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