2025 Slate of Board Members
This report is submitted by 2024-25 Nominating Committee members Patti Paone (Chair), Inanna Khansa, Catherine Mardikes, Ariel Trejo, and Romelle Walton (Acting Chair).
The proposed slate of LWV Chicago Board officers and directors appears below. The Board members serving new terms will be elected at LWV Chicago’s Annual Meeting on June 28.
Elected Board members will serve two-year terms (2025-2026). Each director will be responsible for the portfolio identified herein. The officers comprise the Executive Committee.
Executive Vice President: C. Betty Magness
Betty Magness is a lifelong civil rights activist with more than 40 years of advocacy and leadership experience. A trailblazer in political organizing, she served as a Facilitator for the 1996 Democratic National Committee Training Academy and made history as the first African American elected State Chair of the Independent Voters of Illinois–Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO).
Currently, Betty serves as Executive Vice President of the League of Women Voters of Chicago (2023–2025), Co-Chair of Chicago Women Take Action (CWTA), Illinois Political Director of the National Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and Vice Chair of Program for IVI-IPO. She is also an active member of the Policy Council for Citizen Action Illinois.
Betty has been deeply involved with the League of Women Voters (LWV) Chicago, focusing on civic education and voter registration. She has served on the LWV Chicago Board of Directors since 2020, previously holding the position of Vice President of Citizen Engagement from 2021 to 2023. In January 2020, she represented the League at the Union League Club’s Chicago in Focus workshop, where she spoke on the importance of the 2020 Census.
Her contributions have been recognized through several honors, including the “Spirit of 76” Award from IVI-IPO in 2020, the inaugural Jane Addams Woman of Vision Award from the National Council of Jewish Women North Shore in 2022, and the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Organization for Women – Illinois in 2023.
In addition to her civic and political work, Betty has been a devoted member of Fellowship Chicago for over 40 years, where she actively serves in the choir.
She resides in Chicago and is a proud mother and grandmother. She is a widow with two sons (one deceased) and four grandchildren.
Vice President - Membership: Catherine Mardikes
Catherine Mardikes is currently a League the Women Voters of Chicago Vice President for Membership and co-leader and founder of the South Side Unit. She has also served as acting President and Executive Vice President. Her involvement in voter services not only includes organizing many voter registration drives (she is coordinator of the naturalization ceremonies, where in 2024 LWV Chicago registered just over 10,000 new citizens), but she is also in charge of the League's candidate forums and their Election Protection partnership. Catherine is Senior Humanities Bibliographer at the University of Chicago Library, where she co-leads their banned books initiative.
Secretary: Inanna Khansa
Inanna Khansa is currently serving as LWV Chicago secretary. Inanna is a student at the University of Chicago studying math and economics. She worked with LWV Chicago to organize candidate forums during Chicago’s 2023 Municipal Elections, including aldermanic & school board forums in the 5th, 9th, 10th, 26th, 30th, 46th, and 49th wards, moderating two of these forums.
Outside of the League, Inanna participates in the University of Chicago’s Undergraduate Moot Court team, plays in the University Chamber Orchestra, and enjoys exploring the city of Chicago.
Director - Communications: Carrie Eisner
Carrie Eisner currently serves on the Board of the League of Women Voters of Chicago (LWVChicago) as its Communications Chair, where she creates visibility for the League and its civic activities. A professional publicist with over 20 years of experience, Carrie founded her own firm, Eisner Public Relations, and has secured press coverage across a wide range of industries, topics, and issues. Her efforts have helped elevate the League’s prominence through on-air interviews and expert commentary on outlets such as WBEZ-FM and the Chicago Tribune.
In her first year on the LWVChicago Board in 2024, Carrie launched the League’s first-ever film festival, "Democracy at Risk," a week-long public series spotlighting democratic ideals and challenges, in partnership with the Siskel Film Center. She also created a media partnership between the League and Chicago's ABC affiliate, which now regularly promotes League events.
Originally from Los Angeles, Eisner served for ten years on the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles Board of Directors as its First Vice President and Communications Committee Co-chair.
Eisner has garnered national visibility for a wide range of clients including authors, scholars, classical and jazz musicians, disability rights attorneys, nonprofits, and other experts. She has placed clients on major media platforms such as CNN, Fox News, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and many local print and broadcast outlets.
