WHIDBEY WRITERS WORKSHOP
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
CATALOGUE, 2007-2009

GOVERNING BOARD
Whidbey Writers Workshop
MFA Governing Board

The Whidbey Writers Workshop is a program of the Whidbey Island Writers Association. The Board of Directors of the Whidbey Island Writers Association appoints a Governing Board for the Whidbey Writers Workshop to oversee and make recommendations to the Board of Directors for policies and procedures for the Institute.

Dr. Nancy Ruff EdD.
Nancy Ruff, EdD., MFA governing board chair, holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Arts in educational administration from Texas Tech University and a Doctor of Education from North Texas State University. During her 30-year career in education, she was a public school speech, drama and English teacher; a consultant in accreditation with the Texas State Department of Education; director of communications for a large suburban Dallas school district; and adjunct professor of speech communications in the College of Business at the University of Texas, Arlington. She is an experienced conference planner; professional development coordinator; speaker at local, state and national levels; and contributor to professional publications. In addition to her activities with the Whidbey Island Writers Association and Whidbey Writers Workshop, Ruff is on the board of the South Whidbey Schools Foundation.

Allan Ament
Allan Ament has a BA in political theory from Vanderbilt University and a JD from Northwestern University, Chicago. A faculty member in the School of Advanced Studies. University of Phoenix, he has taught in the online environment for a number of years as an adjunct instructor for several universities. The principal of a company providing conflict resolution services and training, he is an active board member and volunteer with several non-profit community organization on Whidbey Island. Ament's professional experience includes being a classroom teacher, trial attorney, small business owner and academic administrator. He has served as advisor to elected and appointed governmental officials in this country and abroad.

Patricia Gareau Bradley
Patricia Bradley holds a Masters of Public Administration degree and B.A. in English from the University of Utah. With twenty years of experience in both public and private education, Bradley was Utah's first State Director for Charter Schools, securing one of the country's first Federal grants for Charter School Facilities Enhancement. In addition, Ms. Bradley coordinated numerous State and Federal discretionary and categorical grant programs serving at-risk students and administered multi-agency initiatives serving struggling families. She is a grant writer who also serves as a reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education.

Antoinette Grove
Antoinette Grove is the author of many published short stories, humorous essays and poetry. With decades of experience in community service, she has served on the executive boards of a local cooperative preschool, her homeowners association and, for the past six years, the Whidbey Island Writers Association. She also served two years on the Program Delivery Counsel at Eastgate Elementary School, was a member of the planning board for the South Whidbey/Mercer Island Service Unit of Girl Scouts Totem Council for five years and has remained active as a volunteer in several art and literacy programs at the primary school level. Since 1987, she and her husband have owned and operated a small interstate moving business. Grove has been involved in development of the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program from the beginning, serving on the MFA Program Design Committee.

Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, PhD
Gray Kochhar-Lindgren is on the faculty of the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program at the University of Washington, Bothell, where he also coordinates the Center for University Studies and Programs for incoming freshmen. The author of Narcissus Transformed, Starting Time, and TechnoLogics, he is currently circulating Night Café: The Amorous Notes of a Barista and working on a book on Maurice Blanchot.

Sue Ellen White
Sue Ellen White holds a BA. In Communications/Journalism and a Certificate in Editing, both from the University of Washington. Currently managing a book research project at the University of Washington and freelance editing, her career includes more than 25 years in print journalism and editing covering news, public affairs, the environment, travel and bio-regional issues. She was associate editor of The Island Independent, communications manager of Hedgebrook Writers Retreat and editor of the literary magazine Hedgebrook Journal Sue Ellen has been involved in the organization of Whidbey Island's first food bank, works with Operation: SackLunch (feeding Seattle's homeless residents) and campaigns to save old-growth forests and provide more water access in Island County for hand-carried boats.

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