Officers | Elected Directors | Standing Committees | Administrative/Ad Hoc Committees | Position Descriptions
To reach one of our board members, please email info [at] lwv-alachua.org with the name of the person you are trying to reach and a brief description of your question.
Officers
President
Janice Garry
I joined the League in 2018 because of the integrity of the organization in working towards a more perfect democracy. I’ve been active in the Natural Resources and Local Issues committees. This year I look forward to being a part of the dynamic and caring leadership of our local chapter. My hope is that together, we will work hard, have fun, promote the values and mission of the LWV, and have a demonstrable effect on Alachua County. Please join us.
Vice President
Gwendolyn Saffo
I joined the League in 2019. My background spans over 35 years in diversity and inclusion, social action, and social justice. Active involvement in my community is ingrained in me. Community activism and public service are key to effective and equitable positive community change. As I continue my work with the League, I hope to focus on increasing partnerships, collaborations, and diversity. Voter registration, engagement, and mobilization is my passion, along with other issues facing our community. I am a graduate of Shaw University with a BA in Criminal Justice/Public Administration and UF with a MA in Political Science. I retired as a Manager from the City of Gainesville Office of Equity & Inclusion in 2019, and I currently work as the Competency Restoration Training Coordinator for ITM Group and Associates.
Secretary
Eileen Roy
After 30 years of teaching, I served on the county school board for 16 years. I’ve been a 50-year union member, and have become increasingly politically active. Chief among my many priorities are education and climate change, and I have been on the League Education Committee for the last 17 years. I am grateful for the LWV advocacy for public education as I fear it is in grave danger. And I’m delighted to serve as the new Secretary for such an important organization!
Treasurer
Anne D’Amico
I was born in Mexico and raised in a Missouri river town. I’ve been a lab tech in Austin and Boston, a pretty good waitress everywhere, and worked in a New York advertising firm. I have been a Business Manager for over 30 years, with an MBA from UF. I’ve been a League Member since 2016. Voting rights is the thing that all else depends on. To preserve our democratic institutions and keep this republic we must all work to preserve the principle of one person, one vote.
Elected Directors
Lisa Holley
I am a graduate of the University of Illinois, the University of Houston, and Houston Baptist University. I have a Master’s degree in mathematics curriculum and another in educational technology. After a 40+ year career in education in Texas and Florida, I joined the League. I have two daughters and two grandsons. My priorities are Education and Voter Services. I believe the only way Democracy works is for everyone to exercise their right and responsibility to Vote. I look forward to working with the impressive women in this organization.
Jerry Kidder
I’ve been in the League since 2001 when my wife, Kathy, signed me up at the time she joined. I served on the Board for ten years as chair of Natural Resources or as Treasurer. Kathy and I attended a national convention and several state councils and legislative days and held numerous local new member orientations. I gave training workshops at two state conventions. I believe as current League members we must be ever vigilant in guarding our nonpartisan status while we educate voters and work tirelessly for voting justice in our democracy. Our name is valuable because of our long history of doing so.
Marcia Storch
I have been in Gainesville for almost 12 years. I moved here from Olean, NY, a small town South of Buffalo. Lots of snow. I was a third-grade teacher for 16 years. I have four children and nine grandchildren and have been married for almost 54 years. For fun, I like quilting, volunteering, working for my synagogue, and baking. My biggest passion is democracy. I want to make sure everyone has a voice and will take the opportunity to use it by voting. I believe in justice for all, and I have always admired the workings of the League of Women Voters. I joined LWV right after we moved here in 2012. I'm looking forward to working with the fine people of LWV.
Standing Committee Chairs
Education
Help Wanted!
The Education Committee studies issues, takes action, and lobbies legislators and school boards in our efforts to seek positive changes for our students. While they operate without a chair, the committee is continuing to monitor the state of public education and local education issues within our own community and put forth a brief synopsis of the latest developments here in Alachua County. Examples of updates may include zoning, progress with the half-cent sales tax, student achievement, attendance, and a report on student behavior and discipline. If these issues are important to you, please info [at] lwv-alachua.org (contact Janice) to get involved.
Local Issues
Help Wanted!
