Director N. J. Lindquist has been guiding the conference since July of 2001, and she’s more than happy to act as mentor and cheerleader while others with new ideas and enthusiasm take over the reins.
Two new assistant directors plus a dozen other new volunteers will make the 2012 conference the best organized one yet! And that’s saying a lot, because many of our faculty and registrants have told us that Write! Canada is one of the best organized conferences of any kind that they’ve attended.
Our new conference staff includes some who have been involved for 10 or more years and some who came to the conference for the first time last year.
Assistant Director Jayne E. Self has been a conference attendee since 2000, and has been the Manuscripts and Appointments Coordinator for several years.
Asked why she was willing to accept this new challenge, Jayne says, “To be honest, I’m a little surprised to find myself here as I see myself as a care giver, rather than a leader. Since my first conference, I have progressed slowly from attendee, to volunteer to staff. I’ve seen God open doors and bless each step. This new position builds on what’s gone before, enabling me to care for more folks. I feel very honoured to be here." Read an interview with Jayne
Assistant Director Lois Rooney-Giurin attended the conference for the first time last year. At the conference, she found the encouragement and inspiration to move towards the career that had always beckoned—that of a writer and editor, so she decided to volunteer her skills in leading and organizing. Read an interview with Lois
Of course, some of our long-term and more recent staff are back too! Since we seem to find more to do all the time, our team just keeps getting bigger.
Heidi VanderSlikke, Write! Canada Bookstore Team Lead, who has been part of the leadership since 2002, says: "The Word Guild is a unique group, and yet like any other community, by definition it needs its members to connect with each other. For me, working in the Write! Canada bookstore is an opportunity to invest something of myself into The Word Guild. The return on that investment is a connection to the people I work alongside of, as well as those who come into the store. It's a little slice of Heaven, really. I'm surrounded by books, the people who wrote them and the people who love them."
Andi Harris, Volunteers Team Lead, who joined our volunteer team last year, says, "Being part of the leadership of Write! Canada is like the Kingdom; we all do our part, and are fitly joined together. Like the pieces of a puzzle, we help hold each other together."
See the complete list of Write! Canada staff
As for Write! Canada 2012, we're currently finalizing details and hope to open registration in a couple of weeks.
