The History Program, Norman Thomas Memorial Endowment Fund, and Fahey Bank are pleased to welcome Executive Director of the League of Women Voters, Jen Miller as this year's keynote speaker at the Annual Norman Thomas Memorial Lecture and Luncheon, Wednesday, March 20th, 2019 at 12:30 p.m. in the Guthery Community Room.
Miller will present a lecture entitled, "In Defense of Democracy." Hear how the League of Women Voters of Ohio has been educating voters and making democracy work since 1920. LWV Ohio Executive Director Jen Miller will talk about how everyone can play a role in restoring fairness to our democratic systems, increasing voter turnout, and improving access to the polls.
In 1920, just six months before the U.S. Constitution was amended to give women the right to vote, the National Woman Suffrage Association's president, Carrie Chapman Catt, proposed the creation of the League of Women Voters.The League's first purpose was to teach women how to exercise their new right to vote. Since 1920, the League has continued to serve all citizens and has opened its membership to any citizen of voting age, male or female.
Today, the League of Women Voters is a three-tier organization, with Leagues at the local, state, and national levels. A person joining any of the local Ohio Leagues is automatically a member of the Ohio and the U.S. Leagues. As a citizen education organization, the League registers voters, provides unbiased information on candidates and issues, sponsors debates and candidates' nights, and produces informational publications on critical public policy issues. Educational publications published by the League of Women Voters of Ohio are on such topics as Ohio government, Ohio government finances, how to write your government representatives, Ohio's open meetings law, and education finance in the state.
The League of Women Voters takes political action on issues on which member agreement has been reached. The Ohio League currently has positions on the Ohio constitution, apportionment/districting, state government finances, primary and secondary education, juvenile justice, capital punishment, higher education and natural resources including water, solid waste, hazardous materials and hazardous waste, land use and inter-basin transfer of water.
The event will be followed by a lunch with the speaker in the Bull Board Room in Maynard Hall from about 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Miller was raised in small town Ohio. She comes to the League from the Sierra Club, where she has served in various capacities since 2008, most recently as Executive Director. For nearly twenty years, Miller has worked with diverse communities to promote social and environmental justice through positions with Columbus Rec and Parks, the King Arts Complex, Global Gallery, and OSU. Miller earned her Master's in Arts Policy, Education and Administration, a program of the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at Ohio State. She holds Bachelor's degrees in Vocal Music and History and Ethnic Studies from Capital University. Miller is a graduate of the US Department of Energy NREL Leadership Academy. Inspiring others to participate in civic engagement is her deepest passion. She is a jazz singer and proud mother of one daughter.