The Ruth S. Shur Fellows team is comprised of 22 dynamic and dedicated volunteers from across the country who were selected from a pool of candidates to support state coaching teams in mentoring local Leagues in recruiting and engaging members and the community to make our democracy strong and vibrant. Read about each of our unique and talented National Coaches below.
The Ruth S. Shur Fellows are a part of the support network provided to participating state coaching teams through the Membership and Leadership Development (MLD) Program. Through the MLD program, the League is becoming more effective and more powerful in communities throughout the nation.
The MLD program is funded by the Fund for Local League Growth. Give to the fund and help grow the League in your community.
Brenda Hyde Rogers, North Carolina
Brenda grew up in Asheville, NC, and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. She attended graduate school at North Carolina State University earning an M.Ed. in Adult and Community Colleges and a Ph.D. in psychology. She taught English and psychology in community colleges and universities.
She began a career in institutional research and planning in higher education after completing her doctorate. She served as Vice President of Administration at the North Carolina Community College System which oversees the 58 community colleges until she retired in 2001. Subsequently, she worked part-time in higher education and held a number of leadership roles in volunteer organizations.
Currently she is volunteering at the National Association of State Boards of Education to build its endowment fund.
Connie Ferguson, Michigan
Connie has been an active League member since 1969, except for four years overseas. [Local—Co-president (past President, VP, NR Chair); State—Nominating Committee Chair (past President, VP, NR Chair); National—Nominating Committee Chair 2002-04]. While focusing on natural resources and voter service, she has been involved with most areas of League activity.
After retiring in 2006 from the Kalamazoo Nature Center, Connie continues to volunteer there and elsewhere. She is a past board chair for Kalamazoo Environmental Council, the local Planned Parenthood, and People’s Church (Unitarian-Universalist).
Connie lived in Australia for three years and England for one. Now she enjoys visiting children and grandchildren in Mexico and Germany (that family moves around) and seeing sights in those and other places. At home, she appreciates theater and music performances.
Caroline Emmons-Schramm, Florida
Caroline Emmons-Schramm retired in 2001 after over 20 years in nonprofit management training. She has also held professional positions in human resources and insurance management.
A member of the League of Woman Voters since 1972, Caroline has served as President and Board member for LWV of Orange County, Florida. She also served on the Constitutional Accountability Commission and currently represents the LWV of Florida on the Steering Committee of FairDistrictsFlorida.
She has been active in the areas of Program, Legislative Action, Transportation and Local Government. She is married to Robert Schramm, who retired as an engineering manager at Lockheed Martin and has lived in Winter Park for over 30 years.
Deborah Macmillan, New Jersey
Deborah Macmillan is president of the League of Women Voters of East Windsor-Hightstown and chair of the LWVNJ Committee on Immigration. She also served as president of LWVNJ member of the LWVUS study committee on immigration, and is retired from a career in academics and survey/market research, and brief stints as a canoeist and, in 2010, as a census taker.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, her local League reversed several years of membership decline with the encouragement, enthusiasm, and energy of a Membership and Leadership Development coach and several new members recruited in part due to MLD. Deborah looks forward to building on what they have given us by working with coaches and teams elsewhere as well as locally.
Diana Haskell, Maryland
Diana was named after a statue and grew up in West Virginia. After graduating from Duke University, she married and began a family. Ten years later, while living in Silver Spring, MD, she elected to become a single parent and began a 30-year career in computer systems analysis. In 1988 she moved to Cary, NC and remarried.
In 2000 she joined LWV of Wake County, NC where she chaired the education committee and was a facilitator for Study Circles. She has also served as president, focusing on coalition building, and has co-chaired local workshops of LWVUS Running & Winning program.
In June of 2009, Diana and her husband relocated to Bethesda, MD where they joined the LWV of Montgomery County, giving her the opportunity to volunteer on the LWVUS Lobby Corps.
Eileen Burke-Trent, California
Eileen is a retired commercial/ residential real estate broker and office manager; an owner/manager of equestrian facilities and farms, a non-profit organizer and fundraiser; and sales manager and trainer to over 200 contractors and employees.
Eileen is the CEO of Green Planet Financial & Insurance. As Vice President of the LWV of Butte County, Eileen created the “Yellow Rose Events" to celebrate the League’s 90th Anniversary. She is now preparing events in honor of the 100th Anniversary of CA Women's Vote. Eileen has three adult children, two of whom are veterans.
She lives with 4 dogs, 3 cats, her 95-year-old mother-in-law, and Dr. Roger B. Trent, her husband of 37 years, on Dragon's Lea Organic Farm in rural Gridley, CA. Her hobbies include sled dog racing, reading, and community activism.
Eileen Olmsted, Pennsylvania
Eileen has been a member of the League since 1977. She belonged to the award-winning LWV of North Orange County, CA. Eileen has held many positions in the League including president or co-president three times as well as multiple terms in voter service.
She also held the membership, secretary, and Voter editor portfolios at various times. In 2007 Eileen moved to Pittsburgh, PA to be close to her grandchildren. Eileen joined the LWV of Greater Pittsburgh and has been the Membership Director for that League and the Smart voter.org coordinator for Western Pennsylvania since 2008.
