Officers
A native of Southern California, Jeri devoted more than 30 years of her professional life to the holistic development of college students inside and outside of the classroom. As the Dean of Students, she was charged with leading several departments and, along with colleagues from across the campus, planned and implemented student support services and programs for more than 10,000 students at the College of Charleston. Jeri also taught political science and higher education administration courses at the College and The Citadel. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego and a master's degree and doctorate in political science from Duke University.
Co-President, Cara Erickson
Cara Erickson moved to downtown Charleston after living in suburban New York and Connecticut. She was previously VP Communications and continues to oversee this function our League. Cara has spent her career in media and publishing, holding marketing strategy and sales management roles at The New York Times before leading marketing at Business Week Magazine and spearheading its early digital publishing strategies. For 15+ years she led a specialized executive recruitment consulting business focused on the media and journalism industries. She and her husband Mark have two 30-something daughters and sons-in-law and four fabulous grandchildren living in Hilton Head and in New York City. Cara has served on the advisory board of Report for America, a national journalism service nonprofit, and as a certified college admissions advisor through two nonprofit organizations. She has a BA in history from Duke and an MBA from Columbia University.
Issues & Action VP, Shayna Howell
Shayna is excited to rejoin the board of the LWVCA; she has been a member since the early 2000's when her graduate research on voter participation led her to the League. She holds a Masters in Public Administration (USC, CofC) and a BS in Anthropology (CofC). In addition to volunteering for the LWV, she also serves on the Board of Directors for the Coastal Conservation League and volunteers with the Charleston County Parks through the SC Master Naturalist program. Her primary policy interest is environmental policy, but she credits the League with a nonpartisan, nuanced education in a wide variety of issues, from healthcare policy to public education funding to redistricting reform. Shayna is a lifelong South Carolinian who currently lives on Folly Beach with her husband, two active high-schoolers who keep her amazed on the basketball court and track, and two mischevious hound dogs.
Citizen Engagement VP, Kathleen Rodgers
Mrs. Rodgers is a native of Michigan where she earned her Bachelor in Business Administration Degree from the University of Michigan and her Master in Health Care Administration Degree from Central Michigan University. Mrs. Rodgers relocated to South Carolina in 1998 and took the position of Director for The Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. In 2008, she became the Executive Director for the YWCA Greater Charleston. She retired from the YWCA in 2015 to establish a program for young adults with Autism. In 2015 she co-founded Synergy Supportive Services, LLC. Her professional affiliations are League of Women Voters (Board), National Council of Negro Women (Board) Past President, Charleston Interfaith Council (Board) and Charleston Hat Ladies.
Treasurer, Jane Ovendon
A native of Clemson, SC, Jane is a graduate of Wofford College and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in South Carolina. She was employed in public accounting for many years, primarily in tax preparation, and also spent 10 years in the non-profit area. Most recently, she was Senior Director of Operations for Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation, 501 c(3), and as the Director of Finance for the Kiawah Island Community Foundation, a 501 c(4). Now retired, she lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband Jim.
Secretary [Vacant]
Elected Directors
Candidate Forums, Karen Gallagher
Born and raised in Seattle, Karen Gallagher was the first college graduate in her family. She has been involved in some level of education since she was in kindergarten. Karen believes passionately that education is the pathway to a better life for individuals, families and democracy. She met her husband as an undergraduate and they agreed that they would move for whomever had the better job offer or educational program opportunity. So far they have lived in nine states. They moved to Summerville from Los Angeles to be near their only son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. Volunteering runs deep in Karen's veins. She belonged to the Chapel Hill (NC) League of Woman Voters, the Chicago Abused Women's Coalition, the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, the Governor's Educational Council (KS), and the LA Urban League. In addition to her responsibilities as a professor and dean at the University of Southern California, she helped establish Math for America to prepare math teachers for urban high schools in LA and cofounded a network of seven high schools for low income, first generation students in southern California. Karen holds a BA in political science from Western Washington University, a MEd in educational media from the University of Washington and a PhD in educational leadership from Purdue University.
Education, MaryRita Watson
MaryRita Watson is the Statewide Membership Engagement Coordinator and Government Relations Associate for The South Carolina Education Association (The SCEA). A veteran educator with more than 35 years of experience, she has served as a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, Title I facilitator, school administrator, and association leader.
MaryRita earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Wright State University, her teaching certification from University of Dayton, and a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from The Citadel. While an active educator, MaryRita served as President of the Summerville Education Association and Chair of The SCEA Legislative Committee, advocating for educators, students, and public education across South Carolina.
Originally from Dayton, Ohio, she resides in Summerville with her husband, Lonnie and their five children.
Membership, Susan McHugh
Susan McHugh is a Denver, Colorado native who recently moved to the Charleston area. Her mother was a member of the Denver League in the 1970s and Susan is proud to continue the family tradition. Susan is a licensed secondary teacher and a licensed attorney who has worked in public and private roles. While she and her husband Chris raised their three 20-something daughters she taught high school government, civics, law, debate, and history in the Denver Public schools. She has a BA in government from Pomona College and a JD from Duke University.
