Elections for the Board of Directors of Romance Writers of America opened this week, and I am on the ballot as a candidate for Director-at-Large.

Why am I running?

RWA is going to be facing some big decisions and issues in the next year or two–and the choices made will affect every member. As a someone who values RWA, I would like to see that process be as transparent as possible, and inclusive of all the different voices in our organization.

So most importantly – please vote! Whether you vote for me or not. The ballot is full of excellent candidates.

If you are looking for suggestions, I will tell you I am voting for Courtney Milan and Carolyn Jewel. They are brilliant, talented authors who would bring a wealth of publishing experience and subject expertise to the board. Both have experience  in traditional and self-publishing.  Courtney has an impressive (understatement!) legal background, and Carolyn knows a great deal about technology and user testing.

I am neither a lawyer nor an IT whiz — aside from being an author, my professional background is as a librarian. That means my particular interest is in providing free and fair access to books and information. Board directors are elected to serve the organization, not advance individual agendas, but if I have a philosophy that tends to color my decision making, it’s that one.

Most of all, I just believe in and appreciate RWA. Over the years, membership has meant a lot to me. If there’s something I can contribute to help the organization keep evolving and improving, both in responsiveness to its members and relevance to the industry, I’m here to try my best.

If you are an RWA member and have questions for me, I will be happy to try to answer them. You can email me at Tessa AT Tessadare DOT com, or leave a comment here.

Elections are open through September 30. (If you’re a member and did not receive your voting login, please contact RWA to let them know.)