These members give generously of their time to ensure that all branches in Pennsylvania are able to work successfully to support the AAUW mission. As AAUW Pennsylvania President, I am most grateful for the time commitment our officers (state and branch) and members have made. I know you have many demands on your time, from jobs to families to volunteer work in other organizations. Assuming an officer role in this great organization requires significant commitment. So thank you!
If you ever wonder about stepping up to do more, I hope you will talk with any of the state officers or those in our branches. We need you.
Together we can do this!
Cindy Hall 
AAUW Pennsylvania
Patricia (Pat) Byerly
Patricia Byerly, is AAUW PA’s Administrative Director. I live in Bell Township in Westmoreland County located in southwestern Pennsylvania. I have been an AAUW member since 2007. I joined the Pittsburgh branch as their newly appointed web designer. I was first asked to join the AAUW PA board in 2012 by Margaret McGrath, then by Dot McLane, Ann Pehle and now Cindy Hall. I have learned so much about AAUW during my time on the AAUW PA board and have enjoyed every minute. I have met so many interesting AAUW members throughout the state and have made several lasting friendships. It is truly an enlightening experience. If you are asked to serve on the AAUW PA board, say YES!
Ann Echols
Ann Echols serves as the Finance Director for AAUW-PA. She has been a member of the State College Branch for many years, and previously served as treasurer of that branch. Ann is a retired college professor who taught various business classes (strategy, organizational behavior, accounting and finance, operations management, business statistics, and special topics), and also designed a graduate course in nonprofit management. She has been an avid volunteer since the 1980s. Her personal story is this: AAUW touched my life with the 1992 report: “How Schools Shortchange Girls,” and from then on, I was very cognizant of how I treated males and females in the classroom. I learned that equity was critical in the classroom, and in today’s climate even more so. Equity ensures everyone has access to the same treatment, opportunities, and advancement. When we can identify and eliminate barriers that prevent the full participation of some, we can raise everyone to a higher quality of life. I believe in the mission of AAUW: Equity for all, especially regarding the advancement of women and girls.
Sally Kalin
I joined AAUW State College in 1981 as a means of engaging in a deeper way with my local community. I had noticed that the women who seemed prominent in State College were members of AAUW, and my interactions with them told me that they were an exceptional group. Forty-one years later, I have no regrets about my decision and have served AAUW State College in a variety of positions, most recently three years as co-president. I am the current AAUW Funds Chair.
I retired eleven years ago after a 40-year career in academic librarianship, the last fifteen years as Associate Dean of Libraries at Penn State. I believe that my professional foundation in public services and in values such as social responsibility, education and lifelong learning, diversity, and democracy have served me well as an active member of AAUW.
AAUW is still relevant, and I want to see it thrive. To do so will require transformative change, fresh and meaningful messaging, and ways of doing business that attract new members and supporters. We need to hold open doors to change, not close them.
Ajla Laussegger
Ajla Laussegger is AAUW PA’s Diversity Chair, as well as a National Member. She is passionate about social justice and equality and pursues opportunities to advocate on behalf of marginalized populations. Ajla is Associate General Counsel for Quaker Houghton, a global chemical company headquartered in the Philadelphia area, specializing in a number of legal areas, including but not limited to contract review, corporate structuring, privacy and cybersecurity, environmental law, labor and employment matters, litigation and dispute resolution, general and trade compliance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as regulatory matters. Prior to joining Quaker Houghton in 2017, Ajla was an Associate at a general practice firm where much of her work focused on corporate clients, as well as litigation, immigration matters, labor and employment, and criminal defense. Ajla received her J.D. at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and also has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Analysis from the University at Buffalo, where she also competed as a heptathlete on a national level. Ajla was a member of the USA Women’s Bobsled Team and greatly enjoys traveling, as her family immigrated from Bosnia and is married to an Austrian national, which has granted her the ability to travel extensively since childhood. She also remains active and enjoys running and weight lifting. She is an avid reader when she is not chasing down her two toddlers.
Sandra Miller
Sandra Miller serves as the Public Policy Chair and while she is new to AAUW, Sandra has been involved in the public policy world since her days in the Governor’s office under Governor Thornberg. Her passion for policy and how we as citizens can affect our government has led to many opportunities in education policy over the past 20 years. Currently, Sandra is the Advocacy Coordinator for Education Voters of PA and has been working with the campaign, PA Schools Work , for many years. Newly retired after 16 years as a school director at Saucon Valley School District, she hopes her volunteer time with AAUW will be an asset to the organization and looking forward to working with all the branches and other statewide organizations in fulfilling the mission of AAUW- empowering women through advocacy. A member of Easton and Bethlehem branches, she is ready to support all efforts to engage our members in the coming year. Sandra lives in Saucon Valley with her husband, mother and sister, and her two sons as they complete their graduate work.
Ann Pehle
Ann serves as Past President (one year term), following four years as AAUW PA President. She knew of AAUW from her mother and when retired, relocated to Mechanicsburg, and looking for something to do, she investigated local AAUW branches. In 2015, Ann joined AAUW Carlisle and immersed herself in public policy. Ann will tell you that she joined AAUW because of its mission focus, national impact, local advocacy, and commitment to equal pay and Title IX. Ann has served as Public Policy Co-Chair and President for AAUW Carlisle and AAUW PA. Now she is enthusiastically supporting the new generation of leaders.
When not involved with AAUW activities, Ann enjoys following the University of Wisconsin sports teams–especially women’s volleyball, softball, and basketball. If playing in the the near by B1G Ten schools, she is there wearing red and cheering for the Badgers.
Karen Wellin
Karen Wellin, VP Membership, had been a member of AAUW for over twenty-five years with dual memberships in both the Valley Forge PA and Tampa FL branches. Karen strongly believes that we women need AAUW now more than ever. To join AAUW is to join a collective force that advocates for women’s rights and equity every single day. Our members know that they support AAUW’s mission and that AAUW supports women and girls.
Karen has served her Valley Forge PA branch as President and Co-VP Programming. A graduate of Cornell University, Karen spent her professional life working in test kitchens, in technical food service sales, and in a science museum supervising volunteers who did hands-on STEM work with visitors of all ages. Her passion at any job has been the role of mentor supporting all the young women with whom she worked. Now retired, Karen is active in the Lions Club, her church, alumni affairs, and being involved in AAUW.
Lori Woods
Lori Woods, AAUW PA’s Program VP, joined AAUW nine years ago and has served as Program VP and College/University Liaison for the Indiana County affiliate of AAUW. She is now President and also serves as Public Policy Chair for her branch. Lori has been passionate about public policy and advocacy focused on women’s economic security ever since she was introduced to a Smart Start workshop for college students in 2015. Now in her sixteenth year of teaching history at Saint Francis University, in Loretto PA, she integrates policy implications for contemporary issues into her courses. Lori enjoys working with the state board and branch leaders to continue AAUW’s important legacy of providing members with the tools to become effective advocates for women and girls.
Barbara Zaborowski
Dr. Barbara Zaborowski, AAUW PA’s Archivist, is the Dean of Library Services and Special Projects at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown. She has a special interest in archives and maintains The Cambria Memory Project page which digitizes the history of Cambria County. She serves on the PA State Archives’ State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB). She is also serves on the Governor’s Advisory Council for Library Development. She is a past president of Johnstown Branch.