Board of Directors 2025-2026

Eileen McCracken, President

She first voted in Iowa in the 1980’s and remembers vividly the excitement of participating in the caucus at college.  She had a good time last fall talking to college and high school students about how important their votes were and helping them to register and to make a plan to vote.  She was originally drawn to the LWVBWC because of the historical work that the League has done around voter rights and fair elections. 

She retired after working as an engineer for 30+ years in refineries.  She is a volunteer Guardian ad Litem for a foster child in Whatcom County and called 100’s of people during the pandemic as a volunteer COVID tracer for the health department.  She loves going for walks, gardening, and playing bluegrass banjo.   Eileen serves as President and as the member engagement coordinator and is in a 2023-2026 term.

Minda Rae Amiran, Vice President, Voter Services

I am a retired English teacher. I taught in university English departments here and abroad for 45 years, serving from time to time as department chair and dean, and active in academic assessment. Upon my retirement from New York State, I joined Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County, where I tutored adults in Basic English and ESL, wrote grant applications, and for many years was President of the Board. At the same time, I became active in the League of Women Voters of Chautauqua County, where I chaired the Voter Service Committee for 20 years, winning two LWVNY awards for innovative projects, and also led the chapter for about ten years. I moved to Bellingham in 2019.

 

It was my worry about the state of our democracy that brought me to the League. What seemed perilous over twenty years ago is even more perilous today. The League’s work in motivating and informing voters and in serving as a model of reasonable public discourse is more needed now than ever, and I’m committed to doing what I can to further this work. In addition to considerable experience of League activity, I bring some expertise in writing/editing and in assessment of progress toward goals.  Minda Rae is serving a 2022-2025 term.

Robin Barker, Vice President, Communications

Robin Barker was a professional librarian, graduating from University of California, Berkeley, with a Masters in Library Science. She came to Bellingham in 1980 to work for the Whatcom County Library System, and retired from WCLS in 2012 as Support Services Manager. Robin served on the boards of Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood and the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and chaired the boards of both organizations. She was active in the local chapter of the ACLU for several years until it was disbanded. She is a charter member of the City Club, thanks to the invitation of Dick Beardsley, and is currently a board member, chairing the Membership Committee, managing the membership database and maintaining their website. She has taken Whatcom Community College classes in web design and development, and pursues this interest by working with the League on its website. Robin is serving on the Board for the 2023-2026 term and is currently the League's webmaster.

Jessica Waggoner, Treasurer

Jessica has over twenty years of experience in financial management including:

• Manage, oversee, or perform all aspects of accounting and financial management including preparation of management level financial statements, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll. 
• Develop and maintain budgets, cash flow forecasts, and KPI dashboards.
• Arrange and handle firm’s financing and banking relationships. 
• Control all firm filing and record keeping systems and requirements. 
• Establish and administer firm benefits and insurance, evaluating needs, coverage, and packages yearly to ensure optimum pricing and coverage. 
• Develop staffing projections to meet revenue needs and competitive compensation and benefits packages. 

Jessica is proficient and experienced in all areas of the accounting cycle and in QuickBooks, Excel, Paylocity and various databases, payroll and practice management systems.  In addition to her role in internal finance, she joined VSH, PLLC as Firm Administrator in 2002 where she currently serves as Operations Partner in that role in through present, she has developed and implemented the internal and operational strategy, processes and team to grow her firm almost eight times in size from a small start up to the second largest CPA firm headquartered north of Seattle in Washington State.  Jessica is serving a three-year term, 2024-2027.

Siri Hiltz, Secretary

Siri Hiltz holds a Masters of Library and Information Science degree from the University of British Columbia. After working in public, special and government libraries focusing on youth and young adult services for ten years, she spent some time working for a national early literacy nonprofit as a program manager. Raised in Washington, Siri moved to Bellingham in 2019 and volunteers on several League committees. Siri was elected to the board in 2024 for a 2024-2027 term and serves as Secretary.  

Dorie Belisle

Through the work of the League, Dorie envisions a community where people feel heard and respected, a community where people understand the workings of our government and know where to go for information and, most of all, a community that cares.  Her background is varied.  She is a teacher, a wife and lifelong partner of 50 years, a mom of four, previous co-owner of two businesses (BelleWood Acres, (1995-2018) and Triangle Auto and Tire, (1974-1993) and a community outreach manager for the Tenmile Creek Watershed Project, (1999-2008). She is a graduate of Washington Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Program (2001) and holds a BS degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Mankato State University. (1972).   Dorie is serving a 2024-2027 term on the Board.

Judy Bryngelson

Judy had a career in early childhood education and social services in Billings, Montana.  She was Executive Director of the Head Start program for 26 years.  In that capacity Judy worked extensively with boards, community leaders and organizations.  She also served on the National Head Start Board. In addition, Judy traveled throughout the country evaluating Head Start programs for the federal government and especially enjoyed visiting Native American tribal programs.  Judy and her husband moved to Bellingham in 2014 to be close to their children and grandchildren.  She is an active volunteer in several local non-profit organizations that benefit youth and families.  Judy is eager to be part of the League of Women Voters to help educate voters and actively encourage people to vote. Judy serves a 2025-2028 term on the Board of Directors.

