2022 Virginia Burnside Award for Long-Term Service

Amy Weintraub was awarded the 2022 Virginia Burnside Award for Long-Term Service. Amy joined the St. Petersburg chapter in 2016 and quickly started working on reproductive rights initiatives and helping with administrative support for our organization. She was one of the founding organizers of the Women’s March in 2017, which helped recruit many of the leaders and members of today’s League. Her ability to recognize and cultivate leaders in our organization is unprecedented. Many of us can trace our trajectory in this organization back to our interactions with Amy. This has been instrumental in her efforts as a member and chair of the Nominating committee. When Amy is not on the reproductive rights frontlines, she is working behind the scenes to help support the infrastructure of our organization. She successfully led our Media and Publicity team and then transitioned to Membership. She has started membership retention and recruitment initiatives to help our members feel welcome and connected. Her  Amy is an incredibly hard working, passionate, empathetic leader. She has provided so many of us with the skills and knowledge necessary to be better advocates and citizens. She is also extremely generous with her time, talent, and treasures — she has donated her home to the League for many events including the holiday party and strategic planning. It is my great pleasure that I honor her work and service to our organization with this award, named for the first woman to be elected to the St. Petersburg City Council and the first woman to be elected to a municipal office south of the Mason-Dixon, Virginia Burnside. She was a suffragist and League member and Amy perfectly embodies the determination and dedication of those who fought for suffrage and continued the League’s mission.

Here are some kind words from her friends and colleagues:

“I’ve worked with Amy now in two different committees. Amy is a strong leader, she’s dependable and she’s a pleasure to work with. I probably would not be volunteering with the League as much as I do if it had not been for Amy. Her enthusiasm is contagious.” – Beth Settle, LWVSPA member and volunteer

“I would not be a member of the St Petersburg Area League were it not for Amy, who encouraged me several years ago to join her fight for reproductive justice as a member of the League Reproductive Justice Group that she had initiated. Soon after I joined, under her leadership, as a demonstration for reproductive rights, we marched silently through downtown St Petersburg in Handmaid’s Tale red capes during a lunch hour. This is just one example of the many demonstrations, including marches attended by thousands, she has led in the fight for reproductive justice. As well as being a super organizer, she is the best at leading chants with her bullhorn! She has been a major source of inspiration for me and others over the years to carry on this fight in the face of daunting opposition.” – Judy Gallizzi, LWVSPA member and volunteer

“Amy’s service and commitment to the League has been unwavering. She always has a welcoming smile and kind, thoughtful words for new members and old; and she is always willing to lend a helping hand.  Her event planning is to be admired and replicated; really, she should write a tutorial. She engages members in a way that they understand she cares about them, their concerns and the issues. She inspires me with her dedication to reproductive healthcare work and her infectious verve for reproductive rights issues.  I have appreciated her mentorship immensely and she has had a tremendous impact on the kind of leader I am today.” – Stacey Kroto, LWVSPA member, Social Justice co-chair

“Like many League members, I found my way into the League through Amy Weintraub. I showed up at meetings for the reproductive rights and media and publicity groups, and within weeks, she had me leading workshops helping people craft letters to the editor and speaking to elected officials about crisis pregnancy centers.  The fact that I am far from the only one whose League story begins with Amy is a testament to Amy’s gifts as a leader, as a talent scout, as an organizer and an activist.  Her tireless efforts with functional action teams like Media & Publicity, Membership and Nominating committees have played a huge role in keeping the League active, fresh and vital. She brings so much energy and passion to her activism, and our community is so much better because of her. Amy, thank you for all you have done, for the League, for our community and for our state.” – – Caitlin Constantine, LWVSPA Voter Services Co-Chair and Election Protection Co-Chair

“You’ll always receive a kind word of encouragement from Amy. Amy will always give you a straight answer. Amy is a great motivator. Amy is dedicated to important causes. Amy inspires others to go further and do more. Amy opens her home for important celebrations knowing that bringing members together is the essence of a successful volunteer organization.” – Robin Davidov, LWVSPA First Vice President, Voter Services Co-Chair, Candidate Forums and Speakers Bureau Chair

“She is a very passionate, organized and kind person.  She believes in our mission as a League and supports the League in many ways.  Between her membership lead commitment and outreach to new members, opening her home to many of the Leagues activities, her participation in social justice and reproductive rights.  I see Amy as a wonderful inspiration of positive action and thoughtfulness.” – Betsy Wells, LWVSPA Board Director, Voter Services member and volunteer

“Amy Wientraub is a powerhouse. For years she has been working behind the scenes doing the too often thankless work of supporting our membership, cultivating our leadership, and ensuring that our work, events and messages are shared with our community. It is not an understatement to say that she is a backbone of our League – making things work, every day. Her nonprofit leadership chops are possibly only outdone by her community organizing chops and her incredible passion, expertise and commitment in advocacy for reproductive freedom which she ALSO brings to her League work. Amy is on FIRE and we are beyond lucky to have her in our League.” – Amy Keith, LWVSPA Second Vice President, Voter Services Co-Chair, Election Protection Co-Chair, Voter Guide Chair