Photos & Report from the 2025 Annual Dinner

The Annual Meeting of the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County in May attracted 100 members and guests to support our mission for the year ahead. A highlight of the evening was the address by political scientist Dr. Karen Hult: A Republic If You Can Keep It, The Second Trump Term and Prospects for Constitutional Unravelling.

The event held at Warm Hearth Village Center on Tuesday, May 6th, also saw Jes Davis, Associate Director of VT Engage, the Center for Leadership and Service Learning at Virginia Tech, installed as our League’s new president.

Dr. Hult gave an insightful presentation on the constitutional balance between our nation’s legislative and judicial branches in responding to President Donald Trump’s unprecedented and rapid-fire efforts to expand the power and reach of the U.S. president in his administration’s first 100 Days.

In analyzing the state of democracy in the United States, Dr. Hult focused  on voting and efforts to limit voting rights. In citing “fire alarm” indicators for our democracy, she mentioned several states’ recent restrictions on voting rights. These voting law changes are often so subtle that they are less likely to make headlines than other anti-democracy moves, but these changes are fundamental to whether we can keep our republic. 

She recounted the recent history dating back to 2010 when Republican strategies sought to concentrate power even without majority votes. Her analysis included democracy indexes compiled for each state using measures such as legislative limitations on voting rights.

Dr. Hult, a League member and professor at Virginia Tech, is an articulate speaker with extensive knowledge on democracy and the presidency. Her years researching the U.S. presidency as a professor of political science in Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration & Policy informed her comments for the League. That expertise has also made her a valued resource for news reporters – both in America and internationally.

During the business meeting that concluded the event, the members elected these officers:

President: Jessica Davis; Vice President: Deborah Travis; Secretary: Marian Silverman; Treasurer: Becky Chirhart; Membership Director: Necia Evans; Voter Guide Co-Chair: Elaine Powers; Voter Guide Co-chair and Communications Assistant: Susan Terwilliger; Director and Communications Coordinator: Cyndy Graham; Director and  Programs Chair: Beth Obenshain;  Director and Legislative Action: Gunin Kiran; Director of Events: Lynn Brammer; Director and DEI Representative: David B. Travis, Jr.; Director: Elva Miller

Nominating Committee: Off Board: Sara Dalton, Clara Anne Graham, Cynthia Chappelka

The League also approved changes to its bylaws, primarily reflecting payment and processing of membership applications and dues through the League’s national office rather than by each local league.

Event Photos

Invitation

This event on May 6, 2025 at 5:30 pm, at The Village Center at Warm Hearth has already occurred.

The evening will include a buffet style dinner with gluten-free and vegetarian meal options, election of League officers, and our keynote speaker, Karen Hult, VT Professor of Political Science, who will present, "A Republic If You Can Keep It," The Second Trump Term and Prospects for Constitutional Unravelling.

Karen Hult is Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP), PhD Program Director, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP), and Editor, Administration & Society at Virginia Tech.

Hult's expertise in the U.S. presidency and public affairs has made her a frequent resource for journalists seeking insights into politics and especially the recent upheaval of the 2nd Trump administration. Dr. Hult has also served as an election night analyst on the National Public Radio affiliate WVTF for her knowledge of Virginia politics. She has served as a presidency scholar-in-residence at Clemson University. She will be sharing her expertise on the state of democracy and federalism under the rapid changes underway in the current administration.