Passing the Torch

Once again, thank you everyone for your support of Pennsylvania NOW.  Tomorrow, January 1, Pennsylvania NOW will be “passing the torch” to new statewide leadership.  The new leaders (and their email addresses) are:

• President Julia A. Ramsey – panow@panow.org
• Vice-President Helene Ratner – helkos@msn.com
• Treasurer Pamela Macklin – pmacfish@aol.com
• Secretary Betsy Parziale – eparziale@comcast.net
• At-Large Member Michele Hamilton – Hamilton.michele@yahoo.com
• At-Large Member Joanne Tosti-Vasey – nowwomyn@gmail.com
• At-Large Member Susan Woodland – woodlands103@yahoo.com

The phone number for Pennsylvania NOW – (814) 280-8571 – will remain the same. The new main office mailing address is:

 Pennsylvania NOW, Inc.; Pennsylvania NOW Education Fund; and PA NOW PAC

 P.O. Box 4
Fort Washington, PA 19034-0004

The Treasurer’s Office address will remain the same:

Treasurer’s Office
Pennsylvania NOW, Inc.; Pennsylvania NOW Education Fund; and PA NOW PAC
PO Box 8614
Wilkinsburg, PA 15221-8614

I have served as the President of Pennsylvania NOW and the Pennsylvania NOW Education Fund as well as the Chair of the PA NOW PAC since January 1, 2006.  And I served as Treasurer for the 12 years before that.  I am now moving over to an at-large member position on the Executive Committee and will continue my advocacy as a volunteer leader. 

I would like to thank everyone who has worked with me over the years including former Presidents Barbara DiTullio and Kathy Wilson as well as my current executive committee, some of who are continuing in leadership and others that are stepping done tonight.  They are:

• Vice-President Kathleen Wilson
• Treasurer Pamela Macklin (who is continuing as Treasurer)
• Secretary Mary Kay Peterson
• At-Large Member Michele Hamilton (who is continuing in this capacity)
• At-Large Member Jasmin Rakestraw who had to step down earlier this year
• At-Large Member Helene Ratner (who is the new Vice President)
• At-Large Member Susan Woodland (who is continuing in this capacity)

I would also like to thank everyone both here in Pennsylvania and throughout the country whom I have worked with over the last 18 years.  Some of you are NOW members and leaders.  Others are advocates for equality either individually or as representatives of other organizations.  And others are elected officials that I have had the great pleasure of working with to improve the lives of people here in Pennsylvania.  You have all made the job a great pleasure.

My passion and concern for equality for all, especially for women and their families, is and will be on-going. 

At this point I’m not sure where will I will end up. I am job hunting. So if you know of anything you think I might be good at, let me know.  My email address is nowwomyn@gmail.com.

If you want to continue corresponding with me by mail, the address is

Joanne Tosti-Vasey

PO Box 68

Bellefonte, PA 16823-0068

Thank you everyone.  And have a wonderful New Year!