April 2025
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| | President's Message
from
Emily Bridson | | | Greater Tucson League Members,
On March 7th, we gathered for our annual Issues & Eggs fundraiser. Thank you to the committee who spent tireless hours preparing a fantastic day for the community to come together. We had a lively panel who discussed domestic violence and its link to women becoming unhoused. We also awarded several women Shero awards for their contributions to our community. The event raised almost $15,000 which will support our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. Nice job all!
Up Next
1) Our annual business meeting will be held on Friday, April 25th, beginning at 10:00am at Pima Community College’s Desert Vista campus. What happens during our meeting? We elect new Board members, approve our budget for the coming year, update our bylaws, recognize League members for their contributions, and discuss our positions on issues. By attending, you can meet new friends and have a say in how the LWVGT is run. Every member is invited to participate. This is a members-only meeting: you will need to login to the website and register HERE.
We have lined up an inspiring keynote speaker, Dr. Delores Durán-Cerda, who will join us to share her insights as a leader in higher education. She serves as Vice Chancellor for Student Excellence and Community Engagement at Pima Community College.
2) Please mark your calendars for the upcoming state convention on May 17-18 in Phoenix. These meetings will give you a broader understanding of state initiatives and priorities, and you will have the opportunity to meet more League friends who are just as passionate as you are. More details will be available in the coming days. Registration will open April 1. Register HERE.
Don’t Forget
You should have received a letter in the past few weeks asking for your support by giving a gift to the Greater Tucson League. Please consider a gift today to ensure that we can continue to offer the quality programs, training sessions, and educational events that we are so fortunate to be able to attend. I thank you in advance for investing in our efforts. We need the community's support now more than ever to continue this critical work. If you would like to give online, you can do so HERE.
Let’s lean into kindness, hope, and action today.
Thank you,
Emily Bridson
LWVGT President
President@lwvtucson.com | | President-Elect's Message
from
Betsy Boggia | | | It is hard to believe my year as President-Elect is coming to a close. I want to thank our outgoing President Emily Bridson for her leadership and mentorship this past year. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow into the role of President with her support, and I am excited for the year ahead.
Like Emily, I encourage members to attend our Annual Meeting on April 25th, where we will set our priorities for the year. It is an opportunity not only to learn more about the LWVGT, but to better understand the many ways our members can engage in our important work. From a few hours a month, to more intensive leadership roles, there is much for us to do together to strengthen and protect our democracy. I encourage all who can to join us.
Where: Pima Community College - Desert Vista Campus-Rm F123
5901 S Calle Santa Cruz
Tucson, AZ 85709
10:30am-1:00pm
Betsy Boggia
|
Issues & Eggs Breakfast Forum
Friday, March 7th 2025
"Safe Lives, Safe Homes:
Examining the Connection between Domestic Violence and Housing"
Watch the recording on YouTube HERE.
| On behalf of the Issues & Eggs Committee,
Thank you to the LWVGT members who donated items to the raffle and the silent auction, and to those of you who sponsored member tables. Final numbers are still being determined, but it appears we will net close to $14,000 from this year's event. In addition, the reviews and feedback we have received have been very positive!
The committee greatly appreciates all the ways membership supported this important event for the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson.
We can't wait for next year.
Sincerely,
Cheri Sprenger, Chair
| Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
March 12, 2025 | The DEI Committee welcomed Chelsea Curtis.
Chelsea Curtis is a reporter at Arizona Luminaria, where she focuses on uncovering data and stories about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) in Arizona. She recently launched a first-of-its-kind MMIP database with support from the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Fund for Indigenous Journalists and the Data-Driven Reporting Project. Chelsea is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and has worked as a journalist across Arizona for almost a decade.
Read Chelsea's article and see the MMIP database HERE. | | | Voter Services
Tucson Festival of Books
March 15th & 16th, 2025 | | Thank you to all of the Voter Services volunteers who signed up for shifts at the Tucson Festival of Books.
| | | Public Programs Committee
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | To explore the issue of significant cuts to programs and funding, three panelists explained the role that federal funding plays in the nonprofit sector as well as the assistance provided to unhoused women, veterans and youth. The panelists were Diana Sheldon, Interim CEO Sister Jose Women's Center; Suzanne Bond, CEO, Esperanza En Escalante; Bethany Neumann, Director, Youth On Their Own.
| DEI Committee
Tour of BorderLinks
March 26, 2025 | The reality of life on the borderlands is much more complex and unjust than most people realize. BorderLinks offers experiential learning opportunities that explore the difficulties of migration and life along the U.S./Mexico border. We aim to educate individuals through interactive experiences. Find out how you can be a part of BorderLinks.
| Membership Committee
Member Appreciation Picnic and Hike
March 29, 2025 | | Twenty members gathered at Catalina State Park for the Member Appreciation Picnic. After a sandwich lunch, we heard a presentation from Park Ranger Erik Donkersley, an expert falconer. He brought his own peregrine falcon, Haymaker, who was wearing a hood so he would not be distracted by possible critters he might want to hunt. Donkersley told us all about peregrine falcons. They can fly up to 200 miles per hour. Haymaker wears a tracker on his foot so that Donkersley can collect data about his flight path and height. We also learned about what it takes to become a certified falconer, so perhaps some League members will soon take on a new hobby!
| | | After the falcon presentation, part of the group hiked down the Bridle Trail and a few headed up the Nature Trail loop for a great view of the Catalina Mountains and a nice breeze on a warm day. Thanks to all who came out to the picnic, and a huge thanks to all of our members who work so hard on behalf of the Greater Tucson League and voters in our community.
| | Thank you to the Membership Committee for organizing this event!
| | | Meet the LWVGT Board Nominees!
