Board and Staff Members

Clarion West incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1986, with workshop alumni and other interested members of the science fiction community forming its first Board of Directors. With the help of many dedicated volunteers and a core of committed professional staff, Clarion West has produced some of science fiction and fantasy’s top writers and editors. Graduates have received every major form of recognition in the field, including the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards.

Our Board

Susan Gossman

Reader, gardner, hiker, political junkie, owner of a troublesome cat and investor. Susan serves on the Development Committee. She/her.

Miriah Hetherington

Miriah enjoys writing, reading, walking her dogs, hanging out with friends and family, and brackets. [Insert quirky personal detail here.] She/her.

Tod McCoy

Tod McCoy is a 2010 grad and serves as board secretary. He runs Hydra House Books, writes contemporary fantasy and poetry, and loves pizza and chimichangas. But not mixed together. He/him.

Vicki Saunders

Vicki Saunders is a writer, editor, and graphic designer who attended Clarion West in 2009, has served as Board Chair, and currently is Clarion West’s Art Director. She/her.

Rashida J. Smith

Writer, mom, and occasional cellist, Rashida attended Clarion West in 2005. She loves oatmeal raisin cookies, “kissing books” and superhero movies.

Nisi Shawl

Nisi Shawl has been on the board 20 years! She attended Clarion West in 1992 and is still writing. Her time as CW’s Communications Director helped tighten her prose. They/them.

Misha Stone

Misha is a librarian in Seattle specializing in readers’ advisory. Misha loves books, karaoke, coffee and fall in the Northwest. She/her.

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 Board Chair.

Our Staff

Marnee Chua

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Marnee is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, nonprofit administrator, reader, and loves to scuba dive. She prefers stories with kimchi in space. She/her.

Neile Graham

WORKSHOP DIRECTOR

Neile Graham loves forests, wind, and rain. Also cats, writing, reading, and the writer-wrangling she does for Clarion West. She’s a 1996 workshop grad. She/her.

Micaiah “Huw” Evans

WORKSHOP SPECIALIST

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.

Tegan Moore

WORKSHOP SPECIALIST

Tegan Moore runs Clarion West’s One-Day Workshops. She enjoys her dogs, noodles, fancy cocktails, and reading in the bathtub. She graduated Clarion West class of 2015.

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.

Joe Schindler

CULINARY SPECIALIST

He is a cook for life, bringing people together through the meals he creates. Born in the PNW. He enjoys billiards, sports, and the outdoors.

Jae Steinbacher

WORKSHOP ADMINISTRATOR

Jae Steinbacher is a writer, editor, and dual class factotum/sorcerer. Jae loves cats, travel, and enamel pins and is a CW’14 graduate. They/them.

Jeremy Sim

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Jeremy Sim is a writer, game creator, and world traveler. He manages Clarion West’s publications, community, and online presence.

Suzanne Tompkins

OFFICE MANAGER

An independent ass’n. manager/meeting planner, Suzanne has been CW’s Office Manager and/or Bookkeeper since 2005. She’s worked on Facilities at many recent Worldcons. She/her.

Kate Schaefer

DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

Former financial analyst at now-defunct bank, former mainframe database programmer. Now CW volunteer. Doesn’t always verb. She/her.