Meet The Board
Kristy Edenfield
President
Kristy started campaigning when she was in middle school. She grew up as an “Army Brat”, and decided to make Savannah her home over 28 years ago. After a stint as a Capitol Hill staffer, Kristy resumed working on the campaign side of politics - including flipping a congressional seat as the campaign manager. Now, Kristy uses her skills to support local candidates up and down the ballot. She has been married to Steve, a Savannah native, for more than 28 years, and they have one adult son. Kristy has served as the secretary of the Savannah Federation of Democratic Women, and now as President she will support the objective of the organization, which is to unite women of the Democratic Party; to promote the cause of the Democratic Party and to encourage full participation of women in every level of the Democratic Party Structure.
Erika Hardnett
Vice President
Erika K. Hardnett is the founder and co-pastor of Agape Empowerment Ministries located in Savannah, Georgia. She and her wife Candace founded Agape in 2009 and have worked diligently to bring about awareness of God’s inclusive love for all people through their many community development programs and their advocacy for equality. Erika is a passionate activist and champion for human rights. Erika has rallied on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, marched and protested locally within her city for LGBTQ+ Equality both nationally and with her local government. Most recently, she joined the board of Georgia Equality and has also been appointed by Savannah’s mayor, Mayor Van R. Johnson to the Executive Committee of the city’s first LGBTQ+ Equity task force, Proud Savannah.
Professionally, Erika has enjoyed a successful career in talent management, working alongside artists from all genres. Erika is currently a business owner and herbalist. She resides in Savannah, GA, with her wife and youngest daughter Maya, and is the mother of two older daughters who live on their own Mariah and Mika. Erika looks forward to collaborating with like-minded individuals within the Federation of Democratic Women, working collectively to shape a more inclusive and equitable society.
Elizabeth Raley
Secretary
Elizabeth has lived in Savannah since 1997 and is a 2001 graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design. She's a native of Charlotte, NC.
She was the secretary for the LGBTQIA+ club, Lambda, while at SCAD during her junior and senior years.
She's a photographer, business owner, and activist.
Elizabeth has always been into liberal politics and doing the right thing to get equal rights for people. She has a special affinity for the LGBTQIA+ community and women's rights.
She's volunteered for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, participated in rallies, protests, and helped out on several democratic campaigns locally.
Elizabeth loves the outdoors and camps with her husband in the Okefenokee Swamp frequently and enjoys road trips to rural Quebec to spend time in the woods at a lake with friends and family.
She is excited at helping out with the SFDW and hopes to make strides to increase membership.
Cathy Sheridan
Treasurer
I am originally from New Jersey and have moved around the country with my Husband’s job inspecting cargo ships. We moved to Savannah in 2018 for the second time, having previously lived here from 1989 to 1993. In 2022 I retired from H&R Block as a Tax Professional and Tax Law Instructor, after working in 3 different states since 1989.
I have always been involved in my community and politics. Prior to moving to Savannah, I was elected to the Board of Education of Cranford, NJ. I also served on the Cranford Township Recreation Advisory Board and as Chairperson of the Cranford Teen Advisory Board.
After attending the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017, a group of women from my Congressional District formed “Flip NJ 7” whose goal was to elect a Democrat for the first time in over 100 years. We succeeded in electing Tom Malinowski to represent the 7th CD of NJ!
In 2022, my husband Tom and I got very involved in Wade Herring’s campaign to unseat Buddy Carter. Unfortunately, we did not have the same result as in NJ, but we are not done working yet!