JANUARY LUNCHEON & GENERAL MEETING
January 12 @ 11:30-1:30
Tiburon Golf Club
More Than Just Wine:
How NCF Is Transforming Early Childhood Education
in Collier County
Maria Jimenez-Lara
CEO
Naples Children’s Foundation
Join us on January 12th to hear from Maria Jimenez-Lara, CEO of the Naples Children’s Foundation, who will tell us more about what NCF does with the money raised by the Naples Winter Wine Festival.
MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION
MEMBERS MUST LOG IN FIRST TO RECEIVE MEMBER PRICE
If you are bringing one or more guests, please be sure to register them when you register yourself.
Registration and payment must be made online by
Tuesday, January 6 @ 12:00 PM
Walk-ins will be seated in order of arrival on a space available basis
Late registration/walk in price will be strictly enforced
Let's Grow Together! Bring a Friend to Our General Meetings
| PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
On December 4th, LWVCC members Sara Cass Berg, Tina Palmese, Donna Gillroy, Jan Ellis, Susan Golden, and I traveled to Tallahassee to attend the Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting meeting. We chartered a bus for the up-and-back same-day event and were joined by six members from LWVLee and LWVCharlotte. We were able to cover the cost of this out-of-budget expense thanks to having reserves.
In Tallahassee, we joined nearly 150 others. As you have heard by now, no one was allowed to speak, and we were told to return on December 10th. On December 10th, the committee held its second meeting, and Tina Palmese and I attended. Once again, no public comments were allowed. When questioned by a committee member, the Chair stated that another meeting would be scheduled and that public comment would be held at some point.
It’s not too late for you to say NO to Redistricting. Here is a LINK of all members and their contact information. Send your message now. Thanks to everyone who has already sent messages; send them again, expressing your disappointment that no one was allowed to speak.
Wishing you Happy Holidays,
Teresa
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VOTER SERVICES NEEDS YOU!
The Naples City Council election on February 3, 2026, will not have Early Voting days – voters can only vote on election day or using a Vote-by-mail ballot. We are reaching out through Naples’ neighborhood/civic organizations to have Voter Services tabling events where we can help voters check their registration online and request a Vote-by-Mail ballot. These is our December tabling event:
| 12/11 |
RedBlue4Green Candidate Forum
Norris Center 755 8th St S, Naples |
3:45-6:15pm |
What do we do at these events? Wear your name badge, and we’ll have the Voter Services iPad with cell service. We ask that you bring a personal iPad, if you have one you are comfortable with, as a backup. We chat with everyone who stops by, asking if they would like to check their voter registration and re-request a Vote-by-Mail ballot (prior requests deleted at 12/31/2024 per FL Election law). We help them click the SOE website to check voter registration, then the VBM request. There will also be a small flyer to do-it-yourself at home, if they want to take that. It’s fun to chat with voters and tell them all about our local League!
We’re going to try a new way for volunteers to sign up using the SignUpGenius web-based app. All you’ll need is your calendar to see which events you are free to volunteer for, and your name, email address, and phone number.
When you click, you’ll see all the VS tabling events and available slots. Just click the blue “Sign up” rectangle next to the slots you’d like to volunteer for, then scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the blue, centered “Save & Continue” button. Next, the Sign Me Up page lists your choices. Enter your email and phone number, then click the red “Sign Up Now” button. You’ll get an acknowledgement email, and I’ll get a list of volunteers with contact info. Easy-Peasy! Questions? Call Laura Hansen Reynolds at 202-714-0249 or email laura9hansen@gmail.com
| DUES RENEWAL REMINDER:
NOW ONLINE @ LWVUS
Our season here in Collier is in full swing! And this time of the year is membership renewal time for over 50% of our members.
As a reminder, the League of Women Voters US is now collecting all dues payments at the National level and then remitting a portion down to the State leagues and the local leagues. You will receive an email notice of your renewal from the LWVUS which will include a link to instructions for online payments.
We encourage you, if at all possible, to use the LWVUS’s new membership renewal system instead of writing paper checks and mailing them to our P.O. Box. It is both safer as well as faster. Any member of the Membership or Finance teams is happy to help you renew online.
The LWVUS’ new system requires us to endorse any checks we receive and the put then back in the mail to their collection lockbox which causes delays in having your check clear as well as additional administrative expenses for the LWVCC.
