Sometimes we feel disconnected and powerless when it comes to making our government more responsive and effective. Yet, our government starts right here with our neighbors and communities. How do these agencies work, collaborate, and respond to voters? We are thrilled to have two of our very own League members who play a key role in local government in La Crosse county. Lee Donahue, a Town of Campbell Supervisor, and Margaret Larson, a La Crosse County Supervisor, will be speaking about civic engagement at the local level. From local government organization to how citizens can be heard and make a difference, they will address some of the critical issues facing our community now.
Speakers:
Lee Donahue
Lee Donahue is an Army combat veteran. She managed radio/TV news operations in Germany, Croatia, South Korea and Bosnia, and deployed to 13 other foreign countries. She earned 7 Department of the Army and Department of Defense (excellence in broadcast journalism) awards. As an Army Public Affairs professional she wrote training doctrine and led Press Conferences. She's served 40+years in all forms of government service.
She is a 5 year Town of Campbell supervisor for Health Education and Welfare. Lee was appointed as a Town of Campbell supervisor 5 months before the town was notified of PFAS contamination. Nearly 4,500 residents in Campbell are under a state-wide health advisory to use an alternate safe source of water.
Margaret Larson

Civics, part of my high school senior year curriculum, was taught by the varsity football coach. I’ve learned more about the structure of government from the League of Women Voters. And I’ve lived it by serving on the La Crosse School Board, the La Crosse City Plan Commission, and the La Crosse County Board. I also have participated in local campaigns, contacted local, state, and federal legislators, and testified at local and state government hearings.

Register Here

Please note: There will be no December meeting.
Turning away from the privileged world of the "eminent Victorians," Gertrude Bell (1868—1926) explored, mapped, and excavated the world of the Arabs. Recruited by British intelligence during World War I, she played a crucial role in obtaining the loyalty of Arab leaders, and her connections and information provided the brains to match T. E. Lawrence's brawn. After the war, she played a major role in creating the modern Middle East and was, at the time, considered the most powerful woman in the British Empire.
In this masterful biography, Janet Wallach shows us the woman behind these achievements–a woman whose passion and defiant independence were at odds wit the confined and custom-bound England she left behind. Too long eclipsed by Lawrence, Gertrude Bell emerges at last in her own right as a vital player on the stage of modern history, and as a woman whose life was both a heartbreaking story and a grand adventure.
~ Goodreads

 Monday, January 26, 2026, 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM

RiverPlace Apartments meeting room
1 Riverplace Dr.
La Crosse, WI 54601