SCBWI-MI HappySad Changes and Celebrations

A chill is in the air, the kids are back to school, and changes are underway for our SCBWI-MI chapter. After 11 years serving as Regional Advisor, Leslie Helakoski is handing over the reins to another energetic and enthusiastic volunteer - Jodi McKay. Jodi leaves her busy PAL Coordinator role to join Carrie Pearson as Co-RA. The PAL Coordinator position has been renamed Published Members Coordinator, and a huge thanks to Lauren Nyquist for stepping into that role!

Did you follow all of that? These movers and shakers each have an outgoing or incoming message for you, so I’m turning this blog post over to their words. Here's Leslie, Jodi, and Lauren.

From Leslie Helakoski:

Dear Michigan SCBWI-ers,

Well, I can hardly believe this myself, but after 11 years of being a regional advisor in Michigan, I am stepping aside. It’s been a wonderful time and I’m grateful I was able to spend all these years helping this wonderful group.

I first joined SCBWI in 1998 --I’d been attending SCBWI events in Wisconsin and was reluctant to let go of that group when my family moved downstate. The Michigan group was bigger and couldn’t possibly be as wonderful as the Wisconsinites. Could it? But at that very first event in Michigan, I met Shutta Crum, Lisa Wheeler, Kelly DiPucchio and Monica Harris. I had a new community.

Back then, Shirley Neitzel was RA with Buffy Silverman as ARA. They were followed by Mindy Krasner (now Tiedgen), then the wonder twins, Ann Finkelstein and Paula Payton. I became part of the planning committee called AdCom. This is when everyone was mailed a hard copy of the quarterly newsletter after we laid it out by hand. We signed up for events by mailing in registration forms and sending in checks. We did not have google docs for sharing documents! And I remember the big discussions on going electronic because some people just didn’t want to convert to getting info by email! What changes!

Monica Harris and I became RA’s in 2008. Monica was followed by Rachel Anderson and finally, Carrie Pearson and I have been RAs for the past 6 years. What a ride! 

One of the things I tried to accomplish as RA was welcoming new attendees at events. We can all remember that old feeling of being the new kid in the room/class/event. I ask all of you to continue with the practice of being especially welcoming to newbies. All organizations need new blood, new ideas and new volunteers.

Many of us can say we wouldn’t be published without this organization and I know for sure that I wouldn’t have had as much fun on this journey without it. But as much fun as it’s been to run this chapter, it’s a big job, and I look forward to spending more time on my own projects. Luckily, I feel comfortable doing that as we still have Carrie Pearson at the helm and she’ll be joined by Jodi McKay who shows every sign of being a fabulous RA for our region.

I’m not leaving the chapter. I’m only saying goodbye as RA.  I’ll still spend summer and fall in Michigan and hope to attend events as much as possible but winters will be spent down in Louisiana. (Y’all be sure to let me know if you travel that way.) Thanks to all who have sent notes and comments about times we’ve shared, it warms my heart.  I’ve learned so much from all of you and our generous sharing community.

Emeritus Regional Advisor
Leslie Helakoski

From Jodi Mckay:

Hi everyone, I know we will see each other, chat quite a bit, and work together for a while yet so I won't take up too much of your time. I just want to say that I am so happy to step into a role that allows me to support all of you in so many ways. Our Michigan region is a community of generous, brilliant, talented authors and illustrators (I know this because as the PAL coordinator I've met so many of you these past few years!) and I look forward to working with you as we continue on in this wonderful world of creating books for children.

Jodi McKay
Co-Regional Advisor with Carrie Pearson

From Lauren Nyquist:

Hi, I’m Lauren! I’m an illustrator and writer, born and raised in Michigan and a graduate of the College for Creative Studies. I create children’s book illustration and stories, and designs for greeting cards, along with some copywriting here and there. I became an SCBWI member in 2018, and I’m so glad I have! I’m excited to be a part of this community, and to start working as your Published Members Coordinator!

Lauren Nyquist
Published Members Coordinator

One more photo of the dynamic duo. Thanks for your leadership and friendship, Carrie and Leslie! Leslie - we wish you the best with your new projects. Carrie - we're so glad you're still here to lead on!

In other news...

It's the Mitten Five-Year-Blogiversary! 

280 posts later, here's a flashback to our very first post back in 2014:
https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2014/08/welcome-to-mitten.html

A huge thanks to Jodie Fletcher for helping me transition our SCBWI-MI chapter newsletter into this public blog with a much broader reach. Thanks to the volunteers who've stepped up since then to brainstorm and conduct interviews and create illustrations and so much more. Cheers for our blog team - Patti Richards, Nina Goebel, Charlie Barshaw, Jodi McKay and now Lauren Nyquist who will be doing our Book Birthday celebration posts. But the biggest thank-you goes out to all of the SCBWI-MI members who have contributed ideas and posts and photos and artwork throughout the years - we couldn't do this without you!

Happy reading and writing!
Kristin Lenz