About the League of Women Voters Nashville (LWVN)
A Nonpartisan Organization Encouraging Informed and Active Participation of Citizens in Government
As a non-partisan organization, the LWVN maintains two components:
- 501(c)(3) Organization (tax-deductible donations)
All of our unbiased, non-partisan information on voting and citizen education is funded through tax-deductible donations through the League of Women Voters of Tennessee Education Fund, a 501(c) (3) organization. - 501(c)(4) Organization (non-deductible donations)
After our members thoroughly study an issue of public policy, we develop an advocacy position. When legislative bills in the state legislature are introduced that directly address stated LWVTN positions, LWVTN volunteers and the LWVTN paid lobbyist make our organization’s positions known to state legislators. Lobbying for specific legislation (on either the local or state level) is not a tax-deductible activity and is paid for out of the non tax-deductible 501(c)(4) component of the organization.
The LWVN never supports or endorses political parties or candidates. While we encourage and enable all of our members to be civically and politically active, the organization maintains a strict non-partisan stance.
Strategic Focus
In addition to the positions adopted by The League of Women Voters at the state-level (LWVTN), the members of the Nashville League (LWVN) have adopted the following positions to guide their Strategic Focus for 2020-2021.
- LWVN provides resources for current and emerging voters:
- Voter registration, including outreach to under-represented voters
- Voter information regarding upcoming elections and candidates
- “Hot Topics” programs that inform the community about complex issues
- Candidate forums
- Support for restoration of voting rights for former felons
- LWVN advocates for free, fair, and transparent election processes:
- Secure, accurate voting procedures with voter-verified paper trails
- Full implementation of the Voting Rights Advancement Act
- Poll watching and reports for the public
- LWVN advocates for public policies to address needs of Nashville residents:
- High quality public education
- Efficient and accessible transportation options — biking, walking and mass transit
- Environmentally responsible reduction and management of waste
- Sustainable approaches to land use, growth, and development
- Improved access to high quality health care for Nashville residents
- Sensible gun control measures requiring background checks and restriction of guns in public places
- Programs to reduce poverty and promote self-sufficiency
- Efforts to sustain Nashville’s efforts as a welcoming city for immigrants and refugees
Current Board Members (July 2021 – June 2022)
Leadership Team
In addition to serving on the LWVN Board since 2015, she has been active for years in the community as an advocate for accessible and affordable health care for all Tennesseans, as a volunteer for the Nashville Public Library, and as a support for TIRCC’s ESL classes for immigrants and refugees. Since 2013, Madeline has also been involved in ACA enrollment efforts in the Nashville area and in educating Tennesseans about their health care options. Garr enjoys using her language skills and love of writing in service to LWVN.
She is married to Tony Garr and they have two adult daughters as well as two granddaughters and a grandson.
She moved to Nashville in 2000 to attend Belmont University for her Master’s in Teaching. She taught for eight years in the classroom. Lara worked as adjunct faculty for both Vanderbilt University and Belmont University supervising student teachers. She enjoyed this work because it allowed her to travel all over Nashville to meet and work with teachers and principals. She has taught masters level math and science methods courses for elementary educators. Lara also presented social-emotional education workshops and co-authored the book “Doing Science in Morning Meeting” for the Center for Responsive Schools. She teaches classes for gifted students through SAVY at Vanderbilt.
Lara is married and has three sons, two of which are school-aged attending Metro schools. She is passionate about public education and has volunteered in various capacities at her children’s schools. Lara sits on the Academically Talented Parent Advisory Board for MNPS. Her boys keep her busy with their hijinks, but in her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, or going to Target.
Along with her nerdiness, Karen is a Girl Scout as well as an avid hiker and canoeist. Even before the celebration of the first Earth Day in 1970, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, Karen was dedicated to working for sustainable and equitable ways of living on earth.
In 2020, Karen’s mother died from COVID. One of Karen’s first memories is playing with the “kids” during her mother’s LWV meetings. Her mom was working to end above ground nuclear testing, something the LWV tackled in the early 1960’s, among many other things. Only a few months before her mother passed, she and Karen discussed problematic voter ID laws in Wisconsin and Tennessee. As a testament to her mother, Karen jumped into the local LWV. One final note: her mother’s best LWV friend was Corinne Goldgar, the granddaughter of Corinne Cohn for whom the Cohn School is named.
She retired from the faculty at Vanderbilt five years ago.
She strongly believes that the quality of life depends upon the quality of folks we surround ourselves with, so she tends to have friends who don’t mind laughing out loud and who value honesty, integrity, curiosity, compassion, and character. She believes that a small group of people, working together, can bring about great changes. She is inspired by the obstacles people can overcome and the tenacity they bring to the task. While being too pragmatic to get passionate about much, she does get excited about watching her grandchildren, seeing the first daffodil in the spring, eating orange popsicles, and having dog licks on her toes.
