Who's Invited? 

All South Carolina League members

Event Details

The full-day program, 9:30 am - 3 pm, will open with a retrospective on the midterm election by SEC Outreach Coordinator John Michael Catalano. You'll preview the legislative session and LWVSC priorities with Lynn Teague, LWVSC Vice President, Issues & Advocacy.  Then a  powerhouse panel will tackle grassroots strategies for change.  Later we'll delve into hot topics with our own League experts, then close the afternoon with remarks by Andy Brack, popular editor of Statehouse Report. 

Your $30 per-person fee will cover coffee, snacks, and lunch. 

Online registration is closed. Contact Anita T. Baker at lwvscassistant [at] gmail.com 

Closed: Register for LEAD 2023 

Special Guests/Presentations

Midterm Election Retrospective

John Michael Catalano, Outreach Coordinator, S.C. State Election Commission 

John Michael Catalano has been the Outreach Coordinator for the State Election Commission (SEC) since 2020. As a spokesperson for the agency, John Michael helps keep voters, candidates, political parties, voter advocacy groups, and the general public informed about voting.

John Michael is a graduate of Lancaster High School and the University of South Carolina.  When he isn’t talking about elections, he enjoys spending time with his family and his dog, Crockett.

Strategies for Change: Grassroots Advocacy at the Local and State Levels

Lynn Teague, Moderator, and panelists Wendy Brawley, Leslie Skardon, and Allison Terracio

Wendy Brawley is the CEO and Publisher of IMARA Woman, a lifestyle and personal-growth magazine for women. She is a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (District #70) from June 2017 - Nov. 2022. In the S.C. House, she served on the Medical, Military, Public, and Municipal Affairs Committee where she chaired the Social Services, Mental Health, and Children’s Affairs Subcommittee. Wendy also previously served on the House Education and Public Works Committee. She was previously elected at-large in 2004 to the Richland One School Board and twice elected chair of the board. 

Wendy earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree from Webster University.  

Leslie Skardon is on the Board of the League of Women Voters of the Charleston Area and serves as their Director of Advocacy with a focus on redistricting, Ranked Choice Voting, and good government practices. She also serves on the state League’s nominating committee. 

In her professional capacity, Leslie runs the Charleston office of Global Prairie, a purpose-driven marketing and consulting firm. Leslie also serves on the International African American Museum’s Interfaith Advisory Committee and the Chamber of Commerce’s Regional Policy Committee. She completed her MBA from Georgetown and her BA from Tufts University. Leslie lives on James Island with her husband, twin boys, and golden retriever, Stewart.

Allison Terracio serves on Richland County Council for District 5, which covers many downtown Columbia neighborhoods. She is employed as an Organizing Program Coordinator for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, where she focuses on the patient greeting program throughout the four-state affiliate and serves as the organizer for the state of South Carolina.

Originally from Kentucky, Allison is a graduate of Centre College in Danville, KY.  She lives in Shandon with her husband Nate and her 13-year-old son Van.   

A View from the State House

Andy Brack, Editor, Statehouse Report

Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report, both of which offer his weekly political and policy column about what's happening in state government.  The column has been published across the state for more than 20 years.  In 2022, the City Paper was named winner of the best editorial page in the state for weekly newspapers.

A former political reporter and U.S. Senate press secretary, Andy is a graduate of Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is past president of the S.C. Wildlife Federation and the Rotary Club of Charleston.   Andy and his family live in Charleston.  

Hot Topic Small Group Conversations                                      

• Why Can’t Students See That?: Freedom to Read Coalition, Janelle Rivers, LWVSC Secretary and Education Advocacy Specialist, and Josh Malkin, Legislative Advocate, ACLU of SC 
• Anti-Racism, Karen Woods and Sarah McNeill, Co-Facilitators, Racial Justice Working Group 
• Food-Climate Change Nexus, Ted Volskay, Co-Facilitator, Environmental Policy Working Group
• Health Care Access: Right or Privilege? Teresa Arnold, LWVSC Director and Health Care Advocacy Specialist

Conversation Guest

LEAD 2023 Agenda

LEAD 2023 Agenda 

Possible Hotel Accommodations 

The following hotels are close to the Midlands Technical College Airport Campus.