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Beth Ballmann, LWVMP Secretary (appointed due to vacancy)
Beth Ballmann joined the League in November 2022. She is a graduate of Oberlin College with degrees in math and psychology. Before retiring in May 2022, she spent 15+ years as an Information Technology project manager, leading international teams of up to 40 people working on year-long projects to implement enterprise-wide software systems. Since retiring, she has been active in many political organizations. She and her husband, Michael, have lived in Cave Creek almost 20 years and really love our Sonoran desert. She enjoys hiking almost daily and travels frequently, often with her mom who lives in New Jersey.
Beth wants you to know:
“During my 15+ years as a project manager, the key to success was ensuring effective meetings with concise, accurate, and timely meeting documentation and follow up. I am glad to contribute this skill set to forwarding the work of the League, which every year seems to be more and more critical to living in an America that represents our best aspirations.
“I did the RTS (Request to Speak) training in December and in January started providing feedback on state legislation. If you haven't done this, I encourage everyone to invest an hour in this training and then up to another hour/week during the legislative session to make your voice heard. It's wonderful that Arizona offers this easy, online option to indicate your approval or disapproval of bills being considered by our state legislature. (And contrary to the name - Request to Speak - it is easy to only give a thumbs up or down and then share a few words to support one's position. No speaking, nor any travel to the Capitol is necessary.) Not very many Arizonans actually take advantage of this tool, so your individual contribution can really make a difference.
A few months later, I volunteered to take notes at a community team planning event and in short order I found myself volunteering to be Secretary of our Metro Phoenix League.
“Since retiring, I have become an active participant in many political organizations. My highest priority issues are women's rights and preserving our democracy. I especially appreciate the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with others who share my values and commitment.”
Marcia Barry, Budget Committee Chair (appointed)
Marcia Barry has been a member of LWVMP since November 2021. She moved to Arizona in 1976 and has lived in the Phoenix area since 1979. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in journalism/political science, and later earned a bachelors in nursing. She has a masters in nursing from ASU. Prior to her retirement from Banner Health as associate director in 2022, she worked in various leadership positions in a large health care organization and had the pleasure of working with health care teams across the state. She has also stayed active in the central region EMS coordinating agency (Arizona Emergency Medical Systems - AEMS) and currently serves as Secretary to the Board of Governors.
Marcia shares:
“While my tenure with LWV is recent, my political interests and activity extend back to my early years in Iowa. My interest in political systems never waned and I enrolled in the ASU PHD Public Administration program. I was able to utilize all that I learned in policy analysis in my work with trauma system development at the state level.
“Since my retirement last year I've found the mission of LWV to empower full participation in the political process to be rewarding and the people I've met to be passionate believers in this work. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in various committees and currently serve as the Chair of the Budget Committee.
“Luckily, my family also relocated to Arizona and I love spending time with them! Hobbies that bring happiness include photography, travel (the farther the better!), volunteering with a local Lab Retriever rescue group, and annual trips with Global Volunteers to support service in underserved communities. I recently participated in a trip to Poland to provide education to refugees fleeing the Ukraine conflict.”
Gretchen Bolerjack, Voter Services Chair (elected)
Gretchen joined the league in August 2021. She retired from the army six years ago, where she served for 24 years, 13 of them with the Arizona Army National Guard. During her tenure in the services she had a variety of jobs: Army medic, engineer officer, logistics, transportation, and human resources.
Gretchen wants you to know:
“I joined the League in August 2021 after taking a librarian studies class on social justice. Voting rights was one of the issues I felt strongly about and when I searched the internet for organizations that do work in that area, the League of Women Voters came up.
“National Voter Registration Day 2021 was my first tabling event, followed by Phoenix Pride. Both events provided opportunities to assist people with voter registration forms, provide information on election issues, and just engage with people. I am a little bit of an introvert, but I do enjoy dealing with people on a one-on-one basis, and tabling events definitely provide lots of opportunities to do so.
