League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area
Bios for those appearing on 2022 Election Slate

Gretchen Johnson, President (1-year term) 2022-2023

Gretchen Johnson is a peacebuilder. She received her MA in Conflict Resolution and Security in International Relations and a BA in geography. She joined the LWVSPA as soon as she moved to St. Pete Beach a few years ago. She is called to serve to promote democracy, equity, and civic engagement. She is active on the Social Justice Committee and is a liaison to Pinellas Remembers for the committee. She is the recorder for the St. Petersburg Quakers Peace and Social Concerns Committee and has helped relaunch the St. Petersburg Advocacy team with the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), advocating to end endless wars. She also volunteers at the Florida Holocaust Museum.

As a peace practitioner, she is concerned about our increased polarization and is working to reweave our societal fabric with everyone. Gretchen’s career path follows her heart and motto “Life is short, it should be good, for everyone.” After volunteering for Peace Corps in Cote d’Ivoire, she moved to Hawaii and became a wildlife biologist and park ranger. Seeking to further build peace, she started her project “Peaces of the World” which seeks to unite humanity one peace at a time, by putting a human face on peoples around the world. She is happy to return home here in Florida and continue to build peace here. She currently serves as a Director on the Board.

Jackie Azis,1st Vice President (1-year term) 2022-2023

Jackie is a native Floridian. She works as a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida. Most of her legal work involves criminal justice reform, homelessness rights, and the First Amendment. 

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Jackie studied journalism at the University of Florida and went to law school at the University of North Carolina School of Law. During law school, Jackie interned with the ACLU of North Carolina and the ACLU-Capital Punishment Project. Prior to working with the ACLU-FL, Jackie worked as an assistant public defender in Marion County, Florida, representing hundreds of individuals facing misdemeanor and felony charges. In 2016, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers presented Jackie with the James T. Miller Scholar award recognizing outstanding young criminal defense lawyers.

In her free time, Jackie travels (33 states and 31 countries down!), reads non-fiction, volunteers for a dog rescue, and spends time with her pack of rescue dogs and her partner, who is a veterinarian at a local animal hospital and urgent care. Jackie has lived in various cities throughout Florida, including Palm Beach Gardens, Miami, Jacksonville, Ocala, and Gainesville, but St. Petersburg has won her heart and she’s so happy to call it home! 

Amy Keith, 2nd Vice President (1-year term) 2022-2023

Amy Keith (she/her) was elected to the position of 2nd Vice President in 2020, and is running for re-election. She also serves as a co-chair of the Voter Services Team. Amy joined LWVSPA in 2018 while looking for a way to get involved after moving back to the US. She helped run the League’s Election Protection poll monitoring for the 2018 midterms, and after seeing the amazing impact of volunteer-driven voter protection and education efforts, she was hooked. Amy has 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and is currently the Grants Director at Empath Health. She has spent most of her career working for international humanitarian and refugee organizations in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. She holds an MPA from Columbia University and a BA in Philosophy from Bates College. She, her husband, and their cat are happy to call St Pete home.

Sue Castleman, Treasurer (2-year term) 2022-2024

Sue Castleman is retired from Pinellas County Schools where she was the Visual Arts Supervisor and managed a $1.3 million annual budget for the district. She also served as President and Treasurer of the Florida Art Education Association. Currently Sue is on the Morean Arts Center Board of Trustees, serves on the Arts for a Complete Education Committee for St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and is a Pinellas County Poll Worker. She has served on the League of Women Voters of St. Petersburg’s membership committee and is ready to serve as treasurer.   

Susie Paterson, Director (1-year term) 2022-2023

Susie Paterson is nominated for her first term with the LWVSPA Board in 2022. She has previously worked with the League in a research capacity, providing support for and co-authoring the Engage St. Pete Civic Health Study in 2020. Susie is excited to run for the Board and support the League’s many efforts to increase civic and community engagement, and is particularly interested in social justice issues related to voice and choice.

Susie is a community-engaged scholar, having worked in the past with various organizations and community groups on issues ranging from homelessness, access to music education, environmental issues, and community participation more broadly. She currently works for the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County. Susie earned her PhD in Community Well-Being from the University of Miami, MA in Community Social Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and her BA from Smith College. She currently lives in St. Pete and enjoys camping and the outdoors, spending time with her dog, and enjoying everything that St. Pete has to offer.

Laura Turley, Director (2-year term) 2022-2024

Arriving in 1973 from her native Pittsburgh, Laura has called St. Petersburg home for almost 50 years. After high school, she enjoyed a successful 30-year corporate career, gradually progressing from a teller at Landmark Union Trust Bank to Operations Manager and Account Executive at Raymond James Financial and culminating in the rewarding positions of Instructional Designer and Director of Training Delivery for a global franchisor, Management Recruiters, International.

In 2012, Laura desired to express her talents in an entirely different field, so she completely changed her profession and she became a Licensed Massage Therapist. She soon founded Professional Lymphatic Therapy, LLC, a practice she owns and operates where they focus on medically complicated individuals, primarily suffering with immune deficiencies and post-surgical healing. Her practice continues to grow and she’s excited to announce the opening of her new 1100-square foot facility on US19 in Pinellas Park!

Laura attended her first League of Women Voters meeting in 2016 and she was immediately hooked! Impressed with the work of The League and the incredibly remarkable talent within the membership, this was the group she wanted to join! Dipping her toes in a little at a time, she has primarily participated in the Voter Services Committee helping with Voter Registration events, Election Protection and is currently in the queue to help with the Voter’s Guide via Vote411 software.