A 30-year member of the Writers Guild of America, Eisner has also served on the advocacy committee of the American Diabetes Association. She began her creative career as a production associate on the acclaimed television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" during its first five seasons at Paramount Pictures. After having her first child, she launched her own firm and continues to work remotely from her virtual office in Chicago, Illinois, coordinating media coverage for the extraordinary League of Women Voters of Chicago.
Director - Issues & Advocacy: Letina “Tina” Brady Pettis
Letina (Tina) Brady Pettis is a voting rights advocate, community leader, and author dedicated to educating and empowering youth. A native of Chicago's South Side, she grew up in a family that emphasized voting, leadership, and community service. Inspired by her father and relatives who fought for voting rights, she developed a strong commitment to civic engagement.
Her commitment to voter access was strengthened when SB 2123 was signed into law, allowing 16-year-olds to pre-register to vote, effective January 1, 2024. She founded Get Out the Vote (GOTV) for Teens and National Teens Voter Registration Day, both initiatives aimed at motivating young people to register and participate in elections. On January 17, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker declared it Get Out the Vote 4 Teens Day, recognizing the organization's role in empowering youth through voter education and engagement.
In 2024, she established National Teens Voter Registration Day, an annual movement celebrated on September 10 to encourage teens to engage in the democratic process. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker officially proclaimed September 10, 2024, as Teens Voter Registration Day in recognition of her efforts. She was also honored with resolutions from the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the Illinois State Senate, and the United States House of Representatives, declaring September 10, 2024, as Teens Voter Registration Day. These honors highlight the impact of her work in ensuring young people understand their role in democracy and have the tools to take action.
Beyond advocacy, Tina is a children's book author who uses storytelling to introduce young readers to voting, leadership, and civic engagement. Her books, I Want to Vote, and I Voted, received the International Impact Book Award for their role in educating young readers about the voting process. She expanded Tricee's Voting Journey series with I Want to Serve My Neighborhood and I Want to Serve My City, which helps children understand leadership and public service. She also wrote "Drew's Gift of Hope," a book about organ donation, and "Roscoe, the Boy Who Loved to Read," which honors her brothers and their lasting impact.
Tina's work has earned her several prestigious awards, including the Chicago Defender Woman of Excellence Award, Zeta Tau Zeta Chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Community Leader of the Year Award, Zeta Pi Chapter of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated Leadership Award, and the National Council of Negro Women, Chicago Midwest Section Woman Making History Award. These recognitions reflect her dedication to empowering young people, advocating for voting rights, and making a lasting impact in her community.
Tina is also an active member of several organizations dedicated to advocacy, education, and community service, including The Links, Incorporated, the League of Women Voters of Illinois, the League of Women Voters of Chicago, the National Council of Negro Women, and the National Women Veterans United. Through her books and advocacy, Tina remains committed to educating and uplifting young people, ensuring they recognize their voices' power and their role in shaping their communities.
Director - Environmental Action: Claudia Jackson
Claudia Jackson serves as co-chair of the LWV Chicago Environmental Action Committee and was instrumental in creating LWV Chicago’s Environmental Action webpage, including the Tips & Tricks for Sustainable Living. She is a contributing author of LWV Chicago’s regular Waste Not Want Not column.
Claudia serves as a Waste Specialist for LWVIL and is a member of the newly reinstated LWVIL Volunteer Lobby Corps.
Claudia represents LWV Chicago and the LWVIL on the Coalition for Plastic Reduction (CPR), where she currently sits on the Steering Committee and co-leads the Policy Committee. She was also instrumental in LWV Chicago and LWVIL becoming affiliates of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) in order to have a front row seat on environmental legislation and ordinances.
Claudia is passionate about sustainability. Her view of true sustainability is when environmental protection, social justice and economic growth all intersect. Currently Claudia has taken on the issue of reducing single-use plastic waste in Chicago and Illinois. Her goal is to make the League a powerful voice in advancing strong, fair, economically progressive environmental policy in the city and state.
Director - Diversity and Inclusion: Wytress Richardson
Dr. Wytress Richardson has served on LWV Chicago’s Board of Directors since 2021. She is chair of LWV Chicago’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.
Professionally, Wytress chairs the Applied Behavioral Science program at National Louis University (NLU), where she leads a team of faculty in empowering undergraduate students and leads diversity and inclusion at NLU. Her 18 years of excellence in higher education is evidenced by numerous teaching and service awards. Her work is informed by her two decades' experience in the Human Service field, where she served as counselor, advocate, and supervisor.
