President’s message – end of year
President’s Page: End Of 2022
Has a year gone by any faster than this one? I think not. We’re entering the U.S. Holiday Season and so much has happened.
November is what I call “gratitude” month. Every day I think about one thing I’m thankful for. It could be a rainy day, a meal out with friends, my husband, but whatever it is, I know individually and collectively, those little things are what make my life rich. So I’m wishing you all a wonderful holiday season full of gratitude for all of the things that make your life full and complete.
HOLIDAY GET TOGETHERS
In December, the Southern Region will have a no-host holiday luncheon at noon on Saturday, December 10 at the Terraza Garden Patio and Lounge at Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort. Get details and to RSVP contact Jaimie Bruzenak. Rim Country will have their holiday luncheon in the private dining room at the Mazatal Casino’s Cedar Ridge restaurant on Monday, December 12th, from 11am – 1pm. RSPV to Connie. All APW members are invited to either luncheon!
VERY IMPORTANT!
We need volunteers. As an official non-profit we must report to the Arizona Corporate Commission. At the moment, APW does not have a treasurer. That means we’re operating illegally. If a volunteer does not step up, we may have to close our organization.
In addition, the Payson Book Festival committee needs a new Media Manager as Marie Fasano must step down for health reasons. Our Program Manager (who puts together the paper program for the book festival, has also stepped down for family issues. New people bring fresh, new ideas and we want to keep our organization both active and relevant. Contact me at connie.cockrell@gmail.com to volunteer.
My calendar has Saturday, January 21st, 10 am, as our APW State Officer’s meeting. The meeting is open to all members, and it’s being held via Zoom. Contact me if you’d like to attend.
STORYTELLERS WANTED: Marie Fasano
Join in the Movement to End Hunger and Homelessness
November 12 – 20 is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. This is an annual program where people come together across the country to draw attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness. Find out how you can take action. Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
Register for our 28th Annual Conference in Mesa, AZ. https://www.azhousingcoalition.org/conference.html Early bird prices available until December 16.
Calling All Artists and Storytellers: Share your housing-related art or story and earn $100. Learn more about these opportunities to contribute your talents to the annual conference and to our public awareness campaign. https://www.azhousingcoalition.org/conference.html
FACEBOOK
Take a look at our APW Facebook page. This is a great place to announce your newest book, magazine article, or speaking engagement. This is just one of the many perks you, as an APW member have, so take advantage!
HOLIDAY BAZAAR – not too late!
We are also happy to announce our Holiday Bazaar at our website: https://arizonaprofessionalwriters.org/holiday-bazaar-2022/. This is a terrific perk of being a member. It’s not too late to get your book listed. Send Jaimie Bruzenak a link to the book you want to list along with a high resolution jpeg of the front cover and your website link and she’ll post it for you. Books make great presents!
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
And, it’s membership renewal time. If you have already renewed, thank you! If you’ve renewed via the National Federation of Press Women, let us know to look for your renewal there. If you still need to renew, see Join under the About tab for the form. Those renewing their membership should complete the form so we can be sure your information is up to date and complete.
Thank you everyone for your continued support for this historic organization.
That’s it for 2022. Everyone stay safe, enjoy the upcoming holidays, and hope to see you at the next meeting!
—
Connie Cockrell, Author
H (928) 951-0970
http://www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com
President’s Message – September, 2022
President’s Page: September
Hello and welcome to September. I do hope you all had a wonderful summer whether you did a stacation or you had the chance to travel. If you’re new, welcome to the Arizona Professional Writers!
July was a busy month for the Rim Country chapter as they held their book festival on July 17th. We had about 50% fewer attendees this year and fewer authors. However, everyone who did attend had a good time and there was a lot of feedback on how much both the attendees and the authors like the festival.
August had both the Central and the Rim Country chapters return to regular meetings, held on Zoom. The book club is also still meeting via Zoom. We also held our thank-you luncheon for the many volunteers for the Book Festival. We held it “picnic” style in Payson’s Green Valley Park. Sandwiches, salads, and drinks were provided and we discussed the volunteer’s suggestions for the festival.
