Bay Area League Biennial Convention was held this year on Saturday, June 4. This event is held every two years (in the alternate years, there is a “Council”). This year, the Convention occurred via Zoom, virtually. A large portion of this May 16 Board meeting was devoted to final preparation of the Convention. One of the main purposes of the Convention is to elect the Bay Area League officers and Board of Directors for the program years 2022-2024. The Nominating Committee had not found, prior to Convention, 3 non-Board members to serve on the Nominating Committee for next term. Local Leagues are asked to suggest people from their League to serve. Ann Draper, the Committee’s chair, can be contacted for further information, at adtp@comcast.net
The Board is beginning to plan for the Community Conversation on “The Youth Vote”, intended to be offered in early September. Suggestions for presenters are welcome. The 2022-2024 Bay Area League Board will schedule periodic Community Conversations, and topic ideas can be sent to lwvbayarea@gmail.com
President Sherry Smith welcomed Sheri Thomas to the Board as the Bay Area League’s new Communications Director. She will help us to have a broader presence on social media platforms, to enhance our outreach to younger voters; and she will lead all aspects of our communications efforts. She will head both the Communications Workgroup, comprising Communications directors of the local Leagues; and also the Bay Area League’s internal Communications Committee.
The Bay Area Monitor is seeking some “semi-pro” writers in the local Leagues who might do some writing about Transportation. Interested people may contact Project Manager Michael Adamson at michael@bayareamonitor.org
League Day is an annual Bay Area League-sponsored event. The most recent one, held in February, covered “Solving for Housing”. Suggestions from local Leagues are welcome, and may be sent to lwvbayarea@gmail.com.
Reporting on the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA), Roma Dawson asked that the local Leagues be told that the Bay Area is on a two-year course for a Regional Ballot Bond Measure to fund housing and possibly transportation. MTC/ABAG are expected to vote soon, and may have already done so, to begin the steps necessary for BAHFA to place the measure on the ballot in 2024.
The next Bay Area League Board meeting will take place on Monday, June 20 at 5:30 pm (rather than the usual 5:00 start). The meetings continue to happen virtually. The link for all the Board meetings: http://tiny.cc/LWVBAmonthlymeeting

Yours in League,
Sherry Smith
President, Bay Area League of Women Voters