News
LWVMI Convention Awards
Eva Packard Voter Services Award:
This is a new LWVMI award, named for the late Eva Packard, a longtime League member who was extremely active and instrumental in Voter Service activities, specifically securing Vote411 for LWVMI and local Leagues. Our own Judy Florian won this award, and Judy is so very deserving!
She serves as the LWVMI Vice President for Voter Services, a position she held in our own League before taking on the role of President. In the past two years, she has led Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts, distribution of the statewide printed Voter Guide, connected the Voter Service Network across Michigan with monthly meetings, worked with coalition partners on clerk engagement and election protection activities, collaborated with the Muskegon Intermediate School District on the 19th Amendment Project with 4th grade students and served as LWVMI Lead for the MI Vote Matters High School Registration Challenge with the Michigan Department Of State (MDOS).
Judy is pictured above between LWVMI Co-Presidents Christina Schlitt (a past member and President of LWVGP) and Paula Bowman.
Belle Ringer Awards:
The Belle Ringer Awards are named after Florence Belle Brotherton, the first president of the League of Women Voters of Michigan. Each local League may nominate one person in each of the four categories, and each person does indeed receive a small bell!
Congratulations to the following League members who received the Belle Ringer Award.
Advocacy-Lauri Kingsbury: Lauri has been instrumental in resurrecting our Observer Corps, providing training for observers, as well as developing structure, reporting forms and quarterly meetings to significantly enhance our local reputation. Lauri is now taking on a new role as Chair of our new Advocacy Committee.
Voter Services-Mary Garlough: Mary’s efforts as Director of Voter Services included organizing the LWVMI Get Out The Vote (GOTV) project, engaging with local clerks to update our annual Your Government Officials brochure, sending out absentee ballot applications, and conducting excellent high school voter registration activities.
Member Recruitment and Engagement-Marge Freundl: Marge’s strongest contributions to our League have focused on new members, as she calls every new member to welcome them to our League, orients them to the value of the League through a new, virtual New Member Orientation Program and follows up with all members with creative ideas for Community Engagement. She has also served on our DEI Committee
Financial Management/Fundraising-Carol Lufburrow: Carol’s financial experience and expertise have provided us with balanced budgets, essential reporting requirements, fundraising letters, and donor acknowledgements, resulting in a great financial position for our local league.