Lynn Badertscher – President

Cathy Brass – CFO ADMIN

Vacant – VP ADMIN

Marsha Conant – Past President

Myra Coble – Secretary

Barbara Castle – State Director

Darcy Brown – VP PAC

Linda Knight – Treasurer PAC

I am writing this message at the end of a most tumultuous year for those of us in NWPC, Fresno. We had an incredibly successful year of fundraising and monthly meetings. Locally, most of our endorsed candidates were elected, making our fundraising efforts so very worthwhile. At the same time, the November Presidential Election dashed so many of our dreams and broke our hearts. For many of us the upcoming administration leaves us very concerned for the NWPC values that we hold dear.
 
I hope all of you will work with me and our newly installed Board to continue the fight for women’s equality. The new year brings in 2025, the fiftieth anniversary of NWPC Fresno. This cannot be the year that this caucus gives in to despair. We must be more determined than that!
 
We have much to be proud of in the Central Valley. We have many women who have been elected and re-elected to office in our area. School boards and city council seats are populated with women we have endorsed and financially supported. Many of those officials we are blessed to count as members of our own caucus. This year we also endorsed and supported candidates in Madera and Tulare counties. We make a difference!
 
In the November election our endorsed, successfully elected candidates include:
                         
Danielle Parra – State Center Community College No 3 
Itzi Robles – Fresno County Board of Education Area 3
Consuelo Diaz – College of Sequoias, Ward 4
Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas – Fresno Unified Trustee Area 2 
Claudia Cazares – Fresno Unified Trustee Area 6
Nasreen Johnson – State Center Community College District Trustee Area 2
Wilma Hashimoto – Clovis Unified School District
Congratulations!

As we move forward let’s hope our caucus can find fresh ways to reach out to embrace new members who share our values and support for our issues. NWPC was established in 1971 as a multi-partisan organization. The polls we saw throughout this past summer and into November showed that the majority of Americans, across party lines, share our stand on reproductive rights for women. It seems that now is the time for us to put aside partisan politics and reach out to people who support our core values and issues. These include Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment; Reproductive Rights for Women; Equal Pay; Gender Parity in Elected Office; support for Anti-Discrimination Laws and Policies; and Increased Access to Childcare and Other Dependent Care. We need to make these issues American issues, not partisan issues. 
 
So, let’s reach out to our family, our friends, our neighbors, our houses of worship, and our acquaintances and invite them to a meeting or hand them a NWPC Fresno brochure. Give us a chance to welcome them into our caucus so that they too can fight for solutions to the feelings of despair, disappointment, and inequality.
 

I look forward to seeing you on January 7^th!
 
In the spirit of the season:
Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Everyone,
 
Lynn

The post President’s Message appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

Many are experiencing a sense of loss, hopelessness and despair following recent election outcomes. With this presentation, we’ll discuss how people can move from believing their voice doesn’t matter, to more helpful thinking and learning to contribute meaningfully through advocacy. Attendees will also learn about what’s working for others and normalize seeking support. 

Heather Walker Janz is a licensed marriage and family therapist, leader, speaker and online educator. She is also a wife, a mother, and is extremely passionate about using her voice to help and empower others. Heather has always known she wanted to help people through therapy. For the past 10 years, Heather has served as a leader in mental health, connecting with other professionals who deeply care about advancing the marriage and family therapy profession.

Heather’s unique past employment in college settings has allowed her to have an understanding about the difficult transitions that young people face. Her training for licensure included working in community mental health programs where she used evidenced-based practices to help teens relieve complex mental health problems. Today, Heather also provides support for young people who work in major tech and service industries by teaching them Cognitive Behavioral Therapy skills for reaching their goals. Heather was a Girl Scout as a child which led to a passion in serving leadership roles. Currently, Heather is the Secretary of the Board of Directors and Board Development Committee Chair for the Girl Scouts of Central California South (GSCCS) Council.

