Our History

PRESIDENT
2024-2025 Executive Committee

A native of Wisconsin, Sue returned after spending several decades working in New York City as a labor attorney. As Director of Program and Advocacy, Sue and her team presented programs on important issues for our members and the public. She also serves on the Legislative Committee for the state League focusing on labor and employment issues. For recreation, Sue spends time with her son and his family and enjoys knitting and hiking.

VICE PRESIDENT - GOVERNANCE
2024-2025 Executive Committee

Gordon Ridley joined the LWVDC in 2021 following retirement from UW–Madison, where he served as an administrator at the School of Medicine and Public Health and the UW Hospital for 30 years. He also volunteers as a literacy tutor in the Madison Metropolitan School District.

VICE PRESIDENT - OPERATIONS
2024-2025 Executive Committee

After more than 20 enjoyable years as a Technical Solutions Consultant/ Salesperson, Patti is excited to return to an early and ongoing joy and passion. She welcomes the opportunity to focus on civic engagement, education, connections, and collaboration for a stronger democracy. Her motto: Let’s all learn! Let’s all vote! Let’s also listen, enjoy life, and laugh.

TREASURER

Prior to retirement, Kathy served as the Finance Officer of the Wisconsin Legislative Council, a nonpartisan legislative service agency. She was involved in various administrative, technical and financial functions of the agency and of the Legislature. She’s a member of the Judicial Integrity Working Group. Kathy grew up on a small dairy farm, which has been in the family since 1850. Her pastimes include reading, walking and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

SECRETARY

Mary is a retired civil engineer, and worked at the DOT as a highway designer and as an airport program manager. Since 2016, she has chaired and co-chaired a social justice group at her church, focusing on voter and immigrant justice. In this role, she tracks legislation and sends action item suggestions to an email list of about 90 people, and organizes and leads educational/advocacy events. She has participated in LWV voter registration events the past five years or so. Mary is also a poll worker in Fitchburg.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR
2024-25 Executive Committee

Martha (Marti) Stamper, Director of Program and Advocacy, is a practicing psychologist. After helping other find their voice, Dr. Stamper joined the league to follow her own advice. As a member of the LWV for over 20, and having served in multiple roles, she continued her service to the league when she moved to Wisconsin in the program and advocacy committee. When not at work, she enjoys sampling local restaurants, outdoor activities, and exploring creativity through crochet.

VOTER SERVICE DIRECTOR

Beth Fultz started her leadership role with LWVDC by heading up outreach on the UW campus in 2021 and now leads the mammoth voter outreach arm of LWVDC as Director of Voter Service. Her career experience in strategic communications at UW Health prepared her well for this critically important role. In her spare time, Beth paints and sells her art work. She believes democracy is a team sport and works best when everyone gets involved.

FUND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
2024-25 Executive Committee
(pending Board approval)

Jill Jokela is serving her second term leading the Fund Development team to keep the lights on at LWVDC and bring in the resources we need to fulfill our mission. A career spent as an IT manager gave her a knack for systems thinking, an asset for the Rube Goldberg machine known as LWVDC. Jill shares her talents as a volunteer with several organizations in the Madison area, and still finds time to visit her adult children in Colorado, and enjoy outdoor pastimes.

DIRECTOR AT LARGE

Amanda Hingst began her involvement in the LWVDC with the Program Committee in the summer of 2022 and has been the editor of the League’s monthly Bulletin since January 2023. She has spent the last 16 years working in communication at Epic, with a focus on medical billing—quite a change from her previous career as a historian of medieval Europe. She enjoys reading, running, hiking, gardening, and outdoor photography.

DIRECTOR AT LARGE

Gail Krc was a program evaluator for the State of Wisconsin at the Departments of Public Instruction and Health from 1968 to 2010. After she retired, she became a Special Registration Deputy and poll worker for the City of Middleton. Her current work for the League includes serving as senior liaison for Middleton, coordinating the municipal clerk project, and being the liaison to the Way Forward Resources (formerly MOM) food pantry.

This team leads on matters related to education on issues and advocacy on issues in accordance with positions adopted by the League of Women Voters at all levels.

