Location
We were pleased to see League members from across South Carolina at this major biennial event. Resources stemming from convention, including the podcast episode of Bourbon in the Back Room that was taped live at convention, are being added to this page.
Convention highlights
Special guests and presentations included:
- Can Our Democracy Survive the Supreme Court?, Armand Derfner, co-author, Justice Deferred: Race and the Supreme Court
“Bourbon in the Back Room” live podcast: Rep. Beth Bernstein and former state Sen. Joel Lourie interviewed Rita Allison, former state representative and new State Board of Education appointee- 103 Years and Counting, Sania Irwin, vice president, League of Women Voters of the United States
- Cover SC: Building Our Health, Growing Our Economy - Expanding Medicaid, Sue Berkowitz
- W(h)ither Our Rights?, Kirk Randazzo, Chair, Department of Political Science, University of South Carolina |
Powerpoint Available Here
Break-out sessions:
- Redistricting: Where We’re At and What the Future Looks Like, John Ruoff
- The State of Health Care in South Carolina, Rozalynn Goodwin
- Global Warming and Sea Level Rise, Ted Volskay
- Lead Like a Woman: Blueprint for a New Kind of Leadership, Barbara Rackes
Convention details
When
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Who's invited?
Any local League member or member-at-large from South Carolina is welcome to attend Convention.
Voting delegates consist of members designated by each local League (in accordance with a formula based on membership as of February 1 of that year) plus the members of the LWVSC Board of Directors. Other members are invited to attend as observers.
What?
Every two years delegates from South Carolina Leagues gather to adopt a state Program and Action Agenda for 2023-2025 and a 2023-2025 budget, elect a slate of officers/directors, and act on any governance proposals like bylaws changes. LWVSC Convention always includes great speakers and break-out sessions. Once again, this year's program is stellar!
The $185 registration fee includes all-day beverages, a Saturday buffet lunch, and a Saturday evening reception and banquet. A cash bar will be available. (Reception and banquet-only attendance: $60)
Bringing a banquet guest? Members may bring a guest to the reception and banquet for an additional $60. Include your guest information on your online registration form, and use the online payment button to pay for your guest.
Pre-Convention ZOOM sessions, 7 p.m.
Members are encouraged to submit questions in advance. lwvscassistant [at] gmail.com (Email your pre-convention question) or contact the president of your local League.
Overnight hotel accommodations
Special guests
Rita Allison, newly appointed to the State Board of Education, served in the South Carolina House of Representatives (1993-2002, 2008-2022).
During her legislative career, Rita received numerous awards for outstanding work as a SC legislator, including the prestigious “Order of the Palmetto,” South Carolina’s highest honor. Notably, in 2015 she was appointed Chair of the House Education and Public Works Committee, the first woman in a decade to chair a major committee. Rita chaired the important SC House Education Task Force on Policy and Reform tasked to address the Abbeville Court Case. Rita and her family live in Lyman.
Sue Berkowitz is an attorney and director of the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center. South Carolina Appleseed fights for South Carolinians experiencing poverty to overcome social, economic, and legal injustice. She has held this position since 1989
Beth Bernstein has served in the SC House of Representatives (District 78, Richland County) since 2013.
Currently Attorney & Partner, Bernstein and Bernstein Attorneys at Law, she earned her JD at the University of South Carolina and her BA at the University of Georgia.
Beth was the recipient of the State's "Top 20 under 40" (2006) and Business Monthly's "Most Influential People" (2012).
Armand Derfner has been a civil rights lawyer for nearly 60 years, trying cases from Magistrates court to the South Carolina and U.S. Supreme Court. His cases have shaped many areas of the law, especially the Voting Rights Act and other voting laws. He and Clemson Professor Vernon Burton are co-authors of the widely acclaimed book, Justice Deferred: Race and the Supreme Court (2021).
Armand has been recognized with awards from prestigious organizations including the SC and American Bar Associations. They include Trial Lawyer of the Year (2003), Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2007), and James L. Petigru Award (2021). He earned his law degree from Yale and his A.B. from Princeton.
Rozalynn Goodwin, FACHE, is vice president for engagement and a lobbyist for the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA). Passionate about improving the well-being of populations through health and human services, Rozalynn serves as the primary link with many private and public sector stakeholders, including policy-makers, community and advocacy groups, insurers, and employers. She oversees her brainchild Working Well, SCHA’s multi-sector, comprehensive worksite wellness initiative impacting the health of more than 150,000 employees statewide. Rozalynn is an active orator, having addressed more than 300 boards, chambers, civic organizations, professional associations, and media audiences about the Affordable Care Act since its passage.
Sania Irwin serves as vice president, the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS), and Board of Trustees vice-chair, the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF). An active and respected civic leader, Sania was instrumental in Illinois GOTV efforts and in promoting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens locally. She was named 2020 Adade Wheeler Woman of Distinction for her advancement of women through education, advocacy, and mentoring.
Joel Lourie comes from a background of public service, where he served 18 years in the SC House of Representatives and State Senate. He has been recognized by numerous organizations for his work on health care, education, and improving the lives of all South Carolinians, particularly seniors, and children. In addition, Joel has a 35-year history as a business owner and founded Lourie Life & Health in 2011. Since then, the business has grown to be a regional leader in the Health Insurance and Medicare industry.A Columbia native, Joel is a graduate of the public schools and the University of South Carolina.
In 2019, Columbia Regional Business Report selected Barbara Rackes as one of 25 “Women of Influence.” She began as a press secretary in Washington while attending law school and then found success as a serial entrepreneur in traditional and online businesses. After leading local projects in government, historic preservation, and the arts, she joined other women to form SC Women in Leadership (SC WIL), which encourages women to become leaders in corporations, boards, and governments. They work to ensure fair voting, recruit diverse candidates and reduce polarization. Using a data-driven approach, they seek to improve South Carolina’s record as 47th with respect to women in the General Assembly.
Kirk A. Randazzo, Ph.D., is a highly sought speaker and scholar, both internationally and across the United States. As a respected political scientist, he teaches and conducts research on constitutional law and judicial politics, the rule of law in emerging democracies, and judicial independence. As a public speaker, his presentations focus on developing fundamental leadership skills and strategies for successful conflict management, team motivation, and public speaking. From 2013-2016 he served as the Director of the Carolina Leadership Initiative where he developed and implemented a new Minor in Leadership Studies for the University of South Carolina and helped undergraduate students focus on developing leadership skills.
John Ruoff is the Principal of The Ruoff Group based in Columbia, SC. Since the mid-1980s, Ruoff has appeared in federal courts as an expert in redistricting and voting rights. He has drawn local redistricting maps for the SC Conference NAACP and its branches for the last four redistricting cycles. Ruoff, an LWVSC member, drew statewide redistricting plans for the League in the 2020 Census redistricting cycle.
A co‐author of A History of Voting Rights in South Carolina: 1982‐2006, John earned his B.A. at Seattle University and both an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Ted Volskay is an environmental consultant with over 30 years of experience. Ted is refocusing his personal and professional efforts towards climate change mitigation, resilience, and education. Ted attended the University of South Florida (BS Chemistry), and Clemson University (MS Environmental Systems Engineering)) and is in the process of earning a MA in Climate Mitigation and Adaption from the University of South Florida.
Ted lives in Simpsonville, SC, and has been a member of the League of Women Voters of Greenville County for over 25 years. Ted is co-chair of the League of Women Voters of SC Environmental Working Group.
