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Advisory Committee
Co-Regional Advisors, Conference Directors, Joni Sensel & Laurie ThompsonCo-Regional Advisors, Conference Directors, Joni Sensel & Laurie ThompsonTogether, Joni and Laurie lead the Western Washington chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. They partner as conference directors and editorial directors for the chapter’s print and online publications, in addition to managing the monthly Professional Series Meetings and a team of amazing volunteers who make up the Advisory Committee. In addition to handling the chapter’s fiscal responsibilities, Joni is the public face and voice of the organization, handling most of the public speaking opportunities as well as gathering and editing information for The Chinook. Laurie is happiest doing the “behind-the-scenes” technical work: twiddling spreadsheets, maintaining databases, and tracking the various to-do lists. They couldn’t do any of it without the enormous contributions of assistant regional advisor, Kimberly Baker. Whatever it is, you can be sure all three of them played a part.
Joni Sensel
Joni Sensel is the author of REALITY LEAK and THE HUMMING OF NUMBERS, both published by Henry Holt, and THE FARWALKER’S QUEST, published by Bloomsbury with a sequel coming next year. She’s also the author of two picture books and loads of business propaganda. Joni lives in the woods near Mt. Rainier, where she tries to keep up with her new dog as he chases elk and climbs trees after squirrels. Read more at www.jonisensel.com.
Laurie Thompson
Motherhood transformed Laurie Thompson, a mild-mannered, dissatisfied software engineer, into a passionate, fulfilled writer. While raising two young children, she strives to create nonfiction and fiction stories that will educate, entertain, and inspire. Laurie’s articles have appeared in ParentMap, KNOW, Faces, WeeOnes, and KONO, and she is currently shopping a teen nonfiction book for would-be social entrepreneurs. Read more about her work at lauriethompson.com. Assistant Regional Advisor, Conference Coordinator, ChairpersonKimberly Baker
In addition to being an indispensable member of the regional advisory triumvirate, Kim assists the conference directors with the organization, management, and logistics related to SCBWI Western Washington’s annual conference. She recently finished her first middle-grade novel and is currently working on her second. She spends her days keeping up with two small kids, and saves most of the reading and writing for nights and weekends. Otherwise, you can find her exploring, crafting, or slowly renovating a creaky old house. She lives in Seattle with her family and a few furry creatures. Read more at www.waggingtales.wordpress.com.
Professional Series Director/Bookstore LiaisonAllyson Valentine Schrier
Allyson coordinates our monthly Professional Series Meetings and serves as a liaison for our event booksellers. She started writing about eight years ago after taking a class with Peggy King Anderson (along with so many others, who say, “thank you Peggy!”). She has written more than 20 fiction and nonfiction books for an educational publisher and has had stories accepted for publication by Spider and Hopscotch. She recently received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Art and Design EditorKevan Atteberry
Kevan is the wizard behind The Chinook’s great look—or its existence in print at all, for that matter. He is also an illustrator, designer, and Flash animator during the day and an illustrator of books—including FRANKIE STEIN, by Lola Schaefer, the 2008 Children’s Book Council’s K-2 Children’s Choice Book of the Year—during his other waking hours. He’s currently illustrating the sequel to that and working on the manuscripts for several picture books. He enjoys volleyball, birding, and staying on top of the new music scene. And banana cream pie. Attendance Coordinator and Teacher/Librarian Outreach CoordinatorChadwick Gillenwater
Chadwick greets and signs in attendees at our Professional Series Meetings, as well as keeping track of meeting attendance. Otherwise known as Professor Watermelon, he’s a school librarian and creative writing instructor, and he’s also heading up a new teacher/librarian outreach effort for our region. Hailing from Indianapolis, IN, Chadwick is a Hoosier at heart but is happy to call Seattle his home. Bellingham Network CoordinatorAngelina C. Hansen
Angelina organizes carpools and puts together schmoozes as the Bellingham Network Coordinator, so if you live in Skagit or Whatcom Counties (or anywhere nearby) and you’d like to meet more writers and illustrators in that neck of the woods, contact her! Angelina enjoys a peaceful life in the foothills of the North Cascades, a stone’s throw from the Canadian border. She has an insatiable appetite for young-adult novels and somehow manages to put the books down long enough to work on a few of her own. Check out her works-in-progress at her website. Chinook Articles EditorJ. Elizabeth Mills
Elizabeth (or Liz, as she likes to be known) was a children’s book editor at Scholastic in big, bad New York for eight years until she realized she was happier climbing a mountain than the steps of the subway. She moved to Seattle and worked as Toys and Games Editor at Cranium for two years. Now she is a freelance writer and editor, with several work-for-hire publications and one picture book under contract. She loves hiking, rock climbing, reading anything and everything, and waking up to a view of the Cascades every morning. Chinook Update and Good News EditorMartha Brockenbrough
Martha produces the Chinook Update, a digital extension of The Chinook printed newsletter. She is author of THINGS THAT MAKE US [SIC], recently published by St. Martin’s Press. The book is about bad grammar, the history of English, and the incredibly embarrassing gaffes of politicians, starlets, and marketers. It’s based on her work with the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, which she founded in 2004. (See SPOGG.org for details and laughs.) Martha’s also the founder of National Grammar Day, which happens every year on March 4, as well as the author of the Mom and Pop Culture column on MSN Entertainment. Conference CoordinatorLaurie Jones