Heather is the CEO of Janz Family Therapy, Inc. JFT provides outpatient mental health services both in-person and virtually. JFT is a part of the Maternal Wellness Coalition of the California Health Collaborative and accepts MediCal & MediCare in order to be accessible to a majority of the mental health needs of the Central Valley. JFT also serves as an employment site for associates in training in order to grow the mental health workforce locally in our community.

The post Dinner Meeting January 7, 2025 appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

Representatives from the Fresno Center spoke at an NWPC meeting this year and we were all very impressed with their work and selected them for our charitable donation this year. TFC was also a sponsor at the Women’s Equality Day celebration!

Wish List
Monetary Donations – check payable to The Fresno Center
Gift Cards from Walmart/Target
Female Care packages – lotion, hair products, deodorant, soap, feminine products
Diapers
Art supplies

The post The Fresno Center appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

I’m very proud of the Fresno Caucus, through hard work and Women’s Equality Day celebrations we were able to honor outstanding community leaders and raise PAC monies that allowed us to donate $20,000 to local campaigns, $2,500 to the CA NWPC for state candidates and $3,000 to NWPC National for the Harris campaign!

$25,500 is an amazing amount of money for our chapter to donate!

Some of the election results were heartbreaking, I know many of you are feeling pain, despair, and hopelessness.  I must believe that people do not understand the effect of their votes on women and pray that my worst fears do not come to pass, but be prepared if they do. We cannot stop fighting and give up, there will be action plans and work that must be done! We will be prepared to continue the fight for equality and equity! We will answer the call!

Congratulations to Fresno Caucus-endorsed candidates Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, SCCCD Trustees Nasreen Johnson and Danielle Parra, and FUSD Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas who were all re-elected. New candidates, Wilma Hashimoto, Clovis Unified, Itzi Robles, Fresno County Board of Education, and Consuelo Diaz, College of the Sequoias Board were all successful in their races. 

There are still Provisional/Conditional ballots being tabulated and FUSD Trustee Claudia Cazares has not been called. First-time candidate Gina Vue, Clovis Unified, did not win her bid for election this time. We have such respect and admiration for the strength and vision, of all of these women and know that their candidacy made the future for women brighter!

Think about what more we can do in the future!!!

In 2025 the Fresno NWPC Caucus will celebrate its 50th Anniversary!

Let’s commit to doubling our membership and increasing the impact of Fresno NWPC!

In Equality,
Marsha

The post President’s Message appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

There are just over 100+ females running for local offices in Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings Counties!

Listed below are the newest endorsements and new contributions approved by Membership at September’s Dinner meeting:

Danielle Parra ($500) – Make Check payable to: Parra for State  Center Community College No 3 FPPC: #1431553 Address: 134 Bullard Ave Clovis, CA 93612

Itzi Robles ($500) – Make Check payable to: Robles for Fresno Board of Education Area 3 FPPC #1470337 Address: 4815 E. Yale Ave, Fresno, Ca 93703

Consuelo Diaz ($2,000) – Make Check payable to: Diaz for College of Sequoias, Ward 4 2024 FPPC: #1471926 Address: 1479 W. Sonora Ave., Tulare, Ca 93274

Elizabeth Jonnasson Rosas ($2,000) – Make Check payable to: Elizabeth Jonasson for Fresno Unified Trustee Area 2 FPPC #1387805 Address: 5200 N. Palm Ave Ste 306, Fresno, Ca 93704

Claudia Cazares ($2,000) – Make Check payable to: Claudia Cazares for Fresno unified Trustee Area 6 FPPC:  #1378611 Address: PO BOX 26525 Fresno, CA 93729

Nasreen Johnson ($1,000) – Make Check Payable to: Nasreen Johnson for State Center Community College District Trustee Area 2 FPPC#1428622 Address: PO Box 1662 Fresno, Ca 93717

For California candidate endorsements, please go to:
https://www.nwpcca.org/endorsements

For Federal candidate endorsements, please go to:
https://www.nwpc.org/endorsedcandidates/

The post Candidates Corner appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

This is the perfect time to be engaged in politics and elect the first woman President of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris, as you enjoy your pumpkin latte!

