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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Gretchen, a lifelong Marylander, moved to the Hendersonville area in 2020 to join her husband who relocated for a new job opportunity. She had joined her local League in Maryland in late 2016 and transferred her membership to the Henderson County League last summer. Through the League, Gretchen hopes to help advance causes that are important to vibrant and safe communities for all including voting rights, transparency in redistricting, education and immigration.
Gretchen has her Master's degree in the area of Special Education and has worked to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities obtain the education and support services they need to live safely in their communities for the last 4 decades.
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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Nancy hails from Northern Wisconsin where, in her youth, she earned her private pilot’s license and joined Amelia Earhart’s The Ninety-Nines flying club. She was the first female air traffic controller to serve in the FAA’s Green Bay Tower. After transfers to Alton IL and Daytona Beach FL, she landed in Fayetteville NC. As a proud PATCO member fired by Ronald Reagan in 1981, she earned her paralegal degree and spent 30 years in Charlotte law firms and at United Dominion Industries where she created their corporate travel program. Since moving full time to Hendersonville in 2015, Nancy volunteers for Project Dignity, NC SHIIP, Four Seasons Hospice, WNCW, NC Arboretum, Conserving Carolina and Etowah Elementary School, among others. She and her husband are avid birders often traveling to Central and South America. She hopes to do her small part for LWV helping to preserve democracy in America.
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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Liz is a retired tech writer who moved to Hendersonville from Ohio in 2017. She served on the LWVHC board from 2018-2023 and co-edits the bi-monthly Update. She is relatively new to League but not to political activism, and appreciates the League's efforts to support the democratic process.
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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Lynn grew up in the Albany area of New York state where her father ran for public office and her mother helped to form a chapter of the League of Women Voters. She got a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in Asian Studies and then spent a 30 year career in the Federal government working for the Department of Defense as a civilian and living in Maryland. She and her husband Stan retired to Hendersonville seven years ago and she is active in the Blue Ridge Ringers community handbell choir, the Joseph McDowell chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and the League of Women Voters of Henderson County, focusing on Voter Services for the last two years.
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.
Communications Chair
Finance Committee Chair
Nominating Committee chair
Home /Observer Team Chair
Immigration Team chair
and 
Membership Committee co-chairs
and 
Voter Services Chair