Additionally, she has served as an MRI coach for two Leagues in Pennsylvania for the last year.
Elona Vaisnys, Connecticut
Elona serves as LWVCT Membership Director and is co-president of her local League. She was appointed by President Carter to the Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies, has worked in the Connecticut Governor’s Office of Policy and Management, was the editor for the engineering departments at Yale University, wrote a by-lined column on civic activism in the New Haven Register, produced a monthly show on health/medicine on WELI, was a consultant for the CPTV program “Better Health,” and visited Lithuania for the LWVUS Global Democracy Program. Elona holds a Ph.D. from Yale, has a son and daughter, and lives with her scientist husband in North Haven, CT.
Eva Rogers, North Carolina
Eva has her masters in English, is a former high school teacher and mother of three. She’s been a restaurant owner, publisher of a public information bulletin for realtors and bankers, and an antique dealer.
For the last 12 years, she has been the District Administrator of the 7th Judicial District for the NC Guardian ad Litem Program. She recruits and trains court advocates for neglected and abused children, currently supervising about 160 volunteers.
Eva was a local League president and served on the state board. She will be retiring on March 1, 2011.
Florence Hedeen, Minnesota
Florence was born and raised in North Dakota, received a BS from NDSU and served in the Peace Corps. After moving to Minnesota in 1968, she taught school, worked with the U of M Extension Service and received an MEd.
She married Carter Hedeen and together, they raised their family, Eric and TJ, were foster parents, and hosted exchange students. In 2008, TJ died during organ transplant surgery.
Florence worked many years at the Village of the Smoky Hills, at the Headwaters Intervention Center, on the Advisory Committee of the NWMN Women's Fund, and on the School Board. In 1999, she helped form LWV of Park Rapids where she has served as President, Secretary, Publicity, Program and Voter Service chairs. In 2007, she was elected to the LWVMN Board as the Membership Initiative co-chair.
Gini McGirr, Arizona
Gini McGirr joined LWV in 1965 in Worthington, MN where she served as President and held other offices. Before moving to Tucson, Gini has also been President of local Leagues in Phoenix, AZ and Greeley, CO and was Secretary on the Colorado state board.
She has lived in Tucson for 17 years, and throughout her time in Tucson, she has been President of her local League for 4 years and has served on the League board for all 17 years. Gini has been President of the Arizona state League, Arizona state secretary twice, has attended many national conventions and councils, and has started four local Leagues.
She has also been on the LWVUS nominating committee and the LWVUS Resolutions committee. Gini has been married to her husband Gordon for 58 years. They have one daughter with two grandsons living in Tucson. Gini enjoys reading and keeping tabs on state legislators.
Georgia DeGregorio, New York
After moving to Rochester, NY, Georgia transferred her membership from North Brookhaven LI to the LWV of Rochester Metropolitan Area. She was president of DeGregorio Associates, Inc., Medical Billing Service, for twenty years. Upon retirement Georgia joined the local Social Policy committee and is now NYS Off-board Specialist on Domestic Violence.
Currently, she is chairing a local sub-committee on Membership. In 2007 Georgia was elected to the LWVNYS Board of Directors as Grassroots Director and developed a manual for Off Board Specialists.
In 2009, she was elected VP for Membership, continuing the Regional Directors program and helping three new MALs be formed with two more this spring.
Judy Golberg, Washington
Judy joined League in 1979 and served as president of her local League and Washington State League plus many other positions.
Judy was appointed by Governor Gary Locke and served a 5-year term on the Washington State Executive Ethics Board, overseeing the Ethics Program for all Executive State Employees. She served on the Richland School Board for 8 years during the 1980s, state school directors' association, both local and state PTA. She is a member of several community organizations. Judy retired in March 2009 as an Administrative Assistant for Kadlec Regional Medical Center, working in the Quality Care department and the Trauma Service.
Judy and her husband Richard have lived in Washington since 1962, raised two sons and now enjoy their two grandsons. Judy and Dick enjoy traveling the world!
Julie Arneth, Wisconsin
Julie Arneth has been an active League of Women Voters member since 1996. She has served on both the LWV Greater Green Bay and LWV Wisconsin boards as a director, secretary, and president.
A retired secondary Language Arts teacher, she continues to substitute teach and presently serves as the Green Bay Substitute Teachers Association president. Julie also teaches ESL classes at Literacy Green Bay in the evening.
She enjoys a myriad of activities including reading, gardening, travel, and volunteer work in her community with the Sierra Club and Global Volunteers.
Lineah Davey, Colorado
Lineah grew up in Nebraska where she began a career teaching English. She retired teaching high school social studies and now supervises social studies student teachers at Colorado College. Lineah and her husband and have two married daughters and three grandchildren.
When they moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1969, Lineah joined the League, which had intrigued her since reading LWV of Omaha Voters Guides.