On November 6, we want to awaken with no regrets! 

Many NWPC members actively participate in phone banks and write postcards for the Harris/Walz campaign. If you are not involved but would like to be, grab an NWPC buddy and go to the Fresno Democratic HQ,1033 U St, Fresno, 559-495-0606. The office is open M-F, 10 am-2 pm if you want to pick up merchandise. Yard Signs ($20), Bumper Stickers ($3), Buttons ($2) and T-Shirts ($20) are available.

POSTCARDS — Fridays 10 am-12 noon
https://www.mobilize.us/fresnocountydemocraticparty/event/598090/

PHONE BANKING — Tuesdays & Thursdays 2:00 pm-4:30 pm & Thursdays 5:30pm-8pm
https://www.mobilize.us/fresnocountydemocraticparty/event/654284/

Let’s also remember the down-ballot races and the endorsed NWPC Candidates!

Since the November NWPC meeting falls on election night we will not be meeting in November! We will be drinking champagne and celebrating!

The Vice-Presidential Debate conflicts with the October 1st meeting. We encourage you to tape the debate and attend the meeting as LWV goes over the ballot propositions! 

NWPC will be holding its election in December and there are several vacant positions. If you want to be more involved but hesitant, please talk to me! It is a great group of women to work with and a wonderful cause to be affiliated with. I will not run for re-election but continue on the Board as Past President.

2025 Board Candidates are:

• President – Lynn Badertscher
• PAC VP – Darcy Brown
• Admin VP –  OPEN
• CFO Admin – Cathy Brass
• Secretary – Linda Knight
• CFO PAC – OPEN
• State Board/Policy Director-OPEN
• Appointments
  • Layne Wright-Wall will continue to handle membership and the 5-minute bio.
  • Frances Berman will continue as newsletter editor.

Nominations for ALL positions are open from the floor.

In Equality,
Marsha

The post President’s Message appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

This is a NWPC favorite presentation by members of the local League of Women Voters. This year, Robin Chiero and Sue Goldman will share with us the information the League has compiled on the measures and propositions on the November 5^thballot. This is wonderfully helpful and a concise explanation of the issues involved in each measure and proposition.
 
Robin shared this information about herself: “I have been a member of the League of Women Voters of Fresno since 2021 and a member of the board as a Director of Voter Services since 2022.  Last April it was my honor to be elected as one of the co-presidents of LWV Fresno. I was a professor in the School of Education and Human Development at Fresno State from 1997-2014. Currently, in addition to my League work, I serve on the Executive Committee of the Emeriti and Retirees Association at Fresno State, I volunteer with the Valley Animal Center, and I’m active in P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization.”
 
Sue shared this information: “I have been a member of the League for nine years and on the board for eight years. I started as secretary, then director of voter services, and now vice president of voter services. I am a retired school psychologist working first for the Fresno County Office of Education, and then for Clovis Unified School District.  I volunteered for decades with professional organizations functioning as a committee chair and/or an officer, at the local, state and international levels. I volunteer for KVPR as a member of the auction committee for their wine tasting and auction event.”

The post Dinner Meeting October 1, 2024 appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

The 2024 Women’s Equality Day Celebration was a smashing success, raising money for the NWPC PAC account to support endorsed candidates. The tone was set by the outstanding honorees NWPC recognized Cathy Brass; Dr. Marie Harris; Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas; Jen Cruz, awarded the “Mary Stanley Courage to Run Award;” Raj Sodhi-Layne, awarded the “Mary Stanley Courage to Run Award;” and Luis Chavez, awarded the “Harry Burns Good Guy Award.”

Special thanks to Betty Yee, former state controller, and candidate for the gubernatorial race in 2026, straight from the Democratic National Convention for your very informative speech!

