Tag Archives: Get out the vote

Empire State Virtual Branch New Member

Juliet Tarantino, Empire State Virtual Branch New Member

We are delighted to welcome, Juliet Tarantino, newest primary member of the Empire State Virtual Branch! During fiscal year 2015-2016.”

Juliet Tarantino joins the AAUW with international experience in education and academic training in anthropology (MA in Anthropology for The New School for Social Research). While an undergraduate student at the University of New Hampshire (Dual BA in Anthropology in International Affairs), she organized and led a week-long social justice awareness trip of twelve students to Nicaragua, where trip participants learned about the work of local grassroots organizations and facilitated classroom art activities. Her thesis, based on original research she conducted in Ecuador, examined the entanglement of Ecuadorian Otavaleño’s rejection of tradition alongside their utilization of distinctive traditional dress to bolster their sales of artisan-made items. After graduating from college, Juliet was selected by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education for the position of North American Culture and Language Assistant and taught English in Madrid.

Back in the U.S. and determined to maintain the level of Spanish fluency she had gained in Madrid, Juliet took on the role of Bilingual Intake Coordinator at an immigrant legal services and refugee resettlement agency in Chicago. There, she compiled a series of client stories expressing how their lives had changed after gaining residency in the U.S. She also worked as an independent translator, translating personal statements in support of VAWA cases. Inspired to engage more critically with issues of social justice, Juliet gained her master’s degree in New York City, and began teaching academic research writing to college-bound seniors from underserved high schools. She also coordinates low-cost Spanish classes in her Brooklyn neighborhood as a means of building community. She is interested in immigrant and refugee issues, scholastic achievement gaps, and using research and education to teach social justice.

AAUW-NYS 2015 Convention Speakers

Nancy Mion, our Empire State Virtual Branch Public Policy Director and AAUW Islip Area Branch Long Island Suffragists Committee Chair. Nancy comes by this naturally for her grandfather, Nathaniel Schmidt, a professor at Cornell, was an active suffragist. She is a member of the statewide NYCHTN Women, Right’s Committee. Nancy is currently: Islip Area Branch Program Vice-President & Public Policy Director; L.I. Interbranch Secretary/Treasurer; NYS Legal Advocacy Fund (LAF) Director; and a National AAUW LAF Committee Member. She is a past NYS President and Public Policy Director. She has been an involved dedicated committed AAUW member for 40 years. Her other abiding interest is the Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Nancy was a librarian who received her BBA in Management from Hofstra University and her MS in LS from SUNY Albany.

If you would like a copy of Nancy’s Powerpoint presentation on the history of the suffrage movement especially as it applies to New York. Contact Nancy Mion at myown220@aol.com.

If you were not able to attend Joan Monk’s presentation about Eleanor Roosevelt and Leadership: “Eleanor’s Alphabet Soup”, you can e-mail Joan at ftmaven@gmail.com about interesting program(s) for your branch.

As you know, Joan is a fairy tale/happiness/play enthusiast engaging students of all ages in what has heart and meaning for her. With an e-mail moniker of ‘ftmaven’ she has been dubbed the “AAUW NYS Unofficial Director of Whimsy” because of her passion for fairy tales. As the former Education Director of the Peter Pan Children’s Fund, she has unlimited access to pixie dust, sprinkling it wherever she goes!

Her latest fairy tale endeavor is “The Wonder & Wisdom of Oz,” celebrating the 75th Anniversary of America’s favorite fairy tale with students from age 4-104. As a Master Teacher in the Yonkers Public Schools, Joan “worked her magic” lovingly there for nearly four decades. She considers herself “an inspired not retired” educator, having worked as an early childhood teacher, parent trainer, workshop leader and college professor. Now she is putting put volunteer work center stage in her encore career. Jacob Burns Film Center, Westchester Children’s Museum and The Academy for Character Education at Sage College all benefit from her energy and enthusiasm.

Inspired by the mission of AAUW, she joined as a ‘lifetime member” twenty years ago. She is a member of four branches in NYS: Westchester, Kingston, Poughkeepsie and ESVVB. At present, Joan is Special Projects Director, District V Coordinator and is chairing the NY/NJ WILD Project. She served as District Director, International Affairs Chair and Cultural Interests Director also. She lives in Yorktown with Rob the prince, Toto the dog, and Mushy the cat.

Congratulations to the AAUW NYS Convention Team!

Jane Russell

Jane Pfeiffer Russell
AAUW-NYS Program VP

Congratulations and thanks to Jane Pfeiffer Russell, AAUW-NYS Program VP and the Convention Team for an excellent AAUW NYS Convention held on April 17-19, 2015 at the Byblos Niagara Resort and Spa Grand Island, NY. Jane was the Moderator on Saturday Morning Panel of Municipal Leaders which included special guest, Kathy Hochul, NYS Lt Governor; Marjory Jaeger, Amherst Town Clerk; Julie Huntsman, Otsego Town Council; Crystal Peoples-Stokes, NYS Assembly; Lovely Warren, Mayor of Rochester. The speakers were very informative and inspirational.

