LWVSP Holds Successful 106th Annual Member Meeting
LWVSP 106th Annual Member Meeting (June 1, 2026).
On the evening of June 1, fifty-four LWVSP members and their guests gathered at the the Minnesota Humanities Event Center to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and hear remarks from honored guest, Kaohly Her, Mayor of Saint Paul.
Mayor Her spoke about the importance of voting, as well as the importance of having accurate information about voting. She emphasized how crucial the outreach work of the League is in light of rampant misinformation and voter intimidation. She spoke eloquently about the power of direct, person-to-person engagement with voters. She underscored how many voters may lack basic information about who represents them in government, which policies affect their daily lives, and how, where, and when to vote. Direct engagement can not only provide accurate information, but inspire action. She recounted her late-in-life entry into political action nearly two decades ago when inspired by then-Senator Barack Obama’s call to action.
Mayor Kaohly Her of St. Paul was this year’s keynote speaker.
Mayor Her also spoke about her term so far, recounting the difficulty of entering office in the midst of Operation Metro Surge. She emphasized her administration’s commitment to improving city services and communication with the public. Mayor Her was candid about the need to grow St. Paul’s commercial tax base to ease the burden on residential areas. In all of this work, she stressed the importance of open dialogue with community members, as well as her belief in serving all of St. Paul’s residents, regardless of how they voted. Mayor Her then took audience questions and mingled with the membership.
After Mayor Her’s departure, outgoing LWVSP President Beatrice Owen called the official Annual Meeting proceedings to order. She expressed her gratitude to League membership for their dedication and support during her term of office. She thanked retiring board members Molly Flowers (Membership Committee Co-Chair) and Pamela Mercier (Voter Service Co-Chair) for their outstanding service. The presentation of the 2026 Sunrise and Faye Lyksett awards followed, with last year’s winners announcing the 2026 awardees. Melissa Finnegan presented the Sunrise Award to Veronica Foltz-Richardson and Joann Ellis presented the Lyksett Award to Board Treasurer Nichole Fairbanks.
Melissa Finnegan with Sunrise Award winner Veronica Foltz-Richardson (L); Joann Ellis with Lyksett Award winner Nichole Fairbanks (R).
After approval of 2025 Annual Meeting minutes, Committee Chairs were invited to discuss the previous year’s accomplishments and plans for the coming year. President Owen then presented the slate of board members and officers for the 2026-27 operating year, which the members present approved unanimously. President Owen will take her place as a board member (immediate past president); Cheryl Bailey and Melissa Finnegan will succeed Beatrice as Co-Presidents. Treasurer Nichole Fairbanks went over the financial report and proposed budget for 2026-27, which the members present approved unanimously. President Owen then spoke about the many opportunities for members to get involved in the League’s work, from get-out-the-vote efforts to monitoring the LWVSP voicemail.
The discussion then shifted to a proposed resolution that will be taken up at the League of Women Voters National Convention regarding the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, whereby states which sign on agree to pledge their electoral college votes to the winner of the national popular vote in presidential elections. The League already has an impact statement regarding the national popular vote and this proposal — if adopted — would formalize the League’s support for the Compact. (You can find the wording of the proposed text here [LINK].). At least one LWVSP member voiced concerns about the need for more information on the issue.
Trudy Dunham honors Joanne Englund.
To conclude the evening, member Trudy Dunham presented a touching in memoriam to Joanne Englund, a lifetime member who passed away last year. (You can read about Joanne Englund in the September 2025 issue of The Voter Newsletter.).