“A wise girl knows her limits, a smart girl knows that she has none.”
— Marilyn Monroe
Table of Contents
President’s Letter
Zonta Events Coming Up
Committee News
Thank you for Your Inspiration
I was asked to present an update on our Club at the recent Area 3 meeting, where we also celebrated this year’s Amelia Earhart Fellows, three young engineering students from CU Boulder. As I talked about our Club’s activities, I was struck by how much we accomplish in one ‘Zonta year’ (June 2025 to May 2026).
Our February Club meeting will be another chance to review and discuss all we do, this time hearing directly from our Committees. Last year’s fundraising success lets us start our year with big ideas. Our strategic vision for 2025-2026 was to:
Make Zonta a household name
Grow our membership
Make a larger impact on our community
Grow donors and sponsors
And we are well on our way!!
As we discuss the activities of each committee, keep those visioning goals in mind. Ask yourself: Is the Club on track towards these objectives? Do you feel engaged with these happenings and events? Where would you like to jump in and participate? One of my goals as President is to help each of our Members feel connected to our community, to our mission, and to our ongoing events. I’d love to help inspire you to feel the joy of all that we are able to accomplish in a ‘Zonta year.’
— Nancy
February Club Meeting
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thursday, February 12th. Dinner and Social time at 5:30. Meeting begins at 6 pm.
This will be a Club Meeting. Lots to celebrate, lots to share, and just fun to get together to catch up on the inspirational things that are going on with our committees.
Remember to bring your Z Club Valentines!
Meeting Location: Valmont Community Presbyterian Church, 3262 61st St, Boulder, CO 80301. (Remember, if you are coming from the north, 63rd Street is still closed, so travel from the Valmont side of the of 61st. St.)
Zonta Events Coming Up
EducateZ Committee Meeting - Monday, February 9th, 4:30pm via Zoom.
Child Marriage Bill Testimony - Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 2:00 pm, in SCR 346 at the 200 E. Colfax Ave. Denver. Show your support for this important legislation by coming to the hearing.
Advocacy Committee Meeting - Monday, March 2, 12 noon, at Pica’s 5360 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80303
Board Meeting - Wednesday, March 4, 5:30 pm via Zoom
Club Meeting - Thursday, March 12, 5:30-7:30 pm, Valmont Community Presbyterian Church, 3262 61st St, Boulder, CO 80301.
Zing for Zonta - Thursday, March 26, 6-9:30 pm, Nissi’s Entertainment Venue and Event Center, 1455 Coal Creek Dr Unit T, Lafayette, CO 80026.
2026 Climate Justice Forum - Saturday April 25th, the East Boulder Community Center. 5660 Sioux Dr, Boulder, CO 80303. Details to Come.
Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County Committee News
Fundraising Committee
ZING for Zonta Update!!
Colorado Spirit Chorus brings 4-part a cappella harmony to Boulder County and the surrounding areas of the Front Range. A chapter of Sweet Adelines International, they are passionate about spreading joy through music, empowering and uplifting one another, and enriching the communities they serve.
Orchard Creek rings the heart of Bluegrass, Americana, and classic country to life. Featuring a powerhouse lineup of seasoned pickers and singers, they deliver fiery instrumentals and a rhythm that gets toes tapping and crowds cheering. Their dynamic sound and a down-home spirit that makes every show feel like a front porch jam.
Gypsywould is tasteful acoustic music with delightful harmonies from Longmont. With Denny Driscoll (guitar), Becky Montgomery (violin), and Hollie Wood (percussion), everybody is singin’ high energy, movey-shakey classic and singy-songin’…they like to energize.
Josephine Meyer (she/her/hers), one of our 2025 STEM Scholarship recipients, is also a classical pianist and composer originally from Eugene, Oregon. Apparently, she began composing and singing her own melodies at the age of 2!
Mile High Tumblers 5280 was founded by Ozell Williams, a CU alum, visionary, self-made leader, and a pioneer in professional tumbling. The Tumblers range in age from six years and up, connecting with their community, becoming leaders who are finding their voice through athletics, entrepreneurship, arts, wellness, and education.
Turtleval, aka Valerie A. Szarek, is an award-winning performance poet and musician, energy healer, Shamanic Practitioner, and ceremonialist. She will mesmerize us with her flute and inspirational songs.