They set long-term goals for encouraging member engagement and action in various public policy issue areas, through educational forums, unit discussion groups, book discussions, and other events.

The team develops action campaigns that reflect and engage member interests and promote the policy priorities identified by the national and state Leagues. Long-established traditions include the semi-annual Adopt-a-Highway project, and the annual Lively Issues Luncheon.

2024-2025

Chair: Marti Stamper
Ex-officio, Sue Jennik, President

The Voter Service Steering Committee’s mission is to provide citizens with unbiased factual information and nonpartisan assistance to register and prepare to vote. The work is done through direct voter support, collaborative voter outreach, and government collaboration. Voter Service collaborates with the Program Committee to help the public understand the way that local, state and the federal government make decisions that affect them.

Areas of outreach include community events, students in high school, at UW–Madison, Edgewood College, and Madison College, apartment dwellers, seniors, and unhoused voters. Voter Service also also provides liaisons to libraries and to municipal clerks in Dane County.

Voter Service publishes candidate responses to questions through Vote411.org, and as Candidates’ Answers in print, interviews candidates for Know Your Candidates videos for the City of Madison, and provides moderators for candidate forums.

Voter Service volunteers participate in the Dane County Voter ID Coalition, which does outreach to food pantries, leads canvasses, sponsors the Voter Helpline, and funds transportation to the DMV.

2024-2025

Co-Chairs: Mary Detert and Beth Fultz
Gail Bliss
Kathy Fullin
Shirley Haidinger
Jill Jokela
Paul Lindquist
Kathy Shurts
Brook Soltvedt
Ex-officio, Sue Jennik, President

The Member Service Steering Committee promotes a diverse and engaged membership and member retention strategy, and is involved in leadership development and volunteer recognition. The committee’s duties include recruitment and outreach to potential members; new member orientation and welcome to help connect new members to our work; volunteer recognition. The committee sees that volunteers report their hours, which are in turn reported annually to the national League. Each year the committee ensures that our member survey remains current and aligned with our activities.

2024-2025

Chair: Barb Feeney
Andrea Diss-Torrance
Margaret Fuguitt
Sally Gleason
Lynne Ostrowski
Kimmie Rooney
Mary Ellen Schmit
Patti Schubert
Ex-officio, Sue Jennik, President

The DEI team assists League leadership in implementing our DEI policy. They develop recommendations, ideas for educational opportunities, and ways for members to learn from and experience diverse communities in Dane County. The team seeks to expand LWVDC’s connections with other organizations that reach diverse populations and intentionally works to maintain connections, plan joint activities as appropriate, and promote advocacy actions consistent with LWV positions on issues.

2024-2025

Chair: Dawn Zimmerman
Barb Feeney
Lisa Janairo
Earnestine Moss
Louise Robbins
Susan Rosenbek
Mary Ellen Schmit
Ex-officio, Sue Jennik, President

The Fund Development Steering Committee develops strategies to financially support the mission and work of the League. They establish a fundraising approach for the fiscal year, raising funds from members and non-members. They research new prospects and create new
ways to build relationships while retaining existing effective means.

2024–2025

Chair: Jill Jokela
Chris Clements
Jean Jacobson
Debby Meyer
Gordon Ridley
Ex-officio, Sue Jennik, President

The Finance Steering Committee oversees the finances of the organization to ensure the proper recording of revenues and disbursements and that the proper controls are in place; reviews financial reports; and ensures that tax and other government reports are filed on a timely basis. The Committee also oversees insurance matters. The committee members are appointed by the Board per LWVDC Bylaws.

2024-2025

Chair: Kathy Annen, Treasurer
Helen Horn
Paul Lindquist
Gordon Ridley
Ex-officio, Sue Jennik, President

The Nominating Committee develops a slate of candidates to fill open Board positions, to be voted upon by LWVDC members at the Annual Meeting. The Nominating Committee nominates a chair and two members for the following year, also to be elected at the Annual Meeting. Two additional members (*) are appointed by the Board of Directors.

2024-2025

Chair: Barb Feeney
Margaret Fuguitt
Lisa Hassenstab
* To be appointed