Jennifer Wilson

Jennifer Wilson, deputy director for the League of Women Voters of New York State, will deliver the keynote Constitution Day address, “Your Map Matters: How Redistricting Impacts Everything in Your Life and How to Use Your Voice to Change It,” via Zoom for the State University of New York at Fredonia on Friday, Sept. 17, at 1:30 p.m.

Representation and the importance of determining the number of representatives will be addressed in Ms. Wilson’s lecture.

“Redistricting is vital to us having a voice – it determines who appears on our ballots, where we vote, and equal representation. Given Jennifer’s professional experience and educational background, she’s well positioned to speak with us about redistricting,” said Department of Communication Assistant Professor Angela McGowan-Kirsch.

Since joining the organization in 2015, Wilson has helped advocate for the passage of progressive voting reforms that include early voting, primary consolidation, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds and voter registration modernization. She is the organization’s in-house lobbyist, policy advisor and communications representative.

Wilson’s voting rights leadership led her to being named to the “40 Under 40 Rising Stars” list compiled by City & State, a media organization that covers local and state politics in New York, in 2017. She has been featured in the Albany Times Union, The Wall Street Journal, Politico and on National Public Radio (NPR) as an expert on voting rights and government ethics.

Before joining the league, Wilson was deputy regional director for the Albany office of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. Wilson has a Master of Public Administration from the Rockefeller School of Public Affairs and Policy, with a specialization in Public Management and Policy Analytics. She received a B.A. in Political Science and Business from the City University of New York, where she graduated magna cum laude.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Fredonia’s American Democracy Project and the League of Women Voters of Chautauqua County. Constitution Day is a holiday that honors the day, in 1787, that 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified effective Dec. 15, 1791, reflecting how dynamic the Constitution could be, explained Mary Croxton, of the League of Women Voters of Chautauqua County. “The Supreme Court continually interprets the Constitution and many people spend their lives studying and interpreting it as it continues to play an integral role in our everyday lives,” she said.

The nonpartisan League of Women Voters encourages informed and active participation in government.

Online Registration in advance is required for the meeting at https://fredonia-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0of-2spjMjHdyHloxLXgK4X4kRybAUXc80. A confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting will be sent after registering.