In her spare time, Laura likes to ballroom dance, travel, kayak and bicycle, but at the end of a long day, she’s likely found curled up with her two cats enjoying black & white cinema from the 40s & 50s; as she says, “Black & white film is very comforting to me, and nothing beats Hepburn & Tracy!”

Janice Drinkwine, Director (2-year term) 2022-2024

Janice joined the League in 2019 to get more people registered, educated, and engaged in voting. She has always been interested in politics, and had volunteered for several political campaigns in the past, but was interested in engaging with people on a regular basis, not only during national elections. Since joining the League, she has volunteered with the Voter Services Committee at voter registration events and has been involved with the Voter Guide. Janice looks forward to being involved with the League’s advocacy programs and the League’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.  

Janice is originally from Des Moines, Iowa, but was on a quest for warm weather, so she kept moving south. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Oklahoma, and spent over 20 years working in the fine jewelry industry in either national sales or buying. She lived in Dallas, Texas, and St. Thomas, USVI, before moving to Tampa in 1996, and then St. Petersburg in 1998. After the sudden death of her husband in 2002, Janice made a career change to follow her passion for health and fitness, and became a Certified Personal Trainer in 2005. She is currently self employed in this field. She volunteers as a Neighborhood Wellness Champion and leads monthly walks in her neighborhood through the Healthy St. Pete and Get Fit St. Pete program.

Janice loves to be outdoors, so St. Petersburg is a perfect fit with all the outdoor activities the city has to offer. She enjoys the beach, cycling, walking, and pickleball.  

Stacey Kroto, Director (1-year term) 2022-2023

Stacey Kroto is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She works as a paralegal for personal injury attorney Josh Chilson at Johnson Pope law firm. Her work experience has led her to appreciate the complex aspects of healthcare and health insurance which has informed her beliefs on reproductive rights issues.

Stacey now co-chairs the Social Justice Action Team for the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area as well as co-chairs the Reproductive Health & Justice Committee for the League of Women Voters of Florida. She is an active advocate for reproductive rights issues, regularly volunteering with the League, Planned Parenthood and Pinellas NOW. She lives in Pinellas Park with her two cat owners.

Beate Marston, Nominating Committee Chair (1-year term) 2022-2023

Beate was first elected to the Board of Directors in 2020 and served two terms. During her most recent term she served as a board-appointed member of the Nominating Committee, and is now running for Chair of the Nominating Committee.

Beate had the good fortune to have spent her childhood growing up in Portugal, India, and Germany. As a young adult she came to the US and prior to moving to Florida she worked with dually diagnosed adults in daycare and residential settings.

She has lived in St. Petersburg since 1984 and was a state employee throughout her career locally, experiencing the transitions of a state agency from HRS to CYF to DJJ respectively and serving in capacities such as Rehabilitative Counselor; Children, Youth and Families Counselor; Liaison for the Pinellas Marine Institute; Juvenile Probation Officer; then working within the Pinellas County Court system as an administrative assistant for the Staff Attorney’s Office, and finally as assistant to a General Magistrate in the Family Court Division of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

Beate is grateful for the eye opening experience of having witnessed from within the influence of changing political winds on a government agency tasked with providing services for its most needy citizens, and on the court system itself, and how numerous social services agencies in our community try to adapt in order to be able to continue their varied missions.

In 2015, having thankfully retired she turned her full attention to pursuing her love of clay, happily sculpting, glazing and firing and being part of the growing St.Petersburg arts community.

After participating in the Women’s March in 2017 Beate became acquainted with the work of the LWV and subsequently, with a bit of gentle encouragement by some close friends she joined the League. She values the League’s commitment to non-partisanship and is excited to have made so many capable, interesting, new acquaintances and is exploring all the committees and their important pursuits.

She was comfortable as a “green card” carrying legal resident alien living in this country for over 40 years but felt compelled in 2019 to finally pursue citizenship, and she applied for naturalization. In November 2019 she joined the ranks of numerous newly minted citizens who are hopeful and eager, and were excited to participate in their first ever presidential election in 2020. 

Robin Davidov, Nominating Committee (1-year term) 2022-2023

Robin was first elected to the position of 1st Vice President in 2019 and served several terms, and she is now running for the position of Nominating Committee Member. She is astonished by the hard work of  LWVSPA’s volunteers and the dedication of team leads and board members.

Robin had a 30 year career in Maryland developing, financing and operating waste management and renewable energy projects for a  regional government agency. In Maryland, she enjoyed working with elected officials and community groups. She was on the board of the South Baltimore Learning Center, an adult literacy program. After retiring, Robin became a consultant in sustainable projects and helped clients in Australia, the U.S. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Robin is currently a member of the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC). She is also a Guardian ad Litem for the 6th Circuit Florida and an education surrogate for the Pinellas County School System. Robin enjoys kayaking, theater, music, travel, and reading books the old fashion way. 

Linsey Grove, Nominating Committee (1-year term) 2022-2023

Linsey was elected as President of LWVSPA in 2019 and is finishing her third term. She also serves as the project co-lead for the Engage St. Pete initiative with Dr. Julie Kessel and co-chairs the Empowering Pinellas Youth Collaborative, a comprehensive sex education campaign as a part of her activity on the LWVSPA Social Justice Action Team. She has helped secure over $200,000 for the LWVSPA in grants to help fund projects such as the Voter Guide and Engage St. Pete. Linsey has been on the Board since 2017 (having also served as 1st Vice President).

Linsey holds a Doctorate in Public Health, and is Certified in Public Health. She is an instructor and program coordinator for the Health Sciences program at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She also works as a public health consultant for various public health agencies, social change organizations, non-profits, and businesses and is co-owner of Carriage House Consulting, LLC.