Alison began her involvement with Women Writing for a Change in 2007 as a Thursday morning writer. She found the experience to be so powerful that she later became interested in the Young Women’s programming. In fall of 2010, along with Stacey Sims, she introduced The True Body, Strong Voice Workshop that incorporated both writing and movement with the goal of helping girls find their unique voices within their writing community. In addition to facilitating weekly Young Women’s classes, Alison has also co-created and led a week long camp for girls in grades 4-7 during the summer of 2011. Alison will be participating in WWfaC’s Facilitator Training Program in the fall of 2011. Alison earned her BA in English from Emory University, a Masters in Counseling from Georgia State, and has her accreditation as a Certified Social Worker from the University of Kentucky. Her past work includes both medical and clinical social work at the University of Kentucky’s department of Neonatology and Outpatient Psych. She also has experience working with adults and geriatric patients on the Behavioral Health Unit of St. Joseph’s Hospital, as a psychiatric social worker. In addition to social services, Alison has worked in pubic relations for Ketchum Communications in New York, and has also volunteered at various Jewish Community Agencies, including, Jewish Family Services and the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Alison has enjoyed the challenge of using her experience to create and facilitate groups, which help girls to become more self aware and connected to each other, by promoting honest expression and active listening. As a mother of two girls, ages 15 and 11, Alison believes that one of the greatest gifts we can give our girls is the guidance and encouragement to find their unique voice. She believes it is a foundation for self- empowerment throughout their lives.

Annette Januzzi Wick is a local writer, blogger and producer of Women Writing for (a) Change – The Podcast Edition. She is author of I’ll Be in the Car: One Woman’s Story of Love, Love and Reclaiming Life, a memoir penned following the death of her first husband,and founder of a publishing company Three Arch Press. She is certified in the facilitation and writing processes of Women Writing for (a) Change and has implemented those processes for weekly workshops at an Alzheimer’s facility, Starfire U., as well as single workshops on Blending Families, Honoring our Lives as Healers, and What Survives, a writing sampler with a Mother’s Day theme. Annette has won awards from Writers Digest, Ohio Poetry Day, and the GWCL, while also acting as speaker for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society events, cancer and support groups, women’s and church groups, and book clubs. She maintains a personal website at www.illbeinthecar.com and blogs at www.thesedarnwritingshoes.blogspot.com, and www.generationu.blogspot.com about her pending move to downtown Cincinnati. Annette views her greatest life work as making connections through writing, words and community.

Beth Fritsch has been a writer in community since 2005. She is a 2009 graduate of the Feminist Leadership Academy, a facilitator of co-ed classes, a Board Trustee and 2010 Board President. A life long learner, Beth has graduate degrees in business, education and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Theology. Beth has facilitated groups for women and also led weekend Soul Writing retreats. A singer and poet, she believes the continued cultivation of the poetic imagination is the best thing one can do to enrich the soul.

Casey Frazee is a facilitator and student at Women Writing for a Change. She is a graduate of WWfaC's 2011 Facilitator's Training Program. She facilitates youth and adult programming for WWfaC in outreach settings as well as at Women Writing. Casey's background is in public relations, writing, communications and public speaking. She started her career in agency public relations before transitioning to the non-profit sector. She is currently the Youth Development Coordinator at the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. Casey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa in 2009. Upon her return to the United States she started an organization to help support Volunteers who are survivors of sexual assault in Peace Corps. That organization, First Response Action, was instrumental in advocating for legislation to support survivors that was ultimately signed into law by President Obama in November 2011. More about the organization can be found at www.firstresponseaction.org. Casey lives downtown with her partner Mitch.

Catherine is a senior at Wyoming High School and has been a writer at Young Women Writing since 2005. She began assisting with classes in 2011, helping with a winter and summer class. 2012 will be her second year assisting with summer classes for young girls. Catherine has enjoyed the friendships made through the organization, and is active in the community. She is currently completing her Girl Scout Gold Award, her project being an outreach writing program based on the experiences and teachings from WW classes. In school, she writes a food column for the school newspaper and is an Editor. She loves to bake and enjoys sharing her treats with her classes at WW. She hopes to one day own her own bakery. Catherine hopes to continue to teach at WW as much as possible in the coming years.

Cathy Malone is certified to teach English for grades 7-12 and has been teaching for 13 years. She taught high school for the first five years, and has been teaching junior high ever since. Cathy received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Cathy has participated in numerous WWfaC classes. In 2011, Cathy also co-facilitated young women’s summer camps. In the fall of 2011, Cathy will be participating in WWfaC’s Facilitator Training Program with a desire to facilitate young women’s and adult programs at WWfaC.

Dawn Koch joined the staff of Women Writing for (a) Change (WWf(a)C) as Coordinator of Young Women’s and Outreach Programs in 2010. In 2012, Dawn accepted a position as Program Director. She has been a writer in the WWf(a)C community since 2007. Dawn has facilitated various writing programs for women and girls at WWf(a)C, and has brought the WWf(a)C writing process through outreach work to youth at-risk in partnership with Project Connect and the YWCA’s Rosie’s Girls Programs, among others. Dawn holds an Individualized BA with an interdisciplinary focus in writing process, women’s studies, children’s literature, and curriculum development from Goddard College, and an Individualized MA from Antioch University Midwest in Women’s Transformative Writing Process. Dawn lives in Indiana with her husband, one-year-old daughter, and German Shepherd.

