Past President’s Message

Liz Jordan

Past President’s Message By Liz Jordan

Dear Branch Members,

I joined AAUW Sacramento in 1976 and I have been glad to pay my dues every year because I believe in the mission to bring a state of equity to the lives of women and girls; because I have made many life-long friendships and acquaintanceships as a member; and because I have learned so much, and grown with some leadership skills by participating in our Sacramento branch.

As your co-president these past two years, I learned about leadership from a hospital bed, from my computer screen, from standing before you at branch meetings and from leading the board meetings each month.

I am proud I was able to participate in the 100th anniversary program, to figure out a way to help us vote electronically, to work on laying the groundwork for fulfilling some of the expectations of AAUW’s 5 Star Recognition Program.

  • I express my deep gratitude to Ruth Ann Hines for all her guidance as our parliamentarian.
  • I am grateful to Shari Beck and Ann Arneill and proud of the Speech Trek program’s 13 years of successful contests.
  • I brag about our Tech Trek program that Jo Reiken has led with others for the past several years. Jo has led us gracefully through this joyful and painful year.
  • I am excited about the 5 young women that Anna Storey and Linda Patterson worked so hard to find and help with $2,000 each for the coming academic year.
  • I am amazed by the programing that Cathy Locke and Karen Burley put together for us this year, in spite of all the uncertainty.
  • I am forever grateful to Donna Holmes for jumping in (in spite of still being a co-president!) last spring to keep our branch’s accounts, pay our taxes, make our reports, and keep us informed about our financial well-being.
  • I have great admiration and appreciation for all the work that Jan Stuter has put into recruiting and introducing several new members to our branch.
  • I was very excited to recruit Amy Rose to lead public policy. What a great job she did for us, organizing our participation in the Women’s March 2020.
  • I am continuously thankful to Tiffany Ardisana-James for taking our board minutes and getting them back to board members to review in a timely manner.
  • I relied upon Kathy Asay and Merrie McLaughlin, and they led us beautifully through big changes in AAUW Funds.
  • I’ll never be able to thank Sharon Anderson enough for all her help and knowledge about our membership, for her guidance onto the MPP renewal, and for submitting the book group calendar and birthdays to the newsletter each month.
  • Thanks, and thanks again go to Barbara Smith who agreed to lead us though the planning for changing over to the MPP Program.
  • Thank you to Kathy Papst and Becky Anton for keeping the interest groups informed about branch activities, attending monthly board meetings, getting interest group calendars etc. for the newsletter.
  • Thank you Cherril Peabody for writing our “Board Briefs” for the newsletter each month and asking helpful questions.
  • We can never say thank you enough to Kim Rutledge for editing our newsletter for how many years? Every month, every article, every word!
  • And Angela Scarlett for getting the newsletter up on the website, and working on website renovation, social media outreach, etc., etc., etc. So much for which to say thank you.
  • Thank you, Jane Cooley, for sending our good wishes, our get well wishes and our condolences to so many branch members for how many years??
  • Gloria Yost wore several hats this year, but most importantly as C/U liaison, building and strengthening our relationship with CSUS and those young women who are our future. Gloria also led and guided the 100th Anniversary Committee for over two years, getting us to do research, write articles for the newsletter, for holding monthly planning meetings, for creating the Memory Book and planning our wonderful, memorable 100th Anniversary Party. I know she did it so well because of Linda Whitney’s steady hand and reliable guidance as co-chair.
  • I want to thank Nancy McCabe, with the help of Michele Hobza and Becky Anton, for leading the Nominating Committee for two years, finding board members to serve in seven positions.
  • I saved my thanks to Charmen Goehring and Angela Scarlett, the presidents, to the end because I can never express my appreciation for how much and often I relied on them. They saved me from my own mistakes, offered guidance and solutions, technical expertise, AAUW knowledge, and I am grateful for their opinions. I made it to this moment because of them.

It takes the talent, time and generosity of 27 women to lead this branch of AAUW. I speak not just for myself, but for our membership — Gracias, Merci, Thank You.