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

Shweta Adhyam

Shweta speaks five languages, belongs to four cultures, has had three careers, loves two cities, and thinks escapism is excellent. She/her.

Betsy Aoki

Betsy Aoki, a Clarion West alum, has led technical projects for more than 20 years, and is currently a game producer working on Age of Empires.

Linda Breneman

Linda is a huge fan of science fiction in all its forms. She lives in Seattle, where she writes, listens to audiobooks, wrangles a small cockapoo, and donates to medical research, social services, and arts organizations.

M. Huw Evans

Huw attended Clarion West in 2012 and served as workshop administrator 2014–2017. He writes, edits, and—when time and family permit—reads.

Susan Gossman

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

Miriah Hetherington

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

Tod McCoy

Chair. Tod is a 2010 graduate of Clarion West. He runs Hydra House Books, writes contemporary fantasy and poetry, and loves pizza and chimichangas. But not mixed together. He/him.

Brooks Peck

Brooks Peck is a pop culture museum curator, author and journalist. He likes good design, conlangs, cats, and lowbrow theater. He/him.

Nisi Shawl

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

Scott Sherman

Scott enjoys reading (anything from a new perspective), writing (stories and programs), and ‘rithmatic (including advanced mathematical topics like flexagons). He/him.

Misha Stone

Secretary. 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, and former board chair, he can be found Wednesday evenings on a Fantasy Author D&D Twitch Stream.

Gordon B. White

Gordon B. White is a CW ’17 grad and strives for good literary citizenship. Free time finds him at the gym with his wife or napping with his dog. He/him.

Our Staff

Elly Bangs

DATABASE SPECIALIST

Elly attended Clarion West in 2017. She rides her bicycle everywhere and enjoys pie, dream pop, and obscure factoids about outer space. She/her.

Stephanie Morris

Program and Communications Assistant

Stephanie reads stuff out loud, fangirls professionally, and occasionally writes stories. She attended Clarion West in 2017. She/her.

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.

Vicki Saunders

ART DIRECTOR

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.

Evan J. Peterson

Fundraising and Outreach Coordinator

Evan is an author and game writer, Florida native, and benevolent weirdo. CW class of 2015. Bene Gesserit. All pronouns accepted.

Erik Owomoyela

Back-End Developer

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.

Kate Schaefer

VOLUNTEER DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

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

Rashida J. Smith

WORKSHOP ADMINISTRATOR

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

Jae Steinbacher

WORKSHOP COORDINATOR

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.

Suzanne Tompkins

SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR

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.