Monthly Branch Meeting & Program

March Branch Meeting and Program
Saturday, March 1, 2025
Pay Equity in the Workplace Panel Presentation
Panelists:  Sumer Temple and Shelley Reed

Meeting Video Link tba
Program Link tba

Program Vice President Dr. Sharifa Batts moderated the discussion, where experts, advocates, and industry leaders explored the persistent wage gap and strategies for closing it. This discussion covered key factors contributing to pay disparities, including systemic barriers, workplace policies, negotiation skills, and legislative efforts. Panelists shared best practices for organizations to promote fair compensation and tools women can use to advocate for their worth. The conversation also highlighted the impact of intersectionality, recognizing how race, ethnicity, and other identities further influence wage inequality. Attendees gained actionable insights on advancing workplace equity and fostering a culture of transparency and inclusion.

Sumer Temple is the owner of Temple Family Enterprises, which encompasses Don Temple Storage, Long Beach U Store & Lock, The Temple Center and other commercial real estate properties within the City of Long Beach. Sumer was raised in Long Beach and is a graduate of Poly High School’s CIC program. After high school she attended LBCC and later transferred to Chapman University, attaining her BA in Communication with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. Since the passing of her father, Don Temple in 2013, Sumer has managed their two remaining facilities and commercial properties. In 2015, Sumer oversaw nearly $11 million dollars in real estate transactions and in 2022, facilitated the honor of Don Temple Storage reaching the ranks of a million-dollar company, an achievement only 9% of small businesses will ever accomplish. Additionally, Don Temple Storage has been ranked best self-storage facility in the City of Long Beach for the past 10 years. Sumer is heavily involved in the community, including Chair of the 2024-2025 Board of Directors at the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce; President of the LBCC Foundation Board of Governors; Chair of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee at LBCC representing the local business community; Vice President of The Don Temple Family Charitable Foundation and Vice Chair of PLAY Long Beach, and many more.

Shelley Reed is a Senior Human Resources Consultant with Strategic HR Advisory. As a senior level Human Resources professional Shelley has more than 30 years of experience in Human Resources and Employee Development. Shelley has experience working in many different industries including non-profit, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, transportation and logistics. Her expertise and passion for employee development has helped employees reach their fullest potential. Shelley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business/Human Resources from California State University, Fullerton and holds a Certificate in Human Resources from University California, Irvine. She also holds the professional designation of Professional Human Resources (PHR) from The HR Certification Institute (HRCI) and a Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Shelley is certified in the DISC and Predictive Index (PI) assessment tools and is certified facilitator for Development Dimensions International (DDI). She is a member of Society Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Shelley is passionate about giving back to the community and enjoys working with both adults and children. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Academy of Global Logistics at Cabrillo High School and is a member of the Assistance League of Long Beach serving children in the community. Shelley lives in Seal Beach, CA with her husband and travels frequently to Washington DC to see their daughter.

Denise Carter is the former Chief Diversity Officer for the South Division of Providence. She is a lifelong proponent of justice, equity, and fairness, starting with mediating schoolyard disputes in the 3^rd grade. Her varied career has seen her work in the fields of academia, law, finance, and healthcare, with the thread throughout all of her roles being a dedication to speaking the truth and uplifting people.

An avid traveler, Denise’s curiosity about our world and its inhabitants fuels her passion for helping others find joy and a sense of community.

Denise holds degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Denver, and Loyola Law School.

February 1, 2025 (Links are not available)
Program:  The Intersection of Mental Health and Gender Equity:  Addressing Challenges Faced by Women
Sydney Traxler, LCSW

This presentation highlighted the unique mental health challenges women face due to systemic inequities, societal expectations, and overlapping identities, such as being women of color, caregivers, or professionals in male-dominated fields. This topic aligns with AAUW’s mission to advance gender equity and could foster a deeper understanding of how mental health intersects with its advocacy for women’s empowerment and equity.

Sydney Traxler, LCSW Bio

Sydney Traxler was born and raised in Long Beach, attending Longfellow, Hughes Middle School, and graduating from the Center for International Curriculum (CIC) program at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine (2016) and received her Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree from California State University, Long Beach (2019). She has worked within the mental health field since 2016 and specializes in mentoring at-risk youth to help them achieve their life goals. Sydney has worked with foster youth and provided community mental health services throughout the pandemic. Professionally, she is a school counselor at Loyola High School and is an individual therapist at a private practice. Sydney has been married for over 7 years, and she and her husband have three wonderful children.

