The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, a non-profit, non-partisan civic organization, seeks a dynamic, experienced Executive Director to help lead it into its second century empowering voters and defending democracy.

Since its founding in 1920, LWVMA has been a respected and trusted voice for citizen participation in our democracy.  With 46 local Leagues throughout the state, LVWMA has been at the forefront of efforts to empower and educate Massachusetts voters and effect change on a wide range of issues. The League of Women Voters is a three-tiered membership organization that operates at the national, state, and local levels. Membership in the League is open to men and women of all ages.

Summary Job Description

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is the key management leader of LWVMA, serving as the public face of the League with the President/Co-Presidents.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Overseeing the operations, finances, and programs of two interlocking 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) organizations
• Leading fundraising efforts including major donor solicitation, corporate donor gifts, and grants
• Developing and executing a plan to communicate the League’s mission and priorities to a variety of constituencies
• Promoting relationships and collaborations with other non-profit, business, government and civic groups
• Working in collaboration with the Board of Directors, statewide Committees, and local Leagues
• Representing LWVMA at the national level
• Supporting legislative advocacy
• Executing educational forums and events
• Growing and diversifying LWVMA’s membership
• Managing a small staff in Boston

Skills/Qualifications

• Commitment to the League’s mission
• Strong oral, writing, organizational and interpersonal skills
• Ability to establish positive working relationships with staff, board, volunteers, donors, media, and community leaders
• Experience fundraising from major donors, corporations and foundations
• Experience with budget oversight, audit preparation and review
• Experience in event planning and management
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, Quickbooks, database and website management
• Experience in the non-profit sector
• Prior work with volunteers
• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree a plus

The position is full time.

Salary: Compensation commensurate with experience; health benefits and paid time off

Interested candidates should provide a cover letter and resume to HumanResources@lwvma.org.

Mary Ann Ashton of Acton and Judy Zaunbrecher of Concord begin terms as co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA) July 1.  Ashton and Zaunbrecher were elected, along with other LWVMA board officers and directors, at the biennial LWVMA Convention in Westford June 7 and 8.

The other Massachusetts League officers and their local Leagues are Kathy Leonardson, Marblehead, first vice president; Lee Bona, Worcester, second vice president; Cindy Ku, Sudbury, secretary; and Andrea Kozinetz, Newton, treasurer.

Elected as LWVMA directors are Kate Boland, Hingham; Nancy Brumback, Sudbury; Elizabeth Foster-Nolan, Weymouth; Hartell Johnson, Haverhill; Jennifer Muroff, Needham; Tanya Roy, Wellesley; and Amy Smith, Georgetown.

During Convention, League members from around the state learned about election technology from a panel of experts; were inspired by League of Women Voters national CEO Virginia Kase and keynote speaker environmentalist Bill McKibben; heard from a panel of recently-elected women legislators about life on Beacon Hill; and listened to Professor Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham of Harvard describe the role of black women in the suffrage movement.

The delegates approved a resolution identifying climate change as a “climate emergency,” and adopted positions on the state’s ballot question process and on immigration in Massachusetts.

The biennial Convention is the League’s opportunity to elect officers, approve a budget, and decide  action priorities.

The Massachusetts League will focus on legislation and action over the coming two years concentrating on improving elections, informing voters and promoting civics education,  strengthening government operations, climate change and the environment, and equality and justice.

The Massachusetts League and the national League celebrate their 100^th anniversaries in 2020, along with the centennial of the passage of the 19^th Amendment giving women the right to vote.

LWVMA includes 47 local Leagues across the state. The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts is a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government and works to increase understanding of major public policy issues.

Additional information is available at www.lwvma.org.

LWVMA and our partners in the Election Modernization Coalition have targeted Election Day Registration (EDR) as the next reform in the state’s voting laws, following successful passage of Automatic Voter Registration in the last session of the legislature.

Election Day Registration is a proven, common sense reform already in place in 21 states.  It allows people who miss the 20-day deadline to register before elections to register and vote. And importantly, it allows registered voters who arrive at the polls to find there’s an error in their registration to fix that error and vote.

We have been busy on Beacon Hill to pass EDR. On May 15, the EMC hosted a briefing for legislators featuring Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin and Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap.  Maine has used EDR for over 40 years. On June 5, we hosted a Lobby Day. Most recently, on June 20, Legislative Director Nancy Brumback testified before the Joint Committee on Election Laws in support of EDR along with other members of the coalition.  

You can read the press release from the coalition on the committee hearing here.

LWVMA joined its partners in the ROE Act Coalition as part of a marathon hearing at the State House June 17 on H.3320/S.1209 An Act to remove obstacles and expand abortion access, commonly known as the ROE Act.  Supporters of abortion rights, many in bright pink shirts, packed Gardner Auditorium and overflowed into the Great Hall and into other hearing rooms in the State House.

The Joint Committee on the Judiciary began hearing testimony on this bill at 3 p.m.  And the testimony kept coming from both sides of the issue. Tracy Brown, LWVMA’s legislative specialist on women’s issues, finally got her turn to testify at 8:20 p.m.!  

Along with Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and other defenders of reproductive rights, LWVMA continues to support this bill and urges League members and other advocates to contact state legislators to counteract the inaccurate and incendiary message from the opponents of abortion.

The ROE Act would remove the requirement that minors have either parental or judicial consent for an abortion; would add a diagnosis of a fatal fetal anomaly as a reason for an abortion after 24 weeks, and would establish safety-net coverage for abortion for people excluded from MassHealth.  Such coverage already exists for all other pregnancy-related care.

The board of directors of the national League of Women Voters has officially recognized Framingham as a local League, the final step in the process.  The Massachusetts state League recognized Framingham in February.

We salute Stephanie Deeley, president, Mary Kate Feeney, vice president, and their team for their work creating our newest League.  The Framingham League has held candidates’ nights and public forums as Framingham made the transition from a town to a city, and it produces a cable television program, Informed Framingham.

LWVMA includes 47 local Leagues and units across Massachusetts.