Diane Debevec is a visual artist who loves to write. Several years ago she left a corporate career to explore her love of painting and drawing, relocating to Cincinnati in 1998. She attended her first class at Women Writing for (a) Change in 1999, and was hooked. Several semesters of classes led her to the Feminist Leadership Academy. She credits the core writing classes at Women Writing, and the FLA, with helping her to create a more authentic life. “Women Writing for (a) Change taught me to be increasingly conscious in every part of my life. What I learned here, and my daily writing practice, brings clarity and courage to every decision and relationship.” Diane has facilitated & co-facilitated several writing and multi-arts circles, in a variety of settings from living rooms to a local prison. Her re-created life includes an urban community known as Artful Habitats, where she provides unique apartments to creative city dwellers. She resides there with her husband, Jeff Smith, dogs Sydney & Mandy, and the inimitable Audrey the Cat. Diane shares studio space with painter Polly Hart at the Essex Studios.

Karen is a student at Denison University who has been growing and changing with WWfaC since she was in junior high. After attending numerous classes, she decided that she wanted to help others have equally wonderful experiences and completed the Young Women's Feminist Leadership Academy. She has facilitated numerous outreach programs including Rosie's Girls, and considers the writing hall to be an extraordinarily valuable and enriching place. Along with writing mostly poetry and personal reflection, Karen enjoys dancing, hiking, traveling, cooking, and exploring new parts of Cincinnati. Her email address is karenbullock3@gmail.com, and she welcomes messages from new, returning, and potential writers. Don't be shy--if you have a question or just want to say hello, she'd love to hear from you!

Katherine likes to play with words, people and art materials and thinks it's a lot of fun to bring people together to create new things: poems, essays, visual images and/or a whole new self-of-your-choice! For Women Writing for (a) Change Katherine facilitates "Words and Watercolors", "Art and Writing", samplers and family workshops. She has also served as the Artist-in-Residence for the girls' summer programs. Katherine believes that switching from one media to another helps writers to by-pass blocks to creativity. She also thinks it's very satisfying to see what one can do with art material on the first go-around with no training. She recommends her classes to those who do not consider themselves artists or writers. Of course, she also suggests that you may have to reconsider your own image. The pearly perils of creativity.

Katherine is the former director of the Women's Center at Northern Kentucky University where she taught in the Women's Studies and Human Services disciplines. She also co-facilitated many groups including the long standing,"Women in Transition." Since retiring from NKU, Katherine works part time at the Athenaeum Library where books fall into her hands recommending themselves to her for spiritual development. Sometimes she is seen in the stacks talking to the books - or worse yet - to herself!

Katherine is a 2009 graduate of the Feminist Leadership Academy. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Thomas More College; a Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy from University of Louisville and a Masters in Social Work from University of Kentucky. She is an active member of the Buckeye Art Therapy Association and the Tri-State Knitting Guild. She likes living on the river, camping and whatever travels she can dream up!

Kathy is a teacher and writer in the women's and co-ed programs. Kathy also designs and facilitates workshops, and consults with individual writers. She began as a Wednesday night writer in 1997 and is a founding member of the WWFC Foundation.

An Associate of the Ohio Writing Project, Kathy also has conducted writing workshops for teachers in the Bay Area and in Cincinnati. She has 29 years’ experience teaching English and writing students in junior high through college. Her poetry has appeared in Ohio Teachers Write, Plymouth Writers Group, and Cincinnati Neighborhood Poet Laureate anthologies. A collection of interviews: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, was published in 2005. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Edgecliff College (now Xavier University) and an Master of Education from the University of Cincinnati. She is a 2008 graduate of the Feminist Leadership Academy.

Kaya Kotzen is a retired social worker who spent over 30 years working with folks with developmental disabilities. She has been writing seriously for over 10 years and has self-published one book of poetry entitled Coming into My Wisdom (available at WWFC or online with Barnes&Noble or Amazon.) She volunteers for several organizations since retirement, enjoys traveling, writing, nature, kayaking, walking her dog and is involved in doing prayer chaplain work at New Thought Unity Center. She also has been involved in shamanic priestess work and women’s spirituality groups and incorporates prayer, meditation, and rituals as well as writing in her own spiritual growth practices. She is a lover of music, theatre and the arts.

Linda began her career in education and earned a Master’s degree from Xavier University in Education. After her ten year teaching career she chose to be home with her 3 young children and became involved in many community projects as a volunteer. In 1987 she became a full time travel agent and owned her own travel agency for 13 years. As a business owner she developed much experience in training and educating employees, as well as hosting groups that travel to Europe, Alaska and the Caribbean. Her travel background has prepared her for her desire to create writing trips for Women Writers, that will be one of her priorities in the coming years. She will be hosting a group to France in April of 2013. Linda has become an avid writer since she became involved with Women Writing as a student in 2009 and recently completed her training to become a writing facilitator. Currently she is facilitating a writing circle at The Church of The Redeemer in Hyde Park. Linda can be reached at ljtrebbi@yahoo.com.