At present, the Local Issue Committee is paused. We are eager to see who will step forward to lead the next direction. It could be one of a number of local topics on which we could become informed and be advocates for our community. One member has expressed an interest in forming a healthcare committee, but she needs company. Will that be you? Or is another topic of interest? info [at] lwv-alachua.org (Contact Janice )if you can help. Get involved today!
Natural Resources
Roberta Gastmeyer
As a native Floridian who grew up roaming the “wilds” of South Florida (yes, it was a long time ago), I watched as those special places were replaced with roads, houses and strip malls with little concern for water, air, wildlife. I attended UF in the late 70’s and was impressed by the effective advocacy of the local environmentalists. I joined Sierra Club and started on my volunteer activist journey which I am excited to continue as part of the Natural Resources Committee team.
Jay Rosenbek
I retired from U.F. in 2014. I joined the LWVAC in 2017 and became Co-Chair of the Natural Resources Committee shortly thereafter. I joined the League because it valued evidence. I joined Natural Resources because I wanted to do more to preserve a habitable environment than merely bringing reusable bags to the grocery store and remembering not to put dirty pizza delivery boxes in the recycling bin. League membership and NR leadership have provided experiences every bit as rich as my 47-year career as a speech-language pathologist.
Oak Hammock
Mary White
I have lived in Gainesville since the early 70s when my husband took a job in the math dept at UF. I taught for several years at Idylwild Elementary School. I now live at Oak Hammock, just a few blocks from Idylwild. I have two sons and three granddaughters. I have been a League member for several years. I was put in charge of the naturalization ceremony for the League by my dear friend, Kathy Kidder several years ago.
Social/Criminal Justice
Bennett Brummer
I have dedicated my life to service to the public, especially to the poor. I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Venezuela, a supervisor at Legal Services of Greater Miami, and dedicated 40 years to the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, 32 years as the elected public defender. I have been a member of the League of Women Voters for more than 50 years. I am also a member of the LWVAC Natural Resources Committee and the Electric Vehicle Leader for Sierra Club and LWVAC.
Voter Services
Diana Boxer
As a new member of the board, I am serving as co-chair of Voter Services. I am recently retired from UF as Professor Emerita of Linguistics. My 2014 book focused on Discourse, Politics, and Women as Global Leaders. Having taught a course on Political Discourse for many years at UF, I am very interested in all voter issues. I also serve on the board of The Friends of the Susan B. Anthony Society, and I am a member of the Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women.
Gwen Wagner
I joined LWV after attending the Women's March on Washington in 2017. As a grandmother of 5, I have a strong desire to do all I can to preserve a working democracy for those who will come after us. I grew up in Gainesville, left for college in 1973, and like many who have lived here, returned in 2001. I worked in Development in the non-profit sector in Miami. I’m an avid walker/hiker, enjoy sewing and will soon bring home a Westie pup. We have much to accomplish in this election year in the Voter Services group, so please join us!
Communications
Connie Nicklin
I joined the League in 2017 to participate in Voter Services activities – registering and educating voters. In 2018, I was elected to the board as an at-large director. In 2021, I became Communications Chair. I am also on the board of a local animal rescue, my other passion. In my prior career, I was a research tech, quality assurance manager, and eventually an administrative director at UF. I am currently working as a remote virtual assistant and preparing to RV full time beginning in 2022.
Administrative/Ad Hoc Committee Chairs
Roster and Dues Manager
Lisa Holley
I am a current league member and have been affiliated for years. I am a retired teacher. I’m looking forward to diving into the Roster Manager position.
Health Care
Barbara Frentzen
I am a nurse practitioner who retired from UF in 2018. Because I had been so impressed with the quality of voter information provided, I joined the League and Voter Services Committee immediately after retiring. Following the pandemic, however, I wanted to concentrate on health issues. My work background includes caring for women with high risk pregnancies; conducting clinical research; providing research compliance for UF; and serving as director of the Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research, a statewide brain tumor bank and research group funded by the Florida Legislature and housed in UF’s Department of Neurosurgery.
Kim Walsh-Childers
I’m a former health reporter and journalism professor. I joined the League this year because I’ve always admired the work it does to educate voters and encourage civic involvement. Making sure citizens have the information they need to understand the issues is a shared goal for journalists and the LWV, so it seemed like a natural fit for me.
