Saturday, May 10, 2025, Noon – 2 p.m.

Annual Meeting & Women Matter Spring Finale
Community Room, Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Our Annual Meeting will kick off the afternoon  followed by our scheduled programming.

Join us for the spring wrap-up to a good year. Enjoy a delightful luncheon, get caught up on the business of your local AAUW, and meet Nancy Plummer, the entrepreneur who started and owns the locally popular and nationally known Moomers. The annual meeting has come together as a not-to-miss event complete with Moomers Ice Cream generously donated by our guest speaker.

Nancy Plummer grew up in Flint and moved to Traverse City in 1972. She spent her “first life” as an elementary teacher, mostly in first-grade. An idea, sparked by her love of ice cream and living on a dairy farm, turned into reality as she started her “second life” by opening Moomers Homemade Ice Cream. The simple idea of a small mom & pop ice cream shop has grown to become a community “icon” and a sign of spring. Her story is intriguing and inspirational!

The gathering may be of particular interest to guests to get a bigger picture of our local branch of AAUW so don’t hesitate to invite friends.

2025 Awardees

Lydia Bissonette of Kalkaska was awarded the 2025 Minnie Votruba Moore Scholarship for the continuing of her studies in Communications at Grand Valley State University. Lydia stated that she is committed to completing her degree with a strong focus on communication principles and strategies accompanied by a minor in management. Her career goal is to seek leadership positions in organizations oriented toward social impact where she hopes to influence and create positive change in her community especially in the
lives of youth. Lydia has demonstrated her interest in mentorship for youth by serving in the role as a Big Sister for “Big Sisters, Big Brothers ”of Northwest Michigan.

Alexandria Dubois of Traverse City, a recipient of one of our 2025 AAUWTC Branch Scholarships, is pursuing a graduate degree at Grand Valley State University in the Field of Medicine as a Physician Assistant. Growing up in a rural home with financial hardships she experienced firsthand the limited access to medical providers in her community which did not result in a good outcome for many. Having knowledge that health care disparities in rural
communities continue to be a pressing issue Alexandria choose the career of Physician Assistant to help bridge the gap in health care by providing high-quality compassionate care to underserved communities. Alexandria states her ultimate goal is to work in primary care or an emergency medicine setting where she can provide comprehensive care and advocate for patients who might otherwise struggle to access medical services.

Desiree Morgan of Traverse City, a recipient of one of our 2025 AAUWTC Branch Scholarships, is studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a major in Multi-Media Arts at Northern Michigan University. Desiree is a first generation university student who has demonstrated resiliency while facing many health challenges and family financial hardships. She states that obtaining the scholarship would help her secure a better future and close the financial gap by obtaining a BFA in her field as that will provide her with more career opportunities and a better economic future. Alexandria has  demonstrated her artistic talent in which she has received awards to include the ADDY Award (American Advertising Award) for a series of posters advertising a 5K Resolution run/walk by Traverse Health Clinic.

2024 Scholarship Winners

Two AAUW Traverse City Branch Scholarships for $2,000 were awarded to: Ashley Hooper of Kingsley Michigan and Natalie Anderson of Traverse City.

This year’s Minnie Votruba Moore scholarship for $2,000 winner is Olivia Bailey of Interlochen Michigan.

Ashley will be attending Davenport University while Natalie and Olivia will be going to Northern Michigan University fall 2024.

AAUW Traverse City Annual Book Sale
May 2-4, 2025

Donate – Volunteer – Shop 

• Location: the Mercato @ the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Kirkbride Entrance
• Friday & Saturday 9-6
• Sunday noon-3 pm

Set up day is May 1st, 2025. Sign up sheets for volunteers will be available at the April 21st AAUW meeting or contact Amy or Shirley @ aauwtcbooksale@gmail.com

Donate books, puzzles, and DVDs may be donated during the setup on May 1st, or call Amy or Shirley to arrange drop off or pickup aauwtcbooksale@gmail.com

AAUW Traverse City April 2025 Meeting
Monday, April 21, 6 p.m.
Janis Room, Dennos Museum Center

We continue our theme Women Matter with local leader, Laura Oblinger. Currently, Laura is the chair of Northwestern Michigan College’s Board of Trustees and leader of client services for Northern Michigan’s office of Rehmann, a business consulting and advisory firm. You may also remember Laura from the TC Area Chamber of Commerce (now Traverse Connect) where she served in executive leadership. A “local girl”, Laura will share her journey as a business professional woman in our own community. In what ways has gender influenced her career path? Has she encountered gender obstacles or advantages? See below for a more detailed bio. Come for the information and insights, the camaraderie of interesting women, and the delightful refreshments. If you are part of an interest group, please encourage all members to attend and enjoy. You might wish to highlight your groups activities.

