Board of Directors, 2023-2024
Rose Arrowsmith
Rose Arrowsmith writes poetry and children's books, and tells traditional and original folktales. You can listen to stories every week on The Saturday Morning Story podcast, on all streaming platforms, or at www.rosearrowsmith.com
Rose draws on her Swedish heritage and theatre background, and gets plenty of inspiration from the wild woods and lakes of the North Shore. She has performed around the US, and in Sweden and India. Rose lives in Grand Marais.
Danielle Daniel
Danielle Daniel is a motivational storyteller, speaker, actress, creative writer, director, and teaching artist. Her vivacious style fills the stage with a swirl of characters. Her storytelling programs and tour shows have been presented in Europe and the United States. She has worked in many schools, colleges, and community organizations using the art of storytelling to entertain, educate, motivate, and empower people of all ages. She is a recipient of the Jim Dusso Artist Award, Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, LIN Grant, Many Voices and Jerome Fellowship from the Playwright Center. Her literary work includes a children’s book, “The Ghost of Old Man Willie,” three plays, Voodoo Child, Sugar and Spice a Black Woman’s Melody, and The Magic of Laughter. She believes our stories are like air and water, we need them to survive.
Joshua Gillespie (Brotha Asè)
Joshua Gillespie (Brotha Asè) is a third generation Griot/ Storyteller. As the Grandson of Vusumuzi and Nothando Zulu he was enamored, intrigued, & inspired by the rich African Folktale stories, history, and lessons that came though the art form that his family elders perform and love. Brotha Asè has written several stories of his own including “Master of The Skies” , “Ra Amun and The Djembe Drum” , and “The Planter Women’s Seed” which honors ancestor Aunt Beverly Cottman. Brotha Asè believes our stories are like seeds from the divine tree of life, helping to guide us and grow us into divine trees of our own.
Molly Jessup
In her work as an educator and museum professional, Molly has found that storytelling can foster empathy, create understanding, and connect us to previous generations. She received her PhD in American history from Syracuse University, and previously served on the executive board of AFSCME Local 3173.
Howard Lieberman
Nationally known storyteller, poet, performance artist and political activist Howard Lieberman moved from Brooklyn, NY to bucolic but shockingly Republican Stillwater, MN in 1990. His jaded yet surprisingly tender style has made him a favorite on the national and, thanks to Zoom, global performance scene. Howard is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Storytelling Network.
Loren Niemi
Loren is an innovative storyteller, published poet, the author of "What Haunts Us," a collection of unsettling ghost stories that won a 2020 Midwest book award for "Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror / Paranormal fiction. HIs other books include "The New Book of Plots" and "Point of View and the Emotional Arc of Stories" on the structure of oral and written narratives, as well as the critically acclaimed "Inviting the Wolf In: Thinking About Difficult Stories" which he co-authored with Elizabeth Ellis. He teaches Storytelling in the Executive Leadership Institutes at the University of St. Thomas and provides coaching and message framing services for individuals, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies around the country. He is the recipient of the 2016 National Storytelling Network's Lifetime Achievement award. Loren is serving as Treasurer.
Nicholas Pawlowski
Nicholas Pawlowski M. Ed, has been integrating fairy tales, rhythmic movement and music into education for over 14 years. He is the founder and program manager of The Story Table Foundation, with the mission to promote mental and emotional wellbeing through interactive storytelling in person and online, and to make space for great storytellers from around the world. Nicholas serves as Co-President.
Pam Schweitzer
With fifteen years of experience as a childrens' storyteller, Pam has worked to bring stories into the classroom to enhance literacy. As licensed elementary teacher, she has developed and implemented a storytelling based curriculum to build the literacy skills of making inferences and determining main idea. She co-taught a children’s storytelling workshop, “Creating Happily Ever After…” at the South St. Paul Library. She has also taught numerous after-school programs which used story and storytelling to enhance reading skills. Pam serves as Co-President.
Sue Searing
As a member of the Champaign-Urbana (IL) Storytelling Guild, Sue told traditional tales from around the world at local venues and organized and emceed story concerts. After moving to Minneapolis in 2015, Sue expanded her repertoire to include personal and family stories as well. She was the winner of the 2018 Great American Story contest in Park Rapids, MN, has carried home trophies from story slams in the Twin Cities, and is a contributor to "Stay Human" on KAXE, Northern Community Radio. Sue maintains the SAM website and social media.