Current News from the Kansas Authors Club

Meet 2026 Vice President, Janice Northerns

2/9/2026

Janice Northerns joined KAC in 2021 and has enjoyed being more active at the local level since she and her husband moved to Wichita in 2023. She served as KAC poetry contest manager the past two years.

Janice is the author of new poetry chapbook, Men & Angels, as well as a 2020 full-length poetry collection, Some Electric Hum, which won the KAC Nelson award. The book also won the Byron Caldwell Smith Award from KU and was a finalist for the WILLA Literary Award.

This season, she is hosting the Kansas segment of Poets on the Plains on High Plains Public Radio. To purchase her books, find out more about Poets on the Plains, or read some of her work, visit Janice’s website: www.janice.northerns.com

Thank you, Janice,

for sharing your time and talent

with our community of writers!

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Meet 2026 Executive Board Member, Linda Cook

2/6/2026

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Linda Cook, Kansas Authors Club, Finance Officer

I joined the Kansas Authors Club in January 2023, after retiring from a 45-year career in communications, public relations and business planning. Starting in 2026, I am honored to be a member of the KAC Board of Directors and serve as the Finance Director.

Most of my career was with General Motors Corporation where I started working in Kansas City in 1977, fresh out of Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and mass communications. (I was the Kansas farm girl moving into the corporate world). I also have an MBA degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earned in 1998 when I was selected to receive a GM Sloan Fellowship. The invaluable knowledge I gained in finance and accounting at MIT will undoubtedly serve me well as I assume the KAC Finance Director role. Maybe I was destined to serve in this role, even though I am more a word person than a numbers person.

After 25 years at GM, while moving around the country and traveling the world, my hunger for a new career experience took me back to Kansas City where I became vice president of communications for Midwest Research Institute, an independent laboratory that conducts biological and chemical research (some of it being top secret stuff) for the U.S. government and for agricultural and pharmaceutical companies. My next career move was to lead communications for Honeywell’s Federal Manufacturing and Technologies facility, also in Kansas City. My job involved even more top-secret work, this time for the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Communications work in an information secured facility requires a delicate balance in providing enough information about a topic to inform and assure the public of their safety and security, without saying too much to jeopardize that security.

My last two professional roles brought me back to Kansas State University: first as the vice president of communications for the KSU Alumni Association and last as Chief of Staff for the K-State President and director of community relations for the university.

My writing experience has included newspapers and magazines articles, news releases, brochures, video scripts, web content and executive speeches. Now that I’m retired, my writing focus is on short stories (fiction and nonfiction) and working on that ever-elusive novel(s). More recently, I was honored to have three short stories published in the 105 Meadowlark Reader (topics included: Landmarks, Intersections, and Accomplice). I also received Honorable Mention in the 2025 KAC Literary contest for a humorous prose short story entitled “Rebound Date.” Yes, it was based on a real-life experience when I was in my late twenties.

Retirement has also afforded me time to get involved in community activities. I currently serve on the board of directors for five community organizations in Manhattan.
I look forward to serving on the KAC Board of Directors and meeting more KAC members.

Thank you, Linda,
for sharing your time and talent
with the literary community of Kansas!

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State Board Meeting - November 30

11/27/2023

The next board meeting of the Kansas Authors Club will take place on Thursday, November 30, at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom. All executive board members and district representatives to the board will receive the link via email. If you are a member who would like to attend as a guest, complete the contact form below.

Highlights of the 2023 Annual Meeting of the General Membership

10/27/2023

October 21, 2023

An estimated 47 members were present via Zoom.

Thanks to our 2023 Executive Board
            Kris Polansky: President
            Anne Spry: Vice President
            Chuck Warner: Financial Officer
            Ann Vigola Anderson: Secretary

Thanks to 2023 departing officers who have filled appointed positions:

            Cheryl Unruh, Welcome Wagon - 3 years
            Lindsey Bartlett, Prose Contest Manager - 2 years
            Gretchen Eick, Poetry Contest Manager - 1 year

Thanks to 2023 District/City Leaders:
  Anne Spry - Topeka
  Maureen Carroll - Lawrence
  Lindsey Bartlett - Emporia
  Kris Polansky - Manhattan
  Mike Durall - Salina
  Sandee Taylor - Wichita & El Dorado
  Tammy Gilley - Hutchinson
  Frank Powers - Colby

The following members were recognized:

  Octogenarians:
  Sally Jadlow, Sue Wike, Philip Wood
  10 year members:
  Cynthia Chauhaun, Vicki Guillot, Rose Klenke
  15 year members:
   Alice Bertels, Cathy Callen
  20 year members:
  Conrad Jestmore, Robert DeMott
  30 year members: Nancy Glenn
  40 year member: Betty L. Berney

The following Service Awards were presented:

Nichole Snyder of District 5 - D5 computer and Zoom tech, served in newly-created position as Technology Manager.

