Impact and Legacy Fund Leadership

Managing Director, is the co-founder of SCBWI, a New York Times best-selling author of over 65 books for children, and Executive Producer of numerous television series and films for family audiences. She is a prominent advocate for literacy and has served on the Board of the Los Angeles Library Foundation and Advisory Council of Common Sense Media.

Ismee Williams is a pediatric cardiologist, an author, and co-founder of the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival. She is the award winning author of "Water in May" and "This Train is Being Held."

Co-chair of the SCBWI Advisory Council and pencils the text for each of his picture books from his dining room table in Sydney, Australia. His recent title, Bear and Rat (illus. Stephen Michael King), published internationally, is a powerful and uplifting story about loving friendship, even through the hardest of times.

Author and illustrator of picture books including the award winning Little Elliot series and Where Is Bina Bear?, and his debut young adult graphic novel, Flamer, which was awarded the 2020 Lambda Literary Award, the 2021 Massachusetts Book Award, and the 2021 Golden Kite Award Honor Illustrated Book for Older Readers.

Retired physician, artist, woodworker, author, and illustrator. His works have been featured in magazines, newspapers, radio and television. His Pepito the Squirrel picture books were published in 2021. Pedro & Daniel, a debut novel, will be published by Levine Querido in spring 2023.

Retired attorney and member of the Shared Word writers’ group. He loves history and writes middle grade historical fiction. Michael lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Brenda, and three dogs.

Award-winning author of twenty nonfiction books for young readers, fourteen NY Times bestselling YA verse novels, two middle grade verse novels, and four novels for adult readers. She lives near Carson City, NV, with her extended family, two German shepherds, and a few too many guppies.

Founder and editor-in-chief of Levine Querido, a small independent company devoted to publishing excellent books by people from communities that have traditionally been under-represented. He identifies as Jewish, Disabled, Queer, a Parent, a Writer, and someone who continues to be amazed by the power of a great read.

Author of six books including: Who I Am Not What I Am, 100% Real, Summer Camp Survival, No Longer Besties…and other assorted teenage drama, Teen Life Crisis and I’m Just O.K. Tara is a TEDx Speaker, Licensed Professional Counselor and the E&I Committee Chair for SCBWI-MI.

Active member of the children’s book community. She’s excited to support quality children’s literature for all communities and be an advocate for children’s book creators.

Children’s book author, speaker, consultant, and co-Regional Advisor for SCBWI-Michigan. In her former life, she helped build development programs for nonprofits, institutions, and community service organizations. Carrie realized early that asking for support is easy when you believe in the cause.

Teacher who writes and a writer who teaches. He is known for his funny and fierce fiction and nonfiction picture books and is recognized as one of the pioneers in the arena of LGBTQIA+ literary nonfiction picture books.

Lawrence Schimel is a bilingual (Spanish/English) author of over 100 books, which have won a Crystal Kite Award, a White Raven, and have been chosen for IBBY’s Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities three times, among other honors. He is also a prolific literary translator. He lives in Madrid, Spain, where he founded the SCBWI Spain chapter and served as Regional Advisor for five years.

Author of a dozen published fiction and nonfiction books for children including her award-winning middle grade novel Bull Rider. She is an SCBWI Regional Advisor Emerita and on the Nevada Arts Council’s roster of teaching artists. A former teacher, she’s been a literacy advocate and community activist for many years.

Author of fourteen picture books, most of which she illustrated. An animal lover, she serves on several boards devoted to the well-being of animals and conservation. She’s president of the LA Zoo Commission and her family foundation. A graduate of Syracuse University, she’s a mother of three grown sons, grandmother of eight, and minder of 5 pups.