Some changes are coming to our Eastern PA SCBWI regional team. But don’t worry, no one is going away for good. We’re just shifting our roles. This is good news because it means we’ve got some exciting plans and initiatives in the works, which you’ll hear more about soon.
Alison Green Myers – Alison, who has served on the regional team for five years, will be stepping down as Co-Regional Advisor. Alison will continue on as the Chair of the Pocono Retreat as well as the Chair of the PAL Committee. Alison says, “I’m glad that these responsibilities will keep me connected to the regional team and able to contribute to the member group that we’ve built.”
Rona Shirdan – Rona will be making the leap from Assistant Regional Advisor to Co-Regional Advisor, where she and current Co-Regional Advisor Lindsay Bandy will head up our chapter’s events and activities. Rona has been busy planning some new initiatives for our region, which we hope to unveil soon.
Laura Parnum – Blogmaster Laura Parnum will be expanding her duties as she fills the Assistant Regional Advisor role. Laura will continue running the blog while assisting the Regional Advisors with communications and area events. Laura is looking forward to getting to know more members, either in person or through online communication.
Virginia Law Manning – After two years as Illustrator Coordinator, Virginia will be transitioning into a new role—EPA Field Trip Coordinator. Virginia is excited to plan more events for SCBWI members and nonmembers and hopes to have the opportunity to meet you in person at one of our upcoming events. She can be reached at scbwiepaFieldTripCoordinator@gmail.com. Be sure to check out these events already in the works.
- 10/19/2019 – Picture Book Perfect Saturday!
- 11/9/2019 – Digging Deep in the Picture Creation Process
- 12/6/2019 – Third Annual Holiday Field Trip to NYC!
Berrie Torgan-Randall – We are very excited to announce that Berrie Torgan-Randall will be joining the team as Illustrator Coordinator. Berrie has been passionate about children’s literature since she was a little girl, and has fed her desire by becoming a children’s librarian and by pursuing a career as an illustrator and writer of children’s books. She is looking forward to making connections with professionals while organizing events for illustrators who are on a similar journey of creating beautiful and meaningful picture books.
Co-Regional Advisor Lindsay Bandy and our Critique Group Coordinator and Meet & Greet Coordinator, Heather Stigall, will continue in their current roles. The transitions will go into effect October 1, 2019. Please reach out to us by e-mail at epa@scbwi.org with any questions or to find out how you can get involved.
EasternPennPoints 
I am excited about all of those taking leadership roles. In the past year our chapter has added many new opportunities for illustrators and authors, and I am proud to belong to such a passionate and dedicated group.
I’ve attended a number of the great events put on by the EPA Team during my two years of membership in the SCBWI, and I look forward to learning more about these new initiatives and events.
I hit post too soon! I also wanted to say thanks to all the team members, past and present, who dedicate so much of their own time to helping to build this creative community! I’ve learned so much, and received so much value from SCBWI since joining, and the bulk of it is due to our regional team! Thanks!
Congratulations to everyone on their new roles! You guys are treasures for the kidlit community.
I echo all the thoughts above! Thanks to everyone past and present for serving! You are all amazing and I look forward to seeing where Eastern PA SCBWI will go from here. ☺
Keep up the good work! You guys are amazing!!!