Ann Fell, D5, Writers in Community Liaison for District 5. She especially champions authors' involvement with libraries. Ann organized a small group for writers in the Winfield area.

Lindsey Bartlett, D2, prose contest manager 2 years, introduced and co-sponsored the Rural Voices category, serves as Co-Chair of District 2 in 2023. Assistant Editor, Writing from the Center Zine.

Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Betty Berney has been a member of the Kansas Author’s Club since 1983. Among her many honors are winning first prize in the 5th Anniversary National Country Music Songwriter Contest in 1981; the Golden Poet Award presented at the 3rd Annual Poetry Convention at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1987, and the Female Country songwriter of the year by the Lumpkin Music Corporation in 1988. Her 375 plus extensive writings include poetry and songs.

2024 Officers Elected

President: Anne Spry (Topeka)
Vice President: Lindsey Bartlett (Emporia)
Financial Officer: Tyler Henning (Wichita)
Secretary: Ann Vigola Anderson (Lawrence)

Minutes of the 2023 Annual Meeting

Message from the 2024 President-elect, Anne Spry.

Board Meeting Notes from Ann Vigola Anderson, State Secretary

9/11/2023

“We are in exciting times for Kansas Authors Club. We have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves, and that doesn’t happen often.”
– Barbara Waterman Peters, District 1 Representative to the Kansas Authors Club State Board

The Kansas Authors Club Board met on Zoom on September 7. We thought you might enjoy an overview of the fall board meeting. It was well attended (4 executive officers, 6 district reps, 2 guests, and our manager). We covered important topics ranging from enhancing our business operations to the writing retreat at Rock Springs on October 6-8.

We hope you have a chance to attend the Kansas Book Festival on September 16 at Washburn University in Topeka. KAC will be presenting our annual youth awards at the festival for the first time. This will give our young writers a chance to mingle with authors, take advantage of some of the excellent book festival activities for youth, and celebrate literature in Kansas with their families! Many of our Kansas Authors Club authors, publishers and editors will be at booths to answer questions and sign books for you!

Kansas Authors Club is always working to assure we do an excellent job of tracking our financial assets in all districts and at the state level. To further help our district treasurers, KAC will be developing some tools for consistency and information for all of our districts to use.

Have you had a chance to zoom in on a statewide program? The attendance has been growing steadily. Our tracking suggests that our programs have been reaching in the range of 68-85 members each month. This has afforded many members the opportunity to be a part of the program without the expense and time of traveling. Check the website for the next speaker! If you have a terrific idea for a statewide program, please send it to one of the KAC board members or Tracy. If you are interested in serving on a committee to plan our state programs, please let us know!

Are you a tech wizard? We are looking for a few volunteers that would like to help with the presentation of our state programs on zoom. And if you have other fun ideas of how to enhance our presentations, we’d love to hear from you!

Our Fall Gathering is just around the corner. This year it comes in the form of a writing retreat rather than a convention. There are a few spots open so please sign up by September 15 to assure you will be a part of this unique writing retreat. You may register on our website.

The retreat will be held at Rock Springs Lodge, just off I-70 near Junction City. The site features beautiful mature trees, creeks, and a view of the Flint Hills. And so many places to relax to read, write, and visit with other attendees. As much as we will enjoy being close to nature, the site also has first-rate room accommodations, meeting rooms that are easily accessible by car or a short walk, and delicious food with many choices. And rumor has it there might be a campfire with s’mores on Saturday night!

I know several of our attendees are also looking forward to catching up on reading, too. This is an opportunity to be with writers, publishers, editors and all in a setting of beauty and comfort.

The complete minutes of the 2023 Board Meetings can be found here (member sign-in required).

Board of Directors, August Meeting, & List of Open Positions

8/19/2022

The Board of Directors for the Kansas Authors Club met for a summer business meeting on Saturday, August 13, 2022, from 10:00 to 12:00, by Zoom. Those in attendance were Tracy Million Simmons (president, transitional manager); Kristine Polansky (vice-president); Monica Graves (financial officer); Cathy Callen (secretary); Anne Spry (D1); Adelaide Bauman (D3); Gretchen Eick (D5); and, Jim Potter (D6). Minutes from the March 26, 2022, board meeting were reviewed, corrected, and approved. The financial report submitted by Monica Graves was reviewed; Tracy sends quarterly reports to Monica, and finances are reported to be in good shape. District representatives took a few moments to report on activities within their districts. Contest managers submitted updates regarding the number of submissions to the various literary contests, with total submissions reported to be within normal limits when compared to previous contests.

