RWA Board of Directors

Contact the Board at board@rwa.org.

 

LaQuette, President

LaQuetteTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Former president of RWANYC, LaQuette writes unapologetically sexy and diverse characters for Sourcebooks, Harlequin, and St. Martin's Press. She crafts emotionally epic tales deeply pigmented by reality's paintbrush. She fills her novels with a unique mixture of savvy, sarcastic, and brazen characters who are confident in their right to appear on the page.

Before romance, LaQuette was a college professor who taught literature, research & methodology, and creative writing to academically diverse and disadvantaged populations. She now uses her educational background to teach her Critical Lens course where romance writers learn how to consider the perspectives of marginalized voices.

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Gail Chianese, President-Elect

Gail ChianeseTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Gail Chianese joined RWA in 2010. At the chapter level, she’s a two-term past President, Vice President of Programming, Conference Chair, Bylaws Committee member, and Member-at-Large, At the national level, Gail has served on the RWA ad-hoc committee and two years as the RWA Conference Workshop Committee Chair during a pandemic, earning her the 2021 RWA Service Award. She attributes her ability to get stuff done under pressure to her years as a Navy wife (more than she’d like to admit) and being the mom of three. She is a hybrid author of contemporary, romantic suspense and women’s fiction.

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C. Chilove, Secretary

C. ChiloveTerm expiration: 08/31/2023

C. Chilove is the former CIMRWA President. She writes sexy, thought-provoking romance that explores the human condition while proving love transcends societal clichés. Her characters are strong, witty, and prove that diversity is beautiful. When she's not writing, she's living out her personal happily-ever-after by rockin’ the stands for her Volleyball star, cheering on her future MLB slugger, or celebrating date night with her hubby. 

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Laura Alford, Treasurer

Laura AlfordTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Laura Alford is an Assistant Professor of Accounting in the Graduate School of Defense Management at the Naval Postgraduate School located in Monterey, CA. She spends her days educating some of the world’s finest students and researching scintillating accounting issues. As a native of Louisiana, she is gob-smacked daily by the natural landscape that inspired Steinbeck’s East of Eden and Stevenson’s Treasure Island. She has yet to persuade either of her children to move to the coast, but keeps their rooms ready and the freezer stocked with crawfish—just in case.

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Directors-at-Large

Louisa Cornell, Director-at-Large

Louisa CornellTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

After retiring from a European career as an opera singer, Louisa returned to her first love, writing Regency romance. A two-time Golden Heart finalist, three-time Daphne du Maurier winner, and four-time Royal Ascot winner—she is a member of RWA, Southern Magic RWA, and Regency Fiction Writers. She is both indie published and published by Scarsdale Publishing. Her first published work, the novella A Perfectly Dreadful Christmas, won the 2015 Holt Medallion. Her novel A Study in Passion won the historical romance mid-length category of RWA’s 2021 VIVIAN Award. Her fifteenth published book, Cajun in a Kilt, will debut Fall 2021.

She has served as President of the Beau Monde Chapter of RWA, Vice President of the Southern Magic Chapter of RWA, and President of the Southern Magic Chapter of RWA.

Marian H. Griffin, Director-at-Large

Marian H. GriffinTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Marian H. Griffin won a cursive writing contest in elementary school and was insulted that the story she wrote didn't even get mentioned. She has written everything she can think of ever since. Her romance writing started in college while working on her Masters of Library Science degree. During one semester she assisted setting up a new library by cataloguing over 500 romance donations during the height of the "ripped bodice" covers. The teasing prodded her to read a few...and the rest is, well, it just is!

She has nine erotic novellas and four contemporaries self-published.

Mary Karlik, Director-at-Large

Mary KarlikTerm expiration: 08/31/2023

Mary Karlik is a hybrid author with 7 published novels. She has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University, is a Registered Nurse, and is finishing a degree in Scottish Gaelic from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye Scotland.

Mary has been a member of RWA since 1996. Has served nationally on the Ethics committee and the Leadership Training Task Force. On the chapter level, she has served as the VP Programs for YARWA (Young Adult Romance Authors), President of YARWA, and is the President of DARA (Dallas Area Romance Authors).

Siera London, Director-at-Large

Siera LondonTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Siera London is a USA Today best-selling & award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance, romantic suspense, and crime fiction. Prior to her writing career, Siera completed 22 years in the United States Navy where she served as an equal opportunity advisor to the executive leadership. She has over 20 years of national and local government board experience.

Jacki Renée, Director-at-Large

Amy QuintonTerm expiration: 08/31/2023

Jacki Renée is an indie published author who has been a member of RWA since 2015. She is a former President-elect and the past Director of Membership of the Kiss of Death Chapter. She also served as chairperson and co-chair of committees for both KOD and CIMRWA. Jacki is the mother of two adult daughters, also known as her Moon and Sun. She gets her passion for reading romance from her mother, Jackie. When she isn’t writing or reading or volunteering, Jacki cooks, bakes, and sews.



Elizabeth Schechter, Director-at-Large

Elizabeth SchechterTerm expiration: 08/31/2023

Elizabeth Schechter has been called one of the top erotica and alternative sexuality writers in the world. Her writing credits include the award-winning steampunk erotic romance House of Sable Locks, the Celtic fantasy Princes of Air, and the ongoing Heir to the Firstborn serial, her first foray into New Adult fantasy. She was born in New York at some point in the past. She is officially old enough to know better, but refuses to grow up. She lives in Central Florida with her husband and son.


Advisors

Chapter Advisor



Nancy C. Weeks, PAN Advisor

JoMarie DeGioiaTerm expiration: 08/31/2023

Nancy C. Weeks has loved happy-ever-after romances since her early teens. She lives in suburban Maryland with her husband of more than thirty years and enjoys spending her days writing suspenseful happily-ever-after adventures outside on the deck as the local bird population keeps her company.

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Catherine Stuart, PRO Advisor

Catherine StuartTerm expiration: 08/31/2022

Catherine writes quirky and flirty romance. In addition to writing, she works as a tech geek, wrangles two adorable toddlers, and plays house with her hot (and funny!) husband in Maine. She is a member of Maine Romance Writers, where she serves as the librarian and occasional web-conferencing technician. She also belongs to the online RWA chapter, From the Heart. Her novel, Princess of Meridian, was a finalist for the Golden Heart Award in Contemporary Romance – Short.

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