100th Anniversary Local League Honorees

LWVMA asked our local Leagues to honor a special person from their League who has made remarkable contributions at the local, state and/or national League levels over the past 100 years. We are pleased to present these change-makers here and look forward to honoring them at our 100th Virtual Birthday Gala on December 13 at 1:00 p.m.  Congratulations to all and thank you for your League leadership!

Mary Ann Ashton, LWV Acton Area

• A natural who leads with a calm and balanced hand, helping those around her to grow and be better at their tasks.
• Committed to helping those less fortunate – serving on various non-profits boards including Acton-Boxborough United Way and Farrington Nature Linc.
• A community resource: chairing and serving on various town, school, and community committees: Finance, School, Search Committees for town leaders, and parent-teacher organizations.
• Co-founded and managed an economic consulting firm with her husband for 30 years
• First to step up and volunteer her help whenever a call goes out, whether it’s in the League or the community. Once she does, she ends up the chair.
• LWVMA leadership including President/co-president 2017-2020, Director and Voter Service chair 2015-2017; Trustee of Lotte E. Scharfman Fund 2015-2019.
• LWVMA Representative to seven-member Special Advisory Commission on Compensation for Constitutional Officers, appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to evaluate and recommend changes to salaries for constitutional officers and legislature 2014.
• Co-chair of LWV Acton Area 2013-2017 and member of the Board/Steering Committee since 2005.

Lucy Wilson Benson, LWV Amherst

• President of the Amherst League , 1957-58 & 1959-1961
• On the LWVMA Board from 1957, President of LWVMA 1961-65
• On the LWVUS Board by 1964, President of LWVUS, 1968-1974. In her last Convention, LWVUS voted to accept men as members; Lucy had the filled-out application form with her on the podium and her husband Bruce Benson became the first man to join
• MA Secretary of Human Resources from 1975, she resigned in 1976 out of protest of cuts in her budget she considered too deep
• Undersecretary of State for Security Assistance, 1977-1980: the highest position a woman had yet reached in U.S. State Dept
• Formed Benson Associates: firm of political and international consultants, after leaving government
• (Representative)Town Meeting Member in Amherst for seventeen years

Bette Pinckney, LWV Arlington

• Member of the League approximately 65 years
• Member of the Arlington Board of Library Trustees for decades
• Drafted statewide legislation for construction of, additions to, improvements to public libraries
• Lobbied legislators every day that the legislature was in session for a number of years to get a version of this legislation passed
• Chaired the Arlington committee that planned and oversaw the addition and much needed upgrades to the Robbins library
• Volunteered at the State League office for many years answering the phone, providing voter information, etc.

Lois Pulliam, LWV Bedford

• Member of local board in about every position except President over 35-40 years
• ERA specialist in the late 1970s
• Active in local program including flood plain zoning bylaw, recycling, apartment zoning, water resources, and Hanscom Field
• Wrote skits and poems to celebrate League events and activities
• Attended most LWVMA events and all Bedford League events by foot, bike, asking for a ride and via Zoom
• Participated in fundraising including calling for LWVMA phonathon
• Epitome of a League leader in spirit and knowledge, and the embodiment of someone who lives the values and ideals of the democratic process

Ila Cooper, LWV Boston

• 60 plus years as an active member
• Former president of LWVB
• Top recruiter of LWVB members over the decades
• Relentless, dedicated, committed member for the mission of the League
• Study Committee Chair for the State League
• Delegate to National Conventions
• Proponent of Ranked Choice Voting before it was a League position
• A woman warrior for social justice

Sara K. Wallace, LWV Brookline

• Chair of LWVBrookline 1955-60, active member until she died age 95, in 2005.
• In 1977 established and endowed the 501(c)(3) Sara K. Wallace Fund for Voter Education that continues to support voter education activities and publications. The Fund also provides an annual Leadership Award to a Brookline High School student demonstrating civic leadership.
• Law degree, 1930; served as Special Counsel raising funds through grants for programs for low income residents, affordable housing, and conservation & open space for the Town of Brookline 1960-2005.
• Founded an affordable housing community development corporation in 1980 that continues today.
• Provided ongoing advice to LWV Brookline on a broad range of issues including housing and open space.

