By LWVWA Nominating Committee 

Diversity is the key to the LWVWA’s future. It is important to look around the table or a meeting and see other voices other than your own—voices that bring life and work experiences, beliefs, and education backgrounds that add to an organization’s depth.  

The LWVWA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy states the following:  

The LWV is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policymakers in creating a more perfect democracy.  

We will actively work to remove barriers to full participation in this organization regardless of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity. 

As an organization, the League needs to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment that includes safe places to speak and discuss ideas and policies as well as meeting times and virtual meeting capabilities to accommodate different life schedules. 

Under the LWVWA DEI plan, as an organization the LWVWA recruits members, leaders, and advisors from diverse and underrepresented groups. As a Nominating Committee, this is an important goal and one we are reaching toward. One of the ways we are doing this is by publishing in The Voter to reach our supporters, like you.

How are we taking all of this into consideration as we recruit and consider candidates for the LWVWA Board? By doing the following:

• Encouraging all who are interested in serving on the LWVWA Board to speak to a Nominating Committee member (nomcom@lwvwa.org) or to apply. 

• Transforming the recruitment process. Information is available in the For Members section of the website. Members have the ability to nominate others and apply directly on the webpage.  

• Outlining our plan for the nominations process and publicizing it to LWVWA members. 

• Doing broad outreach—contacting local League presidents, and speaking with local League boards and interested members. 

• Articles in both The Voter and This Month in the League that include our supporters and members in our outreach and education efforts. 

• Hosting meet-and-greets on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. We are offering this opportunity at two different times to accommodate League members’ schedules. 

• Discussing other opportunities to educate our membership on what it means to be a LWVWA Board member. 

You may be interested in joining the League and serving in state leadership or you may know a current League member you feel would be a great state leader. Either way, the Nominating Committee would like to have a conversation with you. If you are a current League member and you are interested in serving at the state level, we would like to speak with you too. If you’re interested, attend one of the informal information sessions on Dec. 9. The Zoom information can be found on the LWVWA Events page or by contacting nomcom@lwvwa.org.