Board Roles and Responsibilities

Board Roles and Responsibilities

Board Roles

Board Roles and Responsibilities

(Updated August 2024)

Interim President - Debbie Travis

The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization and of the Board of Directors; may, in the absence of the Treasurer, sign or endorse checks, drafts, and notes; shall be, ex officio, a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.The President shall vote last on all matters. The president is both the energizer and guide for keeping the League officers and directors moving forward in their respective assignments and ensuring that they communicate with each other. The president should not try or be expected to do ALL of the League’s important work, but to work with and through directors and their committees to fulfill the League’s mission. She is the public voice of the League.

Vice President - Debbie Travis

The Vice President(s) shall, in the event of the absence, disability, resignation, or death of the President, possess all the powers; and perform all the duties of that office, until such time as the Board of Directors shall select one of its members to fill the vacancy. The Vice President (s) shall perform such other duties as the President and Board may designate.

Vice President for Voter Services - Cyndy Graham

The Vice President of Voter Services works with the state League to set up information in VOTE411 and invite candidates to participate. The VP of Voter Services works with the local NAACP  to organize candidate forums, and coordinate volunteers to do voter outreach, education, and registration activities including at farmers markets, libraries, and other local events. High school voter registration is currently led by Jess Hoopengardner, but that also falls under voter services. 

Treasurer - Becky Chirhart 

The Treasurer keeps accurate records of the financial activity of the League. The Treasurer works with the bank in all our monetary actions, collects and pays all bills, collects and deposits all income. Provides monthly fiscal year to date reporting of income and expenses along with balance sheet statements.

Secretary - Mirian Silverman

The Secretary takes minutes of each Board meeting, as well as the Annual Meeting and other meetings when requested. At the Annual Meeting the secretary will call for additional nominations after the Nominating Committee slate has been announced. If none are offered the secretary will call for a motion to accept the slate and conduct the vote.

Director of Programs - Beth Obenshain

The Director of Programs works with a small committee to plan a variety of League programs throughout the year that both educate our members on important issues and attract new members.  These meetings include: 

  • First Tuesday Talks most months of the year
  • Community Forum in October, partnering with the Lifelong Learning Institute [LLI]
  • Fall Membership Meeting – can be separate or combined with the Community Forum
  • Annual May Meeting: Identify and invite the speaker 
  • Planning any special programs approved by the board, for example leadership training for college students, young adults
  •  Partnering with community organizations on Voter Education programs
  • Optional: Can work with the Voting Services Director on candidate forums

At present, the committee comprises Beth Obenshain, director; Susan Terwilliger; Carolyn Rude; possibly one other younger, newer board member.  The League president will be invited to committee meetings or consulted immediately afterwards for input on proposed speakers. I anticipate committee meetings will be brief and fun, perhaps over a glass of wine or cup of coffee at a local site.

Director of Events - Lynn Bramer

The Events Team works at the direction of the board to organize special events such as setting up information tables at a farmer’s market;  having meetings, often in a church building to present our organization or our voting registrar and new voting situations our General Assembly has put in place to our membership. The major work is to organize our annual meeting: getting the place, work with the details of setting up (i.e. getting a situation set up where one may buy wine, registration/name tag table, menu and price of the meal, head table for speaker, invited guests if there are to be some). Current members are Elva Miller, Linda Plaut, Ginny Jedda and June Johnson (?).

Director of Communication - Carolyn Rude

The Communications Team prepares the documents, both print and at the website, for voter education and member information. These documents include the “Voter Guide” brochure, sample ballots, candidate profiles, and member newsletters. The group also designs slides, posters, and yard signs prompting voter registration and voting, and it oversees the information for the website.

My role as Communications Assistant (Susan Terwilliger) has mostly been to take publications ready to mail (bulletins and postcard mailings) and prepare them for bulk or regular mail. This involves affixing mailing labels, sorting by ZIP code, and entering details into the USPS online bulk mail system if mailing more than 200 items. For smaller mailings, affixing labels and procuring and placing stamps. Mary Ann Johnson (Director at Large) has done the mailing labels in the past. Now, with a paid graphic designer working with the League, the bulletins will be mostly emailed instead of mailed through the postal system. Carolyn is the Communications Director who works with Katy Morikawa, the virtual assistant and graphic designer who maintains our website.

Director of Facts - Susan Terwilliger and Elaine Powers

Susan shares this role with Elaine Powers, and Carolyn Rude works with them also. Susan’s role up until this year has been to gather updated information on elected officials (e.g. Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, Montgomery County School Board, and Town Council members) as well as County Administrative officials and Constitutional Officers. Then, help distribute the finished brochures to key locations. This involved communicating with contacts in key offices to provide and verify information. Now, with the streamlined Voter Guide, the focus is on voting information with fewer officials listed. We still need to update information and check for accuracy as well as distribute the finished brochures. Elaine and Susan have gathered source information in the past; Carolyn has put it together into the trifold. If Carolyn decides she no longer wants that job, we could use a new volunteer with a knowledge of InDesign to take her place.

Director of Membership - Necia Evans

Duties include:

  • Maintain National Roster
  • Maintain Local Roster
  • Make changes as they come in
  • Regularly send up-dated roster to board
  • Add new members to both Rosters
  • Send out renewal letter and follow-up postcards and emails
  • Develop letter and form w/others
  • Track down non-responsive members
  • Deal with problems about dues and memberships
  • Send “Thank You” letters for donations with renewals and fundraising.
  • Develop thank you letter w/others
  • Send “Welcome” letter and FACTS to new members
  • Alert Board members of any comments new and renewing members add to their form

Necia has talked to Elaine Head about calling new members, welcoming them and finding out what interest they have and helping them connect with the proper person in charge of that area. She would help orient new members about the various opportunities available in the league.

Director of Advocacy, Lobbying and Action Team - Open

Advocacy – pleading for or against causes, as well as supporting or recommending positions.

Lobbying -  an attempt to influence specific legislation. This includes both legislation that has already been introduced in a legislative body and specific legislation proposals that the League may oppose or support. 

Action – acting on local, state or national issues for which League positions have been established.  The resulting action could be Advocacy or Lobbying. 

Advocacy

  • Identify current and potential coalition partners for action and/or education and develop strategies for working together.
  • Coordinate activities with coalition partners to ensure maximum involvement in addressing issues.
  • Monitor local government activities to identify issues consistent or not consistent with national, state and local positions.
  • Attend the LWV-VA pre-session workshop in Richmond to learn about proposed state legislation. 

Lobbying

  • Monitor local governmental bodies in Montgomery County to assess issues that could be addressed with national, state and local positions.
  • Maintain a tracking system for legislative bills consistent or not consistent with league positions.
  • Research bill history to identify key issues for use by membership.
  • Attend the WLRT (Women’s Legislative Round Table) and committee meetings during the Virginia legislative session.
  • Attend LWV-VA Lobby Day in Richmond

Action

  • Monitor LWV-US “Action Alerts” and “Calls to Action” and distribute to LWVMC membership,
  •  if needed.
  • Monitor LWV-VA “Action Alerts” and “Calls to Action” and distribute to LWVMC membership, if needed
  • Develop an “Alert Team “  who can  telephone and/or  make face-to-face contacts with LWVMC members to encourage them to “take action”
  • Coordinate Local State Legislatures’ meetings to lobby and discuss issues of concern to the League.
  • Coordinate Local Legislatures’ meetings to lobby and discuss issues of concern to the League. 
  • Develop Fact Sheets when necessary.

Director of DEI - David Travis

This team is under development by the Board.

Please contact us with any inquiries. 

See About the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, VA.