The Fundraising Committee - Co-Chairs Colleen Farrell and Pam Malzbender, Ann Herrmann, Debbie Nasta, Kathy Israelson, Nancy Rowe
TALENT SNEAK PEAK…
These are the performers who auditioned for the Zing stage:
In the Buff is a premier tenor-bass a cappella group at the University of Colorado Boulder. Their intricate original arrangements, entrancing choreography, and unparalleled sexiness will remind us that...it's always better In the Buff!
Emcees and Judges:
Eda Bagel (a.k.a. Jeffrey Kash) will return as our emcee and our judges for 2026 will be past-president of the Community Foundation of Boulder County and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1990 and 1992, Josie Heath; CEO of Rocky Mountain Equality, Mardi Moore; and Boulder attorney and Art in Community, Inc. Board Member, Caroline Kert.
We are off to a good start on other details as well:
Silent Auction: Thank you to everyone who has agreed to call a local business to secure donations for our silent auction. This is so helpful!
Ticket Sales: We have everything ready on BoulderEvents to manage our ticketing. You will be able to check out our event website in just a few days! This year, we are trying something new; we are selling tables! No more auditorium-style seating. Instead, you can purchase a table for 8 people and invite your friends. This will be a great way to have a wonderful social evening together! These are reserved seats that are close to the stage. Ticket prices are:
Earlybird Price: Table of 8 $600, Individual Ticket $75
Regular Price: Table of 8 $680, Individual Ticket $85
Event Video: We are creating a new video to share all the wonderful things we have accomplished over the past year! Like always, it will make you proud.
WE NEED YOU:
At our February meeting, we will sign up volunteers for tasks coming up in the next six weeks to make Zing for Zonta a success. These include:
Securing Silent Auction Items: Report back on the Silent Auction donor(s) you agreed to approach. We need to finalize the donations as soon as possible so we can put them on our Zing website where ticket holders bid. Getting the logos and descriptions up there lets everyone see the great things they can bid on.
Securing Sponsors: It is never too late! We could use sponsors who would like to underwrite various aspects of the event. like a Talent Sponsor, an Emcee Sponsor, a Judges’ Award sponsor, and an Audience Award Sponsor. The ideal donation for these sponsorships is $500. By underwriting these costs, we ensure that we maximize our proceeds from the event!
Selling Tickets: You all are our best promoters. For those of you who have never been to Zing… It’s a fun and zany evening of local talent volunteering their time to raise money for our foundation. So let your friends know that they will enjoy every minute!
Plan and Set up Zonta Promotion Tables: The best way to tell our Zing guests about Zonta is through our Club members. At Zing we set up a promotion table to distribute information about each of our Committees, our mission, and how to join. We need volunteer(s) to coordinate this by working with each committee to coordinate the table and its content.
“Day of" Tasks: Set up assistants, Ushers, catering monitors, Paddle Trackers for silent auction, etc. More to come.
We also have a surprise! At Thursday’s meeting, we will announce our member prize for the most tickets sold!!!
All Hands on Deck for ZING!
Advocacy Committee
Commemorating Domestic Violence Awareness Month
January was a busy month for Advocacy as we began the detailed planning for the Zonta Foothills Club 2026 Climate Justice Forum on April 25th at the East Boulder Community Center. We will be reaching out to Club committees with opportunities to be part of this Club event.
The big news for our Club is the potential passage, in the current legislative session, of an exceptions-free Child Marriage Bill. Advocacy member Lisa Lesniak secured a primary bill sponsor in the CO Senate, State Senator Nick Hinrichsen, and a primary sponsor in the State House, State Representative Junie Joseph (Boulder). State Senator Janice Marchman, one of our November guest speakers, is also a bill sponsor…additional sponsors pending.
SB26-048 Bill to End Child Marriage Exceptions has been scheduled for its initial hearing on February 17, 2026, at 2:00 pm in Room SCR 346. Zontians from our local clubs will be present at the Capitol that day to support the bill. Lisa Lesniak is working with Colorado Zonta clubs and Zonta USA Caucus leadership to develop strategies and garner additional support…learn more about what you can do to help move this forward at the February Club meeting and check for emails from Lisa.
