“There shall never be another season of silence until women have the same rights men have on this green earth.”
— Susan B. Anthony
Table of Contents
President’s Letter
Meeting Info
Calendar
Club News
Together We Can Fight for Equal Rights!
This November 3rd, Colorado voters showed strong support for women, girls, and families. With the passage of Ballot Issue 1A and Proposition NN, critical funding will flow into our schools and early childhood programs. Ballot Issue 1A will make childcare more affordable for Boulder County families and provide fair compensation for early childhood educators. Proposition NN will fund K-12 schools over the next 10 years. Together, their passage shows that Coloradans care about supporting families.
Now it’s time to turn our attention to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Although 38 states have ratified it, it is still not an official part of the US Constitution. The ERA would prohibit the denial of equal rights based on sex, establishing equality as a founding constitutional principle.
I believe we can make it happen. Just as we worked together for families and children in our own community, we can work to pass the ERA for women nationwide. Congress passed the ERA in 1972 by the required two-thirds vote in both houses, and the 38th state (Virginia) ratified it in 2020. Three out of four adults favor adding it to the Constitution, yet 80% believe it is already included.
The Zonta USA Caucus has set a goal of having the ERA recognized as the 28th Amendment during the first 100 days of the new Congress in 2027. To get there, we need more than 1,000,000 signatures to show leaders in Washington that the public overwhelmingly supports equal rights. How can you help?
Sign the petition. Go to www.sign4ERA.org and add your name to the 1,000,000 signatures needed.
Contact your Members of Congress. Ask them to pledge to make recognition of the ERA as the 28th Amendment a priority in the first 100 days of the new Congress.
Reach out to family and friends. Our Advocacy Committee has informational emails and petitions ready for you to share.
Let’s put our advocacy behind passing the ERA for the women and girls in our community.
Best, Nancy
Thursday, November 12th
Dinner & Social time at 5:30; meeting begins at 6 pm
Our Speakers will be our 2026 Beth Haynes Award winner, Jesse Ihnen, joined by members of the Boulder District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Acute Response Team.
Meeting Location: Valmont Community Presbyterian Church, 3262 61st St, Boulder, CO 80301.
November Club Meeting: Meet Our Beth Haynes Winner and Let’s Pass the ERA
Zonta Events Coming Up
November Club Meeting - Thursday, November 12, 5:30-7:30 pm, Valmont Community Presbyterian Church, 3262 61st St, Boulder, CO 80301.
Applications due for Women in Business Scholarship - Sunday, November 8
Pantherz Z Club Diaper and Hygiene Product Drive - Saturday, November 14, 9 am - 3 pm, Safeway, 3325 28th St, Boulder, CO 80301
Member Social - Thursday, November 19, The Ironwood Grill, 5 pm - 7 pm, 5706 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80303
Colorado Gives Mailing Party - Saturday, November 21, 10 am - 12 noon. Location TBD
Applications due for the Zonta EducateZ Scholarship - Monday, November 30
Colorado Gives Day - Tuesday, December 8
December Board Meeting - Thursday, December 3, 5:30- 7:00 at Nancy’s House
December Club Meeting - Thursday, December 10, 5:30 pm, Location TBD
Climate Justice Forum - Saturday, March 6, 2027, Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Rd, Longmont, CO 80501
Zonta North American Interdistrict Meeting - June 25th – 27th, 2027, Rapid City, South Dakota. More information to come.
Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County
NEWS
Colorado Gives Day is Here!!
You may all remember that this year our Club made a VERY important strategic decision to NOT hold Zing for Zonta during the 2026-2027 Business year. This decision was not made lightly, and we all agreed that we could really increase our Colorado Gives program to help make up for the revenue lost. Well, the time is here!
Why do we care? Because the money we raise through Colorado Gives helps to make each of our scholarships possible, and we want to continue in our role as a critical supporter of women’s education. Our funds also support our advocacy work towards ending child marriage, fighting violence against women, and defending climate justice. We are a 100% volunteer organization, so all of our funds go directly towards making an impact!