Nan Andrew, LWV Cape Ann

• LWVCA member since 1967.
• She is the height of volunteerism, a bright star at every League meeting
• She has a wealth of institutional knowledge
• Leads LWVCA Constitution Coffee Klatch each month, and always answers, “Why not?” to new member ideas
• “In essence, we would not be the League that we are without Nan Andrew. We are honored to call her our fellow board member and, most especially, friend.”

Florence Seldin, LWV Cape Cod Area

• Florence has been a member of the League for 55 years.
• She served as President of LWVCCA from 1997 – 2000 and President of our Helen S. Aaron Education Trust for the LWVCCA
• Florence served on the LWVMA Board, on the Legislative Action Committee and served on 3 state nominating committees, chairing one of them.
• She served on the LWVMA study committee for the constitution and has been on the planning committee for the 100^th anniversary activities.
• In the community, Florence has been on the Board of Selectman for Chatham, including serving as Chair, and also served on the Finance Committee.
• She has served on multiple community organizations to improve government, housing, the social safety net and the environment.
• For many years Florence has been a masterful moderator for candidate forums and this year she mastered the art of moderating debates via zoom!
• LWVCCA thanks Florence for her continuing leadership and mentorship

Leslie Sears, LWV Central Berkshire County 

• Initiated the creation of the CBC Unit and continued organizing efforts, never losing sight of the goal of becoming a chapter.
• Developed the application for chapter status and shepherded it through the process to completion. It is due to Leslie’s efforts that CBC got it over the finish line.
• Established CBC’s Facebook presence and continues to update the site regularly.
• Has actively supported League positions on voting rights and improving the voting process, e.g., advocating for the passage of Ballot Question 2 – Ranked Choice Voting.
• Has continued to keep diversity, equity and inclusion at the forefront in order to reach new voters, engage new members, and encourage partnerships with other organizations in the community.

Mary Frantz, LWV Chelmsford

• Has headed our Steering Committee for more than a decade
• Has served the Town of Chelmsford as a Town Meeting Representative for 32 years.
• Previously served on School Committee and Finance Committee
• Has had several portfolios at state level, including Education

Nancy Beeuwkes, LWV Concord-Carlisle

• Six years as President or Co-President of the Concord-Carlisle League
• Currently the longest serving member of the LWVCC Board
• Several years as Activities and Events Chair, organizing forums, acquiring speakers of interest, and planning membership get-togethers large and small
• Organized and facilitated LWVCC trips to State and National Conventions, Councils, leadership meetings and Day On The Hill for many years, both as Events Chair and currently
• State Liason for the board
• Intrepid organizer of LWVCC’s annual participation in the League Phonathon
• Informally, Nancy has been a support and mentor to many

Doris Epstein, LWV Falmouth

• Doris is presently 96 years old, a dedicated League member for 60 years and a League Board Member for approximately 50 years. She retired from her position on the Board on June 30, 2020.
• For many years, she served on the Falmouth Human Services Committee. Her innate compassion and formidable intellect benefited those in need and inspired those who served them.
• She was a very effective leader in many League Studies, educating both leaguers and public while enhancing the League’s standing in Falmouth.
• She chaired LWVF Local Study Committee for many years, focusing on evaluating both Town and County governmental effects and influences on the town of Falmouth.
• Doris always encouraged connecting personally with members, e.g. mentoring new members, reaching out to members during covid, reminding people to renew their dues, etc.
• Upon retirement, Doris became an award-winning artist and her dedication and self-effacing leadership as a member of Falmouth Artists Guild helped to create the Falmouth Art Center.
• Doris epitomizes the best traditions of the League through service and action. She inspired so many LWVF members to participate actively in the League and the community.

Berna Haberman, LWV Framingham 

• Berna was a member of the original LWV Framingham and has been great sounding board for the new LWV officers
• Berna shows up every single time we need volunteers
• Berna convinced her husband to be our Treasurer when we could not get anyone to take this on!
• Berna actively promotes the Framingham League on line, and does a lot of outreach to former members to get them to rejoin
• Berna participates in just about every single meeting, event, Zoom discussion we have and is always offering good ideas and suggestions to make us more visible, and more relevant

Catherine Keppler, LWV Franklin County 

• Catherine spearheaded LWVFC youth voter registration initiative, writing and procuring a youth voter registration grant from LWVUS.
• She coordinated with the local high schools and other members of our Voter Services Committee to visit and present to numerous classes right up until the pandemic closed schools in the spring.

