Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas
IWPA President
High School Contest Chair
mwolfastro@aol.com

Angie Leszczak is a freelance writer and an author. Angie has self-published one weight loss book for the secular market titled How'd You Do It?? -Yes weight loss is this easy. She has completed her second weight loss book, marketed for the Christian market and is currently waiting for publication. Angie is also involved with her church where she is currently finishing the re-write of the Junior High curriculum, which is published world-wide as well as helping edit a curriculum for PASS Pregnancy Center in Tinley Park, IL. Angie loves to travel and hike in her spare time.

Return to Top

'

For many years, I not only taught but was responsible for the graduate student projects in the Graduate Studies at the Grodno Technological College in Belarus by managing students to create fresh and innovative award-winning inventions and ideas.

At some point of my life I decided to devote my time to what I tried to avoid. It was writing, following my father steps. Early in 1996, while working on my first book, at one of the Women’s Conference, I received an invitation to the IWPA open meeting. Thus I become a long time member and acquaintance to many talented writers.

My non-fiction books in English, including “Maestro” (2011), “Symphony of Your Karma” (2008), and “Create Your Own Destiny” (2003), have been well accepted by thousands of readers and published not only in the USA but overseas as well. Also, my numerous articles covering different subjects from anthropology to local news have been published on online in many outlets across the globe.

In my career, I have met a lot of wonderful devotees, offering assistance on my literary journey and learning valuable information at our events.

Return to Top

'

Deidra Somerville is currently Senior Grant Developer with the Chicago Housing Authority, where she has been responsible for leading the grant development team and securing more than $100 million in grant resources for capital projects, supportive services and scholarship opportunities for public and assisted housing residents for 5 years. She also currently works as a reporter for the South Holland Today, a post she has held for the past 7 years.

Somerville graduated from the University of California in Santa Cruz with a double bachelor of arts with honors in sociology and political science and has an MSW in Human Resources Management from the Boston University School of Social Work.

Return to Top

'

Lolita Ditzler is currently revisiting the fifties writing a memoir about the seven-year romance that led to her marriage.

She been a member of IWPA since 1984. She is also a member of the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association and In Print, an affiliate of Chicago Writers Association.

She began her freelance writing career as a correspondent for the Rockford (IL) Morning Star daily newspaper. Through the years, she has earned awards in the Mate E. Palmer contests with articles published by newspapers, farm magazines, police magazines, and women’s magazines.

In her home community of Durand, Ditzler serves as the township clerk and the multi-township assessment district treasurer.

Return to Top

'

Susan Brauer holds a BSEE and an MSEE from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is currently the Dean of Academic Affairs at DeVry University in Chicago.

Her experiences as a returning woman, starting out on the road to higher education at the age of 33 as a wife and mother of six, then becoming a successful engineer and manager, an author, and owner and president of a publishing company are the basis for her presentations and workshops that empower women to believe in themselves and to follow their dreams.

Susan is founder and president of the publishing company, Dreamers Tapestry, Inc. (www.dreamerstapestry.com), she published her autobiography, an odyssey of abuse and triumph entitled, Just Keep Dancing which was awarded top honors in the IWPA’s prestigious Matte Palmer Communications Competition.

Susan's experiences are the basis for presentations and workshops that focus on many of the career issues women face today. Her presentations: “Changes”, “Effective Presentations” (aka) “Podium Panic”, “Bringing Your Book to Reality”, “Career and Life Transitions”, and “Just Keep Dancing: The Power of Change” have been well received at various professional organizations, colleges, and universities in the Midwest.

Return to Top

'

Suzanne Hanney is editor of Chicago’s StreetWise, sold by people who are or were homeless, after working Downstate, including a stint as “Ronald Reagan editor” in his boyhood hometown.

Hanney graduated from Northwestern University’s journalism school, and then edited a weekly newspaper in Marseilles, which she briefly published.

Next, she was lifestyle editor of the daily Dixon Evening Telegraph. Then she interviewed Reagan’s contemporaries, compiled archives for a special edition and consulted with global media.

