Dear Member,

The League of Women Voters of Washington held its biennial convention May 5 through May 7. This is a key event for the state League because this is where decisions are made for the upcoming biennium. This is where we end one cycle of League work and begin the next. Program and budget define our work; nominations point the way. At this Convention, delegates also adopted resolutions that affect the Board of Directors work program.

See below for your 2023-25 Board of Directors, and the Nominating Committee members elected at Convention. The state Board will appoint two of its members to the Nominating Committee, as required by the bylaws.

The Nominating Committee sets the direction of the League in a very real way, because it selects nominees, consistent with our bylaws. The delegates must adopt the slate of course, and nominations from the floor are very much in line with the League's democratic values. But in the end, the Nominating Committee has first cut on this most important task. Look for information on this process leading up to nominations at Council in the spring of 2024 and again at Convention in the spring of 2025.

When the new Board takes the helm, it does so working within a two-year timeframe. As your new President, I ask, how will we get our work done in the next two years? This is above all a practical question. How will your new board organize itself to carry out its work within the framework of our mission: Empowering Voters, Defending Democracy? Every item on our plate touches on this mission.

Your Board is committed to carrying out its work in a deliberative and attentive manner. This means we consistently employ a DEI lens and ask, who should be part of this discussion? Who is not at the table? Are we being inclusive? How can we expand the conversations we’re having about democracy to engage with those we want to welcome into the electorate, and welcome into the League. These are ideas I've been hearing when talking with League leaders at the state and local level. The national League too shines a spotlight on DEI—how do we get where we say we want to be? Your Board is committed to carrying out its work within a framework that supports diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.

Within the League's federated structure, the state League accepts the responsibility delegated to it by the national Board for the organization and development of local Leagues and state MAL (member-at-large) units. Many new to League are surprised to learn that the League’s federated structure means each local League is its own incorporated body; the League of Women Voters doesn't have chapters. That's why you may hear the term "local Leagues" when talking about who does what.

It's helpful to keep our federated structure in mind when considering the interrelationships of Leagues. The National League provides much of the guidance that keeps Leagues across the country on the same page in critical areas like DEI, nonpartisanship and—its most recent policy and guidance—Member Rights and Responsibilities. This important guidance is available to state and local Leagues, and to every member, so all can focus on the mission-related work that is so critical to our democracy.  The accompanying League Responsibilities, lays out what members have a right to expect from their local, state, and national Leagues. Please take a moment to look through these important policies. With our Nonpartisan Policy and DEI Policy, they will equip the League to meet the coming times.

Kind regards,
Mary Coltrane, LWVWA President