Kalister M. Green-Byrd & Roz McKeon (co-founders), LWV of Greater Haverhill

Kalister:

• Co-founder, LWVGH
• Pioneered and Chaired the League’s scholarship program recognizing high school graduates for community and civic engagement activities.
• Co-leader/ organizer of League’s city -wide voter registration /education program when the League first organized.
• Served as a member of the League’s planning/ organizing Suffragette Movement Committee for the 100th anniversary celebration
• Kalister has a long list of volunteer roles/ community service. However, voter education is her top priority because she was raised in the deep South when segregation was the norm.

Roz:

• Co-founder LWVGH
• Membership Chair 2008 – present
• Active with Voter Registration

Audrey Ball, LWV Harvard

• Audrey has been the bulwark of the League of Women Voters in Harvard, the stalwart member who held the League in Harvard together for over 50 years, providing administrative support, leadership, and friendship over both lean and strong years.
• In the “back room” at her house, she collected and maintained the minutes, memorabilia, general records, and odds and ends that remind us of the roles that the LWV played in town over those years…photographs, clippings, newspaper articles, and records that bring to life memories of our action and achievement in Harvard. You can see many of these records because she went to the great effort of sorting them into categories and finding a home for them in the Jeff Harris Room at the Harvard Public Library.
• She is the one to go to for any information on past action, members, League rules and regulations. Over the years as League activity and membership has ebbed and flowed, Audrey has been the constant, the one person who kept the League together.
• She wrote up minutes, scheduled meetings, made sure LWVH had an annual meeting every year. Basically, the Harvard League has survived due to Audrey’s oversight, caring and determination, in her own quiet way.

Eva Marx, LWV Hingham

• Eva became a member of the LWV more than 60 years ago in Kansas City. She has been a member of the Hingham League for 57 years, joining in 1963.
• She has served in multiple leadership positions and has been an active Steering Committee member from 2011 until today.
• Eva has taken an active role in Hingham’s governance serving on the town’s Advisory Committee and Hingham’s Governance Committee, modeling the League’s mission to take an active role in good government.
• Eva’s steady understanding of all things LWV, from consensus process to our League’s history has made her a mentor, collaborator and provided our needed institutional memory.
• She has served on the LWVHingham Charter School Committee (LWVMA) and LWVH Plymouth County Charter Study Committee. Eva also worked with four LWVH members on the research to review three selectboard members versus five selectboard members for the Hingham Governance Committee.

Lotte Scharfman, LWV Lexington

• Born in Austria
• Joined the Lexington League in 1955
• President of Lexington League 1963-1965
• Member State League Board 1965-1969
• President State League 1969-1970, died in office in 1970, aged 42
• Coined the term “Democracy is not a spectator sport”
• Scharfman Fund named after her
• Known for her “flaming red hair”
• Active in the eventually successful campaign to reduce size of legislature from 240-160; did not live to see it pass
• Served as Town Meeting Member in Lexington
• Worked on housing, juvenile justice

Kathy Leondarson, LWV Marblehead

• Kathy embodies the ideals and practices of the League of Women Voters – leading with thoughtful skill and thorough, exhaustive preparation as well as having a manner that is inclusive, modest and generous.
• Kathy writes a detailed and informative monthly newsletter
• She originated and convenes a monthly book club with a detailed write up, often published in the local paper
• She co-originated a monthly current events gathering (Socrates Cafe) open to League members as well as the community
• She created and headed many study groups, most recently one on gun-safety
• She is First Vice-President of LWVMA
• Kathy was Chair of the Marblehead School Committee for three years (2013-2016)  and served on the Town Finance Committee (2006); vice chair (2008-2009)

Deborah Medders, LWV Martha’s Vineyard

• Prior to moving to New England and participation in the local League since 1989, she was involved with League activities in California and her home State, Texas.
• Served as President in the 1990’s – and has been a member of the Committee of the Whole, established in 2011, that serves as the governance body and provides oversight of local League programs.
• Served as Legislative portfolio chair until being elected to public office – she has served as Moderator for the Town of Tisbury since 1999.
• A founding member of the local League’s Scholarship fund in 1995 – an annual award to a graduating high school senior or first year college student pursuing a degree in the area of environmental or political sciences or social justice including women studies.
• Ongoing participation in Voter Registration activities and moderating candidate and local issue forums sponsored by the local League.

