HomeBoard & Staff

Officers

Amy Kemp – President

(Term ends April 2027)

Amy has a passion for community engagement and a knack for building bridges. She has become a driving force in Palm Beach County's civic and business landscape. In her role as external affairs manager for Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), Amy serves as a critical liaison between the utility and local government officials, business leaders and community stakeholders across Central and Southern Palm Beach County. Since joining FPL in 2016, she has excelled in key positions, including procurement management, operational budget oversight and process improvement leadership.

Amy serves on several local boards, including the Parks Foundation of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Chamber and Greater Boca Raton Chambers of Commerce. Her collaborative approach, crisis management expertise, and commitment to community service make her a respected leader in both business and civic spheres.

Amy’s passion for civic engagement led her to join the League of Women Voters, drawn by its mission to encourage informed participation in government and advocacy for local issues. As president, she aims to expand outreach efforts, particularly to younger and underrepresented communities.

Outside of work, Amy enjoys an active lifestyle, playing golf, volunteering and traveling with her husband.

Joyce Sullivan – 1st Vice President

(Term ends April 2026)

Joyce has been a member of LWVPBC since 2015. She has previously served as 2nd vice-president and as a Board member. She chairs the Voters’ Guide, Legislative Directory, and the Budget Team. In 2024, Joyce was part of the team that created the 2024 Election Expo.

She retired in 2008 with twenty plus years as an advertising/operations manager of Palm Beach Newspapers/The Palm Beach Post. After moving from the Post, she became General Manager of the Florida Pennysaver and La Palma, a Hispanic newspaper.

Over the years, Joyce has served on many boards and organizations. One of the most important was Leadership Palm Beach County. She graduated in 1966 and was involved in the Youth Leadership program until 2003. Others were the Hispanic Chamber, Hispanic Human Resources, Lake Worth Chamber, North Palm Beach chamber, and President of the Community Papers of Florida.

Her interest in the importance of voting and knowing about who you are choosing to vote for as your local, state, and federal legislature started in 2015 when she was the volunteer coordinator for Dorothy Jack, Property Appraiser.

Joyce is a Palm Beach County native and has three children and four grandchildren. She loves gardening and, of course, cats.

Reisha Roopchand Allen – 2nd Vice President

(Term ends April 2027)

Reisha is a serial entrepreneur and business strategist who is actively involved in her three start-ups:

Spirited Marketing - Sales and Marketing consulting

Precise Mobile Fingerprinting - Providing background screening and international document authentication

AIM Sports Training (Co-Founder) - Providing physical education personnel for youth development at private schools, after school activities, and sports training

Her current community activities include the Women’s Chamber of Commerce as a Board Member and Chair of the Events Committee. At the League she is Co-Chair of the Special Events Team and is a member of the National Popular Vote and Voter Services teams.

Reisha is married and has a two-year-old Maltese fur baby, as well as a large family of nieces and nephews with whom she tries to spend quality time with as much as she can. Reisha is also an avid Pilates practitioner and believes in a positive and balanced lifestyle and helping others in the community.

Melissa Gannon - Treasurer

(Term ends April 2026)

Melissa has been a League member since 2022.

Melissa Gannon, CDFA®, CFP® has worked in the field of Finance for more than 30 years. She joined Castle Wealth Management, West Palm Beach, in 2016 and is currently the Manager Financial Planning and a Partner in the firm.

For more than 21 years Melissa was the Vice President of Weiss Ratings, where she led the firm’s quantitative financial analyses of the nation’s insurance companies, banks, and credit unions as well as the risk-adjusted performance of stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs. She opened an independent fee-only financial planning firm in 2015 before ultimately joining Castle Wealth Management.

Melissa earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Dayton in 1988 and a Master in Business Administration (concentration in Finance) from Florida Atlantic University in 1998. She earned her Certified Divorce Financial Analyst designation in 2016 and Certified Financial Planner designation in 2019.

Secretary Position Unfilled

(Term ends April 2027)

Directors

Donna Colabella, Director

(Appointed Nov 2025, Term ends April 2026)

For most of Donna’s adult life she lived in New Jersey, where she raised three children. She and her husband became Florida residents in 2015. Donna joined the League in 2022 when a friend invited her to an event at which she was introduced to National Popular Vote. Intrigued by the work this team was doing, she joined them. Now she serves as Co-chair of the Membership Team.

