborne-Carr  

Working with meeting presenters to ensure programs support getting out the vote; attended a candidate meet and greet sponsored by the LWV.

Martha Steele            

Leading the AAUW SA branch to get out the vote by focusing on it at each branch meeting. Attended a candidate meet and greet sponsored by the LWV.

Suzanne Benson       

Posts Roscoe posters on Facebook. Conducting voter registration events.

Pat Sanford               

Media posts on Facebook, and liked media posts from Malinda, AAUW SA, and on Instagram. Talked with family members about voting, voter registration,

and social determinants of health on Friday, September 11, 2026.

Voter registration at Brennan HS on Sept. 25, 2026.

Ali Heller                    

Verified that out of sate relatives who moved have registered to vote.

Attended a voter forum. Reminded the driver of an Uber car she was in that he needed to register to vote here in San Antonio since he moved here from Dallas.

He said he’d remind his friends too.

Ann Marie Rehner     

Wrote postcards to encourage voters to vote in the November 3^rd election. Encouraged granddaughter who has a new address to register to vote in her new state.

Mynda McGuire         

Updated voter registration to her new address.

Kathy Dicke               

Attends local candidate forums, encourages grandchildren

to register to vote and also to vote.

Debbie Sochia           

Attended a candidate meet and greet sponsored by the LWV.

Arlis Olson                

Attended a candidate meet and greet sponsored by the LWV.

Peg Seger                  

Conducted voting education at community college campuses for community health worker program classes; works closely with the LWV on voter awareness, education, Vote-ER, the connection between public health and voting, and more.

Voter Registration at Brennan HS on Sept. 25, 2026. 

Member Safety Online

Just a quick reminder--it matters that you are safe online. We will never send you an email asking you for help with gift cards, money orders, or banking information. If an email sounds sketchy, please call the member who sent the email to double check that it is not spear phishing (a personalized cyber attack where a scammer sends a tailored message to a specific individual or organization). You can also check to see if an email is valid by moving your cursor over the sender's name (if you use gmail) or double clicking the sender's name to see the email in question. If in doubt, don't send any information out.

Membership Matters! 

YOU Matter!

Do you know a member who is not getting our online newsletters? 

Send them this link and tell them to

Click this link to resubscribe:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/32IYN60

I realized that people who aren’t getting the newsletter may not get this info. If you know of anyone who has mentioned not getting the newsletter would you send them the above link?

Ever considered gifting one of your friends, colleagues or fellow AAUW members the sweetest gift of all? Membership! The nicest gift of all is the gift of membership with a group of women who champion gender equity by funding education for women. Gift someone you know a Membership in AAUW! Know someone with a birthday coming up? Or maybe want to surprise a friend by renewing their membership? Think JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion)!

Renew Your Membership

Dues are $105

How this Breaks Down:

National Dues: $76

AAUW Texas: $13

San Antonio Branch $ 16

Total: $105

WHY: Member dues are an important funding source for AAUW. Costs have increased annually, but AAUW has not raised the amount of dues for many years. Our dues helps fund our work such as:

• Education and Advocacy: Our dues help support AAUW's Public Policy and member advocacy programs which defend higher education and rights for women on campus.

• Member Trainings: Regular virtual member gatherings and training programs which provide education and engagement on relevant topics.

• Member Engagement: such as Archives Corps, Lobby Corps, and national committees, as well as coordinating member advocacy through our 2-minute activist.

• Real-Time Support: members can receive daily assistance through the Connect Team.

You can pay in a variety of ways:

 Online: https://www.aauw.org/ (you will have to have made an account)

With Zelle: Zelle payment: Click the Zelle tab in your bank account.  

Use the email aauwsatx@gmail.com to send money.

In the memo field identify the payment: AAUW

 Or by check: Checks made out to AAUW-SA

Mail to: AAUW SAN ANTONIO

P.O. Box 460825

San Antonio, TX 78246-0825



 Call/text/email Debbi Sochia, Membership Vice-President for assistance.

dsochia@att.net

(210) 218-2675

Help Wanted

We need a few volunteers for the 26/27 term.

• We need one or two people to check out and recommend restaurants (or other locations) for our February, March, April, and May meetings.

• Nominating Committee members - duties are found in our bylaws.

• In March, we need someone to assist our Scholarship Committee Chair, Jeanette Pierce, to follow up with the winners. The winners must respond to our requests regarding attendance at the scholarship luncheon, and other details regarding awarding of the checks. This volunteer is in addition to the volunteers who read and rate the applications.

AAUW San Antonio

Programs

September 2026 - May 2027

Theme: Protecting Constitutional Voting Rights: A Key to Equality

August 29, 2026 - Michele Carew, Bexar County Elections Commissioner - Plans for Voting: First Know the Rules - San Antonio Water System Headquarters, 2800 Highway 281N

October 3, 2026 - Dr. Drew Galloway, Chair, Mayor's Commission on Voting - Plans for Voting: Community Engagement - Scuzzi’s Italian Restaurant, 4035 Loop 1604 W #102

November 7, 2026 - Dr Alisha Smith, Owner and Founder, LINC Consulting, LLC - Building Leaders for Tomorrow - La Fonda Alamo Heights, 8633 Crownhill Blvd

December 5, 2026 - Jeanette Pierce - Season for Giving - Baha’i Center, 735 W Magnolia Avenue

February 6, 2027 - National AAUW Representative - Voting Results: Outlook for Women’s Issue - Location TBD

March 6, 2027 - LWVSA Salute America’s Suffragettes - Location TBD

April 3, 2027 - Jeanette Peirce - Advocating for Women: Scholarship Awards - Location TBD

May 1, 2027 - TBD

AAUW Moviegoers (Let’s All Go to the Movies!)

Moviegoers! We meet on the last Sunday of each month (unless I miscalculate how many days are in each month and then I pinch hit, lol). I send out an email with a list of currently showing movies to vote on and then let everyone know the winning movie and location. Please join us! All are welcome! 

Our next movie is scheduled for Sunday, November 29th!

Call/text/email Debbi Sochia

dsochia@att.net

210-218-2675

Follow AAUW San Antonio on:

Facebook www.facebook.com/aauw.sanantonio

Instagram aauw.sanantonio