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| Message from the President
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LWVCC President
Diane Preston Moore
As 2025 winds down and as our “season” begins to ramp up, I want to emphasize that our members are our greatest assets. The League, at its core, has always been a grassroots volunteer organization. The work that we do, the projects that we put our energies into, and the issues we support, are not dictated from “higher up.” Our positions do not come from the local president or the Board. No, the work our League does and the issues we support come from you, from our members. You are the roots of our organization.
Grassroots work thrives on connection, and connection depends on people. Every effort, no matter how big or how small, of every member helps us connect to our community. Those connections strengthen our relationships with the community members we serve, which, in turn, helps us to earn trust and enables us to empower voters and defend democracy.
The work of the League of Women Voters is as important today as it ever has been. As we move into season, I encourage you to think about the reasons you joined LWVCC. What inspires you to devote your time and talent to our work? How might you share your skills, insights, and knowledge to strengthen our League’s capacity to address new challenges in 2025? Thank you for continuing your membership in LWVCC!
Read on to learn about some of the terrific grassroots work the LWVCC committees are doing. You may just connect with a new passion! | |
Education Committee
Nancy Chism, Pat Plummer, Co-Chairs
The Education Committee program plan for 2024-2025 commits to supporting public education as a public good from Pre- kindergarten through post-secondary education, often referred to as P-16 education.
To that end, we follow state legislation for both public schools and colleges as well as actions of the Collier County School Board and submit appropriate public comments, letters to legislators, letters to the editor and opinion pieces (with LWVCC permissions).
We have representation on the LWVFL Education Action and Higher Education teams that make recommendations to LWVFL for statewide action. Recent actions have included input into a research paper on book ban policies, a study of proposed legislation for 2025, study of costs and participation in the school voucher program, expansion of preschool programs and challenges to higher education academics and campus policies.
Committee members help lead the Know Your County Government program for high school students in Collier. The education committee is hosting the December 2 General meeting and luncheon featuring Dr. Aysegul Timur, President of Florida Gulf Coast University. The committee meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Community Foundation. |
DEI Committee
Cynthia Cave, Cynthia Cromwell, Co-Chairs
Two informative and enjoyable tours are planned by the LWVCC DEI Committee!
Airboat Tour, December 18
We are looking for interest from ALL League members before finalizing reservations. The tour of the Everglades with Buffalo Tiger Airboat Tours is managed by our impressive November speaker, Betty Osceola (shown below). We will meet at a Naples location at noon and carpool to the site for the 2:00 tour, which originates off Tamiami Trail and lasts 1 hour. Cost is expected to be $50 per person. If you wish to join us, please contact Cynthia Cromwell at the DEI Committee address.
Naples Pride Center, January 15
On January 15, 2025, we will visit the Naples Pride Center, with a tour and information from Director Cori Cracium about the center and local experiences of LGBTQ residents in Collier County. Due to limited parking, we plan to meet at the Home Depot, 1651 Airport Pulling Rd S, at 11:45 and carpool to the Pride Center. After Cori’s presentation, we will go to a nearby local restaurant Sushi-Thai of Naples for lunch.
We are looking for ALL league members to join us for our tour and luncheon. If you can join us, please contact Cynthia Cromwell at the DEI Committee address. |
Environmental Affairs Committee
Lynn Martin, Patti Forkan, Co-Chairs
At our meeting on November 14, 2024, our speaker was Dr. Michael Savarese, Distinguished Professor of Coastal Geology, Climate Resilience and Preparation, at FGCU’s Water School.
2023 and 2024 have been unusually active years for hurricanes (5 in the past two years) and the Committee is interested in learning about what has happened along our coasts as well as what can be done to strengthen them in the future. Dr. Savarese has been studying the impact of hurricanes specifically along Collier County’s coastline. He told us that the Gulf of Mexico is almost twice as hot as ocean warming globally and sea level rise in the Gulf has risen 8 inches since 1990. To date there has only been patchwork repair of our beaches, which is not sustainable.
The beach dunes are essential to combating storms and protecting property. They are the first line of defense against flooding and erosion. Flooding not only carries huge amounts of sand onto the land, but also causes erosion as it draws back into the Gulf. How to strengthen the dunes? Florida’s history of building near or on the dunes has resulted in not only loss of dunes but also the vegetation holding the sand. Overdevelopment can also result in narrower beaches. All of which leaves people, property, wildlife and habitat more vulnerable.
What can be done? We have to get smarter about replacing vegetation on the dunes. We have to customize management strategies to take into account the areas that are more vulnerable, change building codes to evaluate where it is safer to build, plus, look into “hybrid dunes” as more protective.
In response to this information, The Committee and other League members are invited to a special outing on Dec 12 9:00-11:00 a.m. to visit dunes at Lowdermilk Park and learn about restoring Beach Ecosystems with appropriate plants. This will be led by a Vice President from the Naples Botanical Garden. We will learn how to increase the resiliency of SWFL beaches and how to advocate for them. Please plan to join us by signing up on the LWVCC website. |
Membership Committee
Beth VanDamme, Chair
Please give a warm welcome to the following new members:
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Darrly Manning
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Katie McNutt |
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Pamela Brown Pometti |
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Patti Ann Sullivan |
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Irene Thomson
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Bring a Friend Success!
The "Bring a Friend to a General Meeting" campaign was a hit! With 95 attendees and 15 guests in November, it's clear members are spreading the word. Congratulations to Karen Sendik, the November raffle winner! Each time you bring a friend to our general meeting and luncheon, you'll not only be sharing your enthusiasm for civic engagement but also helping us grow our membership. As a token of our appreciation, every member who brings a friend will automatically be entered into a drawing for a fun prize.
New Member Coffee
Friday, January 24, 9:00am-10:30 a.m.
If you are a new member—or have been a member for a while and just want to get reconnected—please join us at the home of Sara Werder. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow members, the Board and other LWVCC leaders, and to learn how you can become more involved.
Address and parking info will be sent when you RSVP. Please register through the LWVCC website Event Calendar. This is a member and guest-only event, so you must log in to register.
Your Voice Matters:
Help Shape the Future of LWVCC
We value your input! Please take a few minutes to complete our Membership Satisfaction Survey and help us improve your LWVCC experience.
Your feedback will help us:
- Enhance our programs and events!
- Better understand your needs and interests
- Strengthen our organization
As a thank you, you'll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $100 gift card to the Turtle Club Restaurant.
Members may submit only one survey. The drawing will take place at the General Meeting on January 13, 2025. The winner does not need to be present to win.
TAKE THE SURVEY
Login Required
Survey closes December 15, 2024
| League News From Across the Country
| National League News
For more information, visit LWV.org.
State League News
For more information, visit LWVFL.org.
| Please refer to the LWVCC Weekly Update for a complete list of upcoming events or visit the LWVCC website: lwvcolliercounty.org.
Members should log in to ensure they see members-only events and registration options. | 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 9883, Naples, FL 34101
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