We need volunteers. Many of the APW officers have been serving for years. The Payson Book Festival committee needs a new Media Manager as Marie Fasano must step down for health reasons. The state organization needs a treasurer. New people bring fresh, new ideas and we want to keep our organization both active and relevant. You can contact me at connie.cockrell@gmail.com to talk about it.
My calendar has September 18th, 10am, as our APW State Officer’s meeting. The meeting is open to all members, and it’s being held via Zoom. Contact me if you’d like to attend.
Speaking of media, take a look at our Facebook page for APW. This is a great place to announce your newest book, magazine article, or speaking engagement. This is just one of the many perks you, as an APW member, have, so take advantage! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArizonaPressWomen
While at the Payson Book Festival, I had a representative of the organization Recorded Recreational Reading for the Blind stop by my table. They can be found at ReadingForTheBlind.org. For our authors, they said they’d be interested in recording your book(s) in addition to needing narrators to read books into audio recordings. I know we have some people in the group who have media experience or otherwise beautiful voices. They are also interested in presenting to groups, so if you are looking for a speaker, try them out. You can contact Sarah Shew, 623-640-1219 for more info.
That’s it for September. Everyone stay safe, enjoy the upcoming autumn, and hope to see you at the next meeting!
—
Connie Cockrell, Author
H (928) 951-0970
ConniesRandomThoughts.com
President’s message – July 2022
Greetings!
I want to thank everyone who was able to for attending our 2022 Arizona Professional Writers conference. The venue was exceptional, and we had terrific speakers. We also held elections; many thanks to those who could stay on for another term. Thanks everyone as well for electing me as President. Many, many thanks to Bobbi Bennett, Marie Fasano, Jaimie Bruzenak, and everyone else who had a hand in organizing and putting on this wonderful event. I do hope you all can attend next year.
Treasurer needed: Most importantly, we are in need of a Treasurer. Our previous treasurer, Cheryl Kohout, has been an officer in the organization for decades now and has decided to step down. Of course the treasurer is a vital role in any organization and if you have some time, I promise you will not be overwhelmed with the role. You can contact me at connie.cockrell@gmail.com to talk about it.
June was the National Federation of Press Women annual conference. I had a great time in Fargo, N.D. It’s a lovely city and the venue was fantastic. Best of all, three of our APW members won or placed in the national Communication Contest. Let’s give hearty congratulations to Rebecca Goodrich who won a 1st place in her category, Jan Cleere who won a 2nd place, and Brad Graber with an Honorable Mention. I want to again honor the 9 members who won in the At-Large competitions, winning 15 awards total. These are stiffly competitive categories so all of our winners should receive a round of applause.
If you are thinking of attending next year’s NFPW Conference, it will be in Cincinnati, Ohio. The time spent with these fantastic, intelligent, and pretty darn witty women and men was a boon to my soul. The presentations were wonderful and one, on treating your customers as a non-profit treats their donors, was worth the price of the entire conference. Not saying the other presentations weren’t good, it’s just that that one had info that could be pressed into service that very minute. Don’t miss out on next year’s event.
July features the Payson Book Festival. It will be held July 23rd at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino from 9am to 2:30pm. We have over 80 authors this year and an all-day, on-demand children’s program. In the Fireside room we have presentations by authors: Ditto Abbott, Jody Decker, Chrisann Dawson, Bryan Lee (aka Bullseye the Clown), and TJ Boyer. The topics range from poetry to bullying. I’m sure each one will be very interesting. I do hope you can make it to the Festival even if you aren’t a “seller.” It will be a great time to catch up!
Spread the word! Speaking of the Book Festival, we’re doing a lot of posting on our Facebook pages for both APW and the Book Festival. Take a look at those pages and share the posts. Lots of people sharing creates a big boost in the number of people who get to see each post. It’s an easy way for you to get to know the authors appearing and to help us drive attendance to the festival.
https://www.facebook.com/PaysonBookFestival and
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArizonaPressWomen
That’s it for July. Everyone stay safe, enjoy the summer, and hope to see you at the book festival!
