ABOUT WORWF

We owe our thanks to Wendy West and Linda O’Keefe for having the foresight to recognize the need for a Republican Women’s club in Southwest Orange County.

Eager to get to work after the election of Barack Obama in 2008, Linda and Wendy attended the Northwest Republican Women’s Club — the only Republican women’s club they could find near them. After the meeting, they worked together to start the West Orange Republican Women, Federated.

The first meeting of West Orange Republican Women, Federated (WORWF) was held in February 2009, at the Seaside Bank on Conroy Road, Orlando. The room was maxed out with 20 attendees. Then the journey began to find meeting space that would keep up with growing membership. In 2009, they had their biggest meeting with Marco Rubio as Guest Speaker. He was running for U.S. Senate against Charlie Crist. It marked the first women’s club at which Marco Rubio spoke, and WORWF was mentioned in an Orlando Sentinel article as a result.

The club continued to grow, increasing from 20 to 135 members. Meetings took place at several locations over time, including the Stonewood Grill. The closing of the Windermere Country Club led the 2017 club to the West Orange Country Club. In 2021, the club moved to our current home, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, FL.

Wendy West served as President from 2008-to 2012. Linda O’Keefe took on several positions as Secretary, Newsletter Editor, Fundraiser, and Facebook/Website chair.

Carolyn Sparks served as President from 2013 to 2016, Rebecca Mellen from 2017 to 2020. Rebecca shepherded the move from West Orange Country Club to our current Bay Hill Club and Lodge location. Teresa Snipes, our current President, was elected in 2020 and continues to guide the growth and influence of WORWF.

Our club has the most dynamic, involved, and fun-loving members! We volunteer at the local and state level for candidates and issues, registering voters, door-belling, phone calling, fundraising, sign-waving, and spreading the word to our friends, family, and neighbors about the Republican philosophy and candidates. Members are pro-active in supporting legislation at the state and federal level by calling, writing, or emailing elected officials. We support the NFRW Caring for America initiative through food donations and other support for Edgewood Children’s Ranch in Orlando, adopting soldiers, and much more.

We look forward to continuing to grow and positively impact our West Orange community.