Here are some resources to help you understand this very important issue for young girls in the US
Zonta USA Caucus Ending Child Marriage
Zonta International position on Child Marriage
To read more about the harms of child marriage, please review the attached document full of information on statistics in Colorado and the country. There is a screening of the documentary, Child Brides: Unmuted, at the Commission on the Status of Women on March 13, 2026 and it is available to view virtually. Register here.
The Advocacy Committee - Co-Chairs Sheila King and Jan Cheney, Elizabeth Freedman, Sara Gillespie, Sharon Goodman, Lisa Lesniak, Pam Malzbender, Ranelle Randles, Dana Rae Vaughn
Service Committee
Our Books Keep Boulder Families Reading
The Service Committee - Co-Chairs Kathy Israelson and Carol Smoot, Sheila Cohen, Ann Hodgson, Marta Lindrose and Joan Siebenaler
The Service Committee been keeping the library shelves stocked. This important program started some ten years ago to encourage community literacy. Our hard-working service committee maintains free lending libraries at local food banks, and with our members’ support, we have contributed over 7,000 books for all ages annually. Books are available for children, teens, and adults at locations including Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA), Sister Carmen Community Center, Community Food Share, and the OUR Center. If you would like to help deliver books, reach out to Carol or Kathy. You do not need to be on the Service Committee to make an important contribution, and it only takes a little of your time to warm your heart by knowing you are making a real difference.
And that’s not all…we are looking forward to helping out the other committees at Zing and the Climate Action Forum. Service is going on everywhere!!
Our Books outside of EFAA
Finance Committee
A Message From Your Treasurer About Membership Dues 2026-2027
This year, membership payments will be due no later than March 1st. Invoices will be sent via email to allow more time to collect payments and then send our share to both District 12 and Zonta International before the May 31st deadline.
Our annual dues did not increase and remain $185 for existing members over age 35. The portion of dues that stays with our club is just $51. The remaining funds are paid to District 12 and Zonta International. Here is a breakdown of annual fees for members over the age of 35:
$91 paid to Zonta International
$43 paid to District 12
$51 stays in our club budget
For our young professionals, the breakdown is roughly half of the above amounts. The Young Professional rate is $71, and we no longer charge our younger members Club dues or the new member fee of $15 that goes to Zonta International. Instead, our Club is absorbing that fee.
No matter what your age, the dues to our District include $2 to support the Education Fund (which supports scholarships), and $3 to support the D12 conference fund. We depend on our members to accomplish all we do, and we are excited to welcome you to another year of service and advocacy with our Club. Dues can be paid on our website, or you can mail a check and save yourself the online payment fees. Please reach out to Michelle Médal at michellemedal@gmail.com if you have any questions!
The Finance Committee will meet in the coming weeks to look at plans for the remainder of the year, including our long-term Development Plan and our 2026-27 budgeting process.
The Finance Committee- Chair Nancy Rowe, Pam Malzbender, Michelle Médal, Ranelle Randles, Sheila King, Kim Prosser-Noonan
Educatez Scholarship Committee
It is a busy time of year for the Scholarships Committee! We chose two amazing Women in STEM winners in December, with our first-place winner Anya Grafov going on to be selected as the D12 winner. We are hopeful that she might be selected as one of 16 Zonta International winners and win an additional $10,000!
Now we are preparing to read applications from 15 women who applied for the Zonta Foothills Climate Justice Scholarship! This scholarship is our own scholarship and not part of Zonta International. We can be proud that it demonstrates our Foundation’s investment in the education of women pursuing careers in climate-related fields. It is offered to women enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder who are in at least their third year of undergraduate studies through a graduate program. Applicants should be pursuing degrees that focus on natural resources and climate justice/action. This year, we will award $5,000 to a graduate student and another $2,000 to an undergraduate student. We will announce our winners no later than February 28th. Thank you to our members who have volunteered to help us choose deserving winners. It is a difficult time for anyone working in STEM fields, as Federal funding is pulled back, so these awards help women continue their research.
