Board and Staff Members

Elizabeth Bourne

Elizabeth Bourne is a writer who attended the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction novel workshop, where she is also a member of the Board of Directors. She is an owner of Tsongas Litigation Consulting, and is a member of that firm’s Board of Directors and its Executive Committee.

Rashida Scholz

Rashida Scholz attended Clarion West in 2005. She edits the webzine GigaNotoSaurus (Rashida J. Smith), keeps her adventurous preschooler off the walls, and speculates in her fiction as Jasmine Silvera.

Susan Gossman

Susan Gossman is an investor, accountant and former banker. She is an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction and has been a speculative fiction fan since high school. In addition to reading, her other pastimes include hiking with her husband Bill, gardening, and conversations with her oversized cat.

Ned Hayes

Ned Hayes (Nick Hallum) is a novelist with three published novels, including The Eagle Tree. He is a longtime technology leader, and has led product teams at Adobe, Microsoft, Xerox PARC, Vulcan Labs and most recently Intel. He holds an MFA from the Rainier Writing Workshop and is a lifelong fan of science-fiction, fantasy and all types of speculative fiction.

Jeffrey Lemkin

Jeffrey Lemkin is a marketer, business writer, book collector, food blogger and Clarion West’s Secretary. He has been a speculative fiction fan for more than a half century and currently lives on Camano Island with his wife and cat, both of whom tolerate him.

Tod McCoy

Tod McCoy is a Clarion West alumnus whose work has appeared in AntipodeanSF, Qarrtsiluni.com, the.gloaming magazine, and the anthology Bronies: For the Love of Ponies. He runs Hydra House, a small press dedicated to publishing West Coast science fiction and fantasy. He serves as the board’s Vice Chair.

Vicki Saunders

Vicki Saunders is a writer, editor, and graphic designer who attended Clarion West in 2009. She serves as the board’s Chair and Clarion West’s Art Director.

Nisi Shawl

Nisi Shawl is the James Tiptree, Jr. Award-winning author of the story collection Filter House and the novel Everfair.  She attended Clarion West in 1992.

Yang-Yang Wang

Yang-Yang Wang is an actor and writer who attended Clarion West in 2014. A lover of brevity, he serves as Clarion West’s Treasurer.

Marnee Chua

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Marnee Chua is an experienced manager and development professional with over fifteen years of experience in fundraising, nonprofit leadership, and STEM education. A recent transplant to the Seattle area, Marnee is the cofounder of Works Progress, a community coworking space. While serving in the Philippines as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, Marnee co-founded the Palawan Conservation Corps, a non-profit focused on livelihood training for out-of-school youth.

Neile Graham

WORKSHOP DIRECTOR

Canadian-born, Neile has been in awe of what happens at Clarion West since she attended as a student in 1996 and is delighted that her life since is still full of writing and writers. She has three published collections and a spoken word CD of poetry, as well as numerous projects in the works.

Micaiah “Huw” Evans

WORKSHOP ADMINISTRATOR

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Huw attended Clarion West in 2012. He writes (mostly speculative) fiction and lives in Seattle with his wife, daughter, and far too many books.

Katherine Sparrow

ONE-DAY WORKSHOP COORDINATOR

Katherine is a writer and social worker living in Seattle with her partner, two kids, and the enigmatic Couch and Chair (guinea pigs). She attended Clarion West in 2005.

Kris Millering

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Kris Millering is a linguist by training, a tech tinkerer by trade, and a writer and photographer by avocation. She moved to Seattle from Iowa twenty years ago, and now lives between the ocean and the mountains on the Olympic Peninsula. She attended Clarion West in 2009.

Suzanne Tompkins

OFFICE MANAGER

An independent association manager and meeting planner, Suzanne (aka Suzle) has been involved in SF fandom since the mid-60’s. She has co-edited four fanzines and helps to run numerous SF cons, most recently the Seattle Potlatches, as well as the 2011 and 2013 Worldcons.

Kate Schaefer

DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

Kate’s past includes financial analysis for a large but now-defunct bank, database programming, attending Clarion West in 1992, and a great deal of sewing. Her present includes cloud database administration, volunteering for Clarion West, much sewing, and a long reading list.

Erik Owomoyela

WEBSITE MANAGER

A former Nebraskan, Erik first moved west to attend Clarion West in 2010. He now lives in Seattle, finding creative applications for his journalism degree.