Where she’s from
The second oldest of 10 children, 8 of whom were boys, Marie Hernandez grew up in several Kansas towns, including Leoville, Junction City, and Garden City. All 10 children grew up on her family’s dairy farm and all went to K-State.
About her family
Marie has two children, a son who lives in Olathe, a daughter who is in the Navy, and 2 grandchildren.
Why she joined the League
Marie’s prime motivation for joining the League in 2019 was her interest in social justice. She attended several meetings prior to becoming a member and was impressed not only with the quality of programming but also the support for each other which members demonstrated. .
What she thinks the League does well
LWVJoCo programs are in Marie’s estimation professionally done. She appreciates the non-partisan focus and professional attitude of members and notes that the size of the membership enables the organization to actually make a difference .
Where she would like to see the League focus in the future
Marie feels that League advocacy activities need to be strengthened. She notes that members have a can-do approach to issues which could be enlisted to increase advocacy activities. The League should consider increased efforts to enhance citizen participation in local elections. She notes that the Voter to Voter work focusing on individual actions may be more constructive in today’s toxic political environment.
What she does to strengthen our democracy
Marie is a KCStar subscriber. She feels that support of local press can help protect democracy. She works on Voter Information and Registration with the League and makes an effort to conduct this work through the DEI lens. She is a Master Gardner and a supporter of environmental efforts focused on social justice.
Fun Fact
Marie is a CPA and her grandchildren say she is so boring that babies go to sleep when she is holding them.