August 2025
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Dues are a sliding scale, with a recommended rate of $75 per person. | | President's Message
from
Betsy Boggia | | | Welcome back to everyone who took summer breaks, traveled, relaxed, and hopefully had time with family and friends. As we turn our attention to the important business of empowering voters and defending democracy, I encourage all of our members to find ways to engage with the LWVGT that are meaningful and manageable.
This year, we want to ensure that members have ample opportunities to get together in person for meetings, events, and activities. As part of our We'll Pay the Rent fundraiser, we invite members to take advantage of the office space. If you want a break from Zoom and meet in person, consider scheduling your committee meetings at the LWVGT office. The office address is 800 N. Swan Rd. Suite 126, Tucson, AZ 85711.
Here's how to book the Conference Room.
The Conference Room may be reserved by using the LWVGT calendar (be sure you are logged in). When scheduling a meeting on the LWVGT calendar, select the category "Conference Room IN USE." When the meeting appears on the calendar, a yellow background will surround the meeting. This shows members the meeting is in person and avoids double booking the room. | If you are new to the LWVGT or want to get more involved, please be sure to attend one of our new member social events to meet other Leaguers and learn more about our work. The next New Member Orientation is Saturday August 9th from 9:30am-11:00am at the LWVGT office. More information and registration can be found HERE.
We have two important events this fall that could use support: Running & Winning and our Legislative Breakfast. Every Monday we send out This Week in Greater Tucson, which is full of information on opportunities like these, so be sure to look for it.
Finally, if you have questions about the LWVGT, our work or our positions, please feel free to attend our weekly Office Hours on Zoom, every Thursday from 5-6 pm . The August 7th link is HERE.
These are challenging times and our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy has never been more important. If you have friends wondering what to do-bring them along with you!
Thanks to all for your continued support and engagement,
Betsy Boggia
President, LWVGT
| | | League of Women Voters of Arizona
Biennial Convention
May 17th & 18th 2025
Women Rise Up: Boldly Taking Action to Defend Democracy |
LWVGT delegates who attended this year
1. Emily Bridson - state rep
2. Betsy Boggia
3. Linda Longlet
4. Gabby Koeppel
5. Lovely Ganthier - state rep
6. Sue DeArmond
7. Shelley Erickson
8. Grace Marie Theefeld
| | | The 2025 LWVAZ Convention convened on Saturday, May 17, and adjourned on Sunday, May 18. It was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Arizona, with the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix acting as local host.
What to know about the LWVAZ Convention
The LWVAZ State Convention occurs during odd-numbered years and lasts for two days. Any member may serve as a delegate if selected by their local league. The number of delegates is based on the total number of current members listed on the national roster as of January 31 of each calendar year. Non-delegate league members can attend. During the state convention we elect officers, board members, and adopt the budget. In addition, we vote on bylaws, public policy positions, and resolutions.
What to know about the LWVAZ Council
The LWVAZ Council occurs during even-numbered years and lasts for up to one full day. Any member may serve as a delegate if selected by their local league. The number of delegates is based on the total number of current members listed on the national roster as of January 31 of each calendar year. Non-delegate league members can attend. During the state councils we elect the President-elect, vote on emergency bylaws and and adopt revisions to LWVAZ public policy positions if necessary. | Attendees listened to two panels with relevant topics and engaging panelists.
Truth, Trust, and Threats to the First Amendment and Freedom of Press-How is it Impacting Their Work? Panelists: Jen Fifield, Votebeat; Caitlin Sievers, Deputy Editor, Arizona Mirror; Camaron Stevenson, Chief Political Correspondent, The Copper Courier; Camryn Sanchez, Investigative Reporter, KJZZ.
Rights, Resources, and Representation: Youth at the Crossroads. Panelists: Mikah Dyer, Arizona State University; Jesus Rendon-Silva, Arizona State University; Marlee Valenzuela, Arizona State University; Emma Claus, Arizona State University; Mihika Gadagkar, Basis High School.
Attendees also heard from two speakers.
The Labor Movement and Responses to the First 100 Days of the Current Administration. Speaker: Briona Parkinson, Political & Legislative Director, American Association of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME Arizona).
Libraries: The Third Space for Democratic Dialogue and Civic Participation. Speaker: Erin N. MacFarlane, Library Services Director, Phoenix Public Library, and Advocacy Chair, American Library Association. | Attendees engaged with one another during three informative breakout sessions, led by knowledgeable moderators. We welcomed being in small groups, learned from one another, and came away with ideas for our leagues.
- Building Capacity: Growing the Membership
- The League Movement for the Moment
- Building League Capacity: Advancing Fundraising & Development, Deepening Partnerships, and Leveraging League Technology & Social Media
| DEI Committee
Outreach Tabling
June 7th, 2025 | | Thank you to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona for the invitation to provide LWVGT information during the Coffee with Candidates forum.
