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Monthly Newsletter
May 2022
She's The Chan g e Conference Edition
Dear Friend,
Just as we were getting ready to send out this special edition of our newsletter, news broke about the U.S. Supreme Court's plans to overturn Roe v. Wade . While this was not unexpected, it's still devastating. Abortion has been under attack since the moment Roe was first handed down. Republicans have been working overtime for decades, creating barriers to abortion access, and this decision is part of their long-term, coordinate effort to ban abortion outright.
In July, Florida's 15-week abortion ban will go into effect, pushing essential health care out of reach for 10 million people. And we know Republicans in the legislature won't stop there. It makes our mission at Ruth's List more urgent than ever before. We need to organize, protest, knock on doors, register our friends to vote and mobilize voters to the polls this fall to make our voices heard loudly and clearly — we will not tolerate this assault on our rights and we will vote out anyone who tries to restrict the freedom to make our own decisions about our bodies, lives, and futures.
It's why I'm looking forward to gathering with all of you next weekend. We can no longer count on the courts to protect our rights, so it's up to us to elect leaders who will. If you are looking for ways to be part of the solution, there's nowhere else you'll want to be the weekend of May 13-14 than in Orlando with the people who are changing the face of Florida politics.
There's still time to register at shesthechange2022.org [shesthechange2022.org] . Read on to get a sneak peak at our full program, speaker highlights, award winners, and our incredibly generous sponsors who make our work possible.
The opportunity to bring together elected officials, candidates, regional leaders, donors, allies, and volunteers from diverse backgrounds and experiences across Florida in one location for a weekend of learning and networking is a truly an honor. Don't miss the chance to be part of charting a new course for Florida's future. Our team can't wait to see you in Orlando!
Onward,
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Lucy Sedgwick, President & CEO
Ruth's List Florida
REGISTER TODAY! [shesthechange2022.org]
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WHAT TO EXPECT:
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
We are incredibly honored to be joined by the following distinguished leaders who will each deliver keynote remarks during the conference:
[[link removed]] Congresswoman Val Demings
Congresswoman Val Demings represents Florida's 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, she was the first in her family to graduate college. Val began her career in Jacksonville as a social worker, before moving to Orlando to join the police force. In 2007, she made history when she was appointed to serve as Orlando’s first female Chief of Police. During her tenure as Chief, Val reduced violent crime by 40% and founded new community engagement programs including “Operation Positive Direction,” a youth mentoring program. In 2016, she was elected to Congress, and today serves on the House Intelligence, Judiciary, and Homeland Security Committees. In 2020, she broke another glass ceiling when she became one of the first women and one of the first Black Americans to prosecute a presidential impeachment before the U.S. Senate. She is currently running for US Senate.
Commissioner Nikki Fried [[link removed]]
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried ran for office for the first time in 2018 after serving as a public defender, child welfare champion, and marijuana legalization advocate. Since taking office, she’s been a fresh voice in Tallahassee, legalizing hemp, standing up for LGBTQ+ equality, fighting for clean water, and more. Even with a Republican Governor and Republican-controlled legislature, Nikki has delivered big wins for Floridians. She appointed the department’s first ever cannabis director and first ever LGBTQ advocate, legalized hemp for farmers, fought for clean water, and helped keep guns off our streets with her management of the country’s largest concealed weapons permitting program.
Nikki worked in private practice at the prestigious law firm Holland and Knight, before quickly leaving to serve as a public defender. After serving as a public defender, Nikki became a government affairs advocate for the marijuana industry, working to legalize marijuana and end the miscarriage of justice that sent far too many people to jail for low-level marijuana offenses. She also founded her own law firm to advocate for our public schools and foster children, helping secure the right to an attorney and $4 million in funding for children in the foster system. She’s a current candidate for Florida Governor.
[[link removed]] State Senator Annette Taddeo
Senator Annette Taddeo became the first Latina Democrat elected to the State Senate in Florida history when she flipped a Senate seat held by a Republican in 2017. Annette is a true Democratic leader who has championed Democratic values her entire career, fighting for a living wage for all Floridians, defending a woman’s right to make reproductive health care decisions, economic growth through helping our small businesses, affordable healthcare for all Floridians, safe drinking water, and stronger and safer schools.
