APRIL 2023 LUNCHEON & GENERAL MEETING
April 10 @ 11:30-1:30
Tiburon Golf Club
Celebrating Collier County's Centennial
presented by
Crystal Kinzel
Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
2023 marks Collier County’s Centennial Celebration! And what better way to mark the occasion than to have our own League member and Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, Crystal Kinzel, share her love of our community’s history. As Clerk of Court & Comptroller, she performs an array of record keeping, information and financial management tasks for the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida and the Collier County Government. Her position gives her a unique “behind the scenes” perspective on Collier County’s history that she will share with us, as well as stories about the Board of County Commissioners, law enforcement, the courts and the Clerk’s office. You will not want to miss this rich history of our county!
| Registration and payment must be made online
by April 6 @ 3:00 PM
Late registration/walk in price will be strictly enforced
Help build our League and educate the general public! Our most effective method of membership recruitment is the General Meeting! Invite a guest to our next General Meeting and support LWVCC!
| ANNUAL MEETING
April 10 @ 10:00 AM
(before General Meeting)
Tiburon Golf Club
Please join us for the LWVCC’s Annual Meeting on April 10th at 10 AM. During the Annual Meeting we elect a new Board of Directors and Officers, vote on Committee Program Plans, and conduct other important League business. Watch your email for a link to the meeting materials.
This year, we will honor Dr. Kamela Patton, recently retired Superintendent of Collier County Public Schools, for her many contributions to our school district, our community, and our students. We will also recognize Eric Strachan of Florida Weekly as the LWVCC’s Outstanding Community Partner. We hope that you will join us on April 10th at 10:00.
| GENERAL MEETINGS SURVEY RESULTS
In February, LWVCC membership was asked to respond to a survey to enable the Board to assess whether the current structure of General Meetings meets the needs of our members and the goals of the organization. Sixty seven (24% of members) members responded. The results of the survey tell us that members believe we are meeting General Meeting goals of (1) bringing together members of all interests (2) engaging members (3) educating membership on important issues (4) informing members of LWVCC activities (74% or more of respondents responded "very successful" or "significant impact"). The areas of "offering educational programs to the general public" and "recruitment of new members" need to be improved (42% and 62% respectively "very successful" or "significant impact" ). The current format (luncheon, meeting, and a speaker), and the day and time of meetings are viewed favorably by the 2/3s of respondents. There were several positive suggestions about providing alternative venues and times for League activities. The conclusions are that (1) General Meetings for the 2023-24 season will continue to be luncheon meetings with a speaker. (2)There is strong support for a May General Meeting to be added. (3) LWVCC must provide some educational meetings and activities at alternative times and venues to meet the needs of members who are working or have weekday commitments. (4) LWVCC will promote General Meetings to the provide education on important issues to the general public, and to expand or membership. CONGRATULATIONS TO JENNIFER WALKER. Her name was drawn from those who responded to the survey, and she is the winner of the $50 gift certificate to the Aielle Group restaurants. Thank you to each of you who filled out the survey. Please contact Jan Eustis with any comments or questions. A couple of takeaways: 1. Parking at Tiburon was identified as a concern by some. Please be aware that there is FREE valet parking. 2. When you register for a General Meeting, be sure you have signed in to the website to get the best pricing! | GRADUATION DAY FOR CLASS IV
OF THE LEAGUE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
The League of Women Voters of Collier County has established the League Leadership Program to identify and mentor individuals who will assume future key leadership roles. Those individuals attend 5 sessions where they learn more about the local league, the state league, as well as the National league. We are pleased to announce that Wednesday, March 15th was graduation day for the nine members of League Leadership Program Class IV. Those nine members are: Joanne Huskey, Tina Palmese, Laura Hansen Reynolds, Cynthia Cave, Sue Savage, Susan Golden, Alexandria Beightol, Ida Margolis, and Yvonne Hill. Cynthia Cave could not be present in person, but didn’t want to miss it and so attended via Zoom.
The class members were asked to create their own quotes about leadership.
