Our Birthday Party Celebrated and Encouraged Actions That Support Democracy!
Last month, more than 60 members and guests of the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County celebrated the League’s founding 106 years ago and its ongoing efforts to empower voters and defend democracy.
Here are a few highlights from the luncheon at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Lynnwood on February 21.
Democracy in Action Awards for 2026
President Lisa Utter announced our League’s Democracy in Action Award winners for 2026 – Alvaro Guillen, Co-Director, Connect Casino Road in Everett; and Dan Rankin, Mayor of Darrington.
LWVSC’s Democracy in Action Award recognizes outstanding achievement or long-term commitment to enhancing democracy in Snohomish County. Both Rankin and Guillen personify a collaborative approach to problem solving that gets communities civically engaged.
Guillen, who was born in Peru, is a stellar example of how immigrants have strengthened our communities. Over the past four years, Guillen and his team evolved “The Village" of Connect Casino Road to serve a diverse and challenged community.
Rankin leveraged disaster recovery funds after the 2014 Oso landslide not only to repair physical damage but also to build civic hubs. He cofounded the Darrington Collaborative to facilitate discussions to move forward in restoring forested public lands in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
More details about these amazing award winners are in the news release
here.
Immigration Crisis and What We Can Do
Our guest speaker was Susan Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Professor Emerita of International Migration at the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.
Her presentation, “Still a Nation of Immigrants?” provided an in-depth overview of the immigrant population in the United States, definitions and types of legal status, challenges to birthright citizenship and other immigrant-related issues, and what can be done to foster change. Find the slide presentation
here.
Susan is also the co-author of the “Welcoming Immigrants” study, which led to LWVWA’s position on protecting the rights of immigrants that was adopted in 2025. For more information and lively videos that provide quick overviews, go
here.
Adopt a Corner Program
Peter Constantini, a representative from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), shared information about a nationwide call to action to protect and defend the human and civil rights of immigrants. The movement is Adopt a Corner. It's creative, homegrown and nonviolent and comes from day laborers – “esquineros,” or keepers of the street corners – often the first targeted and the last protected in times of crackdowns. Learn more about Adopt a Corner
here.
Update on our League
President Lisa Utter also reviewed actions being taken at the national and state levels to defend democracy, and she highlighted the upcoming No Kings III rally on March 28 and what our league is doing to help ensure people know their rights.
Lisa called for everyone to pull out their phones and enter the number for the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) Deportation Defense Hotline: 1-844-724-3737.
She also encouraged everyone to check our League’s event calendar and to get involved. To help members get ready to take part in the No Kings rally, we had League T-shirts and League-branded rally signs available at the party. (These will also be available at the March all-member meeting.)
State of the League
Lisa also encouraged members to check out a “State of the League” video message from LWV President Dianna Wynn. You’ll find that
here.