A significant portion of the August 13th meeting was spent discussing the restructuring of the organization and the need to finalize changes to the bylaws for approval by members in October. The Board voted unanimously to approve changes and to submit the final version to members for their review. (see link below) Also discussed were plans for the Kansas Book Festival in September at Washburn (Kansas Authors Club will sponsor an informational table), and the upcoming Kansas Authors Club annual convention, to be held in Lawrence in October. We were reminded that there was an “early bird special” conference fee for those registering by September 1.

The nominating committee is preparing a slate of potential officers for 2023. There are still openings, and interested applicants can contact Kristine Polansky. See the list of open positions below.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:55 a.m. The next board meeting is scheduled for October 8, by Zoom.

Submitted for website publication by
Cathy Callen, State Secretary

Click here to view the proposed 2023 Bylaws

Note: The proposed 2023 bylaws are being emailed to every member by end of day on 8/19/2022. If you do not receive this email, please contact Tracy to confirm that your details in our master list are correct.

Make Your Mark on Our Growing Organization!

Do you have talent to spare? Time to invest in your community of writers? We are looking to fill the following positions in 2023.

State Secretary: Job Duties (quick version) attends 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. Our Secretary keeps the minutes, prepares a summary for publication, and will work closely with the manager and President as a member of the executive board.

State Financial Officer: Job Duties (quick version) attends 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. Our Financial Officer reviews financial reports generated by the Manager quarterly, sets our budget in coordination with the Manager each year, and works closely with President as a member of the executive board.

District Representatives: Each district needs a representative to the board. The commitment includes attending 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. This is a great way to get to know Kansas Authors Club in more depth and to perform a service for your local community of writers. If you are interested in helping out at the district level, talk to your District President about the many ways you can be involved. Note that District Representatives are elected or appointed at the district level. Pay attention to memos from your officers as districts will begin filling local positions toward the end of this year.

Appointed Positions

Contest Managers: We are actively seeking individuals to manage our 2023 adult poetry and youth writing contests. This person should be comfortable using Submittable (and/or willing to learn how to manage things on the back side). An enthusiasm for promoting and growing our contests is always a plus. Contest managers are charged with selecting judges for the contest, assuring that entries meet the requirements, answering contest questions, and preparing the awards presentation at the annual convention each October. Contest managers work closely with each other and with the Manager. We do ask that managers not enter the contest that they are managing while they are serving in the position. (So if you are a prose writer, managing the poetry contest might be the ideal job for you!)

Publications and Website: Do you have experience with layout and design? Are you proficient (or willing to learn) programs such as Microsoft Publisher and/or Adobe InDesign? Would you like to gain experience with website work or email newsletter services? Perhaps you would be interested in joining our publications team. We currently produce a print yearbook and an electronic newsletter, and publication opportunities within Kansas Authors Club may just be growing! Extra eyes for editing and proofreading are also always appreciated.

Social Media Contributors: If you follow us on Facebook, you already understand the power of teamwork to give an organization a presence. If your district (or area of writing interest) is underrepresented, perhaps you would like to join our teal of social media contributors. We also could use assistance with Twitter and Instagram.

Notice: Kansas Authors Club Executive Board Meeting

8/8/2022

The next meeting of the Kansas Authors Club state board will take place Saturday, August 13, 2022, at 10:00 am via Zoom. If you have items of news or concern to submit, or would like to receive a link to attend, please use the contact forms on the Board of Directors page or reach out to your District Representative.

Tentative Agenda:

Reports of Officers, standing committees, special committees

Financial Report – Manager
Contest Managers – Numbers

Ongoing Business:

Restructuring

Transitional manager position
proposed bylaws for presenting to the general membership at the convention
(the restructuring of districts remains a discussion item)

KS Book Festival Plans

Future of Youth Program Awards Book

New Business:

Executive Board Positions in 2023
Appointed Board Positions in 2023

Spring Board Meeting Highlights

4/12/2021

SPRING BOARD MEETING
Cathy Callen, KAC secretary

The KAC Board of Directors met by Zoom for their spring board meeting on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021. Sixteen officers and board members from across the state participated, led by KAC president, Duane Johnson.

A 2021 budget was presented by former Financial Secretary, Tracy Million Simmons, and approved by voice vote.
Preliminary plans for the fall KAC convention, to be hosted by District #1 in Topeka, were reviewed.
Items of discussion included a proposed change to the Bylaws for specifying the chair for the nominating committee, increasing opportunities for youth through contact with schools, partnering with libraries to increase access to district programs and statewide Author Talks, the need for adding speakers to the KAC Speaker’s Bureau, and the pros and cons of identifying contest judges to entrants in advance.
A task force will be meeting in May to discuss various aspects of modernizing KAC.

It was noted that all KAC contests are now open for submissions. In addition, 105 Meadowlark Reader, a Meadowlark publication, will be accepting submissions for stories about Kansas counties in May and June, with the theme, “Kansas Road Trips.”

The next KAC board meeting is scheduled for August 7, 2021.