Advisory Committee

Co-Regional Advisors and Conference Directors

Brenda Winter Hansen
Brenda writes mostly YA, from contemporary to fantasy, and a few stops in between. She also volunteers at 826 Seattle, guest blogs at Thrifty Rambler, is a freelance editor, and co-captains a houseful of lovable and often hilarious misfits who are prone to mutiny. Her favorite part of the day is still bedtime reading, whether it's with her kids or her cat. See more at www.winterhansen.com.

Dana Arnim
Dana (D1—not the evil Dana), is an illustrator/writer and now Co-Regional Advisor and webmaster for SCBWI WWA. She creates websites by day and illustrates by night—or whenever she can. Her illustrations can be seen in THE TERRIBLE TENOR, by Bev Parnell, on the iPad app Farfaria and on her website at www.danaarnim.com. She’s a true Seattle native and lives here with her handy and handsome husband, amazing daughter, and the requisite cats and dog (who are always good for mind-clearing breaks).

Assistant Regional Advisor

Dana Sullivan
Dana (or D2, in deference to the bossier Dana Arnim) joined the advisory committee in 2010 so he could be the first to find out the schedule for kid lit drink nights. A writer and illustrator, his debut picture book, Ozzie and the Art Contest, hits the shelves July, 2013. The early reader, Digger and Daisy Go To The Zoo, which Dana illustrated, will be published this fall and he is busy working on the second in that series, which he hopes continues until Digger and Daisy Go To The Rest Home. He also illustrated the next box set of Bob Books for Scholastic, due out in July. He lives on the east side with his smoking-hot wife, Vicki, and their adorable dog, Bennie. Check out his work at www.danajsullivan.com or at danastickylove.blogspot.com

Art and Design Editor

Kevan Atteberry
Kevan is an illustrator of several award-winning books and a writer of future award-winning books, including FRANKIE STEIN, by Lola Schaefer, and TICKLE MONSTER, by Josie Bissett. He is frantically finishing the illustrations for a 2013 release of HALLOWEEN HUSTLE,  by Charlotte Gunnufson. He also is a graphic designer, Flash animator, and birdwatcher. You can see some of his illustrations at www.kevanatteberry.com.

Chinook Update and Good News Editor

Emily Russin
Emily is responsible for updating the Chinook blog, doing her darndest to keep up with all your accomplishments and other tidbits pertaining to kid lit in our area and beyond. She is a Seattle native who went "abroad" to the East Coast, where she earned her BA in ancient Greek and her MFA in creative writing, did a stint as a "poetry fact-checker" at the (then-called) Atlantic Monthly, and returned home to the Seattle Weekly, where she ended up as managing editor. Now a freelance writer and book editor, she is also plugging away on a middle-grade novel while she sits in her car at her daughter's ballet school. (See what she will do so she won't be accused of being a Dance Mom?) She watches far too much television (research, people, research!) and lives near a lot of Ethiopian food with her husband, daughter, and canine son.

Program Coordinator

Kerri Kokias
Kerri coordinates our season of events as well as the annual Great Critique where authors and illustrators have the opportunity to critique with published professionals. Kerri began writing picture books in 2004 when she left her research job to be a stay-at-home mom. At first, it gave her something fun to focus on while using the same energy she drew from to parent. But before long she knew writing children’s books is what she wanted to do as a career. Now her idea of a vacation is attending writing conferences and retreats, and she can be found writing away at coffee shops whenever she can steal a moment to herself. In 2006 she completed an advanced education certificate program in Writing for Children at the University of Washington.

Illustration Program Coordinator

Jennifer K. Mann
Jennifer coordinates the wondrous SCBWI events and programs for illustrators. She is all about making the world of children’s book illustration accessible to those who want to inhabit it. Jennifer is an author/illustrator from Bainbridge Island. She is currently illustrating TURKEY TOT, a picture book by the world famous children’s book author George Shannon, to be published by Holiday House, and illustrating two of her own picture books, TWO SPECKLED EGGS, and I DEFINITELY WILL NEVER GET A STAR ON MRS. BENSON’S BLACKBOARD, both to be published by Candlewick Press. Visit Jennifer’s website at www.jenniferkmann.com.

Inside Story Chairperson

Deb Lund
Deb Lund started writing seriously (and humorously) for children when she was a school librarian. She’s the author of Monsters on Machines and Harcourt’s celebrated dinobooks, which are now a dinothrillogy. Deb frequently presents at conferences, workshops, libraries, and schools. She supports writers and teachers through creativity coaching, author visit coaching, continuing education courses, and other resources. She gets to live on Whidbey with a zany family and the schnauzer they serve. See what Deb is up to at www.deblund.com.

Nonfiction Program Coordinator and Cvent Coordinator

Laurie Thompson
Motherhood transformed Laurie Thompson from a mild-mannered, dissatisfied software engineer into a passionate, fulfilled writer. She now strives to create nonfiction that will educate, entertain, and inspire young readers. Laurie’s articles have appeared in ParentMap, Odyssey, Faces, Know, and others, and she is currently working on several nonfiction book manuscripts for various ages. Laurie has been on SCBWI Western Washington's advisory committee since 2007, first as conference coordinator, then as co-regional advisor from 2009-2011. You can read more about Laurie and her work at lauriethompson.com.

Northern Network Coordinator

Rebecca Van Slyke
Rebecca coordinates schmoozes and other fun as the Northern Network Coordinator. She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She writes picture books, easy readers, nonfiction, and poetry, and she’s currently working on something she swore she would never attempt: a middle-grade novel. She also has illustrated five art books for children. Rebecca is a second-grade teacher in Lynden, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and a very spoiled dachshund. She is also a cowgirl.

Public Events Coordinator

Tina Hoggatt
Tina helps to coordinate public events and other opportunities for SCBWI to engage with our community. A writer and illustrator, she is currently working on young-adult and middle-grade fiction. In her day job she handles press and social media for 4Culture, the cultural services agency for King County. Tina has illustrated two books for adults, MY JIM by Nancy Rawles and HOME FIELD, a collection of essays on baseball edited by John Marshall. Her public artwork The Positions on the Field is permanently installed in Safeco Field. Learn more about her work at  tinahoggatt.com.

Published Member Liason

Joni Sensel
Joni helps develop programs for our region's published professionals. She's the author of a handful of fantasies for middle-grade and YA readers, most recently THE SKELETON'S KNIFE, the third book in her Farwalker Trilogy. A business freelancer and propagandist by day, Joni lives with a couple of pooches in the woods near Mt. Rainier. Read more at www.jonisensel.com.

Retreat Director

Jolie Stekly
Jolie is a freelance writer and novelist, teacher (including for the University of Washington’s Continuing Education Writing for Kids program), fitness instructor, former SCBWI co-regional advisor, and the 2009 SCBWI Member of the Year. She’s also a member of SCBWI Team Blog, which offers live blogging at the organization’s annual summer and winter conferences, and she maintains her own blog at cuppajolie.blogspot.com/.