Thank you to the Sponsors: Platinum Sponsor’s; Cathy Brass, The Fresno Center, Fresno Unified School District, Raj Sodhi-Layne; Diamond Sponsor’s;  Madera Community College, State Center Community College District; Gold Sponsor’s; Congressman Jim Costa, Noia Residential – Lucia Noia; Silver Sponsor; Assemblywoman Esmerelda Soria; Bronze Sponsor’s; Claudia- Soria Delgado, Lynn & Chet Badertscher, Marsha Conant & Marilyn Watts, Diane Milutinovich and Fresno City Council President Annalisa Perea!

As I always say, serving as President of Fresno NWPC is a joy because of the dedicated and caring women who share the passion to elect more women and readily volunteer to help!

Thank you Women’s Equality Day Committee and volunteers; Cathy Brass, Lynn Badertscher, Linda Knight, Layne Wright-Wall, Claudia Soria – Delgado, Kathy Atkins, Darcy Brown, Joanne Bazarian, Kimberly Tapscott-Munson, Julie Andrews, Patty Capelluti, Sharon Ferrer, Myra Coble, Jeanie Santos, Gina Vue, and Frances Berman for helping to make this year’s Women’s Equality Day a tremendous success! If I omitted anyone, I apologize.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Within hours after President Biden withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed VP Kamala Harris, NWPC endorsed her candidacy and began promoting her campaign! We all know there has never been a greater difference between presidential candidates, the platforms they stand on, and their potential impact on women!

This will be a very close race and it is incumbent on each of us to do our part! We can each impact the outcome of this election by getting involved!

Local opportunities include; Phone Bank for Kamala on Tuesday afternoons from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm or Thursday from 5:30 pm – to 8:00 pm, coordinated by NWPC member Myra Coble or join the merry bunch of volunteers writing postcards on Friday mornings from 10 am to noon, led by NWPC member Patty Capelluti. These actions occur at the Fresno Democratic HQ, 1033 U Street, Fresno., 559-495-0606. 

Let’s re-elect NWPC’s endorsed candidates Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria; SCCCD Trustee Nasreen Johnson; FUSD Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas and Elect Kamala Harris!

In Equality,
Marsha

The post President’s Message appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

CCWC is a one-day conference serving women of all generations, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The forum educates and facilitates idea-sharing about how to succeed personally and professionally in life while juggling the increasingly complex and diverse demands of family and community.

Attendees celebrate their accomplishments and become inspired to push further in life to reach goals they thought unattainable within their careers, relationships, and, most importantly, their own personal growth.

Karen Franz will share how the conference has grown and changed over the years and we will hear about speakers, topics, workshops and exhibitors at this year’s upcoming conference. Find out who benefits from the conference profits each year.

The post Dinner Meeting September 3, 2024 appeared first on NWPC Fresno.

The hottest temperatures recorded in history, the Olympics, and the surprise candidacy of a viable woman in a Presidential race that could not have a starker contrast of good vs evil! Then there is our major PAC Fundraiser and Women’s Equality Day Celebration, on August 24th!

National NWPC endorsed Kamala Harris within hours of President Biden’s announcement that he was passing the torch and endorsing Vice President Harris! 

Since then unprecedented numbers of eligible voters have registered, millions of dollars donated, and targeted zoom meetings that have drawn hundreds of thousands of supporters, starting with Black Women, who have gathered to sign up and donate! 

This campaign is on fire! Hope does that!

If you have any doubt that the other candidate’s platform is evil, Project 2025—lists as one of its top goals: “Restore the family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.” We know, of course, what this means: their goal is to create a world where women are subservient to their husbands, where single mothers and poor mothers have no support in public policy and funding, and where abortion is completely outlawed. That is just an example, there are 900 pages of oppression, misogyny, racism, and hate!

Electing Kamala Harris President gives us a chance to change the trajectory of politics and democracy, restore the values our foremothers fought for, and define NWPC!

Volunteer in this campaign by phone banking for Harris, postcard writing to Get Out the Vote, and donating. We will discuss local opportunities at the next meeting. 

This isn’t an election that you want to watch go by without participating and wake up the day after the election and wish you had done more!

There is hope!

In Equality,
Marsha

The post President’s Message appeared first on NWPC Fresno.