WAND Inc. Board

Karen Jacob, IN

WAND Inc. Chair

Karen Jacob has enjoyed a long "peace career." She began at an organization that focused on Citizen Diplomacy tours to the then-Soviet Union and later worked for Physicians for Social Responsibility. Karen serves as president of WAND of Northern Indiana, an active chapter that organizes many local peace and justice events. Karen is a working artist.

Susan Cundiff, OR

WAND Inc. Secretary

Susan Cundiff spent 34 years in public education as a school counselor where she learned the value of mediation. She draws on those experiences to find parallels between conflicts in middle schools and conflicts in world affairs. She is chapter leader of Oregon WAND and enjoys finding creative ways to depict our nation’s budget priorities. Since retiring, she has supervised school counseling interns for Northwest Christian University.  Additionally, Cundiff serves on the Safe Schools Network, a local human dignity group that encourages diligence in providing safe environments for LGBTQ students and staff.

Delegate Ana Sol Gutiérrez, MD

Delegate Gutiérrez has represented District 18 in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2002, when she made history as the first Latina elected to the Maryland General Assembly. Gutiérrez was born in El Salvador and attended Pennsylvania State University, garnering a B.S. in chemistry, followed by an M.S. in technology of management, scientific & technical information systems from American University. She did her postgraduate studies in applied engineering at George Washington University; and executive management at The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She currently sits on the House Appropriations Committee, the Joint Committee for Children, Youth and Families, and was the founder of the New American Caucus. She is also the co-chair of the Maryland Democratic Latino Caucus.

State Rep. Joni Jenkins, KY

Representative Joni Jenkins, a WiLL state director, has represented the Kentucky 44^th House District since 1995. She was recently appointed by the Speaker of the House to chair a special task force on the Foreclosure Crisis in Kentucky.  Her history of legislation reflects her concerns for the safety of women and children, from the establishment of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (S.A.N.E.) program to workplace safety to legislation to strengthen the Sex Offender Registry. Additionally, Rep. Jenkins has passed legislation dealing with Elder Abuse, High School Athlete Safety and Alternative Education Reform. She works at the Jefferson Community and Technical College with at-risk students.

State Rep. Phyllis Kahn, MN

Phyllis Kahn is a member of the Minnesota Legislature serving her 20th term and is a WiLL state director. She has a B.A. in physics from Cornell, a Ph.D. in biophysics from Yale and a M.P.A. from the J.F.K. School of Government at Harvard. She is currently the DFL-Lead of the State Government Finance Committee and a member of the Ways and Means and Capital Investment Committees. She is also a member of the Legislative Audit Commission and the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement. Her legislative interests include pension and investment policy issues, and science and technology.

Fern Katz, MI

WAND Inc. Treasurer

A retired math teacher and professional volunteer, Fern is a longtime member of WAND Michigan, having served as President, Treasurer, Chair of the WiLL Lobby Corps, and more. She is involved in various organizations, including the National Council of Jewish Women and Michigan Public Education Task Force. She represented the National Council of Jewish Women at the UN in 1995 in Beijing, at the Fourth World Conference on Women. Fern was a major player in getting the Southfield, MI City Council to pass a resolution opposing the Patriot Act. In 2001 Fern was awarded the Heart of Gold Award from the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. Fern is now Vice President of the Southfield Public School Board and a Master Boardmember of the Michigan Association of School Boards.

JoAnne Mills, AR

Joanne Mills has been a board member of Arkansas WAND since 2008 and is currently serving as vice chair. She worked as a social worker for ten years in Child Abuse and Neglect for the Department of Social and Rehabilitative services in Kansas and as a Counselor Instructor at Maysville Community College in Kentucky. Joanne is on the Steering Committee for Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light, an interfaith environmental advocacy group. She is a founding member of Women in the Halls, a political advocacy group of “women’s voices for progressive policy.” Retired from Delta Airlines in 2008, Joanne is active in the Presbyterian Church as a Deacon and Elder.

Jill Steger Rush, OK

Jill Rush is a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma School of Social Work. She co-founded Kosovo Refugee Relief Effort at Trinity University in Texas and has volunteered with several other service organizations. She co-authored a successful Headstart grant for public schools in Wewoka, OK. Jill was a delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

Hon. Dorothy Rupert, CO

WAND Inc. Vice Chair

Rupert served in the Colorado Senate from 1995 to 2000 and in the Colorado House for eight years. An educator for 35 years, she was a counselor and English teacher at the high school level. She has been active in historic preservation, increasing penalties for hate crimes, the elimination of mandatory time for non-violent offenses and universal access to health care. In 2005, she was one of the "1000 women" nominated together for the Nobel Peace Prize.

State Rep. Jennifer Maurine Seelig, UT

Jennifer, a WiLL state director, was elected by District 23 residents in November of 2006 to serve in the Utah House of Representatives. She currently serves on the House Political Subdivisions, Legislative Management, House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice committees, Executive Appropriations Committee, as well as on the Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee. In 2010, Jen was elected the House Minority Whip by the Utah House Democratic Caucus.

Dianne Valentin, GA

Dianne Valentin is a consultant to small businesses and nonprofit organizations, working in national, regional, and community nonprofit organizations on the grassroots and executive levels, providing strategic advice, technical assistance, program development, community outreach and community organizing. As a political scientist with training in international affairs and national defense, Dianne has used her expertise to advocate grassroots and progressive issues on Capitol Hill. In addition to her consultancy and community service endeavors, Dianne is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Black Heritage Museum & Cultural Center, Inc. located in North Carolina. Dianne serves as President of the Georgia WAND Board of Directors.

Delegate Jeion Ward, VA

Jeion Ward, a WiLL state director, is a Virginia native, a graduate of Christopher Newport University, and the mother of three sons. Ward is a long-time middle school teacher and the local union president of the Hampton Federation of Teachers. She has represented the city of Hampton in the General Assembly since 2004 and serves on the Commerce and Labor, Transportation, and General Laws Committees, and has been the Minority Caucus Treasurer since 2007. Delegate Ward has received numerous awards from organizations including Women in Government, the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the American Federation of Teachers, and Virginia Community Action Partnership.