VIEW WHAT THEY WROTE | SPECIAL GUEST AT DEI MEETING
March 28 @ 11:30-1:00
Collier Community Foundation
Cori Craciun, Executive Director of Naples Pride will be our guest at LWVCC DEI Committee Meeting on March 28, 2023. Cori is the Founder and Executive Director of Naples Pride, a volunteer based grassroots 501 (c )(3) nonprofit organization started in 2017 to sponsor the first Naples Pride Festival. The mission of Naples Pride is to unite and empower the LGBTQ community of Southwest Florida, to educate the public about issues facing members of the LGBTQ community and to foster social change and equality for all. The Naples Pride Center operates several programs including a health and wellness clinic, counseling and suicide prevention services and youth-senior services. The Pride Center worked with other community organizations to help deliver Hurricane Ian recovery resources to our local community. This year’s Pride Festival will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at Cambier Park. After a 6-hour meeting at which 70 members of the public registered to speak, the City Council voted 5-2 to renew the organization’s permit to hold the festival in Cambier Park. LWVCC submitted a letter to the Mayor and City Council supporting the application of Naples Pride. Some of our members wrote letters and testified in support of the permit.
| LEAGUE 101—LAST SESSION THIS SEASON!
March 29 @ 1:00-2:30
Naples Public Library
650 Central Avenue
Join us to learn about our local League – the work we do in the community and our relationship to the State and National League of Women Voters. We’ll cover a little history, active committees, finances, how we develop our program each year. We’ll discuss being non-partisan and political, and where to find everything you need to know on our fabulous website
This session is perfect for new members and anyone who would like a refresher. Contact Julie Wade with questions.
| IMMOKALEE FIELD TRIP
March 30 @ 8:30-3:0
Join the LWVCC DEI Committee on a field trip to Immokalee. Learn about the hard-won progress of the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance, the Gardens of Abundance, the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers, the Fair Food Alliance and RCMA. Wrap-up the day with a trip to the Pinhookers Market (a regional farmers’ market that is out of this world!).
Meet the people who are creating the change we want to see in safe and affordable housing, nutrition, ending modern day slavery, educating children, and empowering Florida's most vulnerable families! Join us at the table with special luncheon guests. Our guides are Pam Brown, well known Leaguer and 5th generation Immokalee rancher and Gloria Padilla, Immokalee resident and RCMA staff. Don’t miss this opportunity!! Transportation by carpool. Make new friends. Contact Tina Palmese, or Alison Wescott for more information. Log into our website to register.
|  SOCIAL POLICY COMMITTEE SPECIAL MEETING
March 30 @ 10:30-12:00
Moorings Park Building O Social Room
Over 1,000 people received some assistance in Collier County last year! Fifty to sixty people call each day. What resources are available in Collier for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness? Come learn from Mitch Watson, Coordinator Services Director, about the services that the Hunger & Homeless Coalition of Collier provides for people with housing and other needs.
| | Following the Social Policy Committee's meeting, we will be participating in the On The Table SWFL 2023 Community Needs Assessment. The Collier Community Foundation and partners will be conducting a community-wide survey in order to gather information about the issues that are considered the most important to the quality of life in our community as well as demographic information. On March 30 groups will be gathering in various locations to share a meal along with ideas, suggestions and concerns. Each participant will complete a survey thereby having input to the study which has the same components as the last study done 5 years ago: research and data, focus groups, and survey. The new report is projected to be completed in August 2023. The research partners at Florida Gulf Coast University will compile the results and help the foundation partners, local civic leaders, and community changemakers better understand how Southwest Floridians experience their community. We’ll be participating as individual, well-informed citizens. We’ll each bring a brown bag lunch and beverages will be supplied. What we contribute in the way of ideas and solutions can make a difference. If you want to have your voice heard by participating in our lunch discussion, please email Betty Schwartz. |  KYCG STUDENTS WELCOMED BY COUNTY AGENCIES
On March 8, 45 students from Golden Gate and Lely high schools attended the second day of Know Your County Government (KYCG), a program that exposes high school students to Collier County Government departments and agencies. The program objectives are two-fold: to develop a cadre of informed young voters who will become active civic participants; and to show students that there are a variety of career pathways within county government for high school graduates. On Day 2, students visited the landfill, the Emergency Operations Center, the wastewater treatment facility, Domestic Animal Services, a fire station, Mosquito Control, and the Collier County Public Schools Administrative Offices. The final day of the program is March 28, when students will attend a County Commissioners meeting.
The KYCG program was featured on a March 13 news story on ABC-7. WATCH IT
| "Know Your County Government" 2023
YOU CAN STILL VOLUNTEER & LEARN!