Yaqui Vote Presents:
Coffee with Candidates
CD 7 Congressional Seat
June 7th, 2025 at the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Annex
| | | League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson
Taking action to protect democracy
July 4th, 2025
| We tabled with LWVGT information and handed out copies of the US Constitution in English and Spanish.
|  | | Betsy Boggia, President LWVGT, at the "Let's Spread Democracy" event.
|  | Linda Maccabe, President-Elect LWVGT, at the "Let's Spread Democracy" event.
| | |
Getting to Know
Haley Keller
Communications Chair
| | The Voter: Tell us about your background.
Haley Keller: Professionally I have a degree in math and master’s in teaching. I taught high school math for four years. Then my husband and I started and ran a brewery in Seattle for nine years. As a small business owner I had a wide variety of responsibilities, including our marketing and event planning. That’s how I learned a lot of the communications skills that have helped me in this position. We moved to Tucson three years ago and have two little kids. Now I teach math part time at Pima Community College, and I’m in graduate school working toward a master’s in mathematics.
In Seattle I was on a few boards of directors and served in a number of volunteer leadership positions. I was on the boards of Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes, which are partner 501c3 and 501c4 organizations, and I was involved with their advocacy work. I got involved with Moms Demand Action and stepped into their state-wide legislative lead role for a year, during which time I organized Lobby Day. I served on our neighborhood’s Chamber of Commerce Board as a small business owner. I also started the Washington chapter of the Pink Boots Society, which works to empower women in the beer industry.
The Voter: Tell me about your current role as Communications Committee Chair.
Haley Keller: I’m still learning! I see myself as the contact for many different aspects of communications. We have two newsletters (The Voter and This Week in Greater Tucson) and I’m making sure they have what they need. I also oversee the Website Committee, the Writers Corps, social media postings, press releases, and printed materials. I’ve been creating graphics for our events and working to improve how to get the word out. There is a lot of good internal communication, but we want to expand our external communication.
The Voter: What has been the most challenging as Communications Chair? And what have you enjoyed?
Haley Keller: The most challenging has been figuring out the different aspects of communications because it’s so vast. Who is doing what? Who needs what? What are the big projects? I want to create a digital library of all the printed materials, so when we need to print or update something, we can find it. I’m working on how to best be organized.
I’ve really enjoyed making the digital flyers. I love using Canva and being creative and thinking about ways of making flyers eye-catching, readable, and relatable. I’ve also enjoyed learning about being part of a nonpartisan organization. What can we say? What can’t we say?
| | The Voter: How do you see the Communications Committee contributing to our efforts with DEI?
Haley Keller: DEI has a lot of different aspects to it, and one way we can think about it is access in terms of age. How youth accesses information is different than how retirees access it. How do we market an event? How do we provide access for communities who don’t speak English? Language is important, so how to write about the LWVGT without jargon so it’s accessible to more people. I connected with Delores Durán-Cerda, who spoke at the LWVGT Annual Meeting, and she put me in touch with the Translation Department at Pima Community College. We tentatively have a student doing their Capstone Project for us next spring, which would mean having documents translated into Spanish.
The Voter: Tell us about your approach to leadership.
Haley Keller: I don’t have a history with the LWV like other people do. So, I should be listening as much as I’m giving ideas. It’s different in the LWVGT because there are no paid employees. This brings a different level of expectations about what other people will do. They need to be on board and have the time to volunteer. It also means making sure that people are doing what they want to do, and making sure people feel fulfilled and feel appreciated.
The Voter: What have you learned about yourself through your experiences with civic engagement?
Haley Keller: I have learned that I don’t always like to be the face of things and the personal attacks that can come with that. But I really enjoy the behind-the-scenes work! I love working on spreadsheets. I love public speaking and will stand in front of a crowd any day and talk.
The Voter: What are some of the different volunteering opportunities with the Communications Committee? Any gaps that you need fill?
Haley Keller: We have a need for volunteers who can help get the word out to news sources and community calendars. We would like to fill a public relations position. Every member can help increase our visibility by interacting with LWVGT on their social media platform of choice: liking, commenting, and sharing posts and stories. If you have Facebook, please mark ‘interested’ for every event we have, even if you are unable to attend.
We are always looking for people who are interested in any aspect of communications. Let us know and we will plug you in.
The Voter: How do you recharge and refresh, so you can continue the work that’s important to you?
Haley Keller: I train for and compete in triathlons, so a lot of running, biking, and swimming. I love to listen to audiobooks when I’m exercising. I like accomplishing things!
| | | We want to hear from you and your committees!
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 send articles and photos via the links below, and note the 20th of the month is the deadline for all issues. 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.
| | Elected Officers
President 2025-2026: Betsy Boggia
President-Elect 2025-2026: Linda Maccabe
Secretary 2024-2026: Barb Colvin
Treasurer 2025-2027: Maureen Clark
Public Programs 2024-2026: Teresa M. Jenkins
Membership 2025-2027: Taylor Miranda
Communications 2025-2027: Haley Keller
Advocacy 2024-2026: Lovely Ganthier
Voter Services 2025-2027: OPEN | | Elected Directors
Bob DeLaney, 2024-2026
Linda M. Longlet, 2024-2026
Gabby Koeppel, 2025-2027 | | | 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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