Where she’s from
Elise is from Chesterfield, Missouri, in St. Louis county. She moved to the Kansas City area in 2020 after graduating from Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. She now works with Accenture, a technology consulting firm in Overland Park and provides technical consulting for the State of Kansas.
About her family
Elise has two older siblings who live in Colorado. Her parents live in the St. Louis area.
Why she joined the League
Elise joined LWVJoCo in late 2020. Although she hadn’t been interested in politics in the past, her interest was piqued by all the controversy surrounding the 2020 presidential election. Scrolling through Instagram one day, she came upon the League of Women Voters. What she learned there, coupled with a friend’s encouragement, resulted in her joining the League. Impressed with the information she obtained, she saw the League as a good way to get involved and participate in an informed way in politics and public issues.
What she thinks the League does well
The VOTER was for Elise a key to her involvement. After reviewing the newsletter she emailed, asked for more information and was contacted almost immediately by another member about joining. She notes that this outreach was excellent and made her want to get more involved.
Where she would like to see the League focus in the future
The League’s non-partisan approach is very important to Elise. In her estimation, future programs and publications should include guidance for members on how to research issues, specific programs and ballot initiatives. More detailed information regarding issues and possible biases would be useful and could help members make thoughtful, considered decisions about current issues and candidates.
What she does to strengthen our democracy
Elise looks forward to working with League in the future. Although she has not been involved in “causes” to date, Elise pays attention to details and is thoughtful in her voting decisions -- qualities that will definitely serve to strengthen our democracy!
Fun Fact
Playing piano and pipe organ are fun for Elise. She began playing in high school and still plays whenever she gets the chance.
How she’s coping with the pandemic
One week after starting her new job with Accenture, COVID-19 restrictions resulted in Elise having to work from home. Throughout the pandemic she has been very busy with her work helping to maintain the state's online benefits system and with company events.