So a little reminder:
Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 8.
Early giving begins November 1.
Colorado Gives Day is the biggest 24-hour giving movement in the state of Colorado and one of the most successful giving days in the nation.
In 2025, more than $56.6 million was raised for Colorado Gives Day to support Colorado nonprofits.
Last year, the Zonta Foothills Foundation raised $51,000.
Our 2026 budgeted goal for Colorado Gives is $60,000. With your help, we can break that wide open…and we are on our way! And we have $15,000 in matches to help us kick-start our campaign. So, the first $15,000 in donations made to the Zonta Foothills Foundation will be matched.
In the next few weeks, we will send out emails promoting our Foundation and its accomplishments on social media, launching a new updated website and distributing our 2025-26 Annual Report. Be on the lookout for them all!
How can you help?
Create and share your own Colorado Gives campaign page.
Come to our mailing event on Saturday, November 21 at 10 am to help address and stuff our annual report.
Forward our emails to your friends and family with your own personal message! (They don’t have to live in Colorado!!)
Think about why Zonta is important to you and share your passion with your friends and family!
Remember, many people do all of their annual giving on this important day and we can get the message out for people to encourage them to make their donations to support our scholarships, and internships, advocacy and so much more!
Advocacy Committee
Members: Jan Cheney, Colleen Farrell, Elizabeth Freeman, Sara Gillespie, Sharon Goodman, Kay James, Sheila King, Jamie LeRoux, Suzi McVoy, Pam Malzbender, Kay Meyer, Ranelle Randles, Dana Rae Vaughn, Nancy Rowe as ex officio
Lisa Lesniak and Sandy Weeks, Co-Chairs
Boulder DA’s Office Provides Troubling Domestic Violence Update
Excerpted from the Boulder District Attorney’s Office Press Release dated October 23
Press Release – Beth Haynes Award Ceremony Highlights the Dangers of Domestic Violence, Progress in Boulder County, and Honors Beth Haynes Award Recipient
Boulder County, Colo. - Domestic Violence continues to present significant challenges across Colorado due to complex dynamics, limited resources, and the growing volume of cases. Of the more than 8,000 criminal cases handled annually in Boulder County, over 1,000 involve domestic violence.
On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the statewide Domestic Fatality Review Board released its annual report, revealing that domestic violence–related deaths in Colorado have remained steady over the past five years, with a slight increase in both fatalities and reported cases in 2025. While homicide rates statewide have decreased overall, domestic violence deaths have not followed that trend—underscoring the persistent and pervasive nature of domestic violence across all communities and demographics.
The report also highlighted troubling patterns among victims, including documented histories of abuse and active protection orders at the time of their deaths. Firearms remain the leading cause of domestic violence fatalities; in the past year alone, guns were used in 82.1 percent of domestic violence–related deaths.
Meet Jessie Ihnen Our 2026 Beth Haynes Award Winner
Meet this year’s Beth Haynes Award winner, Jessie Ihnen.
Jesse received two nominations from the Longmont Police Department and the Boulder DA’s office for his unwavering support of victims. He is respected for his diligence in complicated investigations and for the strong relationships he builds with victims.
Jesse was born and raised in Colorado. He attended Colorado State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in criminology and criminal justice. In addition to domestic violence investigations, Jesse Ihnen is a certified crime scene analyst and teaches Krav Maga. He and his fiancé spend their free time with their American bulldog/pit bull mix and support non-profits dear to them. He has served on the board of directors for Crossroads Safehouse and Services for five years.
District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “The Beth Haynes Award highlights the danger that domestic violence presents to law enforcement officers, as well as the impacts to victims and community members. This ceremony is an opportunity to honor Beth Haynes and her sacrifice. It also inspires us for the work ahead.”
