MODERATOR: Rev. Kathy Schmitz

LWVOC Co-President

Rev. Kathy is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister. She has served congregations in Massachusetts, Texas and Florida in a variety of capacities over the past 30 years.

Her special interest is in organizations in transition, especially during changing and challenging times. Originally from New England, Kathy has been a member of the Orange County League since 2010, when she was called to be the senior pastor of First Unitarian Church of Orlando, which she served until 2018.

She has enjoyed being involved in the community, including interfaith activities and advocacy for various social justice issues. She is a committed environmentalist. Prior to entering seminary, Kathy was a software engineer.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Cornell University and a Master of Divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School.

Jessica Lowe-Minor

LWVFL President

Jessica Lowe-Minor is the youngest woman elected to lead the League of Women Voters of Florida. Lowe-Minor is a passionate voting rights advocate who served three terms on the Board of the League of Women Voters of the United States, most recently as the LWVUS Vice-President from 2020-22.

She is the principal and co-founder of a nonprofit consulting firm called Capacityworks, and she has extensive nonprofit sector experience, having served in strategic, policy and management roles. She was the executive director of the Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence in Tallahassee, Florida from 2015-2018. From 2010-2014, she served as the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Florida.

Lowe-Minor’s tenure at the Florida League contributed to a significant increase in organizational revenue (167 percent), membership (31 percent) and overall visibility. She has also worked as a legislative advocate at the state Capitol for women’s organizations.

Lowe-Minor has a master’s degree in women’s and gender studies via the program in Interdisciplinary Humanities at Florida State University and has taught classes at both FSU and Tallahassee State College. She is also a licensed Realtor, the mother of two young daughters, and she enjoys hiking, horseback riding and listening to podcasts.

James Perry

Former Justice of the Florida Supreme Court

James E.C. Perry was the 85th Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, serving from 2009-2016. Perry was

appointed to the court by former Gov. Charlie Crist and took office on March 11, 2009.

Before his appointment, he served as a circuit judge of Florida's Eighteenth Judicial Circuit upon his appointment by former Gov. Jeb Bush in March 2000. Perry was the first African-American appointed to the circuit. Perry later served as chief judge of the circuit for a two-year term, beginning July 2003.

He attended Saint Augustine's University, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and accounting. After serving in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant, he went on to Columbia Law School where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 1972.

As founder and president of the Jackie Robinson Sports Association, Perry built a baseball league serving 650 at-risk boys and girls — the largest in the nation. In addition to his work with disadvantaged kids, Justice Perry served as captain of the Heart of Florida United Way Campaign, and his firm served as general counsel for the Florida Chapter Branches of the NAACP.

As an attorney, Perry was widely recognized for his legal skills and abilities. Prior to his appointment to the trial bench, Justice Perry was senior partner in the law firm of Perry & Hicks, P.A., where he specialized in civil and business law.

He is a member of the Board of Trustees at Saint Augustine’s University. Justice Perry has been a member of the Carter CME Tabernacle Church of Orlando for more than 30 plus years and is a former member of its Board of Trustees. He has received numerous honors and awards.

Fritz Wermuth

Attorney

Fritz Wermuth, a shareholder with King, Blackwell, Zehnder & Wermuth, P.A., has more than 25 years of legal experience. He has handled complex civil litigation from various perspectives — as a federal district court law clerk, as trial counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice and as a private practitioner.

His practice focuses on litigating complex commercial and governmental disputes at the trial court and appellate levels. Wermuth has handled a broad array of tort, contract, and statutory claims, including breach of contract, government procurement disputes, tortious interference, defamation, deceptive and unfair trade practices, legal malpractice defense, Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) defense, False Claims Act defense, discrimination, and claims under the Florida Constitution and United States Constitution.

Wermuth handled cases through trial in both federal and state court in Florida, sought and defended against emergency injunctive relief in federal and state court cases, and has drafted dozens of successful dispositive motions in federal and state court cases.

He graduated summa cum laude in 1996 from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and magna cum laude in 1999 from the UF College of Law with a Juris Doctor degree.