We are pleased to welcome the new national WILPF board of directors: 

President: Mary Hanson Harrison (Des Moines, IA)

Treasurer: Altaira Hatton (San Francisco, CA)

Secretary: Deborah Holley (Des Moines, IA)

Chair of the Personnel Committee: Nicole Scott (Detroit, MI)

Chair of the Development Committee: Sara Tess Neumann (Boston, MA)

Chair of the Membership Development Committee: LaShawndra Vernon (Milwaukee, WI)

Chair of the Nominating Committee: Barbara Nielsen (San Francisco, CA)

Co-Chair of Program Committee (3 yr. term): Odile Hugonot-Haber (Ann Arbor, MI)

Co-Chair of the Program Committee (1 yr. term): Deb Garretson (Bloomington, IN)

At-large Board Member (3 yr. term): Millee Livingston (Sacramento/Sierra Foothills, CA)

At-large Board Member (1 yr. term): Peggy Luhrs (Burlington, VT)

Many thanks to members of the Detroit WILPF branch for receiving and counting the ballots. Members counting the ballots in Detroit were Laura Dewey, Terry Futvoye-Micus, Darlene Harris, Mary Johnston, Laura Perreault. Also on hand to help out and observe were Nancy Garlow (Friends of the Southfield Library board), Dorothy MacKay (retired social worker), Fern Katz (Women’s Action for New Directions), Florene Smith (Hartford Memorial Baptist Church ) and Mary Ann Barkach (League of Women Voters, Oakland County). The ballots and envelopes were then mailed to the WILPF national offices where the count was verified by Catherine Brady, WILPF’s bookkeeper. 

This election offered WILPF members a greater number of candidate choices with four contested seats and more information about those candidates than ever before. Yet voter “turn-out” was under 25% and several voters left many positions on their ballots unmarked. Our national office received over 100 inquiries about missing ballots, but upon investigation discovered only 15 instances where individuals were mistakenly left off the voting list. These situations were all remedied in a timely manner. If you have suggestions on how to ensure more robust member participation in future elections, consider joining the nominating committee and putting those ideas into action.  

These elections were carried out under new bylaws adopted in 2012, creating staggered board terms. In the past, newly elected officers have had a minimum of two months between their election and their installation in office at the WILPF national congress. The new bylaws stipulate that now newly elected officers shall be installed at the first national board meeting following their election to office. That meeting will take place on March 18 via conference call. Following the formal installation of the new board, there will likely be a period of transition while committee listservs are reconfigured and board members become familiar with the existing policies and established procedures of WILPF. We ask that everyone exercise patience during this transitional period, with the expectation that following next year’s board elections we’ll have established processes in place to help smooth the way.

Thank you for participating in choosing WILPF’s leadership, and congratulations to all members of the incoming board.