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Young Voices FoundationTM Awards
Distinguished Judges
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| Bobbi Carducci |
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BOBBI CARDUCCI is the Executive Director of the Young Voices Foundation, sponsor of the Young Voices Foundation Awards, and the President of Community Voice Media, LLC, publisher of the Young Voices Series of Anthologies. Her award winning short stories have appeared in many national publications and her work has been highlighted in the Washington Post newspaper.
Bobbi's reviews of children's and parenting books appear in her monthly column, Buy the Book, published by About Families Publications both in print and online.
She firmly believes that creative young people deserve a community-wide system of support similar to that provided to young athletes. Through her work with the Young Voices Foundation she hopes to provide young writers a practice field of their own where parents, coaches and community members will come together to nurture their talents and applaud their efforts.
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| Michael Carducci |
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MICHAEL CARDUCCI is co-director of the Young Voices Foundation and Vice President of Community Voice Media, LLC. He is a senior level manager with the United States Department of Defense, Washington, DC and has 20+ years of Federal Service experience, successfully managing specific aspects of national security programs including the implementation of automated information systems; selecting, managing and training staff; developing requirements for, and managing multi-million dollar contracts; establishing and monitoring productivity goals; and leading cross-functional teams on key projects.
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| Jonathan Maberry |
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JONATHAN MABERRY is a multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author. He is a professional writer and writing teacher and since 1979 has sold more than 1100 articles, eighteen nonfiction books, six novels, as well as short stories, poetry, song lyrics, video scripts, greeting cards, and two plays.
Jonathan is a speaker for the National Writers Union, and an active member of the ITW, HWA (Horror Writers Association), SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and the MWA (Mystery Writers of America).
Jonathan is a founding member of THE LIARS CLUB, a group of networking publishing professionals that includes NY Times bestselling author of legal thrillers William Lashner; NY Times bestselling paranormal romance author L. A. Banks; Emmy Award winning writer/producer Laura Schrock; crime novelist and Marvel comics writer Duane Swierczynski; fantasy author Gregory Frost, forensic crime novelist Jon McGoran (aka D H Dublin); book reviewer and Edgar Allen Poe scholar Ed Pettit; women’s contemporary novelist Kelly Simmons; crime writer Dennis Tafoya; and magazine freelancers and social network consultant Don Lafferty.
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| Brittany & Terri Macleod |
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Brittany Macleod is an eighth-grader living in New York City. Her mom, Terri, is a celebrity journalist and producer at the top-rated entertainment show Access Hollywood.
Brittany (with a little help from mom) is the author of 113 Things to Do by 13, published by Harlequin, a book that urges girls to "Unleash your girl power! Be inspired, be confident, be you!"
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| Jack Hillman |
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JACK HILLMAN is a novelist, journalist, playwright and a medical underwriter. His fiction has been published in multiple magazines while his novel length work currently numbers two young adult fantasies. In addition Jack has written and directed four mystery plays for local audiences in the Lehigh Valley. On the non-fiction side, Jack has served as a stringer on local newspapers- winning a Keystone Press Award for his investigative reporting- and has worked on a wire service covering the insurance industry as well as serving as a contributing editor to a life underwriting journal for eleven years. He has worked in the insurance industry for over thirty years and has a wide medical background due to his position as a medical underwriter. In addition, Jack is an avid martial artist and a collector of edged weapons.
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| Amy Vanderbilt, PhD |
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“DR. AMY VANDERBILT is a speaker, author and commentator from the Washington DC area. An expert in math and science education trends, she teams with her daughter, Sabrina Vanderbilt to bring the Early Math Series to children 0-7 years old. This innovative early learning series, including Negative Nine and Zero, Zero Everywhere!, plants the seeds of critical mathematics concepts using fun stories that keep readers thinking and learning. For over a decade, Dr. Vanderbilt has used local, national and global trends to give her academic, government and industry clients a personal and professional advantage. Now she is bringing that advantage to audiences world over via her innovative book series, speaking and media commentary. She reveals critical trends in education, business, management and the world stage; and gives readers the tools to harness those trends for their families, themselves and their careers.“
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| David Sackrider |
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DAVID SACKRIDER writes theatre reviews and feature stories for Virginia's Purcellville Gazette, and his work has appeared in the Washington Post. He has previously served two years as a judge for the Mom's Choice book awards.
Mr. Sackrider has written for and appeared on stage. He is in the third decade of a software development and technical writing career. In addition to his university degree in zoology Mr. Sackrider completed teacher training courses at Siena College, and has been certified to teach science in New York and Virginia.
He has lived in the United States, Europe and Asia, and is a private pilot and an avid motorcyclist who enjoys traveling with his wife Hiroko Kogi.
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| Robbi Hess |
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ROBBI HESS specializes in medical and business articles and enjoys a fulfilling career as a journalist and editorial assistant for a weekly newspaper and writes a bi-monthly humor column for a local newspaper. Her first book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names, was released in February.
In addition to penning her own fiction, Robbi plays Muse for writers who have signed up to receive her weekly WritingPerc . She is the Senior Editor of the Black Rose line at Wild Rose Press.
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| Cindy Fortunato and Sammy |
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CINDY FORTUNATO - released her first children’s book in June 2008. As a child, she loved to read books such as Lyle Crocodile and the Paddington Bear series. Cindy’s best friend, Amy Kegerise-Mc Intyre, loved to draw, and a favorite activity of the girls was creating books. They were both unaware that 20 years later their childhood dreams would come true in the publishing of Sammy’s Adventures in Ocean City, NJ. It’s been a wonderful journey!
