“I think realizing that you're not alone, that you are standing with millions of your sisters around the world, is vital.”

- Malala Yousafzai

President’s Letter

I can’t believe May is upon us. The end of our fiscal year and the installation of new officers, end-of-year parties, and graduations. It is always an exciting month for our Club, a time of reflection, a time of celebration, a time of transition, and a time of envisioning the future that lies ahead. As I look back and ahead, Malala’s words remind me that I’m not alone, but rather standing with my sisters, and yes, you are vital. It is together that we have accomplished so many things. We can be proud of where we have been and where we are going.

As I reflect on where we’ve been, I can’t help but remember when our fundraising efforts consisted of selling tulip bulbs, gingerbread houses, and then, thanks to the hard work of our coffee lady, Marta Lindrose, selling coffee to our members at business meetings. Giving away a few thousand dollars a year felt good, but we wanted to do more. Well, we’ve come a long way; the creation of our Foundation has made so many new and exciting opportunities become a reality. It helped us create our Zonta Educatez projects, launch new and expanded scholarships, and nurture our Z Clubs into ongoing programs to empower young leaders.

As we come to the end of our fiscal year, we have cause to celebrate. 2024-25 has been a remarkable year. And I’m grateful to have had President-elect Nancy Rowe and our dedicated board at my side working to build the path for the Club and the Foundation. Our advocacy programs have given voice to our members around issues like sexual assault, environmental justice, pay equity, and reproductive freedoms. We’ve grown our scholarships to levels never reached before, and we continue to reach higher fundraising goals, opening new opportunities for our future. The Zonta Foothills Club is making itself a critical resource for Boulder County.

May is a time of transition; it is when we look ahead, and we couldn’t be in better hands. At this month’s business meeting, we will install our 25-26 officers and prepare to form next year’s committees. Then it’s summer; may your season be filled with family time, vacations, and yes, strategizing for the next Zonta year. I wish our new leadership team success in the year ahead. I know that they will continue to elevate our Club and our Foundation. I am committed to providing any support that I can, and I ask that you answer their call for support as well. Our board needs its members; you are vital to carrying out our mission, and we are only as strong as the whole.

Thank you to each and every one of you. I am eternally grateful to be part of a group of women who share my belief that together we can make the world a better place…one woman at a time. You have inspired me, given me a strong sense of satisfaction and purpose, but most of all, you have given me your support and friendship.

Pam

Committee News

Zonta Events Coming Up

May Business Meeting - Thursday, May 8, 5:30-7:30 pm, Valmont Community Presbyterian Church, 3262 61st St, Boulder, CO 80301. Installation of 25-26 Officers, Induction of New Members, Meet our 2025 Remarkable Woman Scholarship recipient and our Z Club and Golden Z Club Scholars
Z Club Lake Party - Date TBD
Zonta North American Interdistrict Meeting - June 20-22, Niovi, Michigan

Zing is over, so now we will take a bit of a breather and catch up on revisions to our website, membership materials, and other collateral. We will also evaluate how to best promote our Club both internally and externally. If you would like to be part of this effort next year, let us know. We could use your ideas and a little bit of your time!

Please reach out to Pam or Nancy to help.

Outreach Committee - Co-Chairs Pam Malzbender & Sheila Cohen, Joan Siebenaler, Carol Smoot

The Governance and Engagement Committee - Co-Chairs Nancy Rowe and Pam Malzbender, Catherine Medal, Claudia Ibarra, Kathy Israelson, Ann Hodgson and Amanda Elsnes

Zonta Educatez Committee

Educatez ScholarshipCommittee

A Note from Our 2024 Young Women in Public Affairs Award Winner

NOTE: Leigh Baker was one of our 2024 Young Women in Public Affairs Award recipients. She graduated from Silver Creek High School in Longmont.

Please allow me to express sincere thanks to the Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County for awarding me an academic scholarship through your 2024 Women in Public Affairs Program.

Your award and other secured academic scholarships provided me the grounding of financial support and confidence I needed as I entered George Washington University (Washington D.C.) this past Fall. My pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs at the Elliott School with additional concentration in Journalism is well underway. I also remain active in campus activities, having auditioned and been selected for the schools’ orchestra, joined the student film club, and secured an on-air internship with the campus radio station. I have also continued my love of fencing and am excited to compete with my teammates at the United States Association of Fencing Clubs National Fencing Competition next week.