In Nashville, she has volunteered with the Frist and healthcare-related nonprofits and has a long-term commitment to the Antioch office of the Nashville Adult Literacy Council, where she is a regular in their Start Now literacy program. Elise feels deeply honored to serve on the LWVN Board. In off-hours she expends energy on dogs, growing cacti and succulents, and worrying (constructively) about the future of our planet.
Susan joined the LWVN in 2016 and has coordinated the LWVN VOTE411 online Voter Guide over the last two years. She also participated in the LWVTN Action Committee in 2018.
She serves on the Metro Nashville 9-1-1 Board and participates in several volunteer activities through her church. She is an avid tennis player and enjoys traveling, cooking, and reading. She lives in Nashville with her husband Rick and has two grown children.
Portfolio Chairs
She is an active member of the Muslim community participating in interfaith and youth programs. In 2010, Sabina helped launch the Sons and Daughters of Abraham Project which brings together Muslim, Christian, and Jewish youth across Middle Tennessee through interfaith dialogue and outreach programs.
Sabina has published a number of articles in The Tennessean and was an outspoken critic of the 2011 anti-sharia bill in the Tennessee state legislature. She is a founding board member and current Middle Tennessee Program Manager of the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC), which fosters mutual trust and respect among all people through civic engagement, community building and media relations in order to protect all Tennesseans from prejudice and targeted violence. She serves as the chair of AMAC’s yearly Empowering Women conference. Additionally, Sabina serves on the Community Nashville board which combats bias, bigotry, and racism among youth and serves on the National Organization of Workforce Diversity board which helps promote diversity in the workplace.
To relax, Felisha enjoys reading the latest book club pick, strolling through the Farmer’s Market, or catching a movie at the Belcourt.
As a new member, Felisha looks forward to contributing to the vital advocacy and legislative work of the League. Education from the League and its members has helped her feel purposeful–and powerful–in a year of immense change. She’s excited to use her experience in communications and team-building to connect with others in Nashville who share our goals to educate and empower voters.
After college, Ophelia has focused her career efforts in the private sector specializing in supporting government programs for healthcare companies and state government. Currently, she works as a Consulting Communications Specialist for HCA Healthcare in Nashville, TN.
When she’s not working, she dedicates her time to the League of Women Voters and The Women’s Fund.
Since retirement in 2018, he has been active in LWV voter registration and tracking of broadband legislation, as well as volunteering with other nonprofits in environmental, health and technology sectors. Jack also enjoys spending time hiking with friends on the many wonderful trails available to us in Nashville area parks.
Jami is passionate about the public education system and founded UniCycle in 2014, a nonprofit that collects gently used school uniforms and redistributes them to students in the Metro Nashville Public School system through the Homeless Education Resource Office and closets in schools throughout the district. The program is completely volunteer-run and distributed approximately 20,000 items during the 2019/20 schoolyear.
While living abroad, she served in various volunteer positions, utilizing her public relations and event planning skills as a founding board member of Hands On Switzerland and in several positions with the American Society of Sao Paulo, among other things. Prior to that, she was an account director at one of Houston’s largest public relations, advertising and event planning firms. She is currently a fellow of the 2021 cohort of Leadership Public Education, a leadership development program that supports community efforts to effectively serve Metro Nashville Public Schools.
She is excited to work with the League of Women Voters to increase enthusiasm for the democratic process among young voters, starting by growing relationships within schools to engage students and make them realize the power of their votes and voices.
Mary Claire is a graduate of the 2020 cohort of Leadership Public Education, a leadership development program that prepares business leaders for leadership roles in and around Metro Nashville Public Schools. She serves on the MNPS Parent Advisory Council as a school liaison and is on the board of Percy Priest Extended Day program. Mary Claire is the proud parent of a 6th grader at JT Moore Middle School and a 2nd grader at Percy Priest Elementary School and is an ardent supporter of public education.
Mary Claire has worked with college students her entire career: as career counselor, fundraiser providing access to education, advisor to student leaders and volunteer coordinator. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Temple University.
Barbara has been a high school foreign language teacher, practiced social work at St. Joseph’s Hospital cancer ward in Hamilton, Ontario, and worked with the Comprehensive Developmental Evaluation Center at Vanderbilt University. A social worker with MNPS for 24 years, she also served as the department’s interim director. In addition, she administered a $1.1 million U.S. Department of Education elementary school counseling demonstration grant from 2000 to 2004.