There is still one session left in this wonderful opportunity to accompany high school students as a "chaperone", and visit multiple County offices, learning how the County operates. Meet with County administrators and Commissioners, while interacting with civic-minded high school students. This program, in its 40th year, is sponsored by the Education Committee, in conjunction with Collier County Public Schools and 4H. Date and approximate times for the remaining field trip day is: Tuesday, March 28, 8am to 2pm. Log in to the LWVCC website, then volunteer; or email Jan Eustis.
| LWVCC WINS A GRANT
The Voter Services Committee submitted a grant application to the Florida Philanthropic Network and are happy to report that we have been selected for a $10,000 grant. Our grant application is titled: Every Voice Counts with the goal of improving 2030 census count participation in Collier County in minority communities. Because we were very active with the Collier County Complete Census Count Committee in 2020 as well as with election participation, we proved we have the expertise and energy to do this important work. Focus of our work for this grant will be in the following areas:
- Census
- Civic Education
- Communications
- Get Out the Vote
- Voter Education Engagement
- and Minority/Youth Outreach.
We were able to prove our success in partnering with foundations, and are required to work with other organizations to share our knowledge and learn from them. What will success look like for this grant? If we can close the gap between non-minority and minority areas of the county for participation, we will consider our efforts to be successful. Why is this work important? Because our county receives funding from the federal government for many critical programs and infrastructure based upon our census count. In Collier County in 2010, the population was counted at 71%. Because of this undercount of the population, the county may have received up to $155 million per year in lower federal funding ($1440 per person). This is another reason why making sure the count is as accurate as possible is incredibly important. Want to know more or participate in this important work? Please join the Voter Services team via our website. | LWVCC SPEAKS OUT DURING LOBBY DAYS
The State of Florida convened its annual 60-day legislative session on March 7, 2023 and five enthusiastic Collier County Leaguers headed to Tallahassee to attend LWVFL Lobby Days to meet our legislators. We expressed our appreciation to Senate President Passidomo for her Live Locally affordable housing bill (SB 102), support for Wildlife Corridors (SB 106) and the David Lawrence Center expansion. We advocated for the Supervisor of Election offices to have sufficient budget to educate voters about the many recent changes in voting laws and advocated against Reproductive Health bill (SB300/HB7) that prohibits abortion beyond six weeks. In our meeting with Representative Rommel we advocated against expanding School Choice via universal school vouchers (SB 202) and making school board and county judge elections partisan (HB 31).
Lobby Day meetings are part of an ongoing dialogue with our state legislators. The League speaks out on certain issues, but you have a role to play as individual Florida citizens. We encourage you to contact Senate President Passodomo (239-417-6205) and Representative Bob Rommel (239-417-6200) to let them know which bills you support and which you don’t Your vote is your voice but between elections, you needn’t be silent. Respectfully, Speak Out! | 
The League has formed a partnership with Florida Weekly, a free local newspaper published once a week, to further the education of voters as part of the Get-Out-the-Vote campaign. The paper will print regular non-partisan articles, using the LWV logo, about upcoming elections, registration, voting options, and forums, culminating in a four-page Voter Guide in August for the Primary Election and again in late October for the General Election. Links to recent articles will be provided here in the LWVCC Update.
Now it can pay to go solar |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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March 29 @ 1:00
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League 101
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March 30
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Immokalee Field Trip
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April 10 @ 10:00
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LWVCC Annual Meeting
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April 10 @ 11:30
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April 2023 General Meeting
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| ONLINE REIMBURSEMENT FORM IS NOW AVAILABLE
Board members, committee chairs, and others who need to submit reimbursement requests can now do so via our Submit Online Forms page. | UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Because LWVCC committee meetings are for members and their invited guests unless stated otherwise,
members should log in to the website to register
to get the Zoom links for committee meetings and other events. | Juvenile Justice Committee
March 27 @ 1:00-3:00
Donna Kordek, Florida Judicial Circuit 20 GAL, will speak on the role of Guardian ad Litum in Juvenile Justice | DEI Committee
March 28 @ 11:30-1:00
Guest Speaker: Cori Craciun, Founder and Executive Director of Naples Pride | Social Policy Committee
March 30 @ 10:30-12:00
Moorings Park Building O Social Room
Special Meeting: Hunger & Homeless Coalition of Collier County
| Board Meeting
April 5 @ 9:30-12:00
Collier Community Foundation
| Environmental Affairs Committee
April 13 @ 9:30-12:00
Collier Community Foundation
Our speaker is Mary Helen Reuter, Curator of Education & Visitor Experience at the Naples Botanical Garden. | Education Committee
Collier Community Foundation
April 19 @ 12:00-1:30 | MISSED AN ISSUE OF THE VOTER?
NEED TO CATCH UP ON THE NEWS?
Check out our updated News & Newsletters page, which has all our latest news and links to current and back issues of The Voter and The LWVCC Update.
| Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
| League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883Naples, FL 34101
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