The Beth Haynes Award is given to a select individual among our law enforcement partners “who has demonstrated excellent skills, commitment, and passion in addressing intimate partner violence as a significant public health issue.” Each year, the award recognizes outstanding contributions in Boulder County to domestic violence prevention and response. Established in 1994 after Boulder Police Officer Beth Haynes was killed while responding to a domestic violence call, the award is one of the county’s most prestigious honors. It is the only countywide award nominated by law enforcement and victim advocates and selected by their peers. Nominees are evaluated on their service to victims, understanding of domestic violence dynamics, investigative expertise, mentorship of fellow officers, and collaboration across agencies. Since its inception, more than 200 officers from eight different agencies have been nominated. The award is presented annually during October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month and is sponsored by Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County.
Legislative Team Jumping the ERA
Hard to believe that the ERA met all the constitutional requirements required by Article V back in 1972, but it has not been approved! This is primarily for procedural reasons and lack of will to bring it forth. WELL, NOW WE HAVE THE WILL.
Now, that we have seated a Pro-ERA Congress in January 2027, we WILL have an opportunity to see the 28th Amendment finally recognized as part of the Constitution. That’s why the Zonta USA Caucus is asking for American Clubs to TAKE ACTION!
Zonta International is partnering with the ERA Coalition, an umbrella organization that includes more than 300 partner organizations, including Zonta. Together, we are pushing to have the ERA taken up within the first 100 days of the new Congress. We have been actively gathering petition signatures to show national support for this action in the hopes that we will be too big to ignore. Our Advocacy Committee urges you to sign!! This past month, we were busy! Foothills members staffed tables, attended events, and reached out to friends. Here is a little update on our activity.
We submitted 60 signatures via clipboard signatures, and more are ready to go. (Unfortunately, we cannot measure how many of our referrals used the QR code via our email and promotion, but we know they are working!)
We distributed an email to our foundation mailing list of 1100 names. 38% open rate.
We emailed our 100 members/past members. (We urge members to forward that email to their friends and family.)
*Note that this email is branded with our Club logo. We must identify this effort as something that our Club is working hard on.
Posted and reposted Facebook and Instagram posts from ZI
Staffed table at Dem women event. (Tent cards on every table, set up an info table with our stand-up and 4 members rotated.) Collected 40 signatures. Thanks to Lisa for making the arrangements, and thanks to Colleen for setting up our table.
Quick presentation to our Golden Z Club. Plan to talk to Z Clubs in the next week or two. They have received an email.
So far, here is what the signature totals look like! 3564 signatures collected in Colorado as of 11/5. And we are just getting started!
We will have both paper petitions and the QR code at our next member meeting, which links to www.Sign4ERA.org. The ERA Coalition website is a great resource for more history, legal information, and benefits that we will gain once the Amendment is part of the Constitution. Finally, Jamie LeRoux will be giving a presentation to all members about the ERA, its history, and a little bit of an update on Zonta’s mission and plan for the next few months!
Educate your friends, co-workers, fellow students, and family about the importance of the ERA - we will all benefit from this Amendment in our lives.
Foothills Club Blueprint Committee
Members: Kay Meyer, Pam Malzbender, and Nancy Rowe
Our Club Response to The Blueprint for the Future
On October 24, we submitted our detailed response to the Zonta International Blueprint for the Future. Many Clubs and districts worldwide are participating in this discussion about our organization's future. We are inspired by the ideas and recommendations you all shared. Our response document, which you can view here, was compiled by Pam Malzbender and Kay Meyer and approved by our Board. Our document was also quoted in the Zonta USA Caucus response (see page 4).
We look forward to participating in the global discussion that will come from these ideas.
Please direct any comments or questions to Pam and Kay.
Zonta International Update
This summer at the Zonta International Convention in Vancouver, our International Service projects were discussed and approved by the delegation.
Zonta International is passionate about providing life-changing opportunities for women and girls through international service. By partnering with agencies of the United Nations and other recognized non-governmental organizations, Zonta has improved women’s health, provided better economic opportunities, and prevented gender-based violence in over 87 countries. Since our first service project, Zonta has contributed more than US$39 million to our international service projects.
These are powerful programs that help women and girls around the world. We will highlight them in this and future Flash editions.