Karen Price, LWV Needham

• Karen has served as President of the Needham League since July 1, 2009.
• Karen served on the LWVMA board from 2011-2015 and 2017-2019,
• Karen currently serves as Field Service Rep. for LWVMA.
• Karen has the ability to inspire others and leads so that everyone feels included.
• Karen is knowledgeable about the League at all levels and keeps on top of the issues.
• Karen is dedicated and goes above and beyond in order to do the job thoroughly.
• Karen has vision which she shares so that others are inspired.
• Karen pays attention to detail and gets ideas implemented.
• With minimal additional assistance, Karen keeps the website, www.lwv-needham.org up to date.

Bonnie Carter, LWV Newton

• Bonnie Carter is a second-generation League member – her mother was a member of the League of Women Voters in Montpelier, Vermont. When she moved to Newton in 1971, she immediately joined the League.
• She was soon appointed to the LWVN board and has been on the board ever since. She worked for 17 years at NewTV (Newton’s Public Access Station), retiring in 2008. Bonnie has been President and Co-President of the LWVN, as well as Vice-President, Clerk, Membership chair, Topic Meetings, and Voter Service Committee.
• Bonnie has been a League member for over 50 of the 100 years we are celebrating! Bonnie continues to serve important roles in the League, especially in voter service and membership. Her contributions to Newton go beyond the League as she is on the Newton Conservators Board of Directors and is involved with the All Newton Music School.
• Bonnie is a true League Leader of the caliber that we all should strive to achieve.
• Bonnie has been a Field Service Representative since this state program started in the aughts. She has been a Field Service co-Representative to the Metrowest Region for the past nine years and previously served as sole representative to a region that consisted of some of the South Shore communities.

Margie Riddle, LWV Northampton Area

• Founded Volunteers In Northampton Schools (VINS) as part of our education positions
• Runs our annual Book Sale
• Served on the state’s School Choice study committee
• Serves as secretary of our League
• Increased membership when she was membership chair shortly after she joined the League

Mary Anne Kenney, LWV Norwood

• Achieved Lifetime Member Status in 2019.
• Has been a past president of our local league, voter service chair, and continues to edit and distribute our monthly bulletin.
• Has chaired dozens of state and national study committees for our league.
• Organizes our yearly gift-wrapping fundraiser with Barnes and Noble (sadly not happening this year)
• Organizes news articles from the local press throughout the year and helps write the most thorough municipal candidates’ night questions we have.
• Our League’s “memory”

Mary LeSueur, LWV Plymouth Area

• Mary has served as President for multiple terms over the years and continues to serve as a valued member of the Board of Directors.
• At the time of Mary’s retirement as president, our League nominated her into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY, where her contributions are noted along with other outstanding women who have been honored by their communities.
• Mary embodies the LWV culture. She is warm, welcoming, intelligent, insightful, savvy, and direct when she needs to be.
• She has inspired many younger members to join the LWV to further the League’s vision of a meaningful future for democracy.
•  She has extensive knowledge of the community as a whole. Mary is a LWV historian.
• Mary encourages and empowers others.
• (From a former President) “I believe that she was the spark plug and energy for the league for many years. She hosted so many meetings and drove the projects on so many fronts.”
• Mary has hosted our local Legislator’s Night for many years, soliciting, editing and generating the questions they are asked.
• A long-time leader on sustainability issues, she is currently working on water quality.

Joyce Greer, LWV Salem 

• Joyce contributed a tremendous number of volunteer hours working to ensure a safe and equitable election
• She established a relationship with our state Senator’s office and educated the members of our League and the public about changes to the MA elections laws
• She works in a care facility for the elderly and we feel ALL our members in health care should be acknowledged for their commitment to people during this time of COVID
• She has been an enthusiastic contributor to the steering committee and the Voter Services and Civic Engagement working group since we were established

Ruth Hunt, LWV Sharon-Stoughton

• Dedicated member for over 50 years
• Our League’s President for probably 15 years when everyone got busy with work, she held it together
• She is nearly 85 years old, living in assisted living but still a virtual active LWVSS member
• LWVSS owes its existence (when other league’s in our area folded) to Ruth being willing to receive League mail, hold files and to making sure a few members met a few times a year and actually did “something useful.” LWVSS is revitalized now, new members joining, amazing activities and renewed involvement and this is all due to Ruth’s steadfast insistence.

