It is with mixed feelings that the League of Women Voters of Washington Lobby Team announces the retirement of two of our long-serving members, Ann Aagaard, Issue Chair for Shorelines, Wetlands, & Land Use, and Susan Eidenschink, Issue Chair for Healthcare, Behavioral Health, and Reproductive Rights. 

Ann and Susan are skilled experts in their fields and have been an extraordinary addition to LWVWA's 10-person Lobby Team, which is led by a Lobby Chair and leads LWVWA's statewide advocacy. 

Please join us in thanking Ann and Susan for their service and the great work they have done all these years in Olympia advocating for League values. Questions in regards to their issues can be directed to Maddy Vonhoff, Lobby Team Chair. Read on for more about Susan and Ann's impressive work!

Susan Eidenschink

Susan grew up in Minnesota and was a math and science teacher for about 15 years. She decided to study for an engineering degree and after she received that degree, she worked as an engineer at Boeing in Seattle, Auburn and Wichita for about 15 years. Susan joined the League in 2000, and also joined Health Care for All – WA in 2000. In 2005, she began working with the LWVWA Lobby Team and participated in two LWVWA studies (WA Ferry System and Conservation Districts in WA) and some local League studies. 

As Issue Chair, she testified a number of times in the Washington State Legislature for single payer health care and participated in a group of League members throughout the United States entitled 'Health Care Reform for the United States (HCR4US)' in monthly teleconferences.  She attended LWVUS Conventions and helped the HCR4US group with caucuses for health care reform at these conventions.  Similar caucuses were organized by Susan at the LWVWA Conventions. Jo Rodman will be stepping up as Issue Chair.

Ann Aagaard

Over the past 40 years, Ann has led, or been involved in setting precedent on environmental issues on the State and Federal levels.  Attempting to save the Farmlands in North Creek Valley led to the support of the Farmlands Preservation initiative to purchase the development rights to farmlands in King County.  After the passage of the Growth Management Act, she became more involved in Land Use issues, and led the challenge on several appeals to the Growth Management Hearing Board.

In 1985-1993, she was appointed to the Washington State Ecological Commission which reviewed all Shoreline Master Programs. Later, she was appointed by Christine Gregoire to serve on the negotiation team for the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines for the Department of Ecology. Her honors include the Ralph W. Johnson award by Center for Environmental Policy (CELP) for years of environmental work and particularly for the preservation of the 53-acre wetland located on the Bothell Campus of University of Washington/ Cascadia Community College in June 2014. After retiring from the Lobby Team as Shoreline/ Wetlands/ Land Use Chair, she will continue to represent the LWV on the Puget Sound Environmental Caucus, a coalition of over 20 environmental groups who support the Puget Sound Partnership.  She currently serves on the Salmon Recovery Council for the PSP-- and will continue with that position as the LWV representative.