A GLIMPSE AT OUR NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

May 7, 2010

Dear membership of West Virginia Writers, Inc.

Included in this letter are the nominations for officers being recommended by the WV Writers nominating committee. These nominations will be presented for election at our annual business meeting, held on June 11, 2010, at 1 p.m., during the 2010 WV Writers Summer Conference. They are to serve for fiscal year 2010 – 2011.

The Nominating Committee for 2010 included: Eric Fritzius, Ethan Fischer, Sandy Tritt, Belinda Anderson, and Jay Tabor.

Eric Fritzius
Nominating Committee Chairman

2010-2011 SLATE OF OFFICERS

President
Cat Pleska is a freelance writer/editor, radio essayist, university teacher, performer and traveler. She has been a member of WVW, Inc. for 12 years, and has served as secretary, treasurer, and currently 1st. VP. She is also been a board member of two other WV organizations and is used to committee work, executive board decision-making and is no stranger to hard work. Most of all, she is a writer--lives and breathes writing--and is dedicated to supporting writers/writing across the state in whatever way she can. Her plans are to raise the awareness of and appreciation for WVW, Inc., in the minds of State Arts Groups, the State Government, and citizens from border to border and beyond. Cat is a 6th generation West Virginian and lives in Scott Depot with her husband, Dan, dog, Lexi, and cat, Zoe, but is not too far from her daughter Katie, who lives in St. Albans. Check out Cat's activities on her web site and blog: www.catpleska.com .

1st Vice President
Teresa Newsome is our current secretary. She and her husband, Terry, live in Madison where they enjoy spoiling their two grandchildren. Teresa is a graduate of Marshall University and works at the law firm of Shaffer & Shaffer as a certified paralegal. She is the recipient of a WV Commission on the Arts Individual Artist Award and has enjoyed being a member of WV Writers for many years.



2nd Vice President
Susan Nicholas grew up in Milton, WV and graduated from Milton High School in 1986. She anchors the Saturday 6am news and Sundays at 6 & 11pm for WSAZ in Huntington. Her story, "The Suit," won first place at the West Virginia Writers Conference in 2008. She is currently working on several picture books and magazine articles for Highlights Magazine. When Susan isn't writing stories or anchoring the news she is leading her daughter's Girl Scout troop. Of all the things Susan has gotten to do during her 20 years in broadcasting she feels her greatest accomplishments are her two daughters. One is in fourth grade this year and the other just started kindergarten.

Secretary
Craig Snider is thirty-one year old resident of Clarksburg. He grew up in rural West Virginia in a little town called Volga. He is currently a student at Southern New Hampshire University, seeking a degree in English Literature, with a minor in Creative Writing. His ambition is to become a Professor of English studies, and perhaps write a book or two. As a father of a four year old, most of life’s other obstacles seem easy in comparison, and he wouldn't have it any other way. His wife of seven years has been a great support, and bears the lion's share of the responsibilities as he works many hours in online classes to finish his degree. Also in the family are a dog, a cat with a clamorous purr, three lizards, and a chronically agoraphobic rabbit.

Parliamentarian
Belinda Anderson returns to the WV Writers board, having served before as the organization’s 1st Vice President, alongside Cat Pleska, in the 1990s. She holds a bachelor's degree in news-editorial journalism and a master's of liberal arts studies. She's written for such publications as The West Virginia Encyclopedia, Goldenseal, Wonderful West Virginia, Book Page and Writers' Journal, among others. Among her collections of award-winning short stories published by Mountain State Press are The Well Ain't Dry Yet (2001), The Bingo Cheaters (2006), and Buckle Up, Buttercup (2008). Mentoring of other writers earned Belinda Anderson a Just Uncommonly Good (JUG) award from WVW. Her own writing earned her a spot on the first Literary Map of West Virginia.

Treasurer
Henry Palek served as regional rep before graciously stepping in to act as interim treasurer. Henry hails from a small burg in western Pennsylvania, attended a small college in the Midwest playing football and received a degree in biochemistry. After retiring as an executive in the glass industry, Henry worked as a consultant and instructor at the business college in Clarksburg. He loves to travel the USA extensively, always enjoying the company of his wife, Susan.
Henry is the author of the paranormal romance, Return to Io and the second installment in this thrilling series, The Deadly Probes Scenario. Henry is an active member of The Crow’s Quill critique group in Clarksburg.