Laurie joined the Advisory Committee to assist with the 2010 SCBWI Western Washington’s annual conference. She’s planned numerous conferences for SCBWI-Houston, and was traded to Seattle for a player to be named later. Laurie’s written for several Houston publications and currently writes to corporations about their faulty products, reaping numerous free samples and coupons. She’s writing a book for tweens and teens about…well, you’ll just have to wait and see. Her web site, www.laurieajones.com, is undergoing a makeover, much like her golf swing. Laurie resides in Seattle. Critique Group & Great Critique CoordinatorLois Brandt
Lois helps writers and illustrators connect with their peers to form critique groups. Her short stories have appeared in Highlights, Sparkle, and Pockets children’s magazines. Lois served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa, and has traveled widely. She received an MFA in Children’s Literature in 2007 from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. In addition to working on her own short stories and novels, Lois teaches her popular Write a Novel in a Month classes through The Publishing Institute at Bellevue College. Illustration Program CoordinatorJaime Temairik
Jaime has illustrated LIGHTS, CAMERA, FASHION!, written by Sara Easterly, as well as fellow AdCommer Martha Brockenbrough’s THINGS THAT MAKE US (SIC). She’s part of SCBWI’s TEAM BLOG for the 2009 SCBWI International Summer Conference. When Jaime’s not drawing, she’s driving visiting authors around town with First Edition Media Services or reading punctuation auras as Madame Brockenbrough’s patented Grammar Psychic, Grammarella™. Jaime is embarrassed by the number of web links she has, but would like to point you to www.cocoastomp.blogspot.com for starters. Inside Story ChairpersonMeg Lippert
Meg organizes the Inside Story events twice a year. She is the author of 22 books of multicultural folk tales, including four co-authored with Liberian storyteller Won-Ldy Paye, the most recent of which is THE TALKING VEGETABLES. A former classroom teacher and professor of children’s literature, she teaches Storytelling through Lesley University. Her website, www.StoryPower.net, describes her storytelling programs and school visits. Meg lives on Mercer Island with her husband and looks forward to visiting her daughters, who are both working in Washington, DC. Published Member LiasonSara Easterly
As Published Member Liaison, Sara strategizes on programs for SCBWI’s published members. A former regional advisor, Sara has been volunteering for the chapter’s Advisory Committee since 2002 and was SCBWI Member of the Year in 2009, along with Jolie Stekly. She’s both a children’s author and an author publicist. Her first book, LIGHTS, CAMERA, FASHION! (becker&mayer!/Chronicle), illustrated by Jaime Temairik, won a 2007 Parents' Choice Silver Honor, among other awards. She holds a journalism degree from Colorado StateUniversity, as well as a writing certificate from the University of Washington, UW Extension. As principal and creative director of Sara Easterly & Friends, she handles publicity for authors such as 2007 Newbery Honor Medalist Kirby Larson, Bonny Becker, David Patneaude, and Joni Sensel. She also handles PR for Wizards of the Coast, supporting New York Times bestselling authors R.A. Salvatore, Margaret Weis, and Tracy Hickman. Visit www.saraeasterly.com for more. Resources CoordinatorKerri Kokias
Kerri sells SCBWI products, including pens, book bags, window clings, and the Nuts & Bolts packet, at monthly meetings and our annual conference. She began writing picture books when she left her research job to be a stay-at-home mom. She feels it gives her something fun and productive to focus on that's all hers, while using the same energy she draws from to parent. In 2006, Kerri completed the University of Washington’s certificate program in Writing for Children. Recently, her four-year-old daughter giggled and said, “Mom, why are you always reading my books? You’re supposed to read grown-up books.” Although Kerri does read adult literature too, her response was, “My books don't have enough pictures.” Retreat DirectorJolie Stekly
Jolie grew up in small-town Montana before moving to the Pacific Northwest where she lives with her husband, daughters, and parents (yes, parents). After many years of teaching first and second grade, Jolie is now home with her girls and writing, writing, writing. Jolie was the Co-Regional Advisor of the Western Washington chapter of SCBWI from 2006-2009, and she is now responsible for putting together our annual writing retreat. All these things combined have led her to require a good cup of coffee (more than one a day), a cute pair of shoes (no matter how much they hurt), and a great workout (even on the days she’s not teaching her own Bodypump class). You can read more at cuppajolie.blogspot.com/. Secretary/HospitalityAnnie Gage
Annie takes notes at Advisory Committee meetings and provides us with yummy treats to make our meetings extra tasty. In a 1969 journal entry, she wrote, “I want to write a children’s book…” In 1988, just before entering a master’s program in social work, she was accepted as an Institute of Children’s Literature student, but declined the offer. Finally, in 2000, she tried her hand at writing for kids. Since then, she has sold stories to Ladybug, Highlights, and Trillium Publishing, as well as a grown-up essay to Seal Press. A willing spokeswoman for late bloomers and creative U-turn-takers everywhere, Annie is working on a middle-grade adventure novel. She lives with her family near Greenlake and works at Coe Elementary during the school year. WebmasterDana Arnim
Dana created and maintains our SCBWI Western Washington website. She is working on several stories and her illustration portfolio while working at her web design day job. She received her BFA from the U of W, and completed their Extension certificate program "Art for the Children's Market". Devouring illustrated storybooks early in life, and then again with her children, set her on the path to contribute work of her own to children's literature. She is an avid gardener, reader and chocolate eater. You can see her artwork at www.DanaArnim.com. |
