LWV Henderson County (LWVHC) has a variety of committees and teams that members may join. While teams focus on public policy issues, committees support the operation of the organization. Members decide what they can contribute based on their personal interests, expertise, or time. The best way to get active within the League is to join a team or committee! (Regular team meetings are posted in the meetings calendar; committee meetings scheduled as needed.)
[Below, click person name to see bio; click committee or team to send email for more information or to join.]
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
The Communications Committee works to promote LWVHC events, maintain the website, post to LWVHC’s social media feeds, produce the bimonthly Update, produce the Annual Report, and increase LWVHC’s visibility in the community.
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Vacant has not entered biographical information yet.
The Education Team focuses on issues impacting public schools in Henderson County and NC. Some members of this committee observe Henderson County Board of Education meetings.
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Jane Pulling is a native South Carolinian who grew up in a small town in the Low Country. She holds a bachelors and masters degree from the University of Alabama and a doctorate from the University of Georgia. She is a retired educator with 38 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and superintendent. After retirement she consulted for several years on improving student achievement in underperforming schools and improving college application and admission rates. Married to the late Verne Pulling for 42 years, Jane is the mother of five grown children, six grandsons, and one great grandson. After vacationing at her summer home in Saluda NC for many years, she moved to NC permanently in 2019. She served on the Board of LWV-SC and LWV Charleston. Her hobbies and interests include reading, cooking, gardening, and travel.
The Finance Committee works with the Treasurer to ensure the fiscal stability of LWVHC. Committee members review financial statements, evaluate expenses, and develop an annual budget.
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Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, where she attended Transylvania University, Jane has been part of the WNC community for nearly fifty years. She holds a Master’s degree in Counseling and has contributed to multiple nonprofit agencies and also ran her own small business. Jane stays actively engaged in her community through volunteer work with Meals on Wheels, Food Connection, the library, and Safelight’s retail shop. She enjoys hiking, exercise time at the YMCA and tennis at the Hendersonville Racquet club. She became involved with the League because she wanted to channel her concerns about current political issues into action.
The Nominating Committee identifies nominees for election and appointment to the LWVHC Board of Directors. Members of the Nominating Committee are elected at the Annual Meeting.
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Caren Kessler has not entered biographical information yet.
The Home/Observer Team (H/OT) invites you to join us to explore common ground with our elected and appointed officials and to represent LWV at local board and commission meetings that interest you. Please share what you learn and help all of us become more active, informed participants in matters of community, local, state, and national significance.
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Rachel Poller joined LWV Henderson County five years ago after she and her husband retired to Hendersonville in 2013 from Philadelphia. Having taught ESL in Peace Corps Zaire, Rachel worked for 25 years in the Camden, NJ city schools: seventeen years teaching and eight years supervising the Bilingual Department. Always politically engaged, Rachel has grown to appreciate the League's commitment to nonpartisanship while advocating for political issues. She's an ethical vegan, erstwhile gardener, and respectable duplicate bridge player.
The Immigration Team works to educate and advocate in our community on issues such as DACA, hate rhetoric, unaccompanied minor children, human trafficking, and uncertainty of deportations. We work to support our vibrant local immigrant population along with our friends and community partners.
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Marcella moved to Hendersonville in 2020 and joined the League in 2021. She retired as a librarian and professor from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX, where she was employed for about 30 years. She is a co-chair of Nominating as well as current Team Leader for the Immigration Team, serves as a citizenship and literacy tutor for Blue Ridge Literacy Council, and helps to make toys at Apple Country Woodcrafters. The toys are donated to various social services agencies at Christmas time.
The Membership Committee promotes recruitment and retention of League members. It manages membership databases and hosts new member orientation events.
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In addition to serving as League president, Sharon has enjoyed serving on the Observer, Education, Membership, HOT, and Nominating Teams. Transparency, Inclusion, and "raising all boats" are passions that follow her from her career as Special Ed Teacher in the HC Public Schools, and earlier time spent overseas in Nepal, Thailand, and Fiji. Moving here in 1978 (born in Rochester, NY) she and Wes raised their two children and a second "nursery" of native plants. That's why you'll often find her off grandparenting, or in the garden, when not volunteering for the LWV and other advisory roles. Swimming and yoga keep her moving.
Sharon Burlingame and
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Nan is a 5th generation Texan, raised in New Orleans, graduated from college in Sewanee, TN, and found her heart’s home in Henderson County 49 years ago. She worked at a variety of jobs - paralegal, summer camp administrator, business owner, caterer - but the most fun was being a certified sommelier. With three children, three stepsons, four daughters-in-law, two sons-in-law and five only-children grands, life can be fun and messy! She loves her family, travel, wine, genealogy research, and voters' rights. LWV member since 2014, Nan has worked on multiple committees/teams, served as Co-President, Vice-President & Secretary.
This team works to promote civics education and student participation in the election process by working in coordination with Henderson County Public Schools to have students cast informed on-line votes on candidates and issue questions appropriate to their age levels, K-12, during midterm and Presidential election years. The Students Voting for Democracy team has helped thousands of Henderson County Public School students practice voting in the 2014, 2016 and 2018 elections. The team organizes and prepares for the 23 public schools’ mock elections in the odd-numbered years.
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Bettie Liebzeit is a retired educator who grew up in Texas. She and her husband spent 40 plus years in education, in the U.S. (Texas and Michigan) and also in American independent schools abroad. She has lived in Greece, The Netherlands, Indonesia, Germany, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Libya. She taught U.S. history and civics to middle and high school students from over 35 different countries--many of whom wanted an American based education so they could come to the U.S. for advanced education and return home to help instill American values of democracy.
Bettie Liebzeit and
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Pamela Pazoles has not entered biographical information yet.
The Voter Services Committee organizes voter registrations, develops nonpartisan voter guides, educates voters about the election process, and hosts candidate forums in the community. Some of the committee members observe public meetings of the Henderson County Board of Elections.
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Myra is a retired banker, having managed large technology programs for over 30 years. Until November of 2024, she served on the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia League, leading the Restore the Vote team supporting incarcerated voters in the DC Jail through voter registration, civics education, and acting as an official election observer. Myra also registered DC voters incarcerated in the Bureau of Prisons. Other volunteer work included serving as the Treasurer of the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens; facilitating weekly support calls for returning citizens; and leading the District’s ReThink Justice Coalition.
Myra is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a BS in Finance and an MBA.
The Board of Directors forms new committees to work to support the LWVHC. With the approval of the Board, members may form a new committee to work on an issue that supports a League policy position. Contact the President for more information. Please review League policy positions. The project proposal form can serve as a useful guide for getting started.
Education Team Chair
Finance Committee Chair
Nominating Committee chair
Home /Observer Team Chair
Immigration Team chair
and 
Membership Committee co-chairs
and 
Voter Services Chair