January Branch and Annual Tech Trek Presentation
Saturday, January 11, 2025 (Meeting Link HERE)
Celebrating Tech Trek & Meet Our 2024 Tech Trek Graduates (Link HERE)

A panel of former campers spoke about their experience at Tech Trek and discussed what they learned. A  slide show of camp activities from Whittier College was presented. Tech Trek is a unique opportunity for seventh grade girls to experience a week of college life while participating in hands-on STEM lessons and activities.

November Annual Fund Drive Branch Meeting and Program
Saturday, November 2, 2024 (Meeting Link HERE)
Program: Seema Shah:
Optimizing Women’s Health & Well-being
Through Nutritional & Lifestyle Interventions  (Program Link HERE)
Seema Shah bio:
Seema is a Dietitian Health Coach based in Long Beach, CA who has extensive training and education, including continuing education through two different prestigious functional and integrative nutrition/medicine programs. She also has formal health coach training and experience working as a health coach. She learned a lot about health and healing over the course of her own health journey, and this direct experience with many of the conditions her clients have gives her valuable insight and first-hand knowledge on how to treat them.  She is an expert in helping her clients reach their health goals through making and sustaining diet and behavior changes. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, and family and friends, cooking, reading a good book, catching up on her favorite shows, watching movies, doing Tai Chi Chuan and Gong, practicing mindfulness, and volunteering at her local bunny rescue.  

October Branch Meeting and Program
Saturday,October 5, 2024
November, 2024 Ballot Measures
Long Beach League of Women Voters

Meeting Video Link HERE
Program Link HERE

A team of presenters from the League of Women Voters, Long Beach Area (LWVLBA) explained Long Beach ballot measures and several state propositions of interest to AAUW: what they will do, what will change if approved, what the cost will be, what supporters and opponents are saying about them and the who and how much of the spending on the measures, e.g. where is all the advertising money coming from. AAUW Long Beach member Tobi Balma presented AAUW CA’s support positions for CA Ballot Propositions 2, 3, 4 and 32.

The LWVLBA is a 100 year-old organization that is political, but non-partisan. They do not support or oppose any candidate or political party. Download the LWV “Easy Voter Guide” HERE.

September  Branch Meeting and Program
Saturday, September, 2024
Voter Suppression & Election Myths
Professor Jodi Balma

Meeting Video Link HERE
Program Video Link HERE

Voter suppression is any attempt to discourage or stop specific Americans from registering to vote or casting their ballot. Specific groups based on their ethnicity, race, age, political affiliation, or other variations of voter’s identities.  In the United States, voter suppression has a long and unpleasant history, and over the last two decades it has reappeared with a vengeance. There have been many lawsuits and advocacy as many groups are fighting voter suppression from every angle.

AAUW Long Beach had the privilege of again hosting Professor Jodi Balma  as she presented on Voter Suppression and Election Myths. She also covered Voter ID and other voter suppression issues which will impact the November 2024 Election.

Professor Balma started her career as a professor of political science at Fullerton College in 2000. She has served as the faculty coordinator of the Honors Program since 2012. She has been awarded Fullerton College Teacher of the Year in 2021 and 2014. She was named 2022 Orange County Community College Teacher of the Year.
Professor Balma specializes in American politics and California state and local government. Her goal is to help students learn how to think about politics with an emphasis on critical thinking and analysis, regardless of political party or ideology. She helps students understand how they can become involved in working with community leaders to find solutions.
She is a regular on-the-record analyst for newspaper and radio media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Voice of OC, KNX 1070, KPCC, and NPR. California Senator Josh Newman named her as the 2021 Woman of the Year for Senate District 29. She served as the president of the Honors Transfer Council of California from 2013 – 2017 and remains active in the organization.
She is actively involved in the League of Women Voters and frequently hosts local candidate forums throughout North Orange County each election cycle. Professor Balma launched a North Orange County focused podcast titled ” A Slice of Orange: North Orange County Politics” to help her students and the community learn more about local government