AAUW SEV Branch Monthly Meetings
Location for meetings:
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Oakwood Country Club – Bradford Room
24218 South Oakwood Blvd, Sun Lakes AZ 85248
Branch meetings are open to the public.To register for the free in-person meeting, please email us at AAUW.SEV.AZ@gmail.com.
Membership is open to all with an associate or higher degree from an accredited college or university.
October 20, 2025 – Welcome Back – Poolside Oakwood
November 17, 2025
January 19, 2026
February 16, 2026
March 16, 2026
April 20, 2026
March General Meeting – Focus on Local Schools
At our March General Meeting we welcomed guest speaker Dr. Becky Henderson, Principal of San Marcos Elementary School.
Dr. Henderson has been the principal at San Marcos since 2012. She was a fifth-grade teacher for 8 years and Principal at Harris Elementary for 7 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education at ASU, a Master of Education Leadership at NAU, and a Doctorate of Educational Leadership at NAU.
She spoke to us about educational issues impacting our local schools.
Dr. Becky Henderson, Principal of San Marcos Elementary School
February 2025 Meeting – East Valley Save Our School (SOS)
AAUW Southeast Valley Branch (SEV) members and guests heard from Save Our School (SOS) leaders at the Branch’s February 17, 2025 meeting. Speakers included Leda Devlieger & Lisa Calderon, both East Valley SOS CAT Leads (Community Action Team).
Save Our School is a non-partisan, community-based organization supporting strong public schools to build a better Arizona. There are three components to its work:
- Research public education issues affecting our state in an objective, fact-based manner.
- Engage Arizonans around the topic of public education by sharing research and initiating dialogues around the state.
- Collaborate with other local and national education and community groups, business partners, and other leaders to build support for public education in Arizona.
Leda Devlieger and Lia Calderon spoke about how the ESA Voucher program is completely unregulated and draining nearly $1B from Arizona’s local public schools. This is damaging the entire Arizona state budget!
Update: According to SOSAZ, NO CHANGES were made to the program even though many called for guard rails to rein in the wasteful spending of our tax dollars.
The Legislature also approved an additional no-strings-attached $52 million check for vouchers to cover unbudgeted expenses from last school year. Meanwhile public schools got the bare minimum 2% increase in funding.
AAUW is for equitable school policies. If you want to know more about the ESA Voucher program, click on the link below. Also, let your state legislators know how unhappy you are with this monumental waste of your tax dollars.
Name for Link: SOS-AZ – ESA Vouchers Link: https://sosarizona.org/the-truth-about-esa-vouchers/
We Welcomed AZ Public Policy VPs to Our January 2025 Meeting
Betsy Flaten and Beverly Byrd, AZ Public Policy VPs, were the speakers at our AAUW Branch meeting on January 20, 2035. They shared many ways that we could make our voices heard in the public policy arena. Are you familiar with these websites?
www.azleg.gov – This website is all you need to learn about bills, find out who your representatives are and their schedules. Check out the “Request to Speak” section where you can let your reps know how you feel about a bill. Go to the website and just look around. There is a wealth of information just waiting to be seen by someone who wants to express their opinion and be in the know.
www.cebv.us – On this website you will find training on how to “Request to Speak.” There is also information to help you express your opinion in an informed manner. Attend the virtual Happy Hour every Sunday from 4-5pm. Sign up for “The Weekly,” to receive an email about bills going through the Legislature. And much, much more!
November 2024 General Meeting
The AAUW (American Association of University Women) Southeast Valley Branch hosted Chandler’s Assistant Chief of Police, Melissa Deanda, as its speaker at its November 18, 2024, general meeting. Assistant Chief Deanda spoke about her current responsibility in
her leadership role and shared her story that led her to this key position.
Inspired by a school resource officer during her high school years and eager to make a difference in her community, Deanda joined the Chandler Police Department in January 1999, making this her 25 th year in policing. After working her way up through a variety of positions within the Department, she received a promotion to Assistant Chief in January 2023 and began overseeing the Professional Services Division.