Gillian Hinkson and Zaida Govan, LWV Springfield Unit

• Gillian and Zaida jumped in and stepped forward to keep the Springfield Unit viable.
• They are well know in their communities and are community organizers
• They LOVE their city
• They are principled 
• They are warm, gracious and welcoming
• They work hard in Springfield to “get out the vote”.  Springfield has very low voter turnout.
• They are committed to keeping the League name alive in Springfield and support our mission
• They have organized debates in Springfield and they ran them very well.
• Gillian was instrumental in getting a venue in downtown Springfield for our “She shapes history” exhibit.
   

Nancy Brumback, LWV Sudbury

• Nancy joined LWV of Sudbury back in 2002. She jumped right in and started working on her passion, voter service. She has organized or assisted with every candidates’ forum in the last 18 years.
• At the same time Nancy has also served as Co-President and mentored new recruits as our unofficial “Shadow President.”
• But that wasn’t enough. To cement the League of Women Voters as her full time volunteer employment, Nancy served on the LWVMA Board for 8 years and served as Chair for Program and Action and Chair of the Legislative Action Committee.
• A week before the Nov. 2020 election, the town of Sudbury announced the closure of the two 24/7 ballot drop boxes and very, restricted access to the only box remaining. Nancy and the Voter Service co-chairs worked out a compromise with the Town Manager that resulted in the return of a 24/7 box at the library and a 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. box available at the Town Hall by the end of the next day. 

Enid Thuermer, LWV Topsfield-Boxford-Middleton

• Widely loved for her dry wit, wisdom and considerable political acumen
• Passed away in February 2020 in her ninety-ninth year. She rejoiced that she lived to see the hundredth anniversary of womens right to vote and the formation of the League.
• Met Eleanor Roosevelt twice and worked in Adelai Stevenson’s administration when he was governor of Illinois which might have piqued her love of local and state politics.
• She served as Co-President and was an active member for over 50 years of her local Topsfield-Boxford-Middleton League and was Vice President of the LWVMA board championing voters rights and fighting voter suppression.

Sema Faigen, LWV Wayland

• Sema Faigen served as president of the LWV Wayland from 1963 to1965.
• She often served as parliamentarian at the state level and locally as well as a sound advisor.
• She went on to serve as state president of AAUW.
• Sema was a member of our League Coordinating Committee for many years.
• She was a member and chair of the Wayland School Committee for a number of terms, a member and chair of the Finance Committee, and a member and chair of the Personnel Board.

Erica Johnson, LWV Wellesley

• After retiring from her position as a physician in internal medicine, Erry took up the newly created position as chair of Voter Services. She brought to it a kind of dedication, energy and organization which expanded and reinvigorated LWVW in lasting ways.
• Erry began with voter registration efforts, particularly at the high school and senior living establishments. When she learned of LWV efforts to register newly sworn-in U.S. citizens at the Naturalization Center in Lowell, Erry organized groups of LWV Wellesley members–and non-members — to assist. All who went found the experience inspiring as well as an enjoyable opportunity to meet and work with other League members; brought their energy back to our league, becoming motivated, active members of the league.
• Erry  revised and updated LWVW publications such as “A Candidate’s Guide to Running for Public Office” and our “Guide to Wellesley Town Government,” both of which involved bringing many different people together to be sure the publications were accurate and informative.
• Erry has been instrumental this year in organizing and publicizing candidate forums, jumping into the necessity of conducting them virtually with her characteristic thoroughness and organization.