Connie Cockrell
APW President
President’s message – December 2021
Greetings to all,
Has the year seemed long to you? Still wondering about 2020? Yes, it has been 2 years, or near enough, of the pandemic. This fact was mentioned to me the other day by a friend of mine who asked, “Has it been 2 years?” We sat silently for a moment, trying to absorb that information. It’s been difficult, hasn’t it? Everything changed. Days slipped by practically unnoticed. Maybe you got some writing done, maybe not. What I do know, at least for myself, is that this has been a quiet time.
Yes, a positive. A time of contemplation. A time to review. A gift, if you will, of solitude and meditation. There has been time to evaluate and decide what is most important. The end of the year traditionally is a time for that but, after two years, I think I’ve got most of that evaluation completed.
The end of the year is also the time to look forward. You’ve decided what’s most important to you so now, how will you achieve those things? If you’re a planner, have you written out steps that need to be taken to reach your goal? If you are a pantser (to use writing terms!), do you have the goal firmly in mind so that when decisions are made you choose the ones that get you closer to your goal?
So now, just days before the shortest day of the year, just short of Christmas and New Year, I want to wish you all peace, joy, and yes, solitude. A gift of time to let your mind rest and recuperate, and decide what’s most important to you. I look forward to seeing you all, over Zoom or in person, in 2022.
Connie Cockrell
President, APW
President’s page – September 2021
Hello and welcome to September. I do hope you all had a wonderful summer whether you did a stacation or you had the chance to travel. If you’re new, welcome to the Arizona Professional Writers!
July was a busy month for the Rim Country Chapter as they held their book festival on July 17th. We had about 50% fewer attendees this year and far fewer authors. However, everyone who did attend had a good time and there was a lot of feedback on how much both the attendees and the authors liked the festival.
August had both the Central and the Rim Country chapters return to regular meetings, continuing to being held on Zoom. The book club is also still meeting via Zoom.
We need help! We need volunteers. Many of the APW officers have been serving for years. The Payson Book Festival committee needs a new Media Manager as Marie Fasano must step down for health reasons. New people bring fresh, new ideas and we want to keep our organization both active and relevant. You can contact me at connie.cockrell@gmail.com to talk about it.
APW Board Meeting: My calendar has September 18th, 10 a.m., as our APW Board Meeting. The meeting is open to all members, and it’s being held via Zoom. Contact me if you’d like to attend.
Speaking of media, take a look at our Facebook page for APW. This is a great place to announce your newest book, magazine article, or speaking engagement. This is just one of the many perks you, as an APW member, have so take advantage! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArizonaPressWomen
That’s it for September. Everyone stay safe, enjoy the upcoming autumn, and hope to see you at the next meeting!
Connie Cockrell, President
President’s Page – July 2021
April was a month packed full of activity. First of all, Welcome! I’m Connie Cockrell, newly elected President for the Arizona Professional Writers. The biggest event was the April 17th Virtual State Conference. In our short business meeting, we elected new officers. I was elected President, Marie Fasano steps into the Past President role, Bobbie Bennett remains Vice President, and Brenda Whiteside remains Secretary.
Most importantly, we are in need of a Membership Director and a Treasurer. These are vital positions in any organization. Both areas are in good shape, we just need a couple of people to see the value in keeping our organization vibrant by stepping up to volunteer. You can contact me at connie.cockrell@gmail.com to talk about it.
June was the National Federation of Press Women virtual conference. In the national contest, Dianne Beeaff from Tucson, won second place in the category Collection of Short Stories, with her book titled On Traigh Lar Beach. See her website for info on the book. Wynne Brown, also of Tucson, won second place for the category Newsletter, Web, and Social Media. Her entry, Personal, The Sara Lemmon Project can be found at her website or contact her at wynne@wynnebrown.com. Congratulations to both as there were thousands of entries nationwide making competition very high.
Our Communicator of Achievement, Marie Fasano, attended the NFPW virtual award ceremony. We’re sorry to say that she didn’t win. Sherri Burris was selected. You can find her details at NFPW. Congratulations to Ms. Burris.