Finally, thank you for the example set by your Board in giving back to the community. This semester, I continue to illustrate my passion for youth as a member of the Aftercare Team with St. Patrick’s Episcopal School in Washington D.C., which supports my ongoing service orientation and helps me pay for school expenses.

I trust that this update lets you and other Zonta supporters appreciate the difference that you and your fellow Board members are making for the students supported through your scholarship program.

Once again, thank you.

Leigh Baker George Washington University - Class of 2028

Natalie Cappelletti

FUNdraising Committee

Our YWLA Winner Recognized at District 12

You met our 2025 Young Women in Leadership Award (YWLA) recipients, Natalie Cappelletti (First Place) and Josie Nguyen (Second Place), and their mothers, at our April Business Meeting.

Well, we have some amazing news! On May 1st, the District 12 YWLA Rep. Veronica Hoegler announced the $1000 District 12 winner is our own Natalie Cappelletti!! Her name will go on to Zonta International, where she is set to receive an additional $5000. Congratulations Natalie! And a huge thank you to the Scholarship Committee for finding yet another ZI winner.

At this month’s meeting, Roberta “Berta” Valle, the winner of our Remarkable Woman Scholarship, will join us along with her mother. She is a senior at Justice High School and was a standout candidate for this award.

Our next scholarship will be the Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award (formerly the Jane M Klausman Women in Business Scholarship). The EducateZ Scholarship selection period has been moved to late summer to give our candidates more time to assess their educational actions and financial needs.

Join Our Club

Creating a Culture of Respect at Boulder High and Around BVSD

That’s a wrap! This past week, the BHS Panther Z Club successfully concluded its Culture of Respect project. In addition to hosting a pledge signing at the Boulder High School vs. Fairview High School women’s soccer game, the Club also organized a pledge signing event at the school. Their timing couldn’t have been better—they held the event on the Thursday before prom weekend, a time known for both celebration and potential risks.

The pledge signing aimed to raise awareness among students about fostering a Culture of Respect. Those who participated received a wallet-sized copy of the pledge, an orange Zonta Culture of Respect bracelet (orange symbolizing the Zonta Says No campaign), and a teal “I Pledged to a Culture of Respect” sticker (teal representing April's Sexual Assault Awareness Month).

In early April, our officers and members of the Club presented their program to the Boulder Valley Schools Title IX Advisory Council. They prepared a presentation to overview the program, its goals, tactics, and impact.

The Pantherz Z Club members were enthusiastic and determined to get as many students as possible to sign. In the end, they collected over 150 signatures. Overall, the project was a great success, and we’re proud and excited to see how it continues to grow in the future.

Zonta Educatez Committee - Co-Chairs Gaby Lopez & Claudia Ibarra, Pam Malzbender, Michelle Carpenter, Tommie Atanasoff, Margareta Bancroft, Marta Lindrose

Advocacy Committee

It's Another One for the Zing History Books…

The 7th Zing for Zonta Boulder's Got Talent was a huge success; thank you to everyone who played a part in Zing 2025!

Zing's emcee, Mrs Eda Bagel (aka Jeffrey Kash) made the show, and he did an excellent job driving the Live Auction, which was our most successful ever! Jeffrey was one of our judges from last year, and this year he kept the show moving along, entertained our audience, and inspired the talent. Many of our guests said this was the best show ever. A BIG thank you to our Judges Mardi Moore, Alison Brand and Caroline Kert, who filled in at the '11th hour'.

Financials will be shared when they are finalized.

The FUNdraising Committee - Co-Chairs Colleen Farrell and Marta Lindrose

Community Outreach Committee

Can You Help Spread the Word?

Zervice Committee

Take Back the Night at Front Range Community College

On April 17th, we partnered with the Educatez Committee and had two tables at the event, which was well attended. We had some great conversations, and several people signed up to receive more information from Zonta. At our next committee meeting, we will discuss how to follow up and reach out to those who signed up. Claudia Ibarra staged the Z Club table, with Ranelle Randles, Sara Gillespie, Kay Meyer, Sheila King, Elizabeth Freedman, and Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Jackie, at our Foothills Club table. We created new collateral material on Climate Action for the event with Pam’s graphic design assistance. The presentations and sessions after the event were incredibly moving, and the event was impactful.

