Susan Burk
Leslie Tourigny
Susan Burk & Leslie Tourigny
Co-Vice Presidents for Program
We are very excited to begin the second year of our term as the Co-Vice Presidents for Program and look forward to working with all the branch program officers. Thanks to all of you for volunteering for this critical branch position.
As we see it, programs are the connective tissue of AAUW. They connect our mission of advancing equity for women and girls to our actions, and in doing so, connect us to AAUW National, AAUW of Virginia, other state affiliates, other branches, our local communities, our country, and to the global community. There’s no end to the innovation and creativity we can bring to our programs, and also no need to always be reinventing the wheel.
AAUW National Program Resources
- Beginning during the pandemic, AAUW National began holding a series of excellent webinars on a variety of mission-related topics. Some of these may be useful as branch programs: https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/webinars/.
- Also, AAUW National has developed a series of toolkits that contain information that is also helpful when developing programs.
Our programs are the best way to engage our members and others and to spread the word about AAUW-VA.
Branch Program Officers
You can find a short position description on the AAUW of Virginia website.
2025-2026 AAUW-VA Program Priorities
There are several top program priorities for this program year:
Increase the Utilization of the Program Swap Shop
In September 2025, we initiated the Program Swap Shop on the AAUW-VA website as a tool to enable branches to advertise their upcoming programs to other branches and as an after-action process to provide information on successful programs so they could be replicated by other branches. With all the work that goes into planning and presenting programs, the Program Swap Shop can increase attendance at in-person and virtual programs and decrease some of the work necessary to present successful programs.
Encourage Virtual All-District Meetings and Programs
To get us started, please Save The Dates below on your calendars:
- September 16, 2025, 7 p.m. Branch Program VP/Chairs and Branch Presidents Meeting
- October 14, 2025, 7 p.m., All District Program, “Direct Popular Vote vs. the Electoral College,” Presented by Jane D. Newell, Greater Richmond Branch (GRAAUW) Finance Officer and League of Women Voters of Virginia (LWVVA) Director of Transformation.
Further details and the Zoom links will be sent out get closer to the programs.
AAUW of Virginia’s 2026 State Conference
The Northwest District is hosting the next AAUW-VA State Conference—the first conference of our second century. They have secured the venue so please Save This Date—Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Drury Plaza Hotel Richmond, 11049 West Broad Street, Glen Allen, VA 23060. There will also be pre-conference activities on Friday, April 17, 2026. Further information will be distributed as it is available. Although the conference will be hosted by the Northwest District branches, we are sure they will accept assistance from any AAUW-VA members (hint-hint).
The AAUW-VA Co-Vice Presidents for Program are responsible for planning and implementing the conference program. The AAUW-VA State Board, at its July 11-12 meeting, approved the conference theme and logo.
DO YOU NEED TO LET OTHER BRANCHES KNOW ABOUT AN UPCOMING PROGRAM YOUR BRANCH IS PRESENTING?
WHAT ABOUT FINDING AN IDEA FOR AN INTERESTING PROGRAM FOR YOUR BRANCH TO PRESENT?
Well, you are in luck!! Our newly instituted PROGRAM SWAP SHOP is open for business. You won’t have to keep on reinventing the wheel. You’ll be able to share the details of your branch’s programs with other branches and receive their good program ideas. Also, you now have access to branch program officer contact information, so you’ll be able to announce your programs to a wider audience, if you want.
Program Swap Shop
The PROGRAM SWAP SHOP is organized into three parts. Part 1 (only) is restricted to Branch Program officers who will be given a password to enter the SWAP SHOP PART 1, which has confidential contact information.
PART (1) ANNOUNCING UPCOMING BRANCH PROGRAMS. Here you’ll find a comprehensive listing of the names and email addresses for the 2025-2026 AAUW-VA CO-VPS FOR PROGRAM, BRANCH PROGRAM VPS/CHAIRS BY DISTRICT, AND DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES so you can easily announce your programs to AAUW-VA members in your district and/or around the Commonwealth by emailing directly to branch or district program officers for further distribution.
This list is Password Protected at the link below. Program VPs will be given the password.
PART (2) PROGRAM INFORMATION FORM. At the link below, you’ll be able to complete a short online information form about any program you branch presented that you want to share. This will give other branches information to plan a similar program, if they wish.
PART (3) NEED A PROGRAM IDEA? Here you will be able to review all of the program forms collected from branches by clicking on the various links.
Program Ideas (Click on each to see details.)
Women’s History: The Hello Girls of WWI
League of Women Voters Voter Registration
A Conversation with Deborah Todd, Award Winning Journalist
Women in Retirement Estate Planning
The School-to-Prison Pipeline: Restorative Justice as a Less Punitive Approach
Seniors Staying Strong Movement is Medicine
The STEM GAP: Building a Better Future for Girls and Women
Virginia Elections Voter Access Will My Vote Count
Up Vote, Virginia. Does Virginia Need to Change Its Voting Process?