DECEMBER LUNCHEON & GENERAL MEETING
December 1 @ 11:30-1:30
Tiburon Golf Club
Featured Speaker
Burt Saunders
Chairman
Collier County Commission
From his nearly 40 years of experience serving Collier County, Chairman Saunders will provide a wide range of updates on local government projects, State legislative issues, and other information relevant to our community. | 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, November 25 @ 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
You have recently received a survey as part of our Strategic Planning process. Please know we value your opinions and hope you will take time to provide thoughtful answers. I believe it is critical for our members’ voices to be heard!
We have also sent out a fundraising appeal that you should receive this week. If sending a check, please put Donation in the memo line. The impact of the LWV’s change to membership is being felt nationwide. I was on a call last night listening to smaller Leagues who are being upended over the impact. We are grateful for our generous members who continue to support our efforts to Defend Democracy.
In the November Voter I challenged all of us to volunteer weekly on behalf of the LWVCC. There is one easy thing you can do now that the holidays are approaching and we have many opportunities to gather together: remind all those living in Naples, that the Naples City Council election will not have early voting. Please encourage voters to request a Mail-in-Ballot. You may want and be able to vote in person, but in case of the unexpected, it’s good to have your back-up plan in place.
| DUES RENEWAL REMINDER
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 them put them 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 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.
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VOTER SERVICES VOLUNTEERING 101
(everything you ever wanted to know to help voters in Collier County)
November 19 @ 2:00-3:00
North Collier Government Services Center
Town Hall Meeting Room
Join the Voter Services sub-committee leads to learn about all the activities that our volunteers make happen to empower Collier voters, especially in the upcoming 2026 election cycle!
We’ll introduce you to Voter Services, the ❤️ of the League of Women Voters and the many ways you can help with our programs. You’ll meet the sub-committee heads, hear about our activities in the upcoming year, then break out in small groups to see what each activity is like. Our goal is to help you find the niche in Voter Services that most appeals to you – where you can help voters, make some friends in the league and feel your voice and presence is helping as we strive to ensure democracy works for every Collier County citizen by making sure every vote is counted, working to increase turnout through voter registration and education, and by monitoring legislation that impacts voting rights.
Who? Teresa Stohs, President LWVCollier, Laura Hansen Reynolds, Voter Services Adm. Coordinator & Vote 411, Tina Palmese, Returning Citizens & Tabling Events, Stacy Vermylen, Engaging Younger Voters, Mary Jo Nolan, Canvassing Board. Patricia Aiken-O’Neill, Candidate Forums, Susan Housel, Adopt-a-Precinct.
| VOTER SERVICES NEEDS YOU NOW!
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 are our November tabling events:
| 11/15 |
Island Walk w/ Pass on Plastics 10-11am
Towncenter Circle Ste #101 Naples 34119
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10-11am |
| 11/20 |
Mayor’s Coffee & Conversations
Fountain in front of City Hall
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(7:45am set up)
8-10am
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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 back-up. 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 Florida election law). We help them click on the SOE website for checking voter registration, then make 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 Signup Genius 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 contact. To sign-up for a November VS tabling event, use this link:
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 Laura Hansen Reynolds, Voter Services coordinator, will get a list of volunteers with contact info. Easy-Peasy!
Questions? Contact Laura Hansen Reynolds or call her at the phone number in the LWVCC website Member Directory.
Lynn Martin and Laura Hansen Reynolds at Rookery Bay, October 2025 |  HOW ARE OUR SCHOOLS FUNDED?
November 13 @ 5:30-6:00
ZOOM
The League of Women Voters of Florida Education Action Team and Families for Strong Public Schools unpack the foundations of Florida’s school finance system, how money flows from state, local, and federal sources to district budgets. Participants will learn about the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP)—the state’s main funding formula—along with the role of sales tax, property taxes, lottery funds, and federal programs such as Title grants and block grants. The session will explore why Florida’s tax system is among the most regressive in the country and what that means for educational equity.
| JUVENILE JUSTICE COMMITTEE SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. Rachel Dawes
Collier County Public Schools
Combatting Chronic Absenteeism
November 21 @ 10:00-12:00
 
Did you know that in K-12 public schools across the US, truancy/chronic absenteeism is the primary predictor of lack of academic achievement and whether a child is likely to become involved with Law Enforcement? Did you also know that recently, in the State of Florida, Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) ranked #1 best with lowest percentage of students absent 21 days or more during the 180-day school year.? The State average was more than double that of CCPS.
On Friday, November 21, 10:00 am, Dr. Rachel Dawes, CCPS Director of Safety, Security, and Student Relations will be the featured speaker at the Juvenile Justice Committee’s meeting at Finemark Bank Waterside. Dr. Dawes’ portfolio includes safety initiatives and threat assessments, as well as attendance, discipline, and alternative placements.
All members and guests are invited to this timely presentation. Space is limited. These are all sizzling topics in most American communities today.
| SOCIAL POLICY COMMITTEE PRESENTS
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY
December 8 @ 10:00
Moorings Park Building O
Following LWVFL’s Civil Discourse Initiative, the Social Policy Committee is hosting a presentation and discussion aimed at improving our abilities in constructive dialogue. Democracy is sustained by people who are willing to engage in meaningful dialogue with others. Come and learn about communication practices that build relationships, encourage open dialogue and support our democracy. This will not be a workshop and covers new material. Let’s build a more connected Community! Janet Hoffman, Co-chair of Social Policy, will present and lead the discussion on civil discourse. Through participation with The Dialogue Company, Empowering Communication, and classes in conflict management, Janet became excited about increasing the awareness of tools for healthy dialogue and wants to share them.
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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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| November 13 @ 5:30-6:00 |
How Are Our Schools Funded |
| December 1 @ 11:30-1:30 |
December Luncheon & General Meeting |
| November 19 @ 2:00-3:00 |
Voter Services Volunteering 101 |
| December 8 @ 3:00-4:30 |
Book Club
Devil's Element |
| December 11 @ 5:30-6:00 |
How Are Our Schools Funded? |
| January 16 @ 9:00-10:30 |
New Member Coffee Social |
Visit the LWVCC Calendar for event details
| ONLINE REIMBURSEMENT FORM IS NOW AVAILABLE
Board members, committee chairs, and others who need to submit reimbursement requests can 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 Botanical Gardens Field Trip
November 13 @ 10:00-11:30
| Plastics Task Force Meeting
November 13 @ 3:30-5:00
Zoom
| Gun Violence Prevention Subcommittee Meeting
November 19 @10:00-11:00
Zoom
| Juvenile Justice Committee Meeting
November 21 @10:00-12:00
Finemark Bank | Board Meeting
December 3 @ 9:30-12:00
Moorings Park Board Room | 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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