Hospitality/Events
Jean Robinson
I am one of those women who say I am going to join the LWV when I retire. And I did. I have always admired the work of the League and am proud to be a part of it. My past experience includes political lobby leader of the teachers union and past president of the North Central Florida Central Labor Council. When I joined the LWV, I worked my way up to serving as president of the League. I currently serve as the Events Coordinator, though there have been no events recently, and on the Education and Voter Service committees.
Hot Topics
Mitzi Austin
Retired lawyer. Love to travel.
Me in Iceland holding a chunk of iceberg fresh off the glacier.
Harvey Goldstein
I consider myself a native Floridian. After my family moved to Hollywood in August 1947, I grew up there- some 10 years - without air conditioning. and with many mosquitoes bites every summer. I am a beneficiary of Florida’s support of inexpensive higher education. Tuition at UF in 1958 was $75 a semester. After great difficulty with chemistry and calculus, political science and liberal arts became my major. Thus, I became a lifelong political junkie. After, graduation, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, attended Officer Training School, becoming a 90-day wonder, a gentleman and eventually a Captain with service in SE Asia and Vietnam. With the GI BILL, I attended and graduated UF Law School. After service as an assistant state attorney, I was elected Miami Dade County Judge, serving 24 years. My career was cut short by a lost election, partially due to the change in demographics and my mistaken belief that newspaper ads would be as effective as TV commercials. After my marriage ended, I retired to Gainesville in 2006 and quickly rejoined the League of Women Voters.
Membership
Jeff Shapiro
I joined the League in 2017 to co-chair the GRU Action Team. A retired research biologist, I admired the League’s work in defending our environment, natural resources, and equitable treatment for all. We formed the Action Team to study and oppose state legislation mandating a voter referendum on the City of Gainesville. It asked voters to remove the City Commission from direct governance of GRU. I have chaired the Local Issues Committee for over two years, and I’m proud of the League’s defense of our environment, democracy, voting rights, and rights to local governance and equity for all of our residents.
Sherry Steiner
I joined the League in 2017. I have started to attend Natural Resources Committee meetings and have decided to become more involved in League activities because of our increasingly threatening climate situation and the difficult political challenges we face. I retired in 2015 after teaching homebound special education for 39 years in Levy County. Since the 1980s, I have worked to elect local officials who care about our climate and have been active in numerous environmental projects, most recently concerning renewable energy. I feel that the League is a great avenue through which to pursue a more hopeful future for our children and grandchildren. I am excited to co-chair the Membership Committee with Jeff Shapiro and look forward to meeting new (and old!) members.
Naturalization
Mary White
I have lived in Gainesville since the early 70s when my husband took a job in the math dept at UF. I taught for several years at Idylwild Elementary School. I now live at Oak Hammock, just a few blocks from Idylwild. I have two sons and three granddaughters. I have been a League member for several years. I was put in charge of the naturalization ceremony for the League by my dear friend, Kathy Kidder several years ago.
Nominating Committee
Donna Waller
I came to Gainesville as a graduate student in political theory in 1980 and never left. I was lucky enough to snag a job at SFC teaching U.S. history and American and State and Local Government. When I retired a decade ago, I became active in the LWV, serving as Speaker's Bureau chair and working on a student internship program. I have served on nominating committees in the past, and I am confident that we will find volunteers who will continue to provide excellent leadership for the chapter.
Speakers Bureau
Candy Birch
In 2007, as a high school administrator, I joined the Johnson County KS League to help people know about the important role an informed voter plays in democracy. My husband and I joined LWVAC when we moved to Gainesville in 2019. I have made presentations on voter registration, the voting process, healthcare, diversity in the judiciary, the environment, and education. A former League president, I am now on Voter Services and Health Care committees and continue my advocacy on issues like VOTE411.org.
Technology
Wes Wheeler
Fifth-generation Floridian. Former LWVAC Board Member, VP, and Solar Cooperative Coordinator. Degrees and careers in classical music, environmental planning, estate planning and business law, and agriculture. Leadership role in multiple state-wide UF leadership organizations. Semi-retired (getting there) solo attorney. Married, with two step-daughters and one grandson.