Following closely on the heels of the Climate Justice Scholarship is the Young Women in Leadership Award (YWLA), which goes to a young woman between the ages of 16 and 19 who demonstrates leadership skills and commitment to public service and civic causes. It encourages them to continue their participation in public and political life. The application for this award is now available on our website, so please share this opportunity with potential candidates. The deadline to apply is March 13th, and we will choose our winner by April 3rd. The winner of this award will be submitted to D12 for the opportunity to win additional funding, and the D12 winner will receive an additional $5,000 from Zonta International. Our winner from last year went all the way to the top!
The Scholarships Committee says “thank you” to everyone who has contributed their time, energy, and brain power to reviewing challenging applications over the past few months. Zonta Foothills is in an incredible financial position, which enables us to present our winners with larger scholarships than ever before. We could not do this without the amazing success of our fundraising efforts. Please consider joining us in the fun and rewarding process of naming more winners in the future!
Any Grafov, Our Women in STEM winner
The EducateZ Scholarship Committee - Co-Chairs Nancy Rowe and Michelle Médal, Kristi Celico, Ann Herrmann, Kay Meyer, Amanda Eisnes
Zonta Educatez Committee
Z Club Spring is Here!
Golden and Planinunm Z Clubs Plan Financial Workshops
BHS Pantherz ZClub kicked off the spring semester with 23 students! The board has begun to prepare for its upcoming Culture of Respect project, which we will share more about once it has been finalized by the group. In February, the club is working with Growing Up Boulder to help name the Civic Area (in front of the bandshell) in collaboration with CU Boulder and Whittier International.
Our Watershed Z Club is busy too. They recently hosted a new member social and welcomed 3 new members! They will also be hosting a prom-themed clothing swap so that students can swap their dress from a previous year to provide a sustainable and free way to get prom attire. They will be hosting a year-end graduation and new member induction in the spring.
The Flatirons Golden Z Club hosted its first meeting of the year with non-profit MyWealthBeing. They joined the group to talk about Financial Foundations to kick off a four-part series on financial literacy.
A big goal this year was to have the entire calendar year planned out for Golden/Platinum Z, which we achieved. The flyer attached has all of our dates and potential dates of our 2026 events. Some are yet to be finalized.
Zonta Educatez Committee - Co-Chairs Gaby Lopez & Claudia Ibarra, Tommie Atanasoff, Michelle Carpenter, Kay James, Marta Lindrose, Pam Malzbender
Growing Up Boulder session with Pantherz
Watershed School social
GMyWeathBeing session with Golden Z Club
Governance and Engagement Committee
Zonta International celebrates International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8th by advocating for gender equality, recognizing women's achievements, and hosting events worldwide. Often coinciding with Zonta Rose Day, we honor individuals who empower women. In 2026, Zonta is expanding its celebration, focusing on the entire month of March on recognizing women and girls and our Club is taking part.
We all have women in our lives who make a difference—often in quiet, powerful ways. It may be the neighbor who always lends a helping hand, the woman who delivers your mail with a smile, the one who cares for your pets, your daughter who inspires you with her courage, or your boss who believes in your potential. These women show up with kindness, strength, and dedication, making our days easier and our lives richer. Let’s say THANK YOU!
To recognize the women who lift others up, who lead by example, and who make our communities stronger simply by being who they are, we will be delivering yellow roses to our community. So, be thinking of the women to whom you would like to tell that their impact matters — and that they are valued and appreciated. Then, during the week of March 9th, we will be looking for volunteers to help us put Rose Day Cards on roses and make deliveries.
More information to come.
The Governance and Engagement Committee - Co-Chairs Colleen Farrell and Pam Malzbender, Sarah Gillespie, Claudia Ibarra, Nancy Rowe
Community Outreach Committee
For over 25 years, our Club has recognized a Boulder County woman as our Woman of Achievement. The Woman of Achievement award is part of our Zonta Rose Day celebration on March 8th, International Women's Day. It recognizes women who demonstrate a commitment to Building a Better World for Women and Girls. Club members nominate women in our community.
This year, the Community Outreach Committee set up the ballot page on our website to collect nominations, and we received 3 nominations for the same amazing woman! So there is no need to do a club-wide vote. We will announce our winner in a few weeks, and in the meantime, we will still need your help to celebrate International Women’s Day!
To see the impressive list of past Women of Achievement winners, visit our website. Scroll down past our Zontians of the Year and the story about Leslie Smith, our impressive 2025 winner.