Board Members

Kate Hutchinson

President

Kate Hutchinson recently retired from a 34-year career of teaching high school English in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Her poetry and personal essays have appeared in dozens of publications and won numerous awards as well as three Pushcart Prize nominations. Her latest collection of poems, A Matter of Dark Matter, was released in 2022 by Kelsay Books. Kate is active with several local poetry organizations, including serving as an events coordinator for Highland Park Poetry and as assistant editor for the literary arts journal East on Central. To find more of her work and information about her new book, visit: https://poetkatehutchinson.wordpress.com/

CHARLES KOURI

Vice President

Charles Kouri is playwright, lyricist and producer of two full-length musicals, REBEL and 24WORDS, which feature stories and original songs inspired by the Equal Rights Movement. The shows have been produced in Chicago and Washington D.C. and most recently performed at Steppenwolf, as part of the theater’s Lookout Series. He recently began writing poetry and is publishing 304-Days-With-3-Days-Missing, a series of 301 poems written during the pandemic. Charles is also a freelance journalist, marketing communications writer and author.

Erin O’Bryen

Secretary

Erin O’Bryen is a poet, pianist, singer, storyteller, and background actor, and a retired administrative pro. A native of Mississippi and long time Chicago resident, Erin is inspired by the rich culture of her family, her home state, and her adopted city. She enjoys sharing her writing and photography and staying in touch with friends on social media, and in her spare time also enjoys reading, cooking, ballet classes, and PBS dramas.

Caroline Johnson

Treasurer

Caroline Johnson has two poetry chapbooks and more than 400 poems in print. A nominee for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, she has won numerous state and national poetry awards. Her full-length poetry collection, The Caregiver (2018), is available from Holy Cow! Press or Amazon. Caroline served as President of Poets & Patrons for 8 years. Visit her website at www.caroline-johnson.com.

Maggie Kennedy

Contest Chair

Maggie Kennedy’s poems have appeared in Epiphany, Meat for Tea, Cloudbank, Atticus Review, and other publications. She lives in the western suburbs with her family and works as a writer and editor. Maggie is also involved in the Illinois State Poetry Society and the LaGrange Writer’s Group.

Wilda Morris

Workshop Co-Chair

Wilda Morris is an award-winning poet who leads poetry workshops for adults and children. A past president of both Poets & Patrons of Chicago and the Illinois State Poetry Society, she has published widely in journals and websites. Her blog at http://wildamorris.blogspot.com/ provides a contest for other poets each month.

Sheila Elliot

At-Large Member

Sheila Elliot has been an active member of Poets & Patrons, Inc. since 2008, but traces her first association with the group back to 1985, when a newspaper notice alerted her to their annual contest and two of her poems received prizes. Along with her lifelong interest in poetry, Elliott writes fiction and non-fiction. Her work has been honored by the Illinois Woman’s Press Association, the regional affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women, and she is a member of the Illinois State Poetry Society. Since 2015, Elliott has been on the Editorial Committee of the Oak Park Writers Group’s annual anthology, Keystrokes.

E.J. WadE

At-Large Member

E.J. Wade is a four-time National Endowment of the Humanities Teacher Institute winner. An award-winning poet with two Pushcart nominations her poems have been published in the Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Women Speak Volume Eight, and New Ohio Review. As Editor for the 2022 Anthology of Appalachian Writers, her poetry and photography garnered multiple awards. A Doctoral Candidate Wade is pursuing a doctorate of Disability and Equity in Education from National Louis University focusing on the silencing, exclusion, and invisibility of African American Women with disabilities.

Laura Ferrario

Webmaster

Laura Ferrario is a graphic and visual design consultant with 20+ years of experience in editorial, brand, and digital design. Her clients range from art & design, education, engineering nonprofits, and professional societies to product development firms, writers, and other creative professionals. She is passionate about typography and teaching others to exploit its expressive power. While she doesn’t write poems often she has a great appreciation for poetry, poets, and prose. To see the print, branding, and website projects she’s designed and learn about saudade and Qi Gong visit: https://www.lauraferrario.com/