“As the Voter Services Chair, I work to provide opportunities for the League to have a presence at various community events, providing voter registration and voter education. Much of our voter education material is developed by members of the other League committees like Advocacy and Communication. Being on the Board for the League of Women Voters Metropolitan Phoenix gives me the chance to interact with the different committee chairs and provide direct feedback to them and vice versa.
“I currently work as a library assistant, a job I truly enjoy. This is a new career change from teaching middle school math a few years ago. My favorite things to do are to hang out with my family, walk my dog, and watch any kind of Marvel/Star Wars movies and TV shows.”
Jean Conway, Nominating Committee Chair (elected)
Jean joined the League of Women Voters in San Luis Obispo, CA, in 2019. Jean became a member of LWVMP in February 2021. Jean has a bachelor's degree in psychology/sociology from University of Rochester, a master’s in sports management from the University of Massachusetts, and a master’s in counseling from the State University of New York at Oswego. Her education and career have been in college student affairs work as a counselor, mediator, and teacher, helping individuals and groups learn to be more effective communicators with one another.
Jean’s League journey:
“My neighbor asked if I’d attend the LWV San Luis Obispo's annual luncheon and meeting. It was an eye-opening experience listening to one of our legislators talk about the work he was doing on behalf of county residents and how the League was assisting in helping to bring civility to their public meetings. League members had signed up to be present at their meetings to talk with people as they filed in about what behaviors were to be expected at these meetings and how they could be heard. In 2019 we were in the throes of public outbursts at local meetings. Civility is a League value. I was inspired by this and wanted to learn more about the League. I became a poll worker that fall and helped to register new voters. I was hooked!
“Civility is also a value that has been important to me in my adult life. In my education and work as a counselor, mediator, and teacher, I have been committed to advancing ‘Behaving civilly as one of the underpinnings of good communication.’
“I have also worked with the LWVMP’s Bylaws Committee and the LWV Arizona state nominating committee, and was recently elected as Chair of the LWVMP Nominating Committee. I have been working as a member of the LWVMP Membership Committee in welcoming new members and helping to plug them in to their areas of interest and expertise. It’s been a wonderful experience to connect with so many new League members who are eager to get involved.
“Please let me know if you are interested in stepping into a leadership role. Our League members bring all kinds of experiences, expertise, and skills to the organization. I’d be happy to talk with you.
“On a personal level, I’m a former college athlete who enjoys playing golf and I am an avid walker. My husband and I moved to Scottsdale at the end of 2020. My husband, John, and I have two adult children, one who lives locally and the other in Salt Lake City. ”
Connie Cornelius, Communications Committee Chair (appointed)
Connie joined LWVMP in 2021. She has a masters’ of tourism administration from George Washington University, as well as a BA and MBA in marketing from the University of Colorado.
Connie tells you that:
“I am passionate about protecting women’s reproduction options. As such, I have been active with NARAL and Planned Parenthood for many years. Only recently did I join LWV because I believe the issue will only be solved in a non-partisan way. Upon joining the League, I have been very impressed with the wide range of experience, knowledge and professionalism held by League members in Metro Phoenix.
“Having more than 20 years in marketing management, I volunteered to join the LWVMP Communications Team and was promptly engaged in the renovation of the LWVMP website. We are very proud of the new website because it is a powerful resource and communication tool for the members.
“My other passion is travel, which was the impetus for me to leave the corporate world and jump headfirst into the tourism industry in 1996. I earned my stripes as a travel director taking Americans abroad for luxury excursions, visiting over 60 countries in seven years. I worked for many years as an independent contractor until I started my own tour company specializing in affinity groups.
“One fact few people know about me is that while I was in college, I taught ballroom dance at a Fred Astair studio and competed as an instructor at the national level. ‘)”
Leslie Hanson, Advocacy Committee Chair (elected)
Leslie joined the League in GreenCastle, Indiana 30 years ago. She transferred to LWVMP in 2020. She founded and operated Bright Futures, an educational supply store, for 19 years.
