LWV Officers & Board Members

Mary Bell moved to Berea just four and a half years ago. She has been involved in social justice issues through her church as well as KFTC. She has been an active volunteer at the Berea Health Ministry and currently helps out at Peace Craft. She is a retired Registered Nurse who specialized in Emergency Room Nursing and held multiple certifications. Her experience in the ER led to her interest in issues of social justice. She was a member of the US Army Reserves for 13 years serving as head nurse and assistant Chief Nurse. Her major interests involve food for the poor and immigration issues.

Harriet (Jenny) Bromley lives in Richmond with husband Richard. They have two daughters and a 2-year-old grandson. She has been a member of the LWV for more than 25 years. She teaches piano and accompanies area musicians. She is secretary to Blue-grass Area Music Teachers. She has been involved in solidarity work with El Salvador for many years in part through Companion Communities Development Alternatives. Jenny is a partner in Roberto's Auto Repair with Roberto Miranda.

Libby Fraas and husband Bob have lived in Richmond since 1976. Libby was a journalism professor at Eastern Kentucky University, retiring in 2006. She has taught desktop publishing, Web design, and reporting and writing classes and advised the student newspaper. Libby has been a League member since 1978, when the local LWV supported efforts to bring a public library system to Madison County. She is editor of The Public Papers of Governor Martha Layne Collins, 1983-1987 (University Press of Ky., 2006).

Jeanne Hibberd has 23 years of community development, fundraising and public policy experience, primarily focused on Kentucky and Appalachia. She is development and communications director for Hindman Settlement School. In addition to fundraising and program management, Jeanne has published several articles and booklets on community development issues. Jeanne served two terms as president of the local LWV and one term as state League president in the 1990s. She has lived in Berea since 1979.

Howard Bowden and his wife moved to Madison County 16 years ago from Maine. He had served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry officer and worked as a school guidance counselor and as a program manager for an Americorps program before relocating. Both of their children were living in Florida at the time, and they wanted to be closer to them, but also to live on a farm. They found a perfect location in northern Madison County. And their children followed them here.

"We made the right decision and are very happy having them and our two granddaughters so close to us," Howard said.
Besides his first interest in his family, Howard is also very interested in the environment and the impact that development has on it. He belongs to the Sierra Club and is a monitor for the Kentucky River Watershed Watch.

Howard became interested in LWV because it was one of the few organizations that was genuinely interested in what was going on in the county and its members were action oriented. "As a member of the Board, I have the opportunity to serve in areas that I feel strongly about and can hopefully make a positive contribution," he said.

Elected Director
2008-2010