Climate Presentations at CU Sustainability Summit

The Zonta Foothills Club was invited to attend the final presentations of the CU class developed and team-taught by our Climate Justice Scholarship first-place winners (Mariah Bowman, Brigid Mark, and Sara Fleming). Four of us were there to show our support.

The presentations took place during a session of CU's Sustainability Summit. Four research groups composed of the class members presented their ideas for how CU can best reduce its Scope 3 (indirect) emissions and responded to questions from the audience.

The 24 undergraduate students from across academic disciplines at CU spent the semester learning about climate action planning, analyzing CU's emissions data, engaging with stakeholders, and thinking hard about some of the biggest challenges facing CU and all institutions moving to curtail emissions. Mariah, Brigid, and Sara expressed how proud they were of their students, and they also publicly noted the many contributions that led to the success of the class, including the financial support from Zonta.

Our Women Taking Climate Action Video is Almost Complete!

You may remember that earlier this year, our Advocacy Committee received a grant from Zonta District 12 to produce a video promoting Zonta Says NOW and our important work around Climate.

We are excited to report that we received a first draft of the video in mid-April. The Climate Justice Forum team reviewed the draft and provided feedback to the videographer. We anticipate a final video draft in the next week or two. The Advocacy Committee will work with the Community Engagement team to create a distribution and promotion plan for the final version. We hope to schedule a screening with the Club membership to unveil the approximately 10-minute video.

The EducateZ Scholarship Committee - Co-Chairs Nancy Rowe and Michelle Médal, Margareta Bancroft, Kathy Bousquet, Jan Cheney, Dana Rae Vaughn, Kay Meyer

The Advocacy Committee - Co-Chairs Sheila King and Sara Gillespie, Lisa Lesniak, Ranelle Randles, Kay Meyer, Pam Malzbender, Elizabeth Freedman and Dana Rae Vaughn

Governance and Engagement

Welcoming New Members

The Governance and Engagement Committee will install Sharon Goodman and Kay James this month. Please reach out to welcome them to our Club and invite them to coffee. It’s so nice to meet everyone when you are a new member.

A big thank you to the Governance Committee for staffing a table at “Zing for Zonta.” On stage later that night, Mrs Eda Bagel drew the name of the future member who won a free Zonta Membership. We hope to welcome Gwen Burak soon!

We also had five other women put their names in the drawing, and others interested in learning more about Zonta. So we’re targeting late August for our next Zappy Hour. Please keep in mind any friends or neighbors that you’d like to invite.

North American Inter-District Meeting NAIDM, INC.

North American Inter-District Meetings are comprised of Zontians across the USA and Canada and are held every other year, opposite our Zonta International Convention.

Check out the Zonta North American Great Lakes Summer Camp on June 20-22 in Novi, Michigan. A few of our Club members are going, and the Zonta International board will attend to share updates on the board activities, international projects, and more. On Friday, we will also have two longer sessions on programs to end Human Trafficking and Climate Justice, a hands-on service project, and fun summer camp activities that you won’t want to miss! Learn more and sign up here.

Gift Bags to SPAN

At our April meeting, we created gift bags of necessities and fun stuff for the Boulder Safehouse. We filled more than 30 bags with items for the shelter’s 12 adults and 20 children. The filled bags were delivered to the Safehouse on Friday, April 11th. We know they will help the residents during their challenging times.

Several years ago, our Zonta Club provided dinner for the residents of The Mother House, and they would like to reinstate this event. It's a great opportunity to share a meal and socialize with the residents of the Mother House - date and time TBD.

Sometime in May, we will do another book sorting/organization at the storage lockers just to tidy up and make everything more accessible. Date and time TBD.

Leigh Baker

Zonta Service Committee - Co-chairs: Marta Lindrose and Catherine Bailey, Tommie Atanasoff, Dixie Hollingsworth, Cheri Magin, Kim Prosser-Noonan, Joan Siebenaler, Carol Smoot

Meet our Pantherz Z Club and Golden Z Club Scholarship Recipients

Our EducateZ Committee administers the promotion and award of our two Z Club-related scholarships. This year’s applicants for the Pantherz Z Club Scholarship and the Golden Z Club Scholarship were an impressive group studying a number of different disciplines at area schools. We are excited to support most of them with scholarship for their upcoming semesters. Our winners will attend our May business meeting.