Leslie’s League story:
Leslie grew up in Los Angeles with activist parents and political volunteerism was a family affair. She remembers tagging along for her parents' political activities from a very young age. She carried on the family tradition of involving her young kids in activism work whenever she could.
After landing in Indiana in her 20s, she joined the League in order to connect with like minds, learn more about her community, and work on issues that she cared about. As a young member, Leslie honed her skills doing League work, which proved valuable in her other activism work as well as her retail business.
In the over 30 years Leslie spent with the League in Greencastle, IN, she was involved in all aspects of League work and held pretty much every role at least once. Because of her passion for government transparency and accountability and DEI work, she built a strong Observer Corps and helped spearhead anti-racism work in her community, including organizing anti-racism community panel discussions, facilitating small group conversations on race, and bringing together diverse members of the community to work on supporting the historically marginalized members of the community. She became the go-to person in her community for help with transparency issues working with state and local authorities and educating the general public.
Additionally, Leslie spent 18 years on the local Park Board, writing grants, building a pool facility, managing rail/trail conversions, developing new parks and drafting and implementing long range master plans. She also helped forge public/private partnerships for local 501(c)3 organizations.
She is currently the Advocacy Chair here at LWVMP where there are two active issues teams: Criminal Justice and Education. She views her role as chair as a means to empower members to take action on issues of importance to the League, our community, and to them personally.
Leslie says she joined the Board because she wanted to help engage our membership and help every member find space to be effective. She believes that when members feel safe to share their knowledge and strengths everyone benefits and learns from one another.
Fun fact about her: She has played Scrabble weekly with the same person for over 30 years.
Alexis Cutler Lane, Membership Committee Chair (elected)
Alexis joined LWVMP in 2021. Before moving to Phoenix she worked in DC at a trade association and in Phoenix for Sen. John McCain. She earned her bachelor's degrees in psychology and human services and her master’s in legislative affairs from George Washington University. She is currently in her second act for her career as a clinical mental health counselor, planning to finish her master's degree work in 2025.
Alexis’ League story/journey:
“I joined the League in 2021, when the 15-week abortion ban was making its way through the Legislature. I could not believe the discrepancy between the laws making progress and the sentiment of the people in our state. Polls proved my suspicion was correct, now that we know up to 9/10 Arizonans believe we should have access to abortion healthcare. I'm looking forward to getting the Arizona for Abortion Access ballot initiative passed in 2024.
“I am currently the Membership Chair, which is how I made my way to the LWVMP Board. As Membership Chair, I ensure the work the Board pursues guides and supports our efforts to have a diverse, engaged, and plentiful group of people to further the LWV mission in the Phoenix metro area. We have grown membership by nearly 30% over the past couple of years, and for that I am so grateful and hopeful for our future work as a League. As I enter my third year as a League member, I realize just how fortunate we all are to work and grow together, particularly with so many brilliant, dedicated, and competent leaders at the helm. Looking forward to growing more relationships with LWVMP members in the coming years!
“My husband, and fellow League member, Matt, and I moved to Phoenix from Washington, DC. We have two daughters.”
Cricket Mitchell, Treasurer (elected)
Cricket Mitchell joined LWVMP in October 2020. She has a bachelor’s degree from ASU and a master’s and PhD from the University of San Diego. She is trained as a clinical research psychologist and has spent her career focused on improving publicly-funded services for children and families. She consults with systems and agencies of all sizes, bridging the gap between science and practice to support healthier families and communities. She owns her own consultancy.
Cricket’s League journey:
“I joined the League because I was concerned about the direction that our democratic republic was heading; I continued to see rights being limited, rights that the League works to defend, protect, and promote. While I didn’t have a lot of familiarity with the League before joining, every time I would hear the League mentioned by people I trusted, it was reflective of the trust they placed in the League’s positions (e.g., “I want to see what the League says about this”).
