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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…
President:
Carina Pierce Cougar Mountain Middle School (Bethel School District), Assistant Principal
I am in my 18th year in education, and in my 6th year in administration after 10 years in the school library. I am a Washington Husky (2x!), a Central Wildcat , and hold an M.A. Ed from Antioch University Seattle. I am passionate about literacy…both the reading and information technology kind. You will often find me with a book or traveling with my family when not working. I am also excited about student empowerment, which is why I have loved my positions as a librarian, a leadership advisor and now as an assistant principal. I live in Tacoma with my super supportive husband, often planning my next visits with my three amazing adult children. Instagram & Threads: CarinaPierce 
Chair-Person: Virginia Larsen
Business Development & Client Relations Coordinator, RH2 Engineering, Inc. (Tacoma office)
I love reading, making art, playing board games and my Nintendo Switch, watching movies, playing water polo, listening to Taylor Swift, cheering for the Seahawks, and cooking. I'm heavily involved in several art journaling communities, spend time with my amazing niblings (nieces + nephews) and I actually like teenagers--I taught them for 9 years, so you'd hope so, right?) X: @ginnylougirl Instagram: @ginnylougirl |
Chair-Person:
Carrie Willenbring Bethel Middle School (Bethel School District), ELA & Reading Teacher
II’m in my 15th year as a teacher at Bethel Middle School in Spanaway, WA. This is my 21st year teaching overall. 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 National Board Certified Teacher in Library Media. I enjoy spending time with my family and at Disneyland. I also enjoy cheering on New England sports teams. X: @c_willenbring |
Chair-Person:
Kim Derting Author
I’ve been writing since I was twelve years old and would have loved to have an opportunity like COA West to meet actual authors. Fast forward more than a few years, and I now have ten novels for teens and seventeen picture books under my belt! My books have been translated into 20 languages and have won multiple awards, including YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, NSTA Best STEM Book, and an IndieNext Pick for Kids. My goal is to write books teens will read and re-read until the pages are dog-eared and worn. One of the greatest compliments is when a reader shares one of my books with a friend. I’m fortunate enough to be married to my best friend, and we’ve raised three amazing children together. X: @kimberlyderting Instagram: kimberlyderting Threads: @kimberlyderting Goodreads: Kimberly Derting |
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 [email protected] immediately.
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 [email protected] immediately.