The Voter

June 2021

President's Message

By Lynn Frazier

Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Meeting and to those who took the time to vote early. Zoom meetings are not nearly as fun as a banquet, but we accomplished the work of approving the budget, adopting the local program, and electing new Board members.

Welcome to the newly elected and appointed Board members:

Vice President: Deb Shimon
Directors: Janice Garry, Gwendolyn Saffo, and Gigi Simmons
Communications Chair: Connie Nicklin
Voter Services Co-Chairs: Courtney Evans and Marissa Latini
Natural Resources Committee Co-Chair: Roberta Gastmeyer (joining current Chair, Jay Rosenbek)
Nominations Committee Chair: Sue Hatch
Speakers Bureau Chair: Lynn Leverty
Technical Committee Chair: Wes Wheeler

Please join me in thanking them for their service!

Beginning this month and continuing over the next few months, we will be introducing you to your 2021-2022 elected and appointed Board members in four different groups: Officers, Elected Directors, Standing Committee Chairs, and Administrative Committee Chairs. I think you’ll enjoy learning more about your board members, and you just may be surprised by how many people are active behind the scenes. It really does take a village!

Now is a great time to review the 2021-2022 Local Program. This program contains the local governmental issues chosen for study and action as defined by the Committees and adopted by the Board. All Committees remain active in the summer, so plan to get involved! The meeting dates and times are listed in the Calendar.

We have a busy year ahead in the local issues outlined in the Local Program as well as state-wide issues like:

Electoral reforms to make voting easy and equitable,
Fair and transparent redistricting without gerrymandering,
State legislation for energy conservation, and greater use of renewable resources,
Medicaid expansion,
And many more.

There is likely a League issue that ignites your passion. Find it and join us for the League work of 2021-2022!

Lynn

elgfrazier@gmail.com

Introducing Your Board Officers

President: Lynn Frazier

I joined the League in 1973, starting with the Education Committee and then as Voter Editor. I also served as treasurer for two terms and in 1993-94 served as President. I worked alongside very active league leaders like Margaret Pierce, Fernanda Peterson, Polly Doughty, et al. After working in the private sector and at UF until retirement, I returned to active involvement in League. I love reconnecting with all who are so passionate about voting rights and the state of our democracy.

Vice President: Deb Shimon

I joined the League in 2016 and volunteered to be a timer for a 2017 forum. That experience dedicated me to Voter Services! I became Co-Chair, then the Chair for about 2 years and then Co-chair again of VS, for 4 years total. I am now the Vice President and I look forward to assisting the president and still being involved with VS. I am also on the board of a local greyhound adoption group and help find great homes for "greyt" greyhounds! Pictured are my greyhounds, Cab and Neva.

Secretary: Carole Fernandez

I joined the League in 2015 and served for about a year as Roster Manager and Dues Treasurer and then for two years (2017-2019) as President. I am currently the League’s Secretary. I retired in 2013 after 35 years of practicing law, the last 27 of which I served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Miami handling civil litigation. I am currently enjoying retirement in High Springs.

Treasurer: Fran Towk

Shortly after joining the League in 2018, I received a call asking if I would consider taking on the position of treasurer. It must have seemed a logical job for a retired middle school ESE and math teacher. I had no idea what was in store for me, for us. It is a pleasure working with such a talented and dedicated group. Like my predecessor, I feel that my three years on the job have prepared me for the fourth, and final, year.

Phishing Awareness

Cybercriminals often bypass email security filters by replacing commonly flagged keywords with a synonym. For instance, in a recent phishing attack, they replaced the term “invoice” with the synonym “Remittance Advice”. That allowed it to bypass the spam filters.

Here’s how you can stay safe from scams like this:

Never click a link or download an attachment in an email that you were not expecting.
Watch out for uncommon language. For example, the phrase “Remittance Advice" is not a commonly-used term in basic transactional emails. This could be an indication that the phrase replaced a more common keyword.
When an email claims to include an invoice, try to find evidence of the transaction elsewhere. Do you have an unexpected credit card charge? Did someone in your family order something on your account?

Comments, Questions, Feedback? Contact the editor Connie Nicklin

Alachua County League of Women Voters | 352-448-5408 | info@lwv-alachua.org | www.lwvalachua.org