2026 Slate of Board Members
This report is submitted by 2025-26 Nominating Committee members Romelle Walton (Chair), Inanna Khansa, Catherine Mardikes, Ariel Trejo, and Susan Musich.
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 6.
Elected Board members will serve two-year terms (2026-2028). Each director will be responsible for the portfolio identified herein. The officers comprise the Executive Committee.
President: Jane Ruby
Jane Ruby is president of the League of Women Voters of Chicago. She has served on LWV Chicago’s Board of Directors since 2018, including two years as Vice President of Operations, and was elected president in 2022. Jane leads a variety of critical projects, including Chicago’s civic engagement efforts, democracy reform, and human rights initiatives, and was included in Crain’s 2025 list of “Notable Leaders in Philanthropy.” She also serves as the LWV Illinois’ Women’s Rights specialist, specializing in ERA and CEDAW advocacy, and helped start the LWVIL Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.
Jane’s work has focused on protecting and expanding voting rights, civic education, and women’s empowerment issues. She also served as a 2x League delegate to the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women—serving again this year for a third time as an official LWVUS United Nations Observer. In addition to her work with LWV, Jane also served in private sector communications positions ranging from design, tech, and clean energy. In her spare time, she loves collecting vintage political buttons.
Vice President - Operations: John Engle
John Engle is currently LWV Chicago Vice President for Operations. John is a consulting principal of the Cannabis Capital Group, where he works with clients in newly legal markets to secure operating licenses in all categories. He also serves as chief investment officer, leading due diligence and cap intro, and leads CCG’s ongoing efforts to establish a first-of-its-kind equity crowdfunding platform for cannabis startups in partnership with Arcview Capital. John is also Chief Strategist at Purpose Brand, an award-winning public relations, brand, marketing, and full-service communications agency that is deeply rooted in Chicago. In this role, John helps organizations, brands and companies put purpose into practice—making brands more relevant and stakeholder communities stronger.
John has served as acting Vice President of Operation since November 2023. John has been heavily involved with the League in recent years. He has served on the budget committee for the past four years, twice as its chair, and on the current Bylaws Committee. He was also a delegate to the LWV National Convention in Denver.
Treasurer: Patricia Michel
Pat was introduced to the League in 2018 while attending Great Decisions at Sulzer Library. She began volunteering with the membership committee, writing data extractions, and providing reports from the electronic database used for maintaining membership data.
Professionally, Pat retired in 2017 from Northern Illinois University as the Director of Human Resources for Records, Reporting and Payroll.
Towards the end of her career, she began taking classes at NEIU in Linguistics in order to volunteer teaching and tutoring English as a Second Language to adults.
Pat has served as LWV Chicago Treasurer since 2024 and has participated in Voter Registration at Wright College. Pat is also a member of the North Side Unit.
Director - Coalition Engagement & Mobilization: Donna Gutman
Donna Gutman is a longtime leader, mentor, and advocate for social justice whose work has focused on advancing women’s rights, combating discrimination, and empowering communities. A past president of National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore and former vice president of the International Council of Jewish Women, Donna has dedicated much of her adult life to promoting gender equity and civic engagement.
She has served in numerous leadership roles, including as a founding member of Jewish Community Against Sex Trafficking, a national board member of National Council of Jewish Women, chair of the Women to Women Empowerment Initiative in Israel, and a board member of Chicago Women Take Action. Donna is also the founder and executive director of Women of the World, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening opportunities, leadership, and safety for women around the world.
Director - Events: Pamela Howard
Pamela Howard is currently LWV Chicago events coordinator. She joined the League of Women Voters of Chicago in January 2024. She is currently a member of the Far South Side Unit and has served on the Bylaws Committee.
Pamela has maintained memberships and/or volunteered with the National Council of Negro Women – Chicago Central Section; The Chicago Public Schools as a Community Representative with the Local School Council; and the JMD Angels Foundation. Professionally, she currently works for Cook County.
Pamela was born and raised in the Morgan Park community in Chicago and has earned her Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Roosevelt University and her M.S. in Public Administration from Governors State University.
Director - Fund Development: Vernis “Vee” Barrier
Committed to fundraising for equity, justice and social change, Vee has more than twenty years of experience driving effective and strategic philanthropy in the nonprofit sector. Vee previously served as development director with the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization and authored the grant that won $2 million dollars from the Mackenzie Scott Foundation’s first “Open Calls”.
