All News & Events 

Welcome back! We’re excited to announce our season kickoff meeting taking place on at 11:30 AM on September 12, 2026. We’ll be gathering at the Garden Club of Indian River County for lunch and lively discussion. Along with our season budget review, we’ll also be talking about new ideas and thoughts about our 2026-2027 season, which will focus in part on technology and its ever-evolving role in society. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet with old friends and welcome new

Living with Technology in Today’s World Speaker Mark Herndon, Autobahn Communications We will share your questions from the September survey with our presenter. Bring your FULLY Charged cell phones, i-pads, tablets for an interactive opportunity with our program presenter. WHEN: 11:30am | Saturday, October 10th WHERE: The Garden Club 2526 17th Avenue | Vero Beach, Florida 32960 COST: $25 | includes lunch TO REGISTER pay below (price includes $2 service fee) or send

Living with Technology in Today’s World Speaker Autobahn Communications Become informed on scams, pop-ups, on-line shopping gimmicks and on-line banking safeguards. WHEN: 11:30am | Saturday, November 21st WHERE: The Garden Club 2526 17th Avenue | Vero Beach, Florida 32960 COST: $25 | includes lunch TO REGISTER pay below (price includes $2 credit card fee) or send a check for $25 to AAUW-Vero Beach Branch, P.O. Box 2143, Vero Beach, FL 32961.

Anna Valencia Tillery, Vice President of Marketing, White Glove Moving & Storage, host of: Vero Beach Insider radio show, and the Premier Women’s Networking Group of the Treasure Coast will review the Berenstain Bear Books by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Skilled in sales and marketing along with radio and television media, Anna Valencia joined White Glove: Moving, Storage, & Delivery in 2013 as head of Marketing and has helped make this growing company a staple in the Vero Beach/

Going off-line: Getting to know our members Board members provide finger foods and treats Bring a special holiday ornament, decoration or memory to share. WHEN: 11:30am | Sunday, December 6th WHERE: The Garden Club 2526 17th Avenue | Vero Beach, Florida 32960 COST: $25 | includes lunch TO REGISTER pay below (price includes $2 credit card fee) or send a check for $25 to AAUW-Vero Beach Branch, P.O. Box 2143, Vero Beach, FL 32961.

Jennifer Moore – Director of Development, Youth Guidance will review Educated, by Tara Westover. Jennifer Moore is the Director of Development at Youth Guidance, where she leads fundraising and community engagement efforts supporting children, teens, and young adults throughout Indian River County. She previously served as the organization's Volunteer Coordinator and brings a background in management, nonprofit leadership, and educational intervention. Originally from Homeste

Speakers: Janay Hall and Leah Blythe-LoPresti Living with technology in Today’s World Become informed. Learn about the ever-changing applications of this evolving technology. WHEN: 11:30am | Saturday, January 16th WHERE: The Garden Club 2526 17th Avenue | Vero Beach, Florida 32960 COST: $25 | includes lunch TO REGISTER pay below (price includes $2 credit card fee) or send a check for $25 to AAUW-Vero Beach Branch, P.O. Box 2143, Vero Beach,

John Cotugno, Current Mayor of Vero Beach will review The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck John brings over forty years of experience in the electronics industry, specializing in the semiconductor field. He served as Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Applications Engineering Operations at SHINKO Electric America Inc., a Fujitsu affiliate, until his retirement in 2018. After retiring, John became a Public Policy Advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association, represe

Deborah Padnuk of Vero Beach KIND will review Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. A certified yoga therapist, Debbie Padnuk thrives on teaching the meditative style of movement and breathing that promotes physical and mental wellness. She’s a shining example of the benefits, and it carries over to those she comes into contact with. A little over two years ago, Padnuk became concerned about anti-Semitic/hate literature that began appearing in the community. Along with Rabbi Michael

We learn about each other when members showcase their accomplishments. WHEN: 11:30am | Saturday, February 20th WHERE: The Garden Club 2526 17th Avenue | Vero Beach, Florida 32960 COST: $25 | includes lunch TO REGISTER pay below (price includes $2 credit card fee) or send a check for $25 to AAUW-Vero Beach Branch, P.O. Box 2143, Vero Beach, FL 32961.