Speaking of expenses… did you know that we here in Collier now retain only 20% of any dues paid to National? Thus, if you renew at the suggested rate of $75.00, we receive $15.00. If you renew at the base rate of $20, we receive $4.00.
The new dues structure significantly reduces our revenues from dues. This increases our need for donations to maintain our operations which fund both education and advocacy work to inform and empower the voting public here in Collier County. Our work is needed more now than ever!
The good news? What happens in Collier, stays in Collier, as 100% of your donations to the Collier County League (made separately on lwvcolliercounty.org) stay in the Collier County League!
As a reminder, the League of Women Voters of Collier County Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and, as such, donations to our organization are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law in your personal circumstances.
|  Beginning in January, LWVCC will be hosting a Zoom series called Hot Topics—things that are currently of interest. We will be starting off with Voters Services 101. This program was offered live in November, but not everyone was able to attend. The training will help us prepare to staff numerous tabling events in January/February and beyond. Tabling events provide participants the opportunity to check their registration and request Vote by Mail ballots. Presentations will be taped and available on demand. Stay tuned for more information. | EDUCATION AMBASSADOR NEWS
Education Ambassador (EA) members attended the Board of County Commissioners meeting on December 9, 2025, to support an increase in impact fees paid by developers. These fees are applied only to new construction and would be used for needed construction for new schools. Amy Perwien delivered remarks on behalf of EA. The Commissioners voted to advertise the impact fee increase for public comments and will vote on the increase at the January 13 Commissioners meeting.
At the November CCPS School Board meeting, members expressed concerns about the new arrangement under which the charter Schools of Hope can co-locate in any underused facility, with transportation, utilities, and other expenses borne by the district. Families for Strong Public Schools works closely with EA and has information available at Schools of Nope and at the webinar scheduled for December 11. EA members attended the December 10 School Board meeting but determined that the agenda did not require comments from EA
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DECEMBER 11 @ 5:30-6:30
ZOOM
This one-hour workshop, in conjunction with Families for Strong Public Schools, will be presented to League members across Florida, offering a powerful virtual training on Florida’s rapidly expanding Schools of Hope co-location and takeover scheme—and what communities can do to fight back.
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The Communications Team recently began a video series titled “Civics Unplugged” posted on all of LWVCC’s social media sites. The goal of these short reels is to educate viewers on the basics of national and local civics, such as Branches of Government, Voting Rights, Constitutional Amendments, City Council, and more.
We will be posting these 1-minute videos approximately once a week on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. As always, the more “clicks” on the postings we get, the more engagement we will see in our community! So please make sure you check-in to our social media to view, like, comment, and share our reels.
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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| December 11 @ 5:30-6:30 |
Schools of Nope |
| January 12 @ 11:30-1:30 |
Luncheon & General Meeting |
| January 13 @ 5:00-8:00 |
Naples City Council
Candidate Forum |
January 15 @ 5:30-6:00
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How Are Our Schools Funded? |
| January 16 @ 9:00-10:30 |
New Member Coffee Social |
| January 19 @ 9:30-1:00 |
MLK Day Parade |
| January 29 10:00-11:00 |
Hot Topic: Property Taxes |
Visit the LWVCC Calendar for event details
| REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS ARE NOW ONLINE
Board members, committee chairs, and others who need to submit reimbursement requests must now do so via our Submit Online Forms page. | UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Check our Event Calendar for meeting locations and more information. LWVCC committee meetings are for members and their invited guests unless stated otherwise, members should log in to the website to register to get the Zoom links for committee meetings and other events. | Environmental Affairs Committee Meeting
December 11 @ 10:00-11:30
Collier Community Foundation
The speaker will be Shane Duff, President of Cypress Cove Land Keepers, who will discuss the sale of the Gore Nature Center to Conservation Collier and the future for the Center.
| Board Meeting
January 7 @ 9:30-12:00
Moorings Park Board Room | Plastics Task Force Meeting
January 8 @ 3:30-5:00
Zoom
| Gun Violence Prevention Subcommittee Meeting
January 21 @10:00-11:00
Zoom
Linda Coffin, co-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Committee for the Orange County League of Women Voters and former Legislative State Co-Lead and Central Florida Legislative Lead for Moms Demand Action will provide an update on all the pending legislation of importance to LWVCC.
| Juvenile Justice Committee Meeting
January 23 @10:00-12:00
Finemark Bank | Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
| League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883Naples, FL 34101
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