Tanya Emam

Tanya is a results-driven professional with 25+ years in program management and regulatory compliance across federal, state, and military sectors, now transitioning into the legal field. She has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to volunteerism and community involvement. Tanya looks forward to contributing her communication, organizational, and leadership expertise to further the League's mission of educating voters in Whatcom County and across the state of Washington. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, reading, and cruising. Tanya joined the Board of Directors fill a vacant position, expiring in June 2026.

Donna Meehan

Born and raised in Montana, she spent much of her working life there working as paralegal and CPA for a large law firm.  Accounting was her second career choice after a divorce and desire to change her career from casework.  Initially, she and her ex-husband moved to Washington in 1970 to further his schooling and Donna's  work.  During that early move to Washington, she lived in Tacoma, Pullman area, Okanogan and finally Coupeville.  She then returned to Montana after a divorce and pursued a new career.   When it came time to retire, she chose Bellingham because her daughter and her family are here.  It also has little snow and no hail.  she also has come to enjoy the political atmosphere and openness of the community.

As a parent and community member she has been involved in many organizations from Girl Scouts to Zonta.  Many related to her daughter’s activities but she has also been a board member for many non-profit organizations such as Montana Women’s Run, Youth for Understanding and Zonta.

She has been aware of the League for many years and was part of a small group of women in Okanogan County who in 1980 formed a local League.  She served as the president briefly before her family moved to Coupeville. She also was briefly a part of the League there before returning to Montana.  When she moved to Bellingham she was impressed with the very large and active League here.  Since joining in 2019 she hasbeen searching for an area to focus her energies. She is hoping that board membership will help her focus as well as provide 

an opportunity to serve and make a difference in her community. 

"While I cannot say I have any particular skills in the League’s many areas, I have a willingness to learn and I am not shy about asking questions and taking on leadership roles in any organization in which I have been involved."  Donna serves a 2024-2026 term on the Board.

Carol J. Smith

Carol was born and raised in Washington State. Her father was born in Eastern Washington and his family moved to Ferndale in 1923.  Her dad became a Methodist minister and they moved around the state of Washington to different churches every four years.  Throughout her childhood they visited her grandparents in Ferndale and enjoyed a cabin at Birch Bay that her family owned for 60 years.  She went to the University of Puget Sound and finished her degree at The Evergreen State College when it first opened.  After college she worked at a very small school in Kirkland that offered an education to elementary aged students who struggled in public schools.  She moved here in 1980 to earn a fifth-year teaching certificate. She met and married David Smith and has been a Whatcom County resident ever since.  They have two daughters who both graduated from Mt Baker High School.  She was a stay-at-home mom and a substitute teacher.  When the girls were older, she got a full-time job with the Mount Baker School District and taught at Kendall Elementary.  She loved teaching third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade during her 12-year career. They lived in the county for more than thirty years.  Now she lives in the Cornwall Park neighborhood.

She first encountered the League of Women Voters Bellingham/Whatcom County when attending the massive protest against the proposed coal port terminal at Cherry Point in 2016.  She was intrigued.  They had moved into Bellingham from the County. When she saw the invitation to come and learn about the league at one of their annual gatherings held at the Bellingham Library, she decided to check them out.  she was inspired by the women she met there.  They were using all their skills to make a positive difference in our county and country.  After that meeting she became a member of the LWVBWC.  She am committed to the LWV for their non-partisanship and their process to carefully study issues before taking a stand.  Currently she is Co-Chair with Shovia Muchirawehondo of the Racial Equity/Healthy Democracy Issue group. She is also an active member of the Climate Issue Team.  Carol serves a three-year term, 2024-2027.

Sarah Wheatley

Sarah Wheatley graduated from Bellingham High School. Motivated by a desire to find work that encouraged both the environment and the economy to flourish, she went to UC Santa Cruz and studied agroecology, earning a degree in Environmental Studies. Graduating during the last recession meant that she ended up taking a lot of temporary jobs after college, which allowed her experience in many different fields: ecological research, agriculture, forestry, education, and natural resource management, as well as various service and labor jobs. Sarah currently works for Common Threads Farm, managing school gardens at 24 Whatcom County schools (a position which uses pretty much all of the skills she has accumulated.) She also enjoys volunteering with Girl Scouts, caring for and playing in our public lands and waters, and playing music with friends. 

 

Sarah is honored to be elected to the Board of the League of Women Voters and hopes that the League opens up opportunities to engage in respectful cross-partisan dialogue. Her experience as an AmeriCorps member gave her a profound respect for service to country and community, and she hopes that participating in the League will allow her to continue to serve and to bring people together around the rights and responsibilities that we all share.  Sarah was elected to a 2025-2028 term on the Board of Directors.