She later served as assistant news editor, editor of a new weekly paper, then as a copyeditor at the Quad-City Times in Davenport, Iowa.In Chicago, she freelanced for The American Banker and United Press International.

Suzanne was elected four times to a Local School Council in a Chicago public school. She is Past President of the Illinois Woman’s Press Association and both scholarship chair and vice president for print of the Association for Women Journalists in Chicago.

Return to Top

'

Marlene Cook
Historian & Archivist
marcook@comcast.net

Marlene Cook has been a member of IWPA since 1973 and has held every office, except treasurer. She was president for two terms, 1983-1987, and was director of the NFPW conference in 1985. She currently serves as historian. Marlene also served NFPW as historian and has attended 37 of the past 38 conferences.

Marlene started writing after her children were in school and she was haunted by a high school division teacher who told her she’d never amount to anything. She said she’d be barefoot and pregnant and have a house full of kids.

Well, at 30 years old and with four children she vowed that teacher wasn’t going to be right. She went back to school, got a job as a journalist and hasn’t stopped. She’s worked for Star Newspapers, Southtown Economist, Chicago Tribune and a couple of smaller community papers. She was Community Relations Director for the Village of Dolton and was Director of the Dolton Chamber of Commerce. She wrote for South Holland’s monthly village newsletter from 1993 until 2006.

Today she is editor of the First Focus, her church’s monthly magazine and Village Voice, Lansing’s quarterly newsletter. She also writes a newsletter for her 1952 class of Fenger High School.

Return to Top

'

Rebecca (Becky) Sarwate began life as the quintessential book worm, poet and diarist, often requiring a childhood push to lay down her pen and novels and enjoy the natural world. Rebecca earned a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 2000. She spent several years working in corporate communications for companies like Carlson Wagonlit Travel, before returning to Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago to earn an M.A. in Literature in 2007. After two additional years spent working in the corporate sector, and a lot of soul searching, Rebecca finally listened to the inner voice that had been whispering a true calling in her ear for most of her life. In 2009, she turned her attention to a writing career, working freelance as a theater critic for Edge Entertainment, serving as the urban agriculture beat reporter for StreetWise and acting as the copy editor for Jettison Quarterly magazine, all located in Chicago.

After receiving first place IWPA and NFPW awards for agriculture reporting in 2010, Rebecca accepted a full-time Web Writer position at Think Glink Publishing in Glencoe. At Think Glink she developed content for celebrity real estate and personal finance journalist Ilyce Glink's suite of media avenues including: a syndicated newspaper column, highly trafficked CBS MoneyWatch blog and social media platforms.

In the Fall of 2011, Rebecca was recruited by Hearthware, Inc., a direct retail marketing firm and manufacturer of home products, to serve as the company's Senior Manager, Social Media Marketing and Head Writer. In this newly created position, she functions as the architect of the brand's social media strategy across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others. In addition, she works as the firm's press contact and is the head writer for the company's television commercials and online content. She remains with Think Glink Publishing on a part-time basis.

Rebecca continues to accept freelance assignments when she is able. In 2011, she received another first place award from the IWPA in recognition of her work as a regular political columnist for RootSpeak magazine in Denver. Another second place award was received for her personal blog posts on the Open Salon platform. This year, she has also published pieces in NewCity magazine and Make It Better, a publication produced for busy parents along Chicago's North Shore.

Rebecca was appointed as the editor of the IWPA's quarterly newsletter, PenPoints, in January of 2011. As an experienced professional in new media, and with the support and vision of IWPA President Marianne Wolf-Austrauskas, she is on a mission to take the organization's Web 2.0 engagement to the next level. In addition to her editorial responsibilities, Rebecca has been charged with expanding and further developing the social media platforms for the Association. This year Rebecca also assumed management for the IWPA's blog, believing as she does, that the traditional newsletter format, website and social media sites are partners in branding, and key to the attraction of the next generation's communication professionals.

Return to Top