Biography
Laura Oblinger is an effective executive leader who can move an organization, and its people, through strategic development with a positive attitude, high-energy, and effectiveness. She has been successful at building and representing a brand. She is a strategic visionary with a clear sense of purpose and urgency when faced with situational challenges. Currently, Laura leads Rehmann’s client service, practice growth and new business development efforts in its Northern Michigan region. In her role as a client advocate, Laura delivers The Rehmann Experience as an objective liaison between Rehmann and client executives.

Prior to Rehmann, she was in executive leadership at the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce (today known as Traverse Connect). In 2015, she left her career at the Chamber, took a year and a half professional break to regroup at home as a wife, mother and became the CEO of herself! Currently, Laura serves in a public office as the Chairperson of Northwestern Michigan College’s Board of Trustees.

Laura has been recognized for her work as an entrepreneur and business woman. Among her honors she was the 2024, recipient of Rehmann’s Randall R. Rupp “Embracing an Entrepreneurial Spirit” award; named by the Traverse City Business News for several awards including: 3 three consecutive years, recognized as one of the top 40Under40; she was named one of the most influential women in the region; twice named one of the top 25 most powerful women in the region. She has also been recognized by Davenport University with their Student Leadership Award for the Traverse City Campus, and in 2015 Alumni of the Year for their Donald W. Maine School of Business.

DOES THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE HAVE VALUE FOR THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC TODAY?

On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, from noon to 1:30 PM, the League of Women Voters/Grand Traverse Area will present Dr. John Zachman who will discuss the Electoral College and it’s relevancy today. He will give a historical perspective and answer questions such as: what is the Electoral College; why does it persist; and what efforts exist to abolish or modify it.

Dr. Zachman received his B.A. from MSU in Justice, Morality, and Constitutional Democracy and his M.A. from Duke University in Political Science, and his PH.D. from Duke University with a dissertation on John Stuart Mill’s Political Philosophy.  He is an instructor of political science and philosophy at NMC and lives in Leelanau County with his wife and 4 children.

This League of Women Voters/Grand Traverse Area broadcast can be viewed on the Traverse Area Community Media Facebook page, on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82830270222                                         or on Community TV Channel 189 (with Spectrum cable). Questions can be asked on Zoom or in the Facebook comments.  For those that are unable to tune into the live event, a recording will be available at the TACM website (www.TACM.tv).   More information can be found on the League of Women Voters/Grand Traverse Area website: LWVGTA.org.   Anne Magoun will moderate the program.

The League of Women Voters is a national, non-partisan organization. The League does not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties, but it does work to obtain and to distribute information to the public about candidates and their views. The League promotes the informal and active participation of all citizens in government; it works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and it influences public policy through education and advocacy. 

CONTACT:  Cheryl Naperala

231-223-7903 napperch@yahoo.com

Perhaps you are like me? I had never given any thought to just how a County Board of Commissioners comes into being.  Every two years, I check off a person’s name on a ballot, but frequently I know little about these people.  I am embarrassed to say that if I feel totally in the dark, I might not vote in that race at all.  At least, I have reasoned that at the County level the political party is not as important as the person. These jobs require a great deal of work and dedication.  I wouldn’t want to vote for someone who might not have the stamina or public interest necessary for the job; and so I forego the vote.  

But this last year, at least for me, it has been impossible not to realize that local government, just like national, is a result of the attention that we citizens pay to it.  And I have begun to pay that attention.  

Recently I went to yet another Zoom get together.  At this one, a very interesting presentation was given by T.J. Andrews, a local environmental lawyer, with a passion for bipartisan civics education at the local level.  Her presentation covered the upcoming County redistricting that is required by the national census.  This is not the state legislative redistricting to be undertaken by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, but rather a reapportionment that takes place every ten years in each county for the purpose of electing County Commissioners.  This process is overseen by a predetermined group of 5 people and has very specific rules that allow for a great deal of variation in number of districts.  That number of districts and how they are designated will control how the county is to be administered for the next 10 years.  So the stakes can be high.  

Our AAUW Traverse City Public Affairs Interest Group has invited Ms. Andrews to speak at our next meeting (Zoom) on May 24th at 2:30 on the topic of County Redistricting.  This is not a political talk, but informative no matter your political persuasion.  We would like to invite the entire GT AAUW to join us for this very interesting and informative talk. — and to invite a friend if you would like.  Hope to see you there!

TJ Andrews is a practicing public interest environmental attorney in Traverse City. In her free time she frequently volunteers with local bipartisan campaigns relevant to good governance, particularly at the very local level. Her current interests include Fair Lines Grand Traverse, which is an informal group that is raising awareness about the 2021 county-level redistricting (reapportionment) of county commission districts. More particularly, Fair Lines seeks to raise understanding about the rules and procedures for county redistricting and is seeking to infuse transparency and accountability to the community into the county redistricting process. More information about Fair Lines GT is here: http://www.fairlinesgt.com