Donna has served others in various positions: seventh-grade language arts teacher, chiropractic assistant, clinical manager in an orthodontic practice, co-creator and co-teacher of course curriculum in her New Jersey church, and co-leader of small groups.

Donna has always valued working in tandem with others. Her belief is cooperation yields more than singular effort. She looks forward to moving ahead with the Membership Team and keeping close to the tried-and-true road, but also exploring some new paths along the way.

Rebecca Taylor Cohen, Director

(Appointed July 2025, Term ends April 2027)

Rebecca, an active member of the LWVPBC for eight years, has deep roots in Palm Beach County. As an undergraduate at FAU, she co-led Palm Beach County’s Crisis Line (South County). After grad school at Duke University in Durham, NC, Rebecca came home to Palm Beach County for a career in nonprofit eldercare and mental health.

Leadership in nonprofit organizations led to her life-long love for program development and grant writing. In the years after early retirement for an older-age marriage, she has enjoyed grant writing, program development, and hands-on civic engagement as a volunteer.

Cassondra A. Corbin-Thaddies, Director

(Elected 2024, Term ends April 2026)

Dr. Cassondra A. Corbin-Thaddies is an innovative instructional designer and educational technology advocate, dedicated to empowering educators and leaders. She champions mindset shifts and racial equity, creating transformative learning experiences globally.

With 20+ years in education, Cassondra's expertise includes learning technology, executive coaching, and training. She has positively impacted over 2500 teachers and 500 schools worldwide.

A collaborator with Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, she contributes to professional development and the EdTech Genome Project. Cassondra, who holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Technology, is the founder of Connect to Greatness, Inc., and the Vice President of Coaching and Professional Services at Learning Innovation Catalyst (LINC).

Janet Elinoff, Director

(Elected 2025, Term ends April 2027)

Janet recently retired after a successful wealth management career, where she helped individuals create meaningful legacies of love for their families and charitable organizations. She was known for her ability to simplify complex financial matters and bring a personal touch to estate planning.

A dedicated advocate, she currently serves as the Chair of the League’s Speakers Bureau, leading volunteers in engaging and educating voters on civic participation and democracy. Her passion for lifelong learning and cultural enrichment is reflected in her many activities and involvement throughout Palm Beach County.

An avid traveler, she has explored destinations like Cuba and Colombia, embracing new experiences and building lasting connections. Above all, she is grateful for the opportunities to make a difference, to cultivate relationships, and to fully embrace this chapter of her life.

Whitney Powell, Director

(Appointed November 2025, Term ends April 2027)

Whitney Baldwin Powell is a native of West Palm Beach. She is the wife of Palm Beach County Commissioner Bobby Powell and the mother of Chandler Victoria. Presently, she is a Partner at Cole, Scott, & Kissane, P.A. She attended Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University “FAMU”) where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration. She continued her education at the FAMU College of Law and graduated in 2013 in the top half of her class. While in law school, she was awarded the distinguished Percy R. Luney Spirit of Service Award, given to a law student who excels in service to both the community and the FAMU College of Law.

She is a Past President of the F. Malcolm Cunningham, Sr. Bar Association and the former General Counsel of Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association. Whitney is also active with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Palm Beach County Bar Association,

Palm Beach County Sheree Davis Cunningham Black Women Lawyers Association, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Northboro Elementary Parent Teacher Organization, and Gray’s Temple CME Church. Legacy Magazine named her one of South Florida’s Most Influential &

Powerful Black Professionals (2020) and one of South Florida’s 40 Under 40 Black Leaders of Today & Tomorrow (2023), and along with her husband, one of South Florida’s Power Couples (2025). Whitney is the owner of Fab & Flair, a fashionable sunglass boutique.

Kate Renchin, Director

(Elected 2025, Term ends April 2027)

Kate traces a lifelong interest in civil and voting rights, justice, and the legal system back to high school days writing for the school newspaper, heading the Women’s Judicial Board at the University of Wisconsin, and teaching literacy and volunteering at a women’s shelter.

