Our Leadership Team

Committee Leaders

Laurie Meininger, President

Laurie retired to Durango in 2017 after nearly 30 years overseas in countries as diverse as The Marshall Islands, Cameroon, Romania, Iraq, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone. A voter since she was 18, Laurie has never missed casting her ballot, no matter where she was in the world.

After completing two years as the President, Laurie’s role on the Board is to help guide the leadership team in “all things League”. Laurie also serves on the City of Durango’s Ethics Commission and the Southwest Community Foundation Board of Directors while she’s not busy gardening, watching her grandkids play hockey or lacrosse or listening to the call of the sea.

Nicole Garland, Vice-President

Nicole has a BA in Mass Communications and an MA in Journalism; she was PTSA president at Lincoln Elementary in Denver 2013-2015, and oversaw a board and 100+ volunteers. She has also previously run a successful small business. In addition to volunteering with the local League, Nicole has been serving on the LWV CO Grants Committee for the past two years.

Nicole recently brought back an Observer Corps for the League and is delighted that we have observers in public meetings across the county. Nicole is also an election judge for La Plata County and is extremely passionate about democracy, its preservation, and the crucial role voting plays in ensuring its survival.

Martha Mason, Secretary

Martha is the board secretary, the chair of the committee for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and a member of the League’s Observer Corps. She spent the last 40 years as a disability rights activist. She has lived in La Plata County since 1986. She lives in Hesperus with her husband, Tim, and their dogs.

Martha is also involved with the Governor’s Statewide Independent Living Council, the Lieutenant Governor’s Disability Funding Committee, and the 6th Judicial District’s Access to Justice Committee.

Madeline “Mady” Miraglia, Treasurer

Madeline Miraglia is excited to be a part of the LWV-La Plata County Board. She began volunteering with LWV as soon as she moved to Durango in Spring of ‘22 by tabling at the farmer’s market, participating in several Climate Group activities and assisting with the city council candidate forum in March, ‘23.

Her background is in political activism and teaching high school social studies, so it is a fun new challenge to be learning the role of treasurer.

Tara Keine, Member at Large

Tara Kiene, MTS started at Community Connections in 2001, shortly after moving to Durango to live in her great-grandmother’s home. She served in the case management department and as the Director of Case Management before becoming the President/CEO in 2016. Over the past few years, she has been leading her organization through major transitions, including an organizational redesign that involves divesting programs into a new 501(c)(3). In her spare time, she writes, plays ukulele, and harasses her pet rabbits. Her goals in life are to publish a truly awful novel that no one reads during her lifetime but becomes a posthumous cult classic and to create a world where people with disabilities fully belong, contribute, and thrive.

Tara has been actively involved with the Leadership La Plata program since 2007 and is currently serving on the Diversity Committee for LLP. In addition to League of Women Voters, she also currently serves on the Board of Directors for Alliance Colorado, the Early Childhood Council of La Plata County, United Way of Southwest Colorado, and iAM MUSIC.

Wendy Pollak

Wendy is a longtime resident of Durango, and a retired physical therapist. She’s involved with several environmental advocacy groups both locally and nationally, and serves on the League’s Voter Services Committee.

Jan Phillips, Chair Healthcare Committee

Jan Phillips is a longtime resident of La Plata County, and mother of three adult children who grew up in beautiful Durango. She has over 40 years of experience as a health educator and is a retired small business owner. For the past decade she has continued to be involved in advocating for healthcare reform and improvements.

She is the chair of the LWV healthcare committee and vice chair of the LWV initiative, La Plata Healthcare Improvement Coalition (LPHIC), collaborating with local stakeholders working toward improving healthcare delivery in La Plata County.

Cameron Garland, Chair Climate Education Committee

Cameron Garland is the newly appointed Climate Chair for the La Plata County League of Women Voters! She is a senior at DHS who hopes to major in environmental studies in college and later work as an attorney on behalf of protecting the environment. The environment is the most pressing issue facing our world today and she believes education and awareness are the first steps in climate recovery. The League interests her because of its work to increase voter turnout and empower women across the county to make their voices heard. She’s excited to join this positive, resilient and change making group of women.