When Annette was 17, her father Anthony, was kidnapped by a Marxist terrorist group funded by the Cuban regime. She was forced to flee an unstable Colombia to the U.S. After living and working her way through college waiting tables in Alabama, she moved to Miami in the wake of Hurricane Andrew to help her parents rebuild their lives. It was during those difficult months living in a motor home that she started her own business at the young age of twenty-two. Her business, LanguageSpeak, offers translations in more than 240 languages and has been named one of the Top 100 Small Businesses in Florida. She is a current candidate for Florida Governor.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava [[link removed]]
Daniella Levine Cava was elected Miami-Dade County's first-ever woman Mayor in November 2020, following a 40-year career as a relentless advocate for South Florida families in public service and elected leadership. As Miami-Dade County's Mayor, she oversees a metropolitan government with more than 28,000 employees serving nearly 3 million residents, managing an annual budget of approximately $9 billion. A social worker, lawyer, and community activist, she was first elected in 2014, and re-elected in August 2018, to serve as the Miami-Dade County Commissioner representing District 8. As Commissioner, she invested in Miami-Dade small businesses and expanded economic opportunity, protected the environment and our water, increased the County police force for underserved areas, advocated for an expanded, reliable public transportation system, worked to create affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods, and helped make local government more accountable and transparent.
Daniella is the Immediate Past Chair of the South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) and served on the Florida Bar Committee on Legal Needs of Children; the boards of League of Women Voters, Orange Bowl Foundation, North Dade Medical Foundation, South Florida Health Information Initiative, and several national boards.
[[link removed]] Florida Attorney General Candidate Aramis Ayala
Aramis Ayala is a results-driven humanitarian, fighter for justice, cancer survivor, and former Florida State Attorney who has dedicated her life to the pursuit of justice. Growing up in Saginaw, Michigan, Aramis saw the inequality that forced working-class families to struggle just to make ends meet. Her father, a Vietnam veteran and UAW factory worker, and late mother stressed the importance of hard work, faith, and service to others from a young age. Aramis served as a public defender and Assistant State Attorney for nearly 15 years before courageously shattering glass ceilings when she was elected Florida's first Black State Attorney. She has gone on to implement many of the boldest justice reforms in Florida's history. While many people remember Aramis for her refusal to pursue the death penalty, her accomplishments for justice reform are much more expansive. Aramis Ayala's track record demonstrates that her work does not merely uphold the ideals of law and justice. She repeatedly proves that justice reform produces tangible gains for community welfare and public safety. She is a current candidate for Florida Attorney General.
AWARD RECIPIENTS
[[link removed]] We're honored to have Laura Goodhue, Executive Director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates and Vice President of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida, accept The Architect of Change award on behalf of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates (FAPPA). This award recognizes trailblazers in the fight for reproductive rights and women’s equality in Florida. Previous award recipients include the Honorable Arthenia Joyner (2017), the Honorable Betty Castor (2018) and the Honorable Alex Sink (2019).
Named for Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek, the first Black person to represent Florida in the House after reconstruction, the Carrie Meek Award was created to honor women of color who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to public service. We are thrilled to bestow this inaugural honor on Congresswoman Val Demings for her unwavering dedication to Florida and the nation. [[link removed]]
We're honored to present The Alex Sink Changemaker Award , named for Ruth’s List founder Alex Sink, to these Democratic pro-choice women elected officials who flipped a seat from red to blue last cycle.
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[[link removed]] We are excited to present The Volunteer of the Year award to Marika Lynch in honor of her years of extraordinary service and dedication to Ruth's List Florida on both the state and local level. Marika truly embodies the vaues of Ruth's List and her expertise has shaped who we are today.
REGISTER TODAY! [shesthechange2022.org]
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS
2022 CONFERENCE SPONSORS
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REGISTER TODAY! [shesthechange2022.org]
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