Our Board

Michele Vaughn, Chair

MaryAnn Piccioni, Treasurer

MaryAnn was honored as Paoli’s Noteworthy Citizen at the Easttown Tricentennial celebration for her volunteer work with neighborhood youth. As the Development Director of the Easttown Library and Information Center she managed the $4 million Capital Building Campaign that modernized the facility. While working on multiple election campaigns, MaryAnn developed cohesive neighborhood teams focused on issues messaging and Get-Out-The-Vote efforts.

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Diane Welsh, Membership Committee

Prior to 2004, I was a very busy woman who loved doing things for my family and friends and building my business as a Sales Representative for Conair/Cuisinart. I was suffering thru George Bush’s second Presidential term and wondering how this country could withstand another 4 years. I decided that I really needed to stop complaining and start doing.

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OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Michele Allen

Elva Bankins baxter

Christine Fernandes

Barbara Cooper

Kathy Lewis

Harriet Smith

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Michele Vaughn

Chair

Michele Vaughn serves as Regional Director for the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women and the Chair of the Chester County Democratic Women’s Leadership Initiative (CCDWLI). The Chester County Democratic Women’s Leadership Initiative was formed in an effort to bring the issues that concern women, organized labor and working families to the forefront of the political process. Prior to her involvement with these women’s organization, Michele Vaughn served as the Chester County Democratic Committee Chair from 2006-2014. Prior to her service as chair, she served as Vice-Chair for the committee from 2000-2006. In addition, she has served for the last 22 years as an East Whiteland Township Committee Person. From January 1998 to December 2003, she served on the East Whiteland Township Board of Supervisors. Elected as the first Democratic woman to serve, my focus was on addressing responsible development and planning, environmental cleanup at two Superfund sites, and creating a sense of community through the growth of parks and recreation. As a Township Supervisor, she launched East Whiteland Township’s first Community Health Day to focus on the health of ourselves and our families. She worked with the Community Volunteers in Medicine to provide free mammograms to uninsured or underinsured women through the Fox Chase Cancer Center. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and earned her M.B.A. in Pharmaceutical Marketing at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. She has been employed for the last fifteen years at Johnson & Johnson in their Information Technology Division.

Kristine Howard

Vice-Chair

One day I received an invitation to join some community members for a meeting to celebrate President Obama’s birthday, and learn about working on his re-election. I thought: I have always wanted to work on a Presidential campaign. Since that Presidential campaign I have worked on campaigns at every level. I met a wonderful group of women, and we have stayed friends. There’s nothing like a common purpose to bring people together. I joined the Chester County Democratic Women’s Leadership Initiative because I thought it would be great if other women could have the same experience of solidarity, friendship, and activism. About me: I went to law school, raised a family of seven children and have worked in child welfare, legal services and politics.

MARYANN PICCIONI

Treasurer

MaryAnn was honored as Paoli’s Noteworthy Citizen at the Easttown Tricentennial celebration for her volunteer work with neighborhood youth. As the Development Director of the Easttown Library and Information Center she managed the $4 million Capital Building Campaign that modernized the facility. While working on multiple election campaigns, MaryAnn developed cohesive neighborhood teams focused on issues messaging and Get-Out-The-Vote efforts. She currently serves as the Chair of the Easttown Township Democratic Committee and a Team Leader for Organizing For Action (OFA), an issues activist organization.

KAREN EADIE

Recording Secretary

My husband and I own Gordon Eadie Associates, a landscape design and contracting company in Schuylkill Township, near Valley Forge Park. I take care of the office and Gordon and his associates take care of designing landscapes and getting them installed. We have had the business for 37 years. My role entails human resources, job costing, accounts receivable/payable, and tracking plant material. I deal with the insurances and federal, state and local regulations and taxes, and the myriad of things that come up in a day. We have won awards for landscape design for a restaurant in West Norriton. We won the Pennsylvania Nurseryman’s Association award for best garden design in PA in the early ‘70’s. We were participants in the Philadelphia Flower Show in years past and have won awards there. Several of our employees have won Philadelphia city awards for best gardens at their homes. Recently the gardens at our home were featured in the Schuylkill Township Magazine. I worked for the Monroeville Times newspaper after graduating from Waynesburg College with a degree in English. I was a reporter until I got married and followed my husband to Penn State. While there I worked in the Department of Religious Studies. After Penn State, I worked for a dress manufacturer, The Vested Gentress, as secretary to the president. I worked in Human Resources for Control Data, an early computer manufacturing company. When we had two biological and one foster child, I decided to go back to school. I have 60 post-graduate hours in guidance and counseling from West Chester University and Villanova University. About the time my husband was setting up his new business, my mother bought an historic house and installed a gift shop and tea room. I ran the gift shop for seven years before she retired. My philosophy is to help others as that is what I have been doing for these many years. My husband and I have been married for 54 years. My children are Mark and Megan. We have three grandchildren, Anthony (17), Jamison (15) and Amanda (14). I have a lovely daughter-in-law, Stacey and a soon-to-be son-in-law, Bart Zantzinger. Stacey is a nurse practitioner and Bart owns an IT company. David, our foster son, was returned to his mother. Working life has left precious little time for hobbies. Once upon a time I enjoyed knitting, quilting, embroidery, and cross stitching. Now I read. I am also involved in politics and have been for the last ten years or so. A group of us started our Democratic zone with eight willing souls around my dining room table and met there for years until we gained some traction and now have a tenfold leap in participation. I am a committeeperson for Precinct 3 in Schuylkill Township and am Recording Secretary for the CCDWLI group and have been since its inception. I’m also a participant in the “Lunch Bunch”, a group of ladies and gentlemen from several local communities who meet to discuss politics every Monday. My rewards have been two functioning children, three lovely grandchildren and a happy life.

DIANE WELSH

Membership Committee

Prior to 2004 I was a very busy woman who loved doing things for my family and friends, and building my business as a Sales Representative for Conair/Cuisinart. I was suffering thru George Bush’s second Presidential term and wondering how this country could withstand another 4 years. I decided that I really needed to stop complaining and start doing. That quick decision pretty much defined my summer of 2004. I worked my heart out trying to make George a one-term president, but unfortunately learned that there would soon be another campaign to fight. That’s what I love about politics you have very little time to feel sorry for yourself before it’s time to get back at it. After the summer of 2004 I got involved with the Chester County Democratic Committee and became a Committee Person and Assistant Zone Leader in my area. I tend to be a very social person, so loved the interaction with my fellow Democrats. I loved working side by side with state and local candidates and being part of some very exciting campaigns. In 2015 I had the opportunity to become a Charter Member of the Chester County Democratic Women’s Leadership Initiative, (CCDWLI). In two short years we have grown into the largest chapter of the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women in the state. I am so proud and honored to serve on the Executive Board of this organization, and work with a group of women who are truly making a difference in Chester County. The night before the 2016 Presidential Election I took my 11 year old granddaughter into Philadelphia. We stood together in the shadow of Independence Hall and welcomed former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, President and Michele Obama and many others who gathered to celebrate this moment in history. It was not to be, but I know that I will never forget that night and being able to share it with Mary Jane. My greatest honor came on January 21, 2017 when I marched along side hundreds of thousands of women in Washington DC. The Women’s March On Washington will go down in history, and being there is something I will never forget. I am so proud of what we do. I’m proud of the example I’m setting for my children and grandchildren. I’m proud to be part of this organization and I’m especially proud to be a Chester County Democrat.