Barbara has been a member of the LWVN since 1981. She served as director of the juvenile justice portfolio and on the education committee before becoming second Vice President in 2008 and is also chair of the LWVTN State Action Committee. She likes to read, paint and draw, swim, and ride horses.
Russanne has served on Park Center’s Quality Assurance Board and on the Hillsboro West End Neighborhood Association Board. She is now retired and volunteers with various agencies involving the arts.
Anne-Marie has previously served on the board of the League as Education Chair, as well as the boards of Disciples Divinity House and the PTOs of both her children’s schools. She enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, gardening, and watching movies with her boys.
She received a Master’s degree in Health Policy and Management from Harvard School of Public Health and a Master’s in Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.
In addition to her work with the League of Women Voters, she gardens and volunteers with the Tennessee Health Care Campaign and Ten Thousand Villages. She is the spouse of Mark Brooks, and parent of Adria and Cade Brooks.
By professional training, she is a Registered Nurse, now retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Tennessee Air National Guard. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC; a Master’s of Public Health degree from the School of Public
Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Tennessee State University.
She loves to travel, and that experience has acquainted her with the varied statuses of women in different cultures, especially in the area of women’s health. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the Mission Ministry for Temple Baptist Church, where she is involved in outreach ministries in Haiti and Belize, Central America. She also serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for Samaritan Ministries, Inc. and was nominated by her sorority chapter, Nashville Metropolitan Alumnae of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. as a candidate for the ATHENA Award in 2012.
I have always been a writer but earned my living as an educator, teaching English to high school students in Northern California and Tennessee for 30 years. I presently work part-time for the Metro Nashville Public Schools system as an English Language Assessor, giving tests to students for whom English is not their first language. I currently write a column for the Sierra Club TN called “Dear Eartha: Advice from an Eco Guru.” I also live in Tennessee’s only Cohousing Community in Germantown, an experience that has taught me much about the consensus process and community decision-making – and it’s been a steep learning curve.
Working to address the ravages of fossil fuel abuse upon our planet requires the participation of voting citizens in a democratic system of governance. Involving people in the voting process seems complex on many levels but mostly an opportunity, as I see it, to learn a whole lot about America and the American people. I’m honored to be asked to serve on the board.
Beth consistently volunteers for local and national political campaigns and through Hands on Nashville, most recently with the COVID-19 vaccine effort through the Metro Public Health Department.
Beth is married to husband Dan, a fellow animal and nature lover and the two have a dog and 2 cats. In her spare time, Beth loves hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding and sometimes, travel.
“The Voter” Newsletter
Garr enjoys using her language skills and love of writing in service to LWVN. She is married to Tony Garr and they have two adult daughters as well as a new granddaughter.
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee serves as mentors to the Leadership Team.
Barbara Gay
Carole Bucy
Marian Ott
Karen Edwards
Jo Singer
Debby Gould
Brenda Wynn
Luvenia Harrison
Sally Levine
June Bond
Nominating Committee
A strong voice of advocacy in the community, Gilmore has served on a number of boards in Middle Tennessee (e.g., Board of Vanderbilt’s Susan Gray School for Abused and Special Needs Children at the John F. Kennedy Center, Board Chair of the Margaret Cunningham Women’s Center) and received numerous awards. She is currently a member of the boards of TSU Women’s Center and Fifty Forward. In addition, she chairs the Davidson County Delegation, is vice president of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators, and co-chairs the STEM Caucus.
A life member of the NAACP, Gilmore holds membership in the Music City Chapter of the Links, Inc.; Top Ladies of Distinction; the National Council of Negro Women; and is president of both the National Hook Up of Black Women and the Minerva Foundation.
Betsy has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Millsaps College and a Master’s in library science from Emory University. She and her husband, Knox, have two grown
daughters.
By professional training, she is a Registered Nurse, now retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Tennessee Air National Guard. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC; a Master’s of Public Health degree from the School of Public
Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Tennessee State University.
She loves to travel, and that experience has acquainted her with the varied statuses of women in different cultures, especially in the area of women’s health. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the Mission Ministry for Temple Baptist Church, where she is involved in outreach ministries in Haiti and Belize, Central America. She also serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for Samaritan Ministries, Inc. and was nominated by her sorority chapter, Nashville Metropolitan Alumnae of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. as a candidate for the ATHENA Award in 2012.
I believe in helping others and have volunteered with Legacy Mission Village, an organization which helps refugee families in Nashville. I extended my advocacy work by initiating and heading the Immigration Task Force at the Brentwood United Methodist Church. Previously, I was a mentor at the TN Prison for Women in the Better Decisions program.
I have worked in Early Childhood Education for 35 years. I love reading and presently participate in three book clubs. I am a woman, wife, mother, and grandmother.