Laura Dickey, LWV Westford

• As a new member in 2006, Laura jumped in as secretary and has since been involved in every aspect of the League’s operations and mission, from recruiting sponsors to organizing mock elections in the schools to gathering petition signatures for state referenda.
• She has led the League for nine years: five as president and the last four years as the Steering Committee’s spokesperson.
• She’s been the face and voice of the League, expressing League positions at Town Meeting and in letters to the editor, moderating Town Meeting Previews, and welcoming attendees to League events.
• She brought LWVW into the 21st century, transitioning a printed monthly bulletin to an emailed eBulletin, creating and continually improving the website, and establishing a shared League Google Docs site.
• She converted the Westford League’s slide/tape town history, “Westford: A Sense of Community,” first to a DVD, then made it available online.
• She helped organize and run innumerable League membership and visibility events, from a bread-baking class to consensus meetings for state studies to holiday dinners and League anniversary celebrations.

Katty Chace, LWV Weston 

• Katty has been President of the Weston chapter of the LWV for the past 10 years, and for at least one other term before that.  In this capacity she has taken an active part in organizing and implementing all League-related activities and studies in Weston and liaising with other town Leagues.
• She was the main force behind Weston’s participation in the Civics Bee for several years.
• She has organized frequent Coffee Hours and forums in Weston to present and discuss local and national issues of interest to the public.
• She has contributed countless articles on various topics of interest to the Weston LWV monthly Bulletin and had an active hand in determining its content and perspective.
• She has taken an active interest in state legislative issues and been the Weston League’s contact with state lawmakers and public servants.
• She has attended countless meetings and conferences locally and outside of Weston and communicated their findings and procedures to League members and interested members of the public. 

Marcia Hirshberg, LWV Westwood Walpole Dedham 

• Marcia has been a member of the LWV for 48 years, serving as President of her local League in Illinois before moving to Massachusetts.
• She has served on the Board and as President of the WWD League, and for the Westwood League before the merger.
• She has been Board member, Vice-President and President of the LWVMA, and served as a national coach, coaching various state Leagues.
• Her services to the Town of Westwood include Finance Committee member and Selectwoman, demonstrating her commitment to government transparency, accountability and responsibility. Also included: Service as chair of local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
• She has maintained a dedication to caring and compassion by fostering our local League’s support of organizations such as EVA and DOVE,
  and by serving as a Big Sister.

Anne Skinner, LWV Williamstown

• League Service: first joined the League in 1967; has been a member for the following 53 years, save 4 years when she was living abroad
• Has served as President since 2006; previously in 1975-76
• Has served as an officer or Board member many times, with particular interest in leading study groups
• Has represented Williamstown 3 times as a delegate to State Conventions, and once to National Conventions
• Has spearheaded voter service and public access television programming, for key Town events, including Candidate’s Nights, Town Warrant Reviews, and discussions of changes to local town and school governance
• Civic Service: Served on the Board of Selectmen from 1990 to 2002, and as chairman three times: 1993-4; 1995-6; and 1999-2000
• Served on the town Finance Committee from 1984 to 1990.
• Has been a member of the Williamstown Rotary Club since 1995, and is currently serving as President for the third time
• In recognition of her contributions to the town and its people, in 2002 she was awarded the Scarborough Medal, our highest civic honor

Judie Muggia, LWV Winchester 

• Mentored LWVW President through a tumultuous time by working with a skeptical LWVMA to change our governance to a new shared leadership model; Winchester’s Steering Committee approach has since been adopted by other Massachusetts Leagues;
• After the horrors of 9/11, introduced an annual event called Moveable Feast where we recognize all Town workers and unsung heroes by treating them to a celebratory lunch;
• Paved the way for women running for local office by (1) becoming the first woman Board of Selectman Chair (now Select Board) from 1985 to 1991 and (2) convened panels of women who had run for office to encourage and help others take that step;
• Served on too many committees and good causes to count, including LWVMA, Winter Pond Conservation founder,  Town of Winchester’s Finance Committee and Winchester Hospital newsletter editor.

Ginger Navickas, LWV Worcester Area 

• Founded the tradition of LWV-Worcester Area holding 9 monthly, open-to-the-community forums on priority issues;
• Has led the effort to collaborate with other community organizations, broadening the visibility and reach of LWV-Worcester Area;
• Attended 2018 National Convention in Chicago as well as regional and state meetings, representing LWV-Worcester Area;
• Recruits and mentors new board members and general membership;
• Chairs program committee and serves on the chapter’s Executive Committee;
• Is highly regarded in the greater Worcester community for her career in advocating for victims of domestic violence and for her volunteer work to advance gender equality.