LWVDC AWARDS
Each year at our Annual Meeting, LWVDC honors deserving individuals and groups from the community and highlights their accomplishments with the following awards.
Sheila Willet Distinguished Service Award
This award is named for Sheila Willet, the long-time office manager and member of LWVDC, who exemplified dedication to the League’s mission and active support of its activities. The award is given each year to a LWVDC member who demonstrates this dedication or has seen to fruition a significant initiative that contributes to the mission of the League.
2025 Awardee: Sarah McMeans
This honor is in recognition of Sarah’s unwavering commitment and many contributions to LWVDC over the years, both on and off the Board, and her continued generosity and well-known willingness to “raise her hand” and help wherever needed. Sarah, she has served in a range of official and unofficial capacities with the League – including as: Secretary; a representative to the local inter-league organization, the League of Women Voters of the National Capital Area; as Awards Committee Chair; assisting with private elections, which also serve as a fundraiser for the League; and she has served as a member of numerous committees and studies. Sarah has been an active and present member and volunteer with the League. She is always a friendly face at League and whatever tasks Sarah takes on, she accomplishes them in the most competent fashion. She’s proven willing, time after time, to take on the tasks the League needs of her.
2024 Awardee: Lee Palmer
2023 Awardee: Kathy Chiron
2022 Awardee: Kathryn Ray and Dennis Beaufort
2021 Awardee: Geraldine Whitley
2020 Awardee: Judy Osborne
2019 Awardee: Alexandra Dickson and Abigail Nichols
Linda Beebe Award for Making Democracy Work
This award is presented to an exceptional individual and/or organization working to improve democracy within Washington, DC. It is named for Linda Beebe, President of LWVDC from 2015-2018, to honor her dedication to the League’s mission of engaging and educating voters, improving elections, and defending democracy within DC. The award honors Linda by formally recognizing individuals and/or organizations that have been actively engaged in keeping our city strong, fair, vibrant, and livable. Awardees have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to making democracy work within one or more of the following areas of work: (1) expanding voting rights for DC residents, (2) increasing local autonomy of the DC government, (3) improving DC elections, or (4) engaging and educating DC voters.
2025 Awardee: DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
This honor is in recognition of DC Appleseed’s work and strong history supporting and promoting democracy in DC and specifically highlighting the organization’s important 2024 report on Improving Voter Representation in DC's Elections. DC Appleseed is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with a mission focused on helping to make DC a better place to live and work. For over 30 years, through litigation, teamwork, and advocacy, DC Appleseed taken on some of the toughest problems facing DC, developing solutions and working to have those solutions adopted and implemented. DC Appleseed’s projects emphasize three key values: democratic participation, economic mobility, and racial equity. In September 2024, DC Appleseed published a report on Improving Voter Representation in DC’s Election. The detailed report confronts issues with DC’s elections and discusses a range of reforms that might improve DC’s elections. In addition, DC Appleseed is an ally in the coalition of local organizations advocating for DC home rule defense.
2024 Awardee: Noah Wills
2023 Awardee: Anacostia Coordinating Council and its Executive Director, Phillip Pannell
2022 Awardee: Barbara Garlock and Virginia Hodge for their roles in the Quilts 4 DC Statehood
2021 Awardee: Restore the Vote Legislation Working Group (At-Large Councilmember Robert White, Dexter Williams, Britte Van Tiem, Debbie Polhemus, Mary Case and Susan Galbraith)
2020 Awardee: Parisa Norouzi, Executive Director of Empower DC
2019 Awardee: Anne Anderson