The purpose of the Marin Women’s Political Action Committee (MWPAC) is to increase women’s participation in the political process and to identify, recruit, train and support pro-choice candidates for election and appointment to public office.
While in pursuit of this goal, MWPAC will strive to win equality for all women: to ensure reproductive freedom; to achieve quality care for dependents; and to eradicate sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, ageism, violence, poverty, and discrimination on the basis of disability, religion or sexual orientation.
Membership in the MWPAC is open to anyone, without regard to ethnicity, sex, national origin, age, economic status, or sexual orientation, who supports the purposes and goals of the organization.
PRESIDENTLaurel Druke Laurel is the current president of MWPAC and was first elected to this role in 2024. She has been a proud and dedicated member of MWPAC for more than a decade and has called Marin County home for nearly 20 years. A steadfast champion for equity and representation, she is deeply committed to getting more women and pro-choice candidates elected and appointed to public office.Laurel leads by example through her tireless community activism, generously volunteering her time on local campaigns as either a campaign coordinator or treasurer. In her professional life, she brings the same integrity and excellence to her work in nonprofit finance. Known for her passion for strong systems, exceptional organization, and thoughtful leadership, Laurel fosters a welcoming, inclusive environment where people feel empowered to contribute and lead.Grounded, principled, and deeply connected to her community, Laurel balances her civic leadership with a love of thriller novels, meaningful time spent with her husband, extended family, and many friends, and her dedication to her faith. |
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2026
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Elected Officers
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Board of Directors Strategic Planning Retreat 2026
Present: Erin Lacey, Laurel Druke, Tamara Hull, Linda Cieslak Sandoval, Susannah Mrazek, Carole Mills, Laurie Vermont, Emily Smith, Rachel Kertz, Stephanie Andre, Carol Zimmerman, Cathryn Hilliard, Christina Waldeck, Sonia Saltzman, and Caroline Bruister.
A Brief History of MWPAC
On July 10th 1971, 320 women from all over the U.S. met in Washington D.C. to found (or, perhaps in this case I should say, give birth) to the National Women’s Political Caucus.
Democrat Bella Abzug and Republican Virginia Allen were co-chairs. Some of the more illustrious early organizers were Shirley Chisholm, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. NWPC’s primary mission was to identify, recruit, train and support women candidates for local, state and federal legislatures, state and federal judgeships, lobbyists, campaign organizers and delegates to national conventions.
To give you a sense of the times, in 1971 there was one female senator (Margaret Chase Smith, R-Maine) 15 female members of the US Congress and only 7 female mayors in all of the US.
Historical content written by Lynn Bornstein.
Read more here
The Marin County chapter of NWPC was founded in 1972. Barbara Boxer, Beverley Savitt, Jeanne Wasp and Dora Knell were original organizers and Barbara Heller, Carole Dillon-Knutson, Sue Severin, Joan Thayer and Joan Lisetor some of our most active early members.
From its inception NWPC insisted on a policy of “women only” endorsements. In 1996 the Marin Independent Journal took us on for that practice and we began to think seriously of “recommending” men when no qualified woman was in the race or if there were more open seats than qualified women candidates. We decided to implement this policy and continued to do so until 2010, when NWPC specifically stated in their revised by-laws, that men could not be “recommended” or in any way included in the endorsement process.
Several chapters that had been “recommending” men withdrew from NWPC over this issue. Marin County followed suit and, in that year, under the leadership of then President Barbara Matas, we became Marin Women’s Political Action Committee. To the delight of members, now that National wasn’t taking most of our dues money, we were able to lower our yearly dues. We were also able to expand our activities and meet with other women’s political groups all over the Bay Area. Today, we have a healthy, growing organization of dedicated and informed women carrying on the original mission in a more open and inclusive way.