Spring Lunch and Installation of Officers

Celebrate spring with a potluck lunch on Saturday, May 6, 11am to 2pm at the garden home of Tessy Albin, 17075 Copper Hill Drive, MH

• Installation of 2023-2024 Officers
• Announcement of AAUW Honorees
• Special Legacy Circle Award

RSVP by May 1. Go to SignUpGenius, selecting what you want to bring, or contact Karen or Margo.

Guests are welcome.

DEI Programs: Murdered and Indigenous Women

Red Dress Exhibit May 5-6 at Morgan Hill Library



The purpose of the Red Dress Exhibit, created by the DEI team (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), is to bring awareness to the disproportionate rate of violence and murder of indigenous women and girls. Empty red dresses represent the thousands who are missing or murdered each year.

Speaker May 23 at MH Library



As a further follow-up to the January program, the speaker will be Sonya Tetnowski, the Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley. She is also a Makah Tribal member. 

More information on the Exhibit and Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls can be found on the branch website. 

Meditation Workshop - June 10th

The Pilgrim’s Process interest group is coordinating a meditation workshop Saturday, June 10, 10:30 am to 3:00 pm at the Morgan Hill House. “Beyond Worry: Being at Peace with the Unknown”

Led by James Morrison, who was a Buddhist monk for over 30 years.

For more details and to reserve your place, contact Carol. 

Dear Branch Members,

Many of you know that I was unwell since the day after our Wildflower Run. After mini recoveries and worsening relapses, I was finally diagnosed with walking pneumonia. I was so disappointed and upset about missing so many of our branch’s activities and events. I have now recovered and promise to take better care of myself!



This has been a season of plenitude for our extraordinary Morgan Hill branch. The Celebrate Chamber of Commerce gala felicitating us as the 2023 Morgan Hill Non-Profit of the Year was one for the ages. Read more

Welcome New Members

The membership team is pleased to announce that in the last two months we have welcomed eight new members: Alicia Cortez, Florencia (Flo) Djoe, Vicki Flagg, Carol Ferri, Julie McKenzie, Cynthia Iwanaga (rejoined), Sue Olt, and Kathy Picchi.

Successful New Members Event

Results of Election of Officers and

Vote on Bylaws Amendments

The slate of officers for 2023-2024 has been unanimously elected:

President: Suman Ganapathy

President Elect: Krisse Boursier

Co-VP Programs: Nancy Altman / Doris Fredericks

VP Membership: Barbara Palmer 

CFO/Treasurer: Tessy Albin  

Secretary: Tammy Parker

Installation of Officers will take place at the Spring Lunch on May 6.

Proposed Amendments to the Bylaws were also passed unanimously. 

AMENDMENTS

Wildflower Run Recap

A sold out event that maxed out at 1200 participants! Our exceptional results can’t be pinpointed to any one thing, but, here’s a hint: our volunteers are our superpower. Our registration gurus were Sandy Stoob and Lori Mains, who provided us regular updates and essential behind the scenes support.

Event categories shown below.

Wildflower Run Corporate Sponsors

It was a banner year for Wildflower Run Corporate Sponsor donations with a total of $31,100 contributed, a new record! 

CORPORATE SPONSORS

Wildflower Fund Member Donor Report

The 2023 Wildflower Fund Member Giving Campaign has ended with a total of $15,209. But it is not too late to donate. If you received a letter in the mail requesting your financial support, please consider making a gift to the Wildflower Fund to support education and equity for women and girls. You can help us matching last year record of $18, 331. Many thanks to the members who have already donated.

MEMBER DONORS

New Interest Group: Hike Brunch Brunch

“Hike hard, play hard” is the motto of this new interest group! On the third Saturday of each month, members will gather to do a four-mile hike, followed by an optional brunch at a local restaurant.

Lori Mains is pairing up with new member, Kathy Picchi, to bring this group to life, reviving the hiking group that was led by Joanne Rife for many years.

Earth Day 2023

Member News

Happy Birthday to Jean Pinard, who celebrated her 95th birthday in April. Jean has been a branch member since 1988.  



Joyce Carr, charter member of AAUW Morgan Hill and former

school board member, passed away in February 2023 at the age

of 88. Our condolences to her family.



2023 should be the “Make Up for Lost Time due to COVID” travel year!

Suman and Gautam Ganapathy and their children traveled to India in January. They had a fabulous time catching up with extended families and visiting the Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary. Suman was delighted to finally see a tiger in the wild.  

Jill and John Paves and their family went to Kauai in March to celebrate their twins' 30th birthdays. They enjoyed swimming in the ocean and eating lots of poke

Send news about members and travel adventures to Jill Pavesa

Enjoying the Wildflowers

With the Wildflower Run over, it is time to appreciate the wildflowers in our backyard. The California super bloom has made our local parks and open spaces particularly spectacular, with swaths of flowers across the hillsides.

Enjoy these flower photos that Elizabeth Mandel took in April, at the peak of the bloom.

Celebrate Gala

Despite the inclement weather outside, the March 12 Chamber of Commerce Celebrate Gala honoring our branch as the 2023 Morgan Hill Non-Profit of the Year was an exhilarating and memorable event.

Women's History Month Piano Recital

In March 30 members and friends enjoyed afternoon with Brianna Conrey’s piano presentation that celebrated women composers from 1700 to 1930. Brianna shared the women’s stories, as well as playing their music.

Our thanks to branch member Jan Conrey for hosting us.

Tech Trek Update

Tech Trek, the math/science camp designed to develop interest, excitement, and self-confidence in 7th grade girls, is gearing up for the summer sessions. Essays have been written and reviewed, candidates have been interviewed, and the Tech Trek campers for the Summer of 2023 have been chosen.

Local Scholarships

The 2023 Scholarship Season is off to a great start. High school scholarships and Keeping in Touch grants have been awarded, a total of 28 so far, with Re-Entry and STEM still to come. 

None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of the committee chairs: Joan Sullivan and Tammy Parker, High School; Alexandra Mandel, Keeping in Touch; Vicky Reader, Re-Entry; Mary Cox, STEM and Health Care.

For more information, see Local Scholarships

Stacy Moeder, Scholarship Coordinator

Leadership Conference Scholarship Awarded

Chinazom Ofobuike has been selected to attend the AAUW National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) at the University of Maryland, May 31-June 3.

On her application Chinazom wrote, “Since I was five, my parents pushed me to value education because they were born in Nigeria of the Igbo tribe and had limited education. I learned to take everything I do seriously and to put in all my effort to complete tasks.”

Branch Letter of Support for Historic Santa Clara County CEDAW Vote

Our branch submitted a strong letter of support to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for the adoption of the historic CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) ordinance that was passed unanimously on April 18 at the Board of Supervisors meeting after 24 long years of work by the County Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the Santa Clara University Law International Human Rights Clinic. 

AAUW CA Public Policy

The recent Lobby Day introduced AAUW CA’s social justice and public policy priorities - which bills we support and why - to state legislators. 

Read about LOBBY DAY

Members are also being asked to vote on 2023-2025 AAUW CA PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES. Highlighted additions include support for: civics education, access to diverse staff and curriculum, safe infrastructure and access to technology in our schools, gun violence prevention, and women in leadership roles. Voting closes May 13th.

AAUW FUND

It was announced at the AAUW CA Academy AAUWards annual conference on April 22 the Morgan Hill Branch was 4th in the state for total giving to AAUW Fund in 2022 with a total of $21,100.

Our branch is often one of largest supporters of our national organization among California branches.