Mountain Messages Junior League of Charleston, WV
Winter 2017 Newsletter
Nominating Committee Announces 2017-18 Board Nominee Slate This year’s Nominating Committee, a group of members chosen to select candidates for JLC’s leadership positions, presented the following slate of nominees during the February 2017 general membership meeting: President-Elect: Laura Suppa Sammons Secretary: Lindsay Bolar Treasurer-Elect: Christina Merbedone-Byrd Membership VP: Michelle Storage Community VP: Allison Keller Ways and Means VP: Ashley Miller Nominating Chair: Ashley Noland Placement Chair: Julie Miller Provisional Chairs: Alyson Smedley, Jordan Martin Communications VP: Dana Smook Creasy Director at Large: SuSu Kapourales (nominated from the floor) Members will vote on this slate during the general membership meeting on March 13. If unable to attend the meeting, members should e-mail a YES/NO vote to: jlchas@frontier.com.
On February 7th, members got together for a “Galentine’s Day” social event. Attendees made Valentine’s Day cards for children staying at Charleston’s Ronald McDonald House and at Sojourner’s Shelter. Pictured above is Tiffany Hoke with handmade cards.
In This Issue
Fall 2016 provisional class members took shelter dogs to visit nursing home residents.
Upcoming Events
New Members
Member Awards
JLC Flashback
2017 Holiday Party
Upcoming Events
Junior League of Charleston members celebrated the holidays together on Tuesday, December 6th at Vino’s Bar and Grill. Members got extra festive with an ugly Christmas sweater theme!
General Membership Meetings 405 Capitol St, 4th Floor Conference Room 6:30 p.m. Social 7:00 p.m. Meeting Monday, March 13 Monday, April 10 Dinner at Ronald McDonald House Monday, February 27 Service opportunity for JLC members to prepare dinner for Ronald McDonald House residents.
Carriage Trail Hike and Brunch Saturday, March 25 Social event for members.
2017 Daymark Gala Saturday, April 8 Berry Hills Country Club Volunteers are needed on April 7th and 8th to help with decorations for this year’s Daymark gala. The gala’s theme is “Under the Sea Fantasy.”
March of Dimes Walk Saturday, April 29 Volunteers needed!
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Friday, May 5 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Four Points by Sheraton Charleston A fundraiser to benefit Junior League of Charleston community service projects. Ticket pricing and more information to follow.
Ashley Miller Named Outstanding Member of the Year
Ashley Miller was chosen as this year’s Outstanding Member of the Year. Allison Keller, Membership VP, noted Ashley’s leadership during the Touch-a-Truck fundraiser. “Touch-a-Truck had the highest attendance of a JLC philanthropy event in the past five years. We also appreciate her sunny attitude and willingness to pitch in when needed,” Allison said while describing Ashley’s contributions.
Ashley, a professional opera singer, moved to Charleston in 2015 after living in NYC, Washington, D.C., Texas, Arkansas, and Florida. She says that what she’s enjoyed most about being a JLC member is “becoming fast friends with so many smart, driven, professional women.” She also enjoys the opportunities for community service, and looks forward to collaborating on upcoming fundraisers. An event to look forward to: Ashley is giving a free recital on Sunday, March 26 at Cavendish Hall in Kanawha City. She also will play the role of Mother Superior in Charleston Light Opera Guild’s production of “Sister Act”, with performances scheduled for May 2017.
Welcome New Members!
Spring Provisional Class About twenty women have shown interest in joining the Spring 2017 provisional class. JLC held a
Nine new members joined JLC from the Fall provisional class.
Provisional Party on Wednesday, January 18th at the
New members include: Danielle Ubert, Alyson Smedley, Laura
home of Jordan Martin’s parents.
Hatfield, Meredith Litton, Liz Walters, Christina Merbedone-Byrd, Ashleigh Campbell, Stacy Oden, and Sarah Wright. Over the fall, our newest members worked on a service project that benefitted humans and furry friends alike. The provisional class worked with Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association and Meadowbrook Acres nursing home to take shelter dogs to visit nursing home residents during the holidays. One of the shelter pups (Bagel the beagle) was adopted by one of our new members! The Junior League of Charleston is excited for these new members to join us to continue to serve our community.
Liz Walters Chosen as Outstanding Provisional
This year’s Outstanding Provisional is Liz Walters. Liz joined JLC as a Fall 2016 provisional. According to Jordan Martin, Provisional Co-Chair, “Liz was chosen as the Outstanding Fall 2016 provisional member because of her excellent work on the fall provisional project with Meadowbrook Acres nursing home and the Kanawha Charleston Humane Association, as well as her enthusiasm for all public service in the Charleston area.” Liz was born and raised in Charleston. She is a full-time mom and wife, and recently started a makeup business. Liz says, “My favorite part about being a JLC member is being in a group of strong, empowering women with one common goal: to better the Charleston area.” Like all JLC members, Liz understands the importance of voluntarism, and she feels it’s vital to give back to her community. “It's been amazing to experience such positivity within JLC already and I can't wait to continue this journey!”
“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” - Michelle Obama
JLC Flashback February, 1935 - 82 Years Ago: The Junior League of Charleston held a conference for Junior League representatives from across the State, the first gathering of its kind for West Virginia Junior League members.
Charleston Daily Mail, Feb 17, 1935
Our Mission The Junior League of Charleston is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
Contact Us
Get social with us! Facebook: www.facebook.com/jlchas/
Junior League of Charleston, WV 405 Capitol St, Suite 501 Charleston, WV 25301 (304) 346-5856
Twitter: @JLCharlestonWV
Instagram: JLofCharleston
jlchas@frontier.com www.JLCharlestonWV.org
Send newsletter submissions to: Dana Smook Creasy smookd@gmail.com