Wystress’ interdisciplinary education in Organizational Leadership, Human Services Administration, and Applied Behavioral Science equips her to create resilient settings where both individuals and organizations can thrive. She also holds a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University, and she is the Founder/CEO of Girls of Grace Youth Organization.
Director - Membership: Natali Gracia
Natali is currently acting chair of the Membership Committee. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Natali is an alumna of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies. There as a first-generation college student, she became a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, joining a longitudinal qualitative study on Youth Programs.
Upon completion, she volunteered at youth centers in Viçosa/Nova Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and Khayelitsha, Western Cape, South Africa. Afterwards, Natali started her professional career in Los Angeles, California in direct client care, which led her to program and agency-facing roles in monitoring and evaluation, and data management.
Most recently, she obtained her Master of Science in Applied Data Science and International Studies from Claremont Graduate University, where she expanded her experience from social services to healthcare, while working for Kaiser Permanente. Natali currently serves as the Senior Director of Programs of Training and Data Management at One Hope United here in Illinois.
Director - Voter Education: Agnes Gray
As a member of Common Cause Illinois staff, the community's needs are at the forefront of Agnes' mind, guiding every aspect of her work. Her earlier work in voter advocacy and education consisted of fielding phone calls for the Election Protection Network and reporting issues that Tennessee voters experienced at the polls during the 2016 presidential election.
Before relocating to Chicago, Agnes engaged in dynamic coalition building and community outreach initiatives, spearheading Common Cause Georgia’s robust Election Protection field program during the 2022 and 2023 election cycles.
Agnes’s time prior to Common Cause consisted of serving as a front-line researcher and advocate for the Tennessee NAACP and Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's Tennessee Participatory Redistricting Project. Through her work, she emphasized the need for community voice and input in the redistricting process while amplifying the importance of ensuring fair representation, equal protection, and compliance with the Voting Rights Act.
Agnes earned a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Multimedia Journalism from Middle Tennessee State University. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Director - Community Oversight of Public Safety (COPS): Sharon Welch
Sharon D. Welch joined the League of Women Voters in 2017 and works on criminal justice reform with the Illinois and Cook County Leagues. Her term with the Board of the Cook County League of Women Voters ended in May 2020. She served on the LWV Chicago Board from 2020–2023 as Events Director. She has served as Community Oversight of Public Safety (COPS) Director since January 2024, when she began chairing the COPS Committee.
Sharon has held faculty and administrative positions at Harvard Divinity School, the University of Missouri-Columbia and Meadville Lombard Theological School (Unitarian Universalist, Chicago). She is the author six books, the most recent being After the Protests Are Heard: Enacting Civic Engagement and Social Transformation (NYU Press, 2019). She is completing a revised edition of her book After Empire (Fortress Press, 2004) that will be published by Bloomsbury Press, and has been giving lectures based on the new preface "Democracy's Future."
Officers and Directors Continuing Through June 2026
President: Jane Ruby
Vice President - Operations: John Engle
Treasurer: Patricia Michel
Director – Events: Pamela Howard
Director – Collaborations & Partnerships: Julia Kline
Director – Neighborhood Units: Diane Atkinson
Director – Operations: Marjy Gilbert
Director – Voter Services: Helene Gabelnick
Nominating Committee 2025-2026
Romelle Walton, Chair
Romelle Walton served on the 2024/25 Nominating Committee and was acting chair from March 2025. She joined the League in 2021 and had been an active member, especially with the South Side Unit. She is a high school guidance counselor.
Susan Musich
Susan Musich has been a member of the League of Women Voters since 2022. She is a member of the Northside Unit, focusing on voter registration. She spent most of her career at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and currently teaches art history and consults for nonprofit foundations. Susan was on the board of Planned Parenthood of Illinois for 19 years, chairing the governance committee and serving twice as board chair.
Ariel Trejo
Ariel Trejo is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Chicago, pursuing a major in Public Policy with a minor in Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity. Ariel won an Institute of Politics internship and chose the LWV Chicago as her employer. She played a major role in the League’s efforts to offer 2024 Candidate Forums and Debates. In addition, she has represented the League at student engagement events as well as voter registration drives. The Institute of Politics has extended her internship through the summer when she plans to take an active part in registering new citizens at the naturalization ceremonies. Ariel was on the 2024/25 Nominating Committee.