Healthcare, Deb Anderson
Deb Anderson joined LWVCA in 2020 when she moved to the Charleston area from Virginia. She lives in Berkeley County /Nexton with her husband and their golden retriever. In 2020, Deb retired, having worked in a community health planning agency, hospitals, and a health care system where she helped to identify and address health care needs. Also, as an adjunct professor, she taught master’s and doctoral community and public health students. Volunteer work has included Planned Parenthood, a free clinic, a hospital emergency room, the Lowcountry Community Hospice House, Meals on Wheels of Summerville, schools, and dog rescue organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Hawaii, a master’s in public health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a doctoral degree in urban health services from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Deb’s family in South Carolina and Virginia includes two great daughters and sons-in-law and three wonderful grandchildren.
During these years, Judith has spent countless hours training as a South Carolina Statewide Master Naturalist, Environmental Garden Designer/Coach, South Carolina Master Gardener and has worked as a Garden Volunteer in the lush public gardens of Great Dixter, Northiam, England and Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, SC. She was also a realtor for 30 years. Judith is a Paper Maker and Paper Artist and is certified as a Circle Facilitator, convening or participating in many diverse Circles through the years.
Donna Englander moved to the Charleston area in 2017 after living in Northern Virginia for 30 years. She has worked for a variety of non-profit organizations as a fundraising professional. Currently she serves as Director of Development and Assistant Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at The Citadel. Her passions include public education and social justice issues.
Vote 411, Chris Symons
Chris Symons moved with her husband to North Charleston in 2016 after living in western Pennsylvania for 20 years. She has a degree in Finance from Gannon University, Computer Programming certificate from Carnegie Technology Education and Data Analysis certificate from John Hopkins University. Over the years, she has worked as an accountant for a rural Credit Union, data analyst, software engineer and manager for a top 10 Mutual Fund manager and most recently as a data engineer for a social good Saas company. Since moving to the Charleston area, she has volunteered with My Sister's House, the Lowcountry Food Bank, Planned Parenthood of South Atlantic and is currently a creek watcher through a partnership between SCORE\Clemson and the Charleston Waterkeeper.
Special Projects and Administration, Sarah Petkus
Originally from Atlanta, Sarah moved to Charleston in 2011 to serve in an Americorps VISTA position with Charleston County Public Library through the Mayor's Office for Children, Youth & Families, focusing on outreach and early literacy efforts. Having received her undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech in International Affairs & French in 2010, she attended grad school at College of Charleston, receiving her MAT in Early Childhood Education in 2014.
Sarah taught elementary school at different grade levels for ten years, beginning at Meeting Street Elementary at Brentwood in North Charleston and later teaching ESOL at several CCSD schools for five years. She has also worked in education technology, mostly creating and editing literacy curriculum materials. Past volunteer work has included after-school tutoring, adult refugee literacy/English education, and working with local nonprofits Charleston Moves, Green Heart, Girls on the Run, and on the leadership team for the South Carolina Multilingual Learner Educator Network. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, art classes, and spending time with friends and family. Sarah currently lives in West Ashley with her husband and two kids, ages one and four.
Voters Service Co-Director, Kathy Bennett
Kathy Bennett was born in Washington DC - not the Maryland or Virginia suburbs, but the District of Columbia. She watched her mother work for various political campaigns, both presidential and local, including Home Rule, and was proud when her parents and grandmother voted for the first time in 1964 when district residents were granted the right to vote as part of the Voting Rights Act.
Kathy is a librarian with a master's degree in public history, using both degrees as a school librarian in the public schools of Nashville, Tennessee and as a librarian at the Civil Rights Room of the Nashville Public Library. The Nashville sit-in movement of 1960 and subsequent Freedom Rides and voter registration projects were documented through an oral history project at the Nashville Public Library in which Kathy took part organizing and implementing. Kathy was honored to interview many of the early student activists of the 1960s, including Guy and Candy Carawan of Highlander Center. Guy was a folk singer whose early work in the civil rights movement was as a driver for Septima Clark. They continued to work together as educators and trainers at Highlander Center, now located in New Market, Tennessee.
Harvey and Kathy married in 1977 and have three grown daughters and three charming grandsons. While managing our league's high school voter registration drives, Kathy loves engaging with young people on their turf, getting to see how our schools work, meeting other LWV members who volunteer at schools, and sharing educational materials with new voters.
Voters Service Co-Director, Judy Manning
Communications, Meg Thompson
Meg Thompson is a public sector professional with extensive experience translating complex government initiatives into clear, accessible messaging. She currently serves as Project Manager in the Office of the Mayor for the City of North Charleston, where she leads cross-departmental projects, secures grant funding, and organizes community outreach and engagement efforts. Earlier in her tenure, she coordinated communications and public engagement and managed the City’s newsletter, translating policy, planning, and service updates into clear, engaging content for residents.
Meg brings a strong background in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and program management, with experience working across local government, nonprofits, and community organizations. Her work includes leading public outreach campaigns, facilitating workshops, and building partnerships that strengthen trust between government and the communities it serves. She is passionate about civic engagement and equity and is committed to supporting the League of Women Voters’ mission by expanding its reach, elevating its voice, and ensuring voters have clear, reliable information to participate fully in the democratic process.
