LWVAC is proud to have several Life Members--those who have been League members for 50 consecutive years! We've set out to interview them all. Here we talk with Nancy Griffin.
How did you find your way to Gainesville?
My husband Wayne and I moved to Gainesville from Perry, FL, with our two-year-old daughter Heather in 1975. Wayne had become the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church. It was a hard move for me, just gaining confidence in being a first-time mother. We had made many friends in Perry, so it was challenging to move.
When and where did you join the League?
A couple in the church invited us to a dinner party in 1976 at the home of Betty and Jim Conklin. The conversations were so refreshing and informative that I couldn’t sleep that night. Here were women who were informed about current events and human rights. It turned out that all the women and some of the men were members of the Alachua County League of Women Voters! Betty Conklin was the President that year.
I was very eager to be able to converse with these knowledgeable women, so I started going to committee meetings. I used a cooperative childcare system of mothers who wanted the children to be safe and in a loving environment. It was run by a person who kept track of the number of hours we kept children and the hours we used the cooperative. It worked perfectly for me to be able to attend LWV meetings. Plus, it was free! It was so helpful to me as a young mother.
What issues/causes have moved you the most?
Poverty and inequality have always been important issues for me. I had been a caseworker with the Fulton County Family and Children’s Services office in Atlanta when Wayne was in seminary. That’s when we actually did home visits and I loved it. I saw how poverty really impacted these parents. It made me feel good when I could connect clients with helpful resources.
Through the LWV, we toured a migrant farm worker camp, and I was appalled at the conditions and how the system kept them from climbing out of poverty. I gained confidence in speaking about and knowledge of the farm workers' issues. As an advocate for farm workers, I co-authored the state study guide for the Florida LWV.
An appointment to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Farmworker Affairs came next for me under Governor Graham. I was reappointed by the successive 2 governors serving from 1986-1991. Contacts in the Governor’s office and department heads who served on the council were valuable to me as the co-chair of its Health Committee.
Tell us about your career in Gainesville.
While serving as an officer (secretary, vice President, and Human Resources Committee Chair) in the Alachua County LWV, I also worked on, and obtained, my Master's degree in Sociology at the University of Florida (UF). My major professor was writing a book on poverty and inequality, and I assisted him with the research.
Later I learned that Florida State University (FSU) had a Master’s Program of Social Work (MSW) degree program on the UF campus at night. I entered in 1991, taking 2 classes per term and completed my degree in 1994. (So, we are a divided household when it comes to college teams: my husband received his degrees from UF; our daughter received her degrees from FSU; and I have master’s degrees from both universities.)
I was employed by Santa Fe Community College (now known as Santa Fe College) (SFC) for 25 years as the "Displaced Homemaker Program: Focus on the Future" Coordinator. It was (and remains) a very successful empowerment and employment program. When I retired in 2011, I was honored with a SFC Lifetime Achievement Award. Along the way, l received the Woman of Distinction Award in 2003 from SFC and the Florida Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers in 2004.
My mother was born on the day following the certification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, granting women the right to vote. That was very important to her. She would be pleased with these awards, knowing that she left quite a legacy for me.
What advice do you have for our members?
A former Florida State Representative, Sid Martin, once said: "It takes about 10 years to make positive changes in legislation that seem to make common sense to the citizenry." I watched that very thing happen regarding progress for farmworkers. And now it seems like we are going backwards with farmworker pay, drinking water for workers in the fields, basic human rights and shelter for the workers and their families.
So, my message to young members would be to “keep at it." Write emails and letters, make calls and visit Tallahassee when possible and make appointments to meet your Senators and Representatives. Get to know their staff as well.
