Reproductive Equity Now Proudly Welcomes Former House Speaker Terie Norelli and Former State Senator Becky Whitley to Board
Norelli and Whitley to provide critical insight on Reproductive Equity Now’s work in the Granite State
CONCORD (April 16, 2025) – Reproductive Equity Now announces the appointment of two powerhouse leaders to its Board of Directors this week: Terie Norelli, former Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and Becky Whitley, former New Hampshire State Senator and US Congressional Candidate. With an anti-abortion trifecta in New Hampshire’s state government, Norelli and Whitley bring deep political acumen and an unwavering commitment to reproductive freedom—assets that will be instrumental in advancing the organization’s bold legislative and organizing agenda across the Granite State.
“At a time when reproductive rights are under relentless attack nationwide, we are thrilled to welcome two formidable leaders to our board,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now. “With decades of experience shaping policy and leading on reproductive rights, Terie Norelli and Becky Whitley deepen our bench of strategic thinkers and bold advocates at a critical moment for New Hampshire. Their experience will be invaluable as we fight back against the anti-abortion trifecta in Concord and work to protect and expand access to care across the Granite State.”
Norelli is the former Speaker—and the first Democratic Speaker in 84 years—of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Before serving in the legislature, Norelli served as Chair of the Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) Board of Directors, currently known as Haven, as well as Chair of the NARAL NH PAC Board. Norelli sat on the NARAL NH Board of Directors well into the early years of her time in the legislature. As a legislator, Norelli co-sponsored notable legislation that repealed the 1848 New Hampshire law criminalizing abortion, which was later signed into law in 1997 by then-Governor Jeanne Shaheen. Norelli also co-chaired the Reproductive Rights Caucus in the House for ten years. Norelli was elected the 40th President of the National Conference of State Legislatures in 2011. Terie has also served as the head of the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, as an Advisory Board member of the Portsmouth Feminist Health Center–now Lovering Center– and, true to her teaching roots, as the Perkins Bass Distinguished Visitor at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College. On December 19, 2016, she served as one of four members of the New Hampshire Electoral College delegation, the first all-female such delegation, which unanimously supported Secretary Hillary Clinton for President.
Whitley is a dedicated public servant, attorney, and advocate with a longstanding commitment to social justice, public health, and reproductive freedom. A former New Hampshire State Senator representing District 15, Whitley championed progressive policies on reproductive rights, climate action, healthcare access, and economic justice. Prior to her time in elected office, she worked as a staff attorney at the Disability Rights Center – New Hampshire and served as Policy Director for the New Hampshire Children’s Behavioral Health Collaborative. In the Senate, she played a key role on the Judiciary and Health and Human Services Committees, and was appointed Assistant Democratic Leader for the 2023-2024 session. Whitley introduced and passed the landmark New Hampshire MOMnibus, a bill that expanded Medicaid to improve the state's maternal and infant health outcomes and comprehensive legislation to address the New Hampshire childcare crisis. She also led bipartisan efforts to safeguard abortion access, including legislation to protect medication abortion. In 2024, she sought the Democratic nomination for New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District.
These new board additions come as Reproductive Equity Now has expanded its advocacy footprint across New England. In September 2023, as attacks on reproductive equity escalated post-Dobbs, the organization expanded its work from Massachusetts to include New Hampshire and Connecticut, working to build a regional bloc for abortion access.
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