Contact Information:
916 Ink
Allison Stelly, Director of Development
Cell: 916-245-0074
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
916 INK ANNOUNCES FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Diverse Voices and Experiences Bring New Perspectives to this 10-Year-Old Organization
[SACRAMENTO, CA, April 12, 2021] –
Sacramento nonprofit 916 Ink is pleased to announce the appointment of four new board members: Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood, California State University and author; Patrick Harbison, Patrick Harbison Public Relations; Tigh Rickman, DeCamilla Capital Management; and Mimi Warshaw, California Department of Education.
“In our new members, we have a diverse array of voices and experiences that each contribute to the greater whole of 916 Ink," Board President DJ Waldow said. "From published authors to experts in the field of education, as well as influential business leaders and local advocates, we are excited about the talents, skills, and perspectives of our four new board members."
Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood is an award-winning children’s author and an Assistant Professor in the Child and Adolescent Development Department at California State University, Sacramento, with research focused on how the lack of diversity in children’s literature impacts young learners. Her children’s books, including Imani’s Moon and Grandma’s Tiny House: A Counting Story, have gleaned a number of accolades and awards including the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award and a recent mention on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report.
Patrick Harbison is the owner of Patrick Harbison Public Relations (PHPR), a full-service public relations firm in Sacramento. Harbison has been recognized as one of Sacramento Business Journal's "40 Under 40," Influencer of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America, a Comstock's Emerging Leader, and one of Sacramento Magazine's Top 100 Professionals, to name a few.
Tigh Rickman is the Senior Investment Strategist at DeCamilla Capital Management in Sacramento and an investment adviser representative registered with the state of California. Tigh is also a writer of short fiction, with an MFA in creative writing/literary fiction from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine, and his work has appeared in several literary journals including The Bradford ReView, The Conium Review, and The Farallon Review.
Mimi Warshaw is a Policy Analyst at the California Department of Education and a former Kindergarten and 1st grade teacher. She works on California education policy, fiscal policy, and federal education issues.
When asked why he joined the board of 916 Ink, Rickman said, "Writing has been a creative outlet for me since I was a child and through it I developed my voice, both on and off the page. To have an opportunity to work with 916 Ink, an organization that recognizes the vital role creative self expression plays in the development of young people's minds and character is an honor."
Warshaw added her perspective as a teacher. “As an educator, the first thing that drew me to 916 Ink was their workshop method. Not only does it teach writing skills, but truly it fosters creativity in a meaningful way that leads to real outcomes, both academic and socio-emotional.”
Dr. Brown-Wood closed by sharing, "I wish I had access to an organization like this when I was growing up. So, having an opportunity to work with Ink, whose whole mission is to empower young writers to refine their craft and to find their voices through creative writing--it feels like home! 916 Ink feels like home!"
A full list of board members and expanded bios for the new appointees can be found at www.916ink.org/board.
916 Ink is an arts-based literacy nonprofit that provides creative writing workshops and reading tutoring for Sacramento area youth, elementary through high school. Since 2010, 916 Ink has transformed over 4,000 young people in the greater Sacramento region into published authors. 916 Ink's primary focus has historically been on creative writing workshops. However, in 2020 the organization launched "Read On!", an online reading tutoring program, to help to fill a gap in intensive reading tutoring in Sacramento.
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