July features the Payson Book Festival. It is July 17th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino from 9am to 3:30pm. We have over 70 authors this year. We’ll have a shortened children’s program in the morning and entertainment by Marshall Trimble, Buckshot Dot, and a panel of Grand Canyon experts scheduled for the afternoon. I do hope you can make it to the festival even if you aren’t a “seller”. It will be a great time to catch up!
Speaking of the book festival, we’re doing a lot of posting on our Facebook pages for both APW and the book festival. Take a look at those pages and share the posts. Lots of people sharing creates a big boost in the number of people who get to see the post. It’s an easy way for you to get to know the authors appearing and to help us drive attendance to the festival. Payson Book Festival Facebook page and Arizona Professional Writers Facebook page.
That’s it for July. Everyone stay safe, enjoy the summer, and hope to see you at the book festival!
Connie Cockrell
APW President
President’s Page – February & March 2021
March is Women’s History Month. This month I published an article in the Payson Roundup on three interesting women who each have non-traditional jobs: a tree trimmer, an airplane and power-plant inspector and a Septic Pumping company owner. It was fun interviewing each of them. There are so many stories out there. You can find stories about other unique people as well. (See article.)
Speaking of the unusual, this month APW Central had speaker Patty Mahoney tell us about her life growing up in a mortuary where she had to keep secrets that she heard as a child. Only now as a mature adult is she able to tell those stories as a writer. Fascinating!
Marylee MacDonald spoke with the APW Rim chapter in February and March. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of marketing and getting reviews for your publications. If you missed it you really missed an opportunity. We are thinking of having a workshop later in the year with this same topic to learn more from her expertise. Don’t you think that’s a good idea?
If you haven’t been attending the virtual meetings you are missing out on exceptional opportunities for learning how to improve your writing. This is just one benefit of your membership.
We will have an annual APW virtual conference again this year on April 17. We have two excellent speakers – Jan Cleere and Linda Pressman. It will be a half -day program from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon with a membership meeting 9-10, Jan Cleere speaking from 10-11 and Linda Pressman from 11-12. Short but informative. Come join us. The Zoom invite will be out soon.
The APW Book Club is rolling along. We have become a cohesive group hearing how each member developed their story, sharing their ideas about their book. All members are welcome to join us the fourth Saturday of each month at 10:00 AM.
Several members of APW have won awards in the NFPW Communications Contest. What a group we have! Winners are being posted on the APW website and our FB page and will be recognized at our annual meeting.
At the annual meeting on April 17, 2021, we will be voting for officers for 2021-22.
The Slate includes:
President -Connie Cockrell
Past President- Marie Fasano
Vice President- Bobbie Bennett
Secretary Brenda -Whiteside
Treasurer – open. We need a volunteer-Interested? Email me at mfasano.apw@gmail.com
Keep Writing,
Marie A.Fasano
APW President
President’s page – January 2021
Marie Fasano
As we start the year, 2021 we can be hopeful that the rhetoric will be more civil and that we will stay focused on the truth. COVID vaccines are getting into the arms of healthcare workers, teachers and us elders and by summer we will see a good number in the population with some immunity. We are also hopeful that the economic strain on individuals and businesses will ease. Safety remains an issue with masks and social distancing still a necessary component of our lives.
As for APW, we already have several excellent speakers scheduled for Central and Rim Country chapters for the next few months and the APW annual meeting planned for April. The APW Book Club, under the leadership of Karen Lateiner, is thriving with wonderful discussions and sharing of each individual’s process in developing their book. For February, Brenda Warneka, one of the editors of our publication, Skirting Traditions, will meet with us and share the fascinating histories of the Arizona Press Women.
APW Rim Country plans to have the Payson Book Festival open July 17 this year with many authors, a wonderful children’s show and workshops with inspiring speakers and songwriters.
More members have entered the NFPW communications contest this year than last and we look forward to excellent award winners from our group. Our application for a $1000 scholarship has been sent out to Arizona colleges and universities. If you know an undergraduate student, studying in the fields of writing or journalism, encourage them to apply through the arizonaprofessionalwriters.org website. We would not want that gift to languish.
