about us
Amy Hjerstedt and Melissa Currence have led discussions on building a diverse League of the Women Voters and recruiting younger members since 2012.
Amy Hjerstedt
Amy Hjerstedt was elected as a Director to the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) for the 2016-2018 term at the 2016 LWVUS National Convention. Amy has served on four LWV boards—Portland, OR (LWVPDX), San Diego, CA (LWVSD), Eastern Upper Peninsula, MI (LWVEUP (state unit)), and Arlington, VA (LWV-Arlington). In 2013, Amy founded LWVEUP. In addition to her local League work, Amy served on a state study committee—LWVC Initiative and Referendum. She also co-Chaired the Young People Task Force, served as a LWVUS Diversity Advisor, and served as a Shur Fellow/National Coach to NY, FL, TX, and WI and helped coach PA and MN. Amy has an A.A. in Liberal Arts from College of Alameda (2006), a B.S. from Portland State University (2008), and a Master’s of Arts in Political Science from American Public University (2012). Before college, Amy served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a boatswain’s mate second class, a small boat instructor, and a boarding team member. Amy went to high school in Buffalo, Missouri and served her Coast Guard career in northern California. Amy has two young sons and is married to Michael, an active duty Coast Guard officer, and they live in Northern Virginia.
Melissa Currence is a director of the League of Women Voters of the United States, elected in 2018. She has served as a Ruth S. Shur Fellow for the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) since 2015, serving the states of Illinois and New York. She also co-Chaired the Young People Task Force for two years. Melissa joined LWV when she was 18 and has served on LWV Cincinnati Area board in several capacities including president, vice president of voter service, and vice president of development. She served on the LWV Ohio for two years on membership engagement committee and starting the state’s social media presence. In addition, she serves as president of the Cincinnatus Association, a membership organization providing civic leadership and improving the long-term vitality of the Cincinnati region. Melissa has a B.A. in Political Science from Xavier University (2001) and a Master’s of Arts in Journalism from The Ohio State University (2004). She has worked in the nonprofit public relations/marketing field for more than 15 years, and is managing director of communications and marketing at ArtWorks Cincinnati. She has several writing projects at melissacurrence.com and stubbycurrence.com.