These days she pursues her work as Co-Chair of the Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition and the Palm Beach County Election Protection program, while serving on the board of the League of Women Voters, NAACP West Palm Beach, and the Steering Committee of Coming to the Table South Florida. She is also a past board member of ACLU Florida and Palm Beach County.

Elizabeth Shapiro, Director

(Elected 2025, term ends April 2027)

Liz grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Her undergraduate degree is in Home Economics Education and her graduate degree is in Food Service Administration. She worked for Magic Pan Restaurants in Chicago, and then worked with the National Restaurant Association as a seminar instructor. Liz’s duties included developing seminars and making presentations throughout the United States.

Liz and her husband moved to Boca Raton in 1985 where they raised their two daughters. Liz spent 20 years working for the School District of Palm Beach County as a high school Culinary Arts Instructor and a district administrator.

Liz has been a member of American Association of University Women for more than 30 years and has held several leadership positions including as President. She is currently Vice President for Membership.

Liz has volunteered for Catholic Charities and was Sustainer Chair for the Junior League of the Palm Beaches. She currently volunteers for Harmony House and is also a member of National Jewish Women's Council of Palm Beach County.

Patty Whitehill, Director

(Elected April 2024, Term ends April 2026)

Patty’s first memory of volunteering was stuffing envelopes for candidates, and later in 1965, registering new voters with an active youth group. She learned the importance of voting early from her mother who mused that democracy was like a garden—it needs constant tending. Her grandmother joined The National Women' s Party with Alice Paul in 1919, and her great grandmother was hosting suffragist coffee klatchs in the early 1900s.

With a degree in psychology, Patty worked in retail as a manager and later as a luxury vacation travel agent for over a decade. She then lived in Bergamo, Italy, for a year earning her Montessori Elementary degree, earned her IB Middle Years certification in technology and humanities, and has worked as a teaching assistant, teacher, and administrator.

Patty currently is an academic therapist and lives in Boca Raton with her husband and two chihuahuas. She enjoys volunteering for the LWV with her daughter as they continue their family legacy of fighting for women’s rights.

Megan Wiston, Director

(Appointed November 2025, term ends April 2027)

Megan is an accomplished nonprofit leader with more than 15 years of experience serving communities in Palm Beach County. Her lifelong commitment to service began during her Quaker primary school years in Philadelphia and has continued throughout a career devoted to improving the health and well-being of children and families.

As Director of Programs at the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, Megan oversees the Literacy AmeriCorps program, in addition to three other programs, strengthening literacy engagement across the county. Before joining the Literacy Coalition, Megan spent more than a decade in child welfare, developing expertise in program supervision and community outreach. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Child Study from Tufts University and a Master’s degree in Public Health Education from Emory University.

Megan has lived in Lake Worth, Florida, for more than 20 years with her husband and is the proud parent of three adult children.

Staff

Linda Kramer, Administrative Assistant

Linda Kramer provides support to the Board, the Leadership Team, Team Chairs, and Members.

Before working for the League, Linda co-directed DePorres Place Adult Literacy Center, leading a team ranging from 50-90 volunteer tutors who provided reading and English language services to 200-400 adult students annually. Linda also directed development for the center, raising funds through special events and foundation grants.

A native of New Jersey, Linda worked for Verizon Communications for 35 years, where she was a union officer representing 3500 members. While in that role, Linda spearheaded dispute resolution and collective bargaining for multiple contracts.

Dawn Weir, Finance Assistant

Dorneth “Dawn” Weir and her family relocated to Wellington from North Brunswick, New Jersey in 2008. She joined the League in April 2017 and has served in various roles, including Assistant Treasurer, Treasurer, League Accountant, and, most recently as Club Express Administrator.

With a B.A. in Accounting, her work experience has involved positions in banking and finance, including Investment Accountant, Auditor, Underwriter, and as Vice President and Relationship Manager at PNC Bank.

When her child was school age, she proudly joined the Florida PTA and served as PTA Treasurer throughout his period in elementary and middle school. Dawn enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, attending equestrian events, watching sports, reading a good book, and dining at the fabulous restaurants in Palm Beach.