We are looking for members to step up to take some leadership positions, particularly for President and Treasurer, for the upcoming elections. If you have an idea you want to serve, and have questions, please drop me an email. We need you!
Right now I am snowbound, but cozy at home, here in Payson with much needed moisture for our dry Arizona. Stay safe.
Keep writing,
Marie A Fasano
Arizona Professional Writers, President
President’s Page – November/December 2020
Happy Holidays to all members!
We are thankful for the treasures and friendships we have received this past year and we all look forward to 2021 with hope and promise. This has been a difficult year for many folks. Most of us have stayed close to home to be safe. Hopefully, this gave you an opportunity to write more novels, articles, newsletters and blogs.
I had some health issues in the last month and am now getting back to the real world. It hasn’t stopped me from taking part in several meetings of Central and Rim Country, hearing great guest speakers each time. It’s so easy to turn on the computer and be with wonderful, intelligent, articulate folks at these gatherings. Our members are terrific!
Our new APW Book Club, hosted by Karen Lateiner, is thriving with highlighting members books and having very lively and interesting discussions. Feel free to join us the last Saturday of every month. Contact me at mfasano.apw@gmail.com for the Zoom url.
Jaimie Bruzenak has kept us informed on our website and FB page. She can add you and your books to our new section called Holiday Bazaar to showcase our members’ books and websites. If you want to be included send your information to Jaimie at calamityjaimie@gmail.com.
We will be looking for some new officers for 2021. If you have any interest in taking a more active part in this thriving organization let me know. Our Bylaws are on the website under the members section. Here you can get an idea of what each position entails.
Here is another reminder to enter the NFPW Professional Contest under the At-large section. Several members have already entered their books, newsletters and articles. Go to NFPW.org for more information.
The APW Conference plans for April 2021 are going forward. We will look at the health of our community as we get closer. More information will be sent as our plans come together.
To close 2020, I wish each APW member the best of health and happiness.
Keep writing,
Marie A. Fasano
APW President
President’s Page – October, 2020
We hear so much on the news about the upcoming election. Whomever you choose, your obligation is to vote. As writers we have the power of our pen to bring out injustices where we see them and to voice our opinion in a civil way. So be sure to vote.
I wrote an article that was published in the local paper honoring Ruth Bader Ginsberg for all she has done for gender equality.
We have a responsibility from the First Amendment to speak the truth and not feel cowered by negativity. I have had my candidate’s sign torn down three times and then defaced. I just keep putting one back up. I refuse to live in fear.
The NFPW Communications Contest is on! Go through all your published writings for 2020 and pull up your best material to enter the contests. There are numerous categories from which to choose. I’m sure one fits your writing style. Several of our APW writers have won awards over the years. Although we do not have an Arizona specific contest, you can enter the At-large section. Check it out at NFPW.org
Let’s see how many members we will have this year in the contest. See our website ArizonaProfessionalWriters.org or our Facebook page for more information. In fact, you can subscribe to our APW blog so you get notification whenever something new is posted. You’ll see the latest blog entry when you go to ArizonaProfessionalWriters.org. Look on the right-hand side for the signup.
Monthly meetings: I don’t understand why more members have not taken advantage of all our virtual meetings. We have had two guests a month from either Central or Rim Country chapter with all members invited. From my viewpoint, most are outstanding. They have created much discussion on a variety of topics.
Recently at the last Central meeting a Book review group was created. See it on the 4th Saturday of the month. Again check out the info on FB and our website. You will receive the zoom invitation before the program.
2021 Membership: APW is alive and thriving. Why not take advantage of all we have to offer. Membership renewal will be due soon. You will be receiving a notice from Connie Cockrell, state membership chair, for state dues or from NFPW if you are a national member.
APW Board meeting: Our next APW Board meeting is scheduled for December 5.It will be a virtual one and all members are invited. More informatioin in November.
Keep writing,
Marie A. Fasano,
President APW
Arizona Professional Writers 