Her development and fundraising expertise began with United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, where she managed the agency’s individual giving program that yielded more than $1 million annually and the women’s leadership council of over 31professional women giving annual gifts of $10,000 or more. Additionally, Vee brings fundraising experience from previous roles at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Faith in Place, and the Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois. Vee has facilitated first-time grant writing workshops at the Lutheran English District LCMS Midwest Conference and the Illinois CPA Society’s Annual Not-For-Profit Symposium.
Vee holds a master’s degree in human services administration from Spertus College, a bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University, and a paralegal certificate in law from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is one of the Governor’s twenty-two appointed members of the Energy Workforce Advisory Council. Vee has been a member of the Illinois League of Women’s Voters since 2024.
Director - Neighborhood Units: Diane Atkinson
Diane is currently Neighborhood Units coordinator. She began attending LWV Chicago meetings in 2011 and then joined the League in 2012. In 2017, Diane became co-leader of the Far Southwest Side Unit. She has been on the Board as Neighborhood Units Coordinator for the last two years.
She has been a member of the GFWC Beverly Hills Junior Woman's Club since 1991, serving as president from 1996-2000, currently Corresponding Secretary. She also has been a member of the Garden Club of Morgan Park—Beverly since 2012.
Professionally, Diane developed and maintained financial systems for the University of Illinois; set up and maintained computer labs and networks for two CPS schools; and taught mostly junior high students to use technology. She also wrote grants for the school to get technology funding.
Education: Taft H.S. (part of CPS), 1975 (class salutatorian); B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science, UIC, 1978, (Phi Beta Kappa); M.S. in Mathematics Education, UIC, 1992.
Director - Operations: Marjy Gilbert
Marjy Gilbert is currently the LWV Chicago Director for Operations. She is a long time League member. She joined the Chicago League in 1976 after the League spoke to the law schools’ women’s group, becoming a member of the LWVCHI Education Committee. Marjy was so impressed by the knowledge of Olive Greenspan and Helene Gabelnick, and their willingness to share knowledge, that she has been a League member ever since.
When Marjy moved to Flossmoor (south suburb) she simultaneously joined the Homewood-Flossmoor League, thereafter, leading a committee of that League to research and publish a guide to the new Illinois divorce law. When she then moved to Glenview, she joined the Glenview League and eventually became a board member. Marjy then moved to Palos Park and simultaneously joined the Palos-Orland League that she absolutely loved for almost two decades - and still misses. Marjy was the Palos-Orland representative on the Cook County Board, led a Cook County Committee to improve county government transparency, worked with Pris Mims to further improve Cook County government and more. For the Palos League, Marjy led the pension study group and served on the Board.
Before retiring from the practice of law in 2018, Marjy moved back to Chicago and re-joined the Chicago League. Marjy immediately joined the City Government Committee (CGC) and the Loop Unit. Marjy continues both activities, leading the Loop Unit for about 2 years until 2023 when she joined the Loop Quad that now leads the Loop Unit as a group. In the summer of 2023 Marjy lead a subcommittee of the CGC to develop protocols for advocacy that was presented to the CGC in late 2023, approved by the CGC in January, and submitted to the Board for its consideration. Marjy also led the LWVCHI 2024 Bylaws Committee.
Officers and Directors Continuing Through June 2027
Executive Vice President: C. Betty Magness
Vice President - Membership: Catherine Mardikes
Secretary: Inanna Khansa
Director - Communications: Carrie Eisner
Director - Community Oversight of Public Safety (COPS): Sharon Welch
Director - Diversity and Inclusion: Wytress Richardson
Director - Environmental Action: Claudia Jackson
Director - Issues & Advocacy: Letina “Tina” Brady Pettis
Director - Membership: Natali Gracia
Director - Voter Education: Agnes Gray
Nominating Committee 2026-2027
Romelle Walton, Chair
Romelle Walton served on the 2024/25 Nominating Committee and was acting chair from March 2025, going on to also chair the 2025/26 Nominating Committee. 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 North Side 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. Susan previously served on the 2024/25 Nominating Committee and 2025/26 Nominating Committee.
Eva Rowe
Until the end of 2025, Eva Rowe served as Executive Vice President of Messe Düsseldorf North America in Chicago. Messe Düsseldorf North America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, Germany, one of the world’s leading trade fair organizers. Born and raised in Germany, Eva holds a degree in Publishing Management and Engineering from Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart. In her spare time, Eva volunteers with several organizations, including Dress for Success, Run for Something, and, of course, the League of Women Voters.