Executive Council
Co-President
Jimmie Cochran Pratt is a native of Haywood County, NC and holds an MPA degree from Western Carolina University. She spent her professional life in higher education with an emphasis on fund development and career & leadership development at Columbia University in the City of New York, NC community colleges, and the University of Prishtina, Kosovo for the U.S. Department of State. Jimmie is retired and a community/political activist, working for Equal Rights Amendment ratification in the 1970’s and is currently Co-President of the ERA-NC Alliance and a member of the LWVNC-ERA Lead Action Team.
Teri Walley has been a passionate feminist all her life, firmly believing in every person’s right to equal treatment under the law. She spent her 20s and early 30s in newspapers, eventually shifting into public relations writing. After raising her equally feminist daughter, Teri became a freelance marketing writer. She joined the ERA-NC Alliance in 2018 and served as Vice President of Public Relations from 2019 until 2023. An Alabama native and current Gastonia resident, Teri is married to sports business journalist Ross Nethery.
Secretary
Jan Lowe I was born, raised and went to college in Kentucky. I received a B.S. in Nutrition and Food Science. Then I moved to IL. with my husband and worked in food sales and nutritional software sales in IL, WI, MN and MO. When I moved to North Carolina, I worked in private practice, NC Department of Human Services and back into private practice. I also did volunteer work with the Guardian Ad Litem program. I have belonged to NOW since 1981, joined ERA Alliance in 2016 and belong to Planned Parenthood.
VP – Membership and Finance
Leila Tvedt is a native of Asheville but seldom lived there. Instead she and her family moved often during her father’s career in the US Navy and in the USO. She graduated from high school in Saigon, studied for a year in Japan, and earned her BA and MA from Stetson University in Florida. Returning to North Carolina, she worked as a news reporter/producer for WRAL-TV and later directed a public agency that produced video and call-in programs on statewide cable. Moving to the mountains, Leila worked as associate vice chancellor at Western Carolina University. Since her resignation from WCU in 2009, she has become deeply involved in Democratic politics, serving as campaign manager for a judge, as former treasurer for Democratic Women of North Carolina, and current treasurer for Region One Democratic Women, Swain County Democrats and Swain County Democratic Women. Leila is married to a lawyer who owns and manages the Historic Calhoun Hotel in Bryson City.
VP – Public Relations
Judy Lotas was a founding partner of Lotas Minard Patton McIver, woman-run ad agency in NYC. Closing after 25 years, the partners went separate ways, Judy to Duck, NC on the Outer Banks. She has two amazing daughters, Amanda and Sasha. After serving as co-president of the Dare County League of Women Voters, Judy remains on that board as well as the state board, LWVNC. Judy’s been fighting for equal rights since she insisted on pushing her own stroller at age 2. She served two terms on the board of ERA-NC and looks forward to re-joining, helping with PR and advertising.
VP – Fundraising
Marla Barthen was originally appointed to fill a vacancy in this position, and is now running for a full term.
Marla also serves as the Congressional District 7 Leader of the ERA Action Network. Marla coordinated the southeastern N.C. stops for the Vote Equality Southern Bus Tour in 2020 and in 2022. She is the immediate past co-president of the League of Women Voters of the Lower Cape Fear, and her leadership to enfranchise voters and defend democracy is well-established in her community. Marla coordinates several events to celebrate and honor women, including the 100th year commemoration of the 19th Amendment passage, the annual Women’s (In)Equality Day, community Women’s History Month events, and the upcoming Alliance annual meeting this November. Marla has been a Registered Nurse and healthcare advocate for 30 years. Most notably, she is the Executive Director of The Nurses’ March and Memorial, the first national memorial for nurses and caregivers who lost their lives fighting Covid-19. She now works in the film industry as a medical consultant and RN Medic. She uses her influence to amplify the message of women’s rights, as well of the advancement and recognition of the nursing profession. You will regularly see actors, directors, and producers show their support of the ERA through Marla’s persuasive activism. Marla hails from Ohio but has called North Carolina home since 2014. A travel nurse assignment introduced her to Wilmington, and she decided to make new roots in 2018. Marla is the proud mom of her son, Luke, who continues in his mom’s footsteps in service to his community and country.
VP – Legislative
Jean Sivoli was originally appointed to fill a vacancy for this position, and is now running for a full term.