Marisa is a lifelong writer of fiction, poetry and personal narrative who feels called to being a writing coach, guiding others as they find their way with words. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Wright State University and is a graduate of the 2011-12 facilitator training program at WWFC, where she also has been a volunteer since June 2011. She works as a marketing copywriter for RSW/US in Madeira and lives in Anderson Township with her husband and 2-year-old lab mix. You can read her coaching blog at http://www.marisabecker.wordpress.com

Meg is a student at Ohio State University, and has been a student at Young Women Writing since 2003. While she's had menial jobs elsewhere, her most important work has been facilitating circles at Young Women Writing for the past four summers. At school Meg is editor-in-chief of a unique creative writing journal that focuses on enhancing the community of writers on campus and provides support throughout the revision and publication process. However, her writing and editing lives are guided by the J.D. Salinger quote, "An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on [her] own terms, not anyone else's." It's precisely this empowered message that she loves to pass on to the young women in her class!

Phebe (Karen) Beiser has been teaching at Women Writing for (a) Change sporadically since 2006. After retiring as a librarian at The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, she took the Feminist Leadership Academy under founder, Mary Pierce Brosmer. A longtime member of the New Media Circle, she records and hosts podcasts. Her special loves are poetry, nature, dogs, and Eastern spirituality. After a trip to India, she and a fellow traveler published a coffeetable book, Goddesses on the Ganges. A longtime feminist and lesbian activist since the 1970s, Ms. Beiser founded the Ohio Lesbian Archives. She served on the Board of the former Crazy Ladies Center. She is currently on the Board of Womens Way, which collaborates with Women Writing on the Friday night salons. Her blog on "nature, meditation & much more" can be found at http://phebek108.wordpress.com.

Sally is a passionate teacher of the practices of Women Writing for (a) Change, a role she has relished since 2006. She has the privilege of facilitating the “Marvelous Monday Nighters” and the “Terrific Tuesday Writers,” and has led sampler and outreach classes for the Campbell County Library, Wise Temple Sisterhood, and The Women’s Connection. Sally discovered the magic of Women Writing for (a) Change in 2002, and has been a proud member of the community ever since. Her transformative journey, which began as a Saturday Sampler participant, led her through seven semester classes to the Feminist Leadership Academy, from which she graduated in 2006. She continues to hone her leadership skills by participating in WWFAC-sponsored workshops and retreats, and by exchanging ideas with other “sister” facilitators around the country. Sally credits, with gratitude, her teachers and mentors in the Women Writing for (a) Change community (Kathy Wade, Mary Pierce Brosmer, and Mary Ann Jansen), for her growth as a woman, a writer, and a conscious leader. Sally continues to draw on their wisdom as she facilitates her own circles, and finds great joy in spreading the magic of Women Writing for (a) Change to others.

Sara Pranikoff is passionate about supporting people wherever they are in the process of their own evolution, and has worked with people across a broad range of abilities and human experience. Sara attended her first Read-Around at Women Writing for (a) Change nearly 15 years ago, but her active involvement began in 2010 when she was invited to assist with the art components of the young women’s summer camps. This was followed by co-facilitating the women’s Art and Writing classes, which then led to her decision to enroll in the Facilitator’s Training program at WWF(a)C. Sara implements programs which use intuitive art-making processes such as Touch Drawing and SoulCollage® as a means of giving rise to personal story. She says, “I love how these simple art processes capture facets of my own evolving story in a tangible way, which I can then refer to and expand upon through my writing. The combination of linear and non-linear approaches to personal narrative has guided and informed my own journey toward a more intentionally hand made life.” Sara holds a Bachelor of Science in Art/ Art Education from Miami University, and a Master of Arts in Art Therapy from Wright State University. She holds the credential of Registered Art Therapist, and is an active member of the American Art Therapy Association, the Buckeye Art Therapy Association, the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association, and the Touch Drawing Community. Sara became a trained SoulCollage® Facilitator in 2011 and completed the Facilitator Training Program at WWF(a)C in 2012.

Sarah is a senior in high school and has been coming to Women Writing for (a) Change since 2008, when her best friend and fellow facilitator, Catherine Elsaesser, introduced her to the organization at a Teens' sampler circle. She immediately felt at home in the building, and her writing went from pages here and there to whole poems, day after day. The friends she has made and the growth she has experienced in both her writing and self-confidence have kept her coming back to Women Writing as often as she can, and developed her interest in becoming a facilitator herself. She would love to give the same gifts she has received from the community back to as many girls as possible. Her favorite part of any Women Writing program is the small group time and the bonds formed therein. Other than writing, her interests include playing the flute, reading, knitting, taking walks, spending time with friends and family, and studying French. She is planning to pursue a career as a medical doctor, with the ultimate goal of joining Doctors Without Borders and providing medical care to those in need.