“Shortly after joining the League I volunteered with the Finance Committee. I thought this was a good match for my skill set, as I am an independent consultant and manage my business finances across multiple projects with different funding streams. And, I’m not able to join many in-person League events and activities that are hosted through the hard-working Voter Services, Advocacy, and Forums & Debates Committees. I was happy to find my place as a volunteer. I was then elected Treasurer at the April 2022 Annual Member Meeting, and I chair the Finance & Fundraising Committee. I’m honored to support the League in maintaining fiscal integrity and in championing our member-experts in fundraising. A super huge THANK YOU to all members who are giving donations to support the work of our League. All amounts are appreciated, large and small!
“I’m one of those rare people you come across who was actually born in Phoenix. Life eventually brought me back to Phoenix almost two decades ago, where I live with my partner/boyfriend of 13 years. I enjoy reading, hiking, and traveling.
“As a native Phoenician, I’m grateful to have found such a dedicated group of women and men focused on voter education and advocacy. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and I look forward to meeting and working with more of our membership!”
Gitelle Seer, Bylaws committee co-chair, MP representative to LWVAZ board, LWVAZ Vice chair for Advocacy (appointed)
Gitelle Seer joined the League in 2019. She has an undergraduate degree from Hunter College and a master’s from Columbia University. For 40+ years she was the law library director for a large international NYC law firm.
Gitelle shares her story:
“I have been a League member since 2019. The energy, enthusiasm, collaboration, and commitment of the members I met drew me to the League.
“At the League, I started with one discrete project - the MP bylaws revision - and quickly found my home in the state legislative analysis and advocacy work and VOTE411.org. I enjoy training, working with the state advocacy interns, researching, writing, editing, and organizing and maintaining our internal information infrastructure (Google Drive).
“During my tenure as the Director of the Law Library, I was an early convert to technology and managed to bring my firm into the then-20th century by convincing them that online research and digital platforms were necessary to remain competitive. I also loved training - partners, junior associates, summer interns, paralegals, secretaries, my staff - anyone sitting still long enough to listen to me. Many of these skills have been repurposed in my work for the League.
“I am a product of the NYC (Brooklyn, to be exact) public school system. Like many from the boroughs, my husband and I moved to NJ to raise our kids, where we lived in a blue bubble before taking up part-time residence in Arizona. We split our time between our two daughters and their families - one in NJ (and a granddaughter in her 2nd year of college in VA) and one in Gilbert, who has a 4-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.
“Fun fact: Zumba is my happy place; I have been taking classes (and trying to convert friends, family, and sometimes strangers) for over 15 years.
“Arizona is the land of opportunity for defending democracy, and we need volunteers on many fronts. I look forward to meeting many of you!”
Cindy Walsh, Forums Chair (appointed)
Cindy Walsh joined LWVMP in December 2021. Cindy has a bachelor’s degree in management and a master’s in organization development from Pepperdine University, and an executive coaching certificate from Hudson Institute. Cindy has spent 25 years in telecommunications and 18 years in health care, retail, and consulting services companies as management, consultant and executive coach.
Cindy tells us:
“I thought of the League when I was looking for a nonpartisan political organization. This group was my answer. I value the focus on voting, women voters, and the ability to engage locally. As soon as I joined, I was introduced to the Advocacy Committee and started getting involved with activities related to the 2022 legislative session as a volunteer lobbyist. This volunteer work takes actions that make a difference to our democracy.
“My passion with the League is registering and educating voters and advocating for League positions with the Arizona Legislature. I joined the Board in May of this year as one of the at-large members. I now chair the Forums and Debates team; I expect this to be a very active committee during the upcoming year.
“In addition to passion, I bring 35-plus years of business experience as a manager, consultant and executive coach. I love local live theater, and have season tickets to Arizona Theater Company, Phoenix Theater Company, and Black Theater Troupe. I also enjoy an occasional visit to the Scottsdale Philharmonic, jazz concert at MIM, or the ballet. I have a little Bichon rescue, Morgan. And I love reading good mysteries and going to water aerobics.
“I hope I get to meet many of you at a LVWMP event or on a Zoom call.” |