Going off-line: Getting to know our community Representatives from the Indian River Historical Society will bring us up to date on the “People and Politics Behind Our Founding Fathers.” WHEN: 11:30am | Saturday, March 20th WHERE: The Garden Club 2526 17th Avenue | Vero Beach, Florida 32960 COST: $25 | includes lunch TO REGISTER pay below (price includes $2 credit card fee) or send a check for $25 to AAUW-Vero Beach Branch, P.O. Box 2143, Vero Beach, FL 32961.

Melissa DePriest, Chief Development Officer, Indian River Land Trust will review A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson. Melissa DePriest is a lifelong Florida resident with a deep-rooted passion for protecting the natural beauty of her home state. Raised on the Treasure Coast, Melissa developed a strong personal connection to land and water conservation- values that have shaped both her life and career. With a long career in the nonprofit sector, Melissa oversees IRLT’

Going off-line: Caring for our neighbors Among the many support services available in our community, representatives from the UP Center and For the Love of Paws will share the basics of their programs. WHEN: 11:30am | Saturday, April 17th WHERE: The Garden Club 2526 17th Avenue | Vero Beach, Florida 32960 COST: $25 | includes lunch TO REGISTER pay below (price includes $2 credit card fee) or send a check for $25 to AAUW-Vero Beach Branch, P.O. Box 2143, Vero Beach, FL

Scholarship Awards Scholarship winners will be our guests. WHEN: 11:30am | Saturday, May 15th WHERE: The Garden Club 2526 17th Avenue | Vero Beach, Florida 32960 COST: $25 | includes lunch TO REGISTER pay below (price includes $2 credit card fee) or send a check for $25 to AAUW-Vero Beach Branch, P.O. Box 2143, Vero Beach, FL 32961.

Watch the video above for a SNEAK PEAK at the Best Friends! Proceeds Fund Scholarships for Local Women and Girls Written and performed by Kristin Finger and Alli Soowal Come, celebrate friendship — in all its glory and hilarity! One of the most amazing things in life is finding that person who is not only your best friend; but also your soulmate, a sister, and a person who will shower you after a major surgery. She might be the same one you giggled with in middle school

Ellen Contreras of Treasure Coast Connector reviewed The Little Girls’ Guide to Entrepreneurship: What I Now Know That I Sure Wish I Knew Then, by Emily McHugh This book is a combination of autobiography and lessons learned in entrepreneurship. Author Emily McHugh takes you on a journey starting with the seeds of entrepreneurship that were planted at an early age on a farm in Jamaica to the founding of her award-winning design company Casauri. Emily distills the essence of e

“ Africa Travelogue ,” featured the travels and photos of members Jane Howard, Karen Nuccitelli and Charlotte Jones, who shared highlights of their travel experiences in Africa, including Kenya, South Africa, Morocco and more. All Speaker Series programs are at Westminster Presbyterian Church 2555 58 th Avenue, Vero Beach, FL See photos from this event.

Dr. Edith Widder, Senior Scientist with ORCA, reviewed the book she wrote, Below the Edge of Darkness, at a recent Book Review Breakfast. Dr. Edith Widder is a world-renowned deep-sea explorer, bioluminescence expert, and CEO and Senior Scientist of the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), which she co-founded in 2005. Based in Vero Beach, ORCA uses cutting-edge, applied science to identify pollution problems and help restore the health of Florida’s Indian Rive

Kenneth Grudens, Executive Director of the Indian River Land Trust, and Melissa DePriest, Chief Development Officer, provided an in-depth look at the efforts of the I.R. Land Trust, and the impact it's made since its founding. In 2025 we celebrated the Centennial of Indian River County. One of the most prominent aspects of Indian River County is in its very name: Indian River. In 1990, the Indian River Land Trust was formed to protect that land that protects the Indian River

Carol Ludwig, Executive Director of the Vero Beach Center for Spiritual Care, reviewed How We Learn to be Brave , by Mariann Budde. How We Learn to Be Brave is an inspirational guide to the key junctures in life that, if navigated with faith and discernment, pave the way for us to become our most courageous selves, by the bishop of the famed Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C. Carol Ludwig , spiritual director, supervisor, teacher and retreat leader, presents widely in the