2022/23 Board of directors

President/Chair

Alex Benarzi

​Alex is a writer, editor, and educator in Calgary, Alberta. Alex is passionate about accessibility in writing, and encourages people to see the world differently through his creative and professional writing. Alex's short stories have been published with The Selkie, Coffin Hop Press, and Freeze Frame Fiction.
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Vice President/Co-Chair




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​Treasurer






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​Secretary

​Directors at Large

Sarah Johnson

Sarah, who writes has S.J. Logan, writes science fiction and fantasy, is a local business owner(Titan Health & Safety), teaches World Building, facilitates the Weekly Write In and Fiction Roundtable, and is the current Vice President for The Alexandra Writers Centre Society. She loves being on the lake and spending time with her family. She also admits to having a minor addition to books that isn’t hurting anyone, so she has yet to seek help. S.J. is finishing a science fiction trilogy, but you can find her shorter work in Swill Magazine, The War Memory Project, and her recent short story ‘Rain Walker’ in Abyss & Apex Magazine. 
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Scott Pieschel

Although he's a born and raised Calgarian, Scott has been fortunate enough to live in many interesting places, such as Belgium, Barcelona, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. A financial analyst by trade, when he’s not bathing in the fluorescent light of his cubicle, you can find him on the golf courses and hiking trails of Alberta and BC, or in his home office, hammering away at his keyboard when an idea for a short story hits him. Scott has been a member of the AWCS for approximately three years, and is a graduate of their Author Development Program (and highly recommends it). He is currently working on his first novel.
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Connie Donoghue

Connie first joined the AWCS 7 years ago but first heard of the Writers Centre way back in high school, 40 years ago from teachers who spoke about a new group trying something almost unheard of in Calgary. As a Director, she witnessed the AWCS not only survive the unprecedented economic and social pressures of the last 4 years but transform into a place – real and virtual – where everyone can learn how to write and create. She loves journaling, ranting, imagining, and writing fan fiction, science fiction, and mystery stories. 
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Laurie Fuhr

Laurie Anne Fuhr, prolific multimodal poet of page, screen, and stage, is the author of night flying (Frontenac House 2018), shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry. In May 2022, her poem Water Sign appeared in the Poet Laureate of Cobourg’s water-themed virtual chapbook. Her poems also appeared in the first anthology of the Espresso Poetry Collective (of which she is a founding member); Uncommon Grounds, released during the pandemic, is available at www.espressopoetrycollective.ca. Laurie is an active member of Poetry In Voice (bringing poetry to schools), a member of the Writers Guild of Alberta and the League of Canadian Poets, and a poetry instructor and board member for AWCS. Follow Laurie on Facebook and Instagram: multimodal_poet.
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Em Williamson

Em Williamson is a lesbian poet, prose writer, and English MA student who has been coaching the AWCS Youth Programs' poetry club, the Rogue Poets, for almost seven years. Em is passionate about fostering a love of writing and creativity in young people, and is committed to doing everything she can to help the Youth Programs continue to be a safe space for young writers of all kinds, as well as facilitating an inclusive environment in the AWCS as a whole. She performed as a spoken word poet for several years at a variety of events across Alberta, but is currently working on a creative thesis project at the University of Calgary in the form of a queer visual novel. 
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Pam Clark

Pam Clark is a published poet, educator and author of an award winning historical novel, Kalyna (Stonehouse Publishing, 2016). Now retired from her teaching career, Pam has been a collaborative team member and an inspirational team leader and has a strong commitment to mental wellness in the community. In her role with the board of directors, Pam is committed to the AWCS vision  championing inclusivity, diversity and building a strong writing community that lifts each other up. 
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Suzn Morgan

Suzn is a native Albertan and lives in Calgary. She has a lifetime of journal keeping and is presently editing her first Memoir manuscript. Suzn has dabbled in digital and oral storytelling and identifies as a feminist, artist, writer,  wanna-be Buddhist and introvert. She also studies and speaks Spanish, improving her abilities by frequent trips to Guatemala and Mexico. 

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VOLUNTEER Committees

AWCS depends on a great team of volunteers who support staff and assist in maintaining a welcoming environment for all writers and creatives. If you have some unique skills or background that would benefit on any of these committees we would love to have you.
Please contact Robin van Eck to put your name forward.

​Committees fall into two categories.

• Programming Committees are made up of AWCS members and staff. The committee works directly with staff to assist in program development and/or decisions based on specific programs. They report directly to a committee lead who is usually a staff member. These committees are typically ongoing.
• Board Committees are made up of AWCS board members, staff (as needed) and AWCS members. The committees work directly to support governance and operational initiatives and may change year after year depending on the current operational needs. 

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Writer in Residence Selection Committee 2023 (FULL)

Programming Committee - Selection committee to choose the next AWCS Writer in Residence once applications open.
Tracy Fox, Vina Nguyen, Jessica Waite, Monda Mahmoud, Dorothy Bentley, Cindy Morris
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 Showcase Event Series Committee

Programming Committee - Event committee to design and create events that coincide with the cSpace quarterly tenant showcase events.
Robin van Eck, Pam Clark, Susan Zhao, Cynthia Roebuck
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Fundraising Committee

Board Committee - To explore and develop a fundraising plan and design exciting fundraising events.
Robin van Eck, Suzn Morgan, Laurie Fuhr, Connie Donoghue
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Truth & Reconciliation Committee

Board Committee - To explore how AWCS can better do its part surrounding Truth and Reconciliation.
Alex Benarzi, Sarah Butson, Lareina Abbott, Samantha Jones, Moni Brar
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Marketing & Communications Committee 

Board Committee - To help design and implement a solid marketing and communications plan.
Robin van Eck, Sarah Johnson, Connie Donoghue, Pam Clark
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Youth Education Committee

Board Committee - To explore how AWCS can get its youth programming into schools.
Kim Firmston, Alex Benarzi, Pam Clark, Em Williamson
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Volunteer support staff

Volunteer Coordinator & New Member Welcome - Cindy Morris

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Volunteer-Facilitated programs

Many of our weekly & monthly programs are faciliated by dedicated volunteers or at a very nominal honourarium to facilitators in order to keep costs low or free to members. Thank you to everyone who helps make this possible.
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Monthly Roundtables

• Historical Fiction Roundtable - Pam Clark
• Fiction Roundtable - Sarah Johnson
• Poetry Publishing Club - Laurie Fuhr
• Memoir Roundtable - Karen Lee/Vivian Hansen
• Diverse Voices - Samantha Jones

Weekly Programs

• IN PERSON Free Fall - Sandy Navrady, Wendy Kraft
• ONLINE Free Fall - Susan Nguyen, Catherine Mackie
• ONLINE Write Now - Cindy Morris
• ONLINE Weekly Write In - Sarah Johnson, Anne Georg, Melanie Watt
• ONLINE Story Salon - Robin van Eck, Cindy Morris, Melanie Watt
• ONLINE Poetry Cafe - Laurie Fuhr (occasional guest facilitators)