Please join us at the Annual Meeting
to add your vote and your voice. |
Voting will take place in person at the
Annual Meeting Friday, April 25th, 10:30am-1:00pm
Where: Pima Community College - Desert Vista Campus-Rm F123
5901 S Calle Santa Cruz
Tucson, AZ 85709
Registration is required
Payment In Full In Advance Only
$40.00 for active members
|  | | Linda Maccabe is nominated for President-Elect, 2025-2026.
Linda grew up in Tucson, attended St. Cyril’s, Salpointe CHS, and the University of Arizona where she graduated with a B.A. in History. Linda received her M.A. in Secondary Education from the University of New Mexico. While living in Albuquerque, Linda worked for ten years at Girl Scouts of Chaparral Council in Membership, Program, and Fund Development. She returned to school for her teaching certification and taught Social Studies and Language Arts at Truman Middle School until 2009. In 2009 Linda and her husband Barney moved to Knoxville, Tennessee where Linda taught at Vine Middle Magnet School until 2013. She retired in 2013 to travel with her husband on work related trips.
Linda’s volunteer experience includes The Junior League, of which she is still a member, The Woman’s Suffrage Coalition of Knoxville and The League of Women Voters since 2015. She served as President of the Junior League of Albuquerque 2000-2001 and President of the League of Women Voters of Knoxville-Knox County 2017-2019. Linda served on five boards including the LWVTN state Board. After 45 years of coming home to visit family and friends, Linda and Barney moved back to Tucson in February of 2022. She promptly joined LWVGT and has served as Voter Services Chair since April of 2022.
“It is a privilege and an honor to serve as President-Elect for 2025-2026. I will learn as much as I can this year to become President of our League in 2026-2027. Thank you for putting your trust in me.” | | | | Maureen Clark is nominated for Treasurer, 2025-2027.
I've been volunteering with Voter Services in the high school student voter registration program for under a year. I earned a master's degree in accounting from the University of Arizona, then worked for and retired from the IRS after twenty years. I love the Sonoran Desert, books, learning, and promoting voting and voter rights.
| | | | Amanda Bruno is nominated for Membership Chair, 2025-2027.
Amanda Bruno is a community affairs administrator at Pima Association of Governments (PAG), where she focuses primarily on outreach efforts for the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Amanda is a proud alumna of the University of Arizona, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Religious Studies, and two masters’ degrees in Public Administration and Legal Studies. She is currently pursuing an additional master’s in Sociology through Arizona State University. In her free time she enjoys reading, eating dessert, and snuggling with her puppy. | | | | Shelley Erickson is nominated for Nominating Committee Chair, 2025-2026.
I joined LWVGT in 2023 and belong to the DEI Committee, the Communications Committee, and the 2025 Issues & Eggs Committee. Since joining, my participation has included DEI Outreach, the 2024 National Day of Racial Healing event, and the 2024 Running & Winning event. I also edit The Voter. After two years of engagement and getting to know LWVGT members, I am confident in my abilities to chair the Nominating Committee. | | | | Gabby Koeppel is nominated as a Board Elected Director, 2025-2027.
Hi! My name is Gabby Koeppel and I am a Sophomore at the University of Arizona pursuing my B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis in Law and Public Policy and a minor in Sociology. I have been with the League since August 2024 and I am the intern for Tucson Youth Vote! | | | How You Can Make an Impact
and Support
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
| Pinny Sheoran, President of the League of Women Voters of Arizona, published an article on the SAVE Act in the AZ Mirror on March 24th, 2025. Passage of the SAVE Act is a particular concern for 1.5 million married women in Arizona, who changed their last name after marriage. This means their birth certificate no longer matches their current legal name.
"The SAVE Act isn’t about Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility — it’s about making it harder for millions of American citizens to vote by imposing unnecessary and burdensome documentation requirements.
If passed, the SAVE Act will require all Arizonans — more than 5 million voting-age citizens — to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote, updating their voter registration, and even casting their ballot. This requirement means they must present as documentary proof of citizenship 1) a passport or 2) a birth certificate accompanied by a government issued photo ID, and the name on the ID must match your birth certificate exactly."
Read her full article HERE. |
Honor and Support DEI by Exploring
National Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April 2025
|
- For now, information on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) can be found on Housing and Urban Development's website HERE. However, the Office on Violence Against Women, which is located in the Department of Justice, currently has a freeze on applications for any funding. OVW
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center offers resources for tribal communities HERE
- Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault SACASA
- Arizona Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence ACESDV
- Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women CSVANW
| We want to hear from you!
All committees and members are encouraged to submit articles and information to be published in The Voter. Photos of events are also welcome. However, be sure that LWVGT members allow their photo to be used.
Please note the 20th of the month is the final deadline for the next issue. However, exceptions can be made if your event happens late in the month. The editor may reach out to Committee Chairs requesting summaries and photos for events that occur late in the month.
Submissions are welcome at To submit an article for The Voter
| | Elected Officers
President: Emily Bridson
President-Elect: Betsy Boggia
Secretary: Barb Colvin
Treasurer: Patricia Tapke
Voter Services: Linda Maccabe
Public Programs: Teresa M. Jenkins
Membership: Kate Stewart
Advocacy: Lovely Ganthier | | Board-Appointed Directors
2024-2025
Sadie Shaw
OPEN
OPEN
Elected Directors
2024-2026
Bob DeLaney
Isabel Georgelos
Linda M. Longlet
2024-2025
Teleia Taumanu
Grace Marie Theesfeld
OPEN
| | | Click HERE to find The Voter and other newsletters.
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Official Address
800 N Swan Suite 126
Tucson, AZ 85711
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