As you may know, in 2011, Jane was elected Supervisor for the Town of Pulteney. When taking office the Town was in arrears financially $20,000 and upon leaving office at the end of 2013 the coffers held over $300,000. She has been a staunch advocate for antifracking in NY and held a position on the steering committee for Elected Officials to Protect NY. During that two years much time was spend in lobbying the Governor, the NYS DEC and the NYS DOH as well as local advocacy events. Jane joined AAUW in 1976 when she moved back to Steuben County and has held many local and state offices, including that of AAUW NYS Program Vice President in the early 2000’s. She was part of the then widely visible “Living the Mission” program developed by the NYS Board under Evvie Currie’s presidency.

AAUW-NYS 2015 Convention Pictures

Candidates for Election to the 2015–17 AAUW Board of Directors

The slate of candidates for election to the AAUW Board of Directors is now available. For details about each candidate, click on the following link: https://www.aauw.org/resource/candidates-for-election-to-the-aauw-board-of-directors/

AAUW President (vote for 1) Patricia Fae Ho

AAUW Vice President (vote for 1) Alicia Hetman

AAUW Directors (vote for 10 candidates of your choice)

Susan Barley Maria Ellis Malinda Gaul Sally Anne Gooson Eileen S. Hartmann

Ellie Hill Traci Jensen Melissa Johsen Dot McLane Eileen Shelley Menton

Rebecca Norlander Judith Pfeil Gleda D. Price Martha Joh Reeder Pam Thiel

AAUW Candidates for Election to the 2015–17

The slate of candidates for election to the AAUW Board of Directors is now available. For details about each candidate, click on the following link: https://www.aauw.org/resource/candidates-for-election-to-the-aauw-board-of-directors/

AAUW President (vote for 1) Patricia Fae Ho
AAUW Vice President (vote for 1) Alicia Hetman

AAUW Director (vote for 10 candidates of your choice)
Susan Barley; Maria Ellis; Malinda Gaul; Sally Anne Goodson; Eileen S. Hartmann; Ellie Hill
Traci Jensen; Melissa Johnsen; Dot McLane; Eileen Shelley Menton; Rebecca Norlander;
Judith Pfeil; Glenda D. Price; Martha Joh Reeder and Pam Thiel.

Congratulations and best wishes to the following members of the Empire State Virtual Branch who are candidates forelection to the 2015-2017 AAUW Board of Directors:

Maria L. Ellis (New York)

I am a candidate for the 2015-2017 AAUW Board of Directors. I currently serve as AAUW NYS Membership VP and President and Founder of the Empire State Virtual Branch. Gender Equality, Diversity in Membership and Improved Communications and Transparency are very important to the growth of AAUW. Learn more about my work at www.facebook.com/EmpireStateVirtualNY.
Gender Equality: We can help achieve Gender Equality through Education. You and I can make a difference in many young women’s lives by offering scholarships and professional development experiences like AAUW’s conferences.
Diversity in Membership: I will work with your branch to reach out to our community colleges and local universities. This will be integral to our efforts to develop and recruit new members and ensure AAUW’s future leadership.
Improved Communications and Transparency is vital to achieving AAUW’s mission. Together we can empower women and girls through public policy advocacy, education, research and philanthropy.

Eileen S. Hartmann (New York)

It was the promise of an education and a bicycle that brought me to the United States as a child; it is education and service that keep me in motion today. I grew up in Indiana and earned a graduate degree at Nazareth College of Rochester, New York. While I taught English in Ohio and in the Rochester area, I also stayed connected to cultural immersion, working for an exchange program as a sales representative. I recently used those skills to recruit a College/ University AAUW partner abroad. As an employee of Nazareth, I worked in the Education Department to place students in classrooms prior to student teaching, making outreach to the community and constant use of effective communication.
Volunteering my skills and leadership in AAUW New York State as president and in California has provided me with many opportunities for involvement in program planning, project implementation, philanthropy, membership building, voter engagement, and in supporting the value of education to improve the lives of women, girls, and families. I have served as a detail- oriented and dependable representative with the organization through 40 years of membership.

Dot McLane, Pennsylvania/New York

I joined AAUW because of the mission, I am committed to advancing equity for women and girls with particular interest in ending the gender wage gap, getting more women into leadership roles both in corporations and government, and promoting STEM careers to women and girls. My experience spans all levels of AAUW leadership – branch president, state president, national committee chair/member, and a previous role as an elected Director on the national board. Currently I am the chair of the national STEM Task Force, a member of the national Public Policy committee, and state president. Previous roles include chair of the national Branch Program Resource Committee, liaison to the National Girl’s Collaborative Project, and state Program Vice President.
My goal as Director-at-Large is to represent all AAUW members on the board to continue to build AAUW’s efforts in advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research

Voter Registration Deadline Oct. 12