Rose Marie Kern, President
Rose attended Butler University where she began her studies in Arts Administration, though she received her Bachelor’s degree in Non-Profit management from the University of New Mexico. In addition to working for the FAA and Lockheed Martin, Rose has owned and managed her own business since 2003. As an author, Rose has had over a thousand articles published in national and regional magazines on solar energy, sustainable living, solar cooking, aviation, and organic gardening, and has written five books. Currently she works with authors who want to learn how to self-publish, and has given a number of classes and workshops for SWW. Rose has been a member of SouthWest Writers since January of 2006, a board member since 2008, and is a past president and past treasurer of the organization.
Léonie Rosenstiel, Vice President/PR
Léonie has received numerous local, regional, and national writing awards for both fiction and nonfiction. She has also received grants from the American Council of Learned Societies and the Rockefeller Foundation. Her latest book, Protecting Mama, won First Place in the 2022 Arizona and New Mexico Book Awards.
Cornelia Gamlem, Treasurer
Cornelia is an “accidental author” who started writing when she collaborated with a colleague on The Big Book of HR. They’ve written seven more business books, a weekly blog, and columns and articles for other business publications and platforms. She’s served on SWW’s board since 2021.
Dan Wetmore, Secretary
Dan joined SWW in late 2016. He’s served on the Board of Directors for five years, having worked on the Nominations Committee, chaired the annual writing contest, and edited the By-Laws and the Policies & Procedures Manual. Dan is the editor of Ramblings & Reflections, SWW’s 2021 contest anthology, and has authored two books of poetry: My Mother’s Gentle Unbecoming and Phoboudenopanophobia.
Brenda Cole, Past President/Collegium
Brenda has been an educator for children from preschool through high school. Her multiple life sciences degrees led to teaching Biology and Western Medicine at three different institutions. She splits her time between writing, art projects, and genealogy. Over the years she has become an award-winning author of nonfiction short stories. Brenda was SWW’s 2021-2022 vice president and chair of the Collegium Committee.