Cindy is a 1987 graduate of Muhlenberg High School and Dickinson College, where she majored in American Studies. She worked as a Resident Advisor and Writing Center tutor and was active in the Tri Delta sorority. After graduating from college, she worked for a Berks County Commissioner and served as a fundraising contestant for a congressional candidate. She has also worked as a publisher’s representative and marketing manager for educational publishers. As a result of the book’s success, she is a motivational speaker for elementary students.
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| Dr. Ellen Spain |
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DR. ELLEN SPAIN is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Romance Writers of America, PennWriters, the Supporters of the College of the Atlantic, and a life member of the University of Pittsburgh’s and Seton Hill University’s Alumni groups. She is the coordinator of the Pittsburgh East Writer’s Group at the Monroeville Public Library. More than a decade ago, she joined PARSEC, organized to promote literary Science-Fiction.
In addition to her Ph.D., Ellen completed a two year graduate program at Seton Hill University and received her M.A. in Writing (fiction) in January 9, 2008. Her Young Adult mystery novel, Secrets in the Fog: The Invisibility Project released May 2009.
Prior to joining the United States Government as a Federal field investigator, Dr. Ellen Spain worked as Director of Education of a small college and later as a university administrator and performed volunteer work with Project Head Start and the Appalachian Redevelopment Fund. Her pro bono work teaching English and Writing with the Literacy Council and as the (pro bono) editor of publications for the A.R.E., Civil Air Patrol, Women’s Business Network, and NOW, and serving on various Boards of Directors like Goodwill, the YWCA, and the Library Board provided Ellen a good transition to professional writing when she decided to retire from her thirty-year career in investigations.
Ellen loves dogs and cats and is a "Patron" member of Action for Animals Humane Society in Latrobe, PA. She also actively supports the St. Joseph's Indian School for Lakota children in South Dakota, Habitat for Humanity, and AmeriCares. More about Dr. Ellen Spain at www.EllenSpain.com.
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| Jamie Saloff |
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JAMIE SALOFF - is the site owner for http://www.PolkaDotBanner.com - an author-helping-author site designed to help authors gain visibility for their books, which receives around 300,000 hits per month. She also maintains some 10 other sites she built and designed.
She is also a book designer with over ten years of experiencing helping the self-publishing author avoid the subsidy/vanity presses ad publish on their own. http://www.PODBookDesigns.com
For many years Jamie headed an elementary writing center program overseeing over 100 volunteers and helping students to write over 1000 books per year. For this she received a PePPer Award for commitment to the support of public education.
Jamie is the author of the book, Transformational Healing, Five Surprisingly Simple Keys Designed to Redirect Your Life Toward Wellness, Purpose, and Prosperity written for individuals seeking physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, as well as offering guidance to persons desiring to initiate positive change into their lives.
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| Ellen F. Feld with Annie |
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Ellen F. Feld - is the Award Winning author of the popular Morgan Horse series (Willow Bend Publishing), which includes five novels for young adults and a short story for the early reader. All of her books have won at least one national award and two have received the prestigious Children's Choices award co-sponsored by The International Reading Association and The Children's Book Council. Her first book, Blackjack: Dreaming of a Morgan Horse, was recently adopted by Breyer Animal Creations and packaged and sold internationally with a model created to look like the title horse. Mrs. Feld is also a nationally known equine journalist. She contributes to numerous horse magazines, both national and regional in scope, on a wide range of topics. In addition, Mrs. Feld runs Feathered Quill Book Reviews, a review site dedicated to the small press and self-published author.www.featheredquill.com
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| Linda Carducci |
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LINDA CARDUCCI is an educator, business woman and life long reader. Her professional experience includes: Elementary Classroom teacher/homebound teacher Frederick and Fairfax Counties. Business instructor Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria campus. Instructor for American Institute of Banking of basic banking classes.Instructor for Associated Building Contractors in Business Writing, Basic Business Math and Introduction to Contracting. ESL instructor for Literacy Council, Associated Building Contractors, Crossman UMC, Dranesville UMC and Herndon Rotary.
Other experience includes ten years in various banking postions, twenty years of construction management and four years of medical clinic ownershp and management.
Education includes BS in Elementary Education with majors in English and French, MS Education in Social Foundations, various certificate programs in numerous business related areas, including Advanced Management Program at Duke University and Harvard University.
Hobbies include sewing, reading, writing, tennis, languages and travel
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Young Voices FoundationTM Awards
TALENTED STUDENT JUDGES
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| Patrick Chism |
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PATRICK CHISM lives in Carl Junction, Missouri with his family and is a senior in high school. He is involved with Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Central City Christian Church, National Honor Society and Soccer.
Patrick enjoys reading, creating video journals, writing, watching old movies and playing fetch with his dog, Lucky. He plans to go to college, where he will major in creative writing, so that he may one day create a novel of his own.
Patrick's short story, When He Waves Goodbye, earned the $500.00 Grand Prize in the Young Voices of America Speak Up writing contest.
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| John Connelly |
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JOHN CONNELLY is a seventeen year old high school senior. He is the editor of his high school magazine in Clayton, New Jersey. John is a member of the Student Council, National Honor Society and band. He plans to major in journalism in college. His story, Great Uncle Samuel, won Second Prize in the Young Voices Foundation short story contest.
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| Kelsey Baker |
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KELSEY BAKER lives in Purcellville, Virginia with her parents and two younger brothers, and is a senior in high school. She is involved with the GSA at her school and Amnesty International.
Kelsey enjoys writing, performing music, doing photography, and reading literary classics. She plans to go to college where she will major in English education, so that she may someday be able to teach the subject she loves so much. Her short story, The Sign, was the First Place winner in the middle school category in the 2007 Young Voices of Loudoun County short story contest. Kelsey helped mentor other young writers by helping to create the Young Writers of Western Loudoun writers group and serving as it's first leader. Her essay about life in rural Loudoun County appeared in Elan magazine.
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