After moving to Colorado Springs, Lineah became more active in League. She has held several positions on the local board, including President. She joined the state Board in 2005 as VP of Member Services, conducting Leadership Training for local league board members, and is serving as state coordinator for Membership Leadership Development. Lineah is also a member of LWVUS Streamlining Committee.
Lottie Fox, California
Lottie lives in Southern California and is the past president of two local Leagues. She is in her third term on the Board of Directors for the LWV of California where she serves on the Program and Legislation Committees. She is the Management Training Advisor for the LWV of San Diego, a large League with over 400 members.
During 2010 she received LWVUS State Coach’s training. Soon after the training, she met with individuals in California’s high desert communities who were interested in forming a local League. The cities of Palmdale, Lancaster, and surrounding county areas are now represented by the very active LWV of Antelope Valley MAL Unit.
Marcia Hirshberg, Massachusetts
Marcia is currently the First Vice President of Membership and Training and has been a long standing member of that committee. She has served in many portfolios in her local league of Westwood-Walpole. She was also the president of a local league in Illinois and active in the local league in Holliston.
In Marcia’s professional career, she was an officer of citizens Bank and worked in financial services. Marcia was a Selectman and a member of the Finance commission for the Town of Westwood. She is currently a Big Sister with the Big and Little Sister Association and continues to counsel Boy Scouts on citizen badges. She was a board member of Clean Elections. In her private time, she enjoys singing with 2 choral groups. She has a husband, 2 adult children, and an adorable Scottie dog named Buddy.
Penney Van Vleet, Washington
The League was an exciting, vibrant organization in the early 70’s for a young mother. Penney and her mentor conducted a Housing Survey and won a Fair Housing Ordinance for Houston, Texas. She returned to Wisconsin, served as president of the La Crosse League, completed her degree, and ran multiple community and economic development organizations in Milwaukee.
She retired to Sequim with her husband, rejoined the League, and had an exciting term as president. At the present time, Penney is serving as Development Director for the state League. When she has a spare moment, she’s kayaking, reading, making baskets or carving driftwood.
Sandy Spence, Delaware
A native Pennsylvanian, Sandy Spence spent most of her adult life in Washington, DC, mostly working in small associations focused on lobbying for good causes.
She moved to Lewes, DE in 2003 and joined the League. She has served the LWV of Delaware as Treasurer and President and remains on the state board while also serving as one of eight volunteer, registered lobbyists. She has served in various capacities on the Sussex County board for six years. Currently, she is webmaster for the Sussex League, having set up a League Easy Web site, and she administers the Sussex Facebook page.
Sandy was one of the first League members trained to serve at the state level in the LWVUS Membership Recruitment Initiative.
Sarah Diefendorf, California
Sarah Diefendorf directs the Environmental Finance Center at Dominican University of California. Her efforts include: developing Green Business Programs in the western US and working with American Indian tribes in Arizona, California and Nevada to promote green economies.
Sarah’s most recent accomplishment includes the preparation of the Guidebook on International Environmental Finance for UNDP. From 2004 – 2008, she served as board member and 2nd VP for the LWVUS and acted as the chair of the LWVUS Climate Change Task Force from 2006 to 2010. Currently she serves as the LWV of California Program Director on Climate Change.
In addition, she served as a Grassroots Democracy Trainer for the LWVUS and has worked in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Armenia and Jamaica. Ms. Diefendorf holds a master’s degree in environmental geography from Cambridge University.
Shelia Martin, Massachusetts
Shelia was on the board of the LWV of Boston from 1995-2000, and served as president for two of those years. She was also on the LWVUS board from 2000-2004, becoming 2nd Vice President in 2002. Currently, she is the chair of the LWV of Boston’s nominating committee.
Shelia earned her MSW from Boston College and her BA from the University of Massachusetts. Shelia has worked extensively on the NASW Massachusetts Chapter board, NASW Delegate Assembly, and NASW political action committee.
She has also been on the Ward 5 Democratic Committee and is a former co-chair of the New Majority, a community coalition that educates communities of color about civic engagement and the election of candidates of color to public offices. Presently, she is a Program Manager with Masshealth, the Medicaid agency for Massachusetts.
Tracy Adkison, Georgia
Tracy Watson Adkison has been an active member of the League of Women Voters for 10 years. In 2002, Tracy joined the Board of Directors of LWV Atlanta. During her term on the Board, she served as VP of Programs & Membership. She organized various community forums, voter registration drives and chaired candidate forums.
In 2008, Tracy joined the Board of LWV Georgia. She also chaired the local arrangements committee for the LWV-US 49th National Convention in Atlanta. She is currently serving as Vice President.
Professionally, Tracy manages the Small Business Development Program for MWH Americas and Atlanta Watershed. Tracy has a BS in Business, and an MBA. Tracy has been married to Eric for 7 years and enjoys reading, traveling, community service, and spending time with family.
The work of the National Coaches was made possible through the generosity of League member Walter Shur in memory of his beloved late wife and life-long League member Ruth S. Shur. If you would like to participate in the Membership Leadership Development (MLD) program or would like to donate to the Leaders for Leadership Fund to support the National Coaches’ work, please contact Sara Sanders at SSanders@lwv.org.