The projects include:
Zonta Educatez Committee
Claudia Ibarra and Gaby Lopez, Co-Chairs
Members: Tommie Atanasoff, Michelle Dubé, Stephanie Herrera, Kay James, Marta Lindrose, Pam Malzbender, Kim Prosser-Noonan,
Boulder High School Pantherz Z Club Keeping Busy!
Helping the City Tackle Single-use Plastic
In October, Claudia and Gaby facilitated a workshop in partnership with Growing Up Boulder, designed to gather youth input on single-use plastic. The Z Club identified the pros and cons of different methods being implemented by Boulder or other regions of the country. We gathered this feedback for the City of Boulder. They will be following up on this project throughout the year.
Commemorating Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women
Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women is an important campaign that communicates our mission of ending violence worldwide. Each year, in the month of October, our ZClub promotes this important message during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, by creating a display of life-sized human silhouettes that represent women who lost their lives to intimate partner or family violence. The Club posts them in the Boulder High School library for the whole school community to see. In addition to the silhouettes, the Club posted information posters throughout the school to help anyone experiencing abuse or violence.
Getting Ready for Their Annual EFAA Product Drive!
The Boulder High School PantherZ Z Club has been busy preparing for their product drive! Please come out and support their efforts. Stop by the Safeway on 28th and Iris in Boulder on Saturday, November 14th, from 9 a.m. to 3 pm and help purchase pet food, diapers, feminine hygiene products, and more! This annual event collects products for the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA).
Last year, we set a new record of over 600 pounds! Records are meant to be broken, so we need your help!
Scholarship Committee
Marta Lindrose and Sue Stapleton, Co-Chairs
Members: Kristi Celico, Sheila Cohen, Ann Herrmann, Kathy Israelson, Michelle Médal, Debbie Nasta, Deb Parks, Ranelle Randles, Nancy Rowe, Carol Smoot
The first scholarship of our 2026 - 2027 fiscal year is the Climate Justice Scholarship. The winner will be chosen on November 9th. We will be announcing the winner at the Zonta Foothills meeting on November 12th.
The cutoff for the Women in Business Scholarship was extended to November 9th. Because that is a Zonta International award, we will send our winner’s application to District 12, where she will have the chance to win additional scholarship money. If our honoree wins at the District level, she is eligible to win the Zonta International scholarship.
Our Zonta EducateZ scholarship applications are due by November 30th. Outreach for applicants has begun, and the remaining dates for the process will be announced soon.
This year, each scholarship is being handled by teams of two or three Zonta members. Each team is responsible for sending out announcements to people and organizations that can connect us with potential scholarship applicants. Then they gather all of the scholarship information, organize the review of the scholarships, update the scoring rubrics, and notify the winner(s). We are very excited about this new way of distributing the duties of the scholarships among the teams, and we are working to streamline the process and procedures.
This chart lists the scholarship subcommittees with the dates for each scholarship. Please contact team members if you have any ideas for additional outreach to promote each award.
Member Relations Committee
Colleen Farrell, Chair
Members: Nancy Rowe, Pam Malzbender, Ginger Barnes, Sheila Cohen, Sara Gillespie, Ann Hodgson, Ranelle Randles
Welcome to Our New Members
It’s been a wonderful fall season! In October, we inducted two new members, Kim McKeen and Paola Garcia Barron. Please welcome them to your committee meetings and let them know what you are up to as they learn about our work and figure out where they would like to start their Zonta careers!
And this month we will be welcoming two additional members, Corky Dineen and Ellen Greenhouse.
Join us for Our Member Social
Share some social time No business, just conversation and fun!
Marketing and PR Committee
Pam Malzbender and Kathy Hundman, Co-Chairs
We are moving into our busy season, Colorado Gives promotion, scholarship promotion, and of course, work to promote our upcoming Climate Justice Forum.
If you would like to help with writing press releases, media outreach, social media and web maintenance and even creating this monthly Flash newsletter, please let us know. We could use the help!
Help Us Spread the Word!