I’ve been a champion for the ERA and Women’s Rights since the late 1960’s. There was a great celebration when the ERA passed in 1972. Little did we know we’d still be fighting 50 years later. Through the years, I’ve held numerous positions that helped me learn the inner workings of our government. I served as a Field Organizer for Secretary Hillary Clinton, President Obama, Senator Kay Hagen, and a Campaign Manager for numerous candidates. Being the Chair of the Harnett County Democratic Party for 5 years, benefited not only my legislative knowledge, but further provided more experience working with North Carolina Senators and Representatives. In 2018, I was asked by the North Carolina Senate Caucus to run For Senate District 12 which further enhanced my legislative experience and contacts. Currently I have the privilege of being the NC Poor Peoples Campaign Chair of the Political Policy Engagement Committee. The NCPPC is non-partisan, but policy oriented. This position requires continual contact with our Senators and Representatives. Additionally, I’m also the Sandhills Circle Chair which includes Hoke, Lee, Cumberland, Johnston, and Harnett counties.
Board of Directors
John Ager grew up in Atlanta and spent summers at Agers Acres in Black Mountain, NC. He attended Williams College, and earned his degree in American Studies. He taught history at the Newfound School, Asheville, and managed Hickory Nut Gap Farm and the McClure Fund. He helped write the book Cabins and Castles, a historical review of the history and architecture of Buncombe County, and is the author of We Plow God’s Fields, a biography of James G. K. McClure, his wife Elizabeth and the Farmers Federation. He is a Partner in the development of Drovers Road Preserve, a Conservation Easement Development. He has served on the Board of Trustees for Warren Wilson College, as Chairman of the Buncombe County Agricultural Advisory Board, and on the Buncombe County Land Conservation Advisory Board. He was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2014 and served through 2022. John is married Annie McClure Clarke and father of four sons.
Stefanie (Stef) Mendell has lived in Raleigh since 1964. She is a retired international communications executive and former Raleigh City Council member. She is a founding member of Livable Raleigh (www.livableraleigh.com) and currently serves as Vice Chair.
Patricia Webb (Pat) Sledge is a current board member and eligible for another term with the ERA-NC Alliance. Pat has been involved with the Alliance since it’s very beginning and served as the first Treasurer for the organization in 2016-2018. A member of NC Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc, for 37 years, she serves as their Legislative Chair. A past State President for the Federation, she is the current Treasurer and Scholarship Chair for the North Carolina BPW Foundation. BPW/NC is one of the lead organizations for the Alliance and has had the ERA at the top of their legislative platform since 1937. Pat is serving her second term as a member of the Board of Aldermen for the Town of Spencer. In 2019, Ms. Sledge filed for one of the seats on the Board of Aldermen in Spencer and won election. It was her first attempt at politics, although she was not new to the political process having served in volunteer positions with political campaigns at the grass roots level. As a liaison from the board, she represents the Town at meetings of the Centralina Council of Governments; the Planning & Zoning Board; The Rowan County Economic Development Council; and the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. She is the Secretary/Treasurer for her local precinct and attends meetings of the State Democrats representing Rowan County. She is a member of Women for Community Justice and also serves on the Board of the Ruby Organization, a group working to stop human trafficking. Ms. Sledge sees herself as a peacemaker, a good listener and a problem solver and feels that those traits are valuable for leadership in her various roles. Women’s issues and Equality of Rights are one of her strongest passions, and if selected as a board member will serve to the best of her ability.
Introducing these members, recently appointed to fill vacancies on the Board:
Virginia Adamson is a native of Alabama and has called North Carolina home for the majority of her life. She received her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1979 and was a founding member of UAB’s Society of Women Engineers chapter. At that time women could be members only of the women’s auxiliary of professional organizations. Virginia is retired from the Volvo Group where her service spanned nearly 40 years working in product development, manufacturing, and business/strategy development. She is a Certified Supply Chain Professional. Based in Carrboro, NC, she has also lived and worked in Sweden. Virginia is the President of the Women’s Forum of NC, a Lead Organization of the ERA-NC Alliance. She is a founding member of the ERA-NC Alliance and has served as an officer and board member. Virginia is a Past President of North Carolina Business and Professional Women (BPW/NC) and is currently serving as the Co-Chair of the BPW/NC Board of Trustees, a Director on the Board of the BPW/NC Foundation and Co-Treasurer of BPW of the Triad. Virginia is a member of AAUW/Tar Heel Branch and has served on the AAUW/NC State Board. The ERA and Equal Pay are her passions. She is dedicated to advocating for women and involving them in the legislative process to improve conditions for all women and their families. When not advocating for women and their families, Virginia enjoys patio gardening, weaving, genealogy, and spending time with her husband Michael.
Mary Williams-Stover is currently the Equity-Centered Policy Manager, for The Center for Black Health & Equity, a national non-profit that facilitates public health programs and services to benefit communities and people of African descent. The Center envisions a world where all people can obtain optimal health outcomes. She has served the citizens of NC in several positions including Senior Director, NC Department of Health and Human Services Covid-19 Vendor Management Team, and Executive Director of the NC Council for Women and Youth Involvement. As Director, Mary supported the Council’s role in managing approximately $14 million in state and federal grants to non-profits and government agencies working to serve domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in 100 counties statewide.