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Cavalcade of Authors West

Contact Info

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know using your preferred method.  Thank you for your patience in waiting for a reply close to the conference date.
Email: coawest@gmail.com

Mailing Address:

 P.O. Box 73722
 Puyallup, WA 98373

Board Members

Meet the people working behind the scenes of Cavalcade of Authors West.  We have all united to provide the secondary students of our region access to some of the best Young Adult authors of our modern era.  So, without further ado, we present to you…
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President:
​Carina Pierce
Spanaway Middle School, Associate Administrator
​

I am in my 12th year teaching secondary students, my 10th year as a teacher-librarian. I am a Washington Husky (B.A. English), a Central Wildcat (Secondary Teaching Cert), hold an M.A. Ed from Antioch University Seattle, and recently completed my National Board Certification in Library Media. I am passionate about literacy…both the reading and information technology kind. You will often find me with a book or online when not working. I am also passionate about student empowerment, which is why I also love my job as the ASB/Leadership advisor at CMMS. I live in Puyallup with my super supportive husband and three amazing kids, all extremely busy and making their own dreams come true.

​Twitter: @CarinaPierce
Instagram: CarinaPierce
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Chair-Person: Virginia Larsen
Office Coordinator, RH2 Engineering, Inc. (Tacoma office)

I love reading, playing water polo, making art, watching movies, cheering for the Seahawks, and cooking. I'm involved in my local church, and I actually like teenagers (I taught them for 9 years, so you'd hope so, right?)

Twitter: @ginnylougirl
​Instagram: @ginnylougirl
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Chair-Person:
​Kari Bradley
Glacier View Junior High, English Teacher

Hello, I am in my 13th year teaching, all of which have been at CJH teaching 9th Grade English and the Leadership class. Working with student leaders has opened many doors for me, as I’ve been a Camp Columbia Leadership Camp Teacher Counselor for 10 years, and am a Past President of the Washington Activity Coordinators Association (WACA). As a WACA board member, I have helped put on similar conferences to Cavalcade for a number of years. I am passionate about music and going to concerts with my husband. I also love reading Young Adult Literature, connecting with fellow readers on Instagram and Twitter, and connecting with authors when they’re on tour. Above all, I enjoy spending time with my chosen-family and family-family!

​Twitter: @KariBradley7
Instagram: KariBradley7
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5902415-kari
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Chair-Person:
​Carrie Willenbring
I’m in my 13th year as a Social Studies teacher at Bethel Middle School in Spanaway, WA where I continue to work feverishly to make the library a destination not just a stop along my student’s journey.  I have worked as a teacher-librarian in the Bethel School District for the past nine years.   I am a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University and hold a M.Ed. from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.  I earned my library media endorsement through Seattle Pacific University and am a NBCT teacher.  Currently, I am a former vice president of the Washington Library Media Association.  I enjoy spending time with my family and cheering on my beloved New England sports teams.
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Twitter: @c_willenbring
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Chair-Person:
​Kim Derting
Author

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As a Young Adult author, I’ve written ten novels for teens. My books have been translated into 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. To me, the greatest compliment is when a reader shares one of my books with a friend. My goal is to write books that teens will read and re-read until the pages are dog-eared and worn. Most recently, I’ve co-written the first in a series of picture books focusing on a little girl who loves science called LUNA AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD! I’m fortunate enough to be married to my best friend, and we’ve raised three amazing children together.
 
Twitter: @kimberlyderting
Instagram: kimberlyderting
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2755160.Kimberly_Derting
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Cavalcade of Authors West Anti-harrassment Policy

The mission of Cavalcade of Authors West includes opportunities for young, aspiring writers to work with and be inspired by published authors, ultimately leading all participants to feel empowered by their experiences to move towards their own individual goals. With that in mind, Cavalcade of Authors West has a zero tolerance policy regarding harassment in any form by and towards any participant in our event from board members, students, teachers, volunteers, vendors, and authors. This includes, but is not limited to: race, age, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, religion, class, body size, veteran status, marital/domestic partnership status, citizenship or any other marginalized identity.

It is our promise that all involved parties will feel safe and welcome. If at any time, we are not meeting that promise, please contact any board director personally or send notice to coawest@gmail.com immediately.
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WHO ARE WE?

​WE ARE A PUGET SOUND YOUNG WRITERS WORKSHOP DEDICATED TO PROVIDING SECONDARY STUDENTS AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE WITH THE AUTHORS THEY READ.

  • Home
  • News & Events
  • 2023 Registration
  • 2023 Authors & Workshops
  • Writing & Bookmark Contest
  • Documents
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Media & Feedback
  • Past Authors
    • 2021 Authors & Workshops
    • 2019 Authors & Workshops
    • 2018 Authors & Workshops
    • 2015-17 Authors
  • About & Contact