Our Mission and Roles
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never support or oppose any political party or candidate.
The League of Women Voters has two separate and distinct roles.
- Voters Service/Citizen Education: we present unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues.
- Action/Advocacy: we are also nonpartisan, but, after study, we use our positions to advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest.
To conduct our voter service and citizen education activities, we use funds from the National and California League of Women Voters Education Funds, which are 501(c)(3) corporations, nonprofit educational organizations. The National and California League of Women Voters membership organizations, also conduct action and advocacy and are nonprofit 501(c)(4) corporations.
Our Vision, Beliefs, and Intentions guide our activities.
Nevada County League
The League of Women Voters of Nevada County was started in 1978 when a few League members from other areas moved here and formed a Member-at-Large (MAL) group, which later developed into a Provisional League.
In 1984 all necessary requirements were met and the group was accorded full status by the National and California State Leagues as the League of Women Voters of Western Nevada County. The League changed its name to League of Women Voters of Nevada County in 2022 to be inclusive of the entire county.
2023-24 Board Members Board Members
Officers
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Co-President – Lynn Forbes
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Co-President - Jan Bedayn
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Membership Chair – JoAnn Marie
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Treasurer – David Jones
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Secretary – Shauneen Deschaine
- Education Chair - JoAnn Castori
- Vote411 Chair - Julie Hubbard
- Voter Services Chair - Ariel Lovett
- Outreach Chair - Joey Jordan
Past Presidents
- Joan Lancaster & Miriam Swift 1980-1981
- Mary Adams 1981-1982
- Edi Silverman 1982-1984
- Shirley Price 1984-1986
- Eloise Gregory 1986-1987
- Susan Shotwell 1987-1988
- Virginia Birdsall 1988-1989
- Bonnie Taylor 1989-1991
- Eloise Gregory 1991-1992
- Betty Taylor 1992-1993
- Scottie Shields 1993-1995
- Mary Dreifuss & Dottie Schmidt 1995-1996
- Mary Dreifuss 1996-1997
- June Englebright 1997-1999
- Dottie Schmidt 1999-2000
- Joan Lancaster 2000-2002
- Mary Dreifuss & Edi Silverman 2002-2004
- Dottie Schmidt 2004-2005
- Board of Directors 2005-2007
- Ruth Schwartz 2007-2010
- Board of Directors 2010-2011
- Karen Schwartz 2011-2014
- Anne DeWitt 2014-2015
- JoAnn Marie 2015-2017
- Janice Bedayn 2017–2021
- Fran Cole 2021-2023
- Lynn Forbes, Jan Bedayn 2023-24
Other League Organizations
Our members are also members of:
See other Leagues in California and other state Leagues and local League websites.
Nevada County History
View this interesting film of Ellen Sargent who founded the Nevada County's Women Suffrage Association in 1869.
