Lee Whiteside
Chair
Lee has chaired LepreCon 28, CopperCon 16, CopperCon 23, and the 2006
Nebula Awards Weekend. He has served on committee positions for
Westercon 45 (WesterColt .45) and Westercon 57 (ConKopelli), World
Horror Convention 2004, and World Fantasy Convention 2004. He has been
programming staff for ConJose (WorldCon 2002) and CascadiaCon (NASFiC
2005). He has been committee or staff for most CopperCons and
LepreCons in Phoenix since the early 1990's.
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Emily S. Whitten, Esq.
Vice Chair
Webmaster
Message Board Moderator
Emily is an attorney and an independent web and graphic designer, as
well as an avid fan of all things Discworld and Pratchett. She has
volunteered at Capclave,
a DC-area literary convention, and recently attended the 2008 UK Discworld Convention. She has also served as guest liaison for Balticon 43's Artist Guest of Honor. At a booksigning for THUD!
in 2005, Emily innocently asked Terry about the possibility of a North
American Discworld Convention, and has been working on the convention
ever since. As always,
she's wearing at least 3 hats at the moment. As Vice Chair, she always
seems to be doing several things at once, and is quite enjoying it. As
Webmaster,
she's got plenty of prior experience at keeping things up and running,
having designed
and produced sites for a number of clients, including
a division of the Smithsonian Instititution in DC,
a division of Fordham University
in NYC, and photojournalist and former National Geographic photographer
Steven L. Raymer.
As a message board moderator, she mostly just steps in to keep an eye
on things when Anna's not around! Emily also designed the stylized
turtle symbol used by the convention,
and designed and painted the convention shirt Terry is wearing in his guest photo, and in the
2007 National Book Festival webcast and
news article.
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Anna M. Caggiano
Guest Liaison Coordinator
HarperCollins Liaison
Message Board Moderator
Anna has been a moderator on the HarperCollins TerryPratchettBooks.com
Message Board since September 2005, and has occasionally contributed to the fan newsletter Wossname
(but don't confuse her with editor Annie Mac -- that's someone else).
She has attended numerous Discworld-related events, including the 2006
UK DWCon, the 2006 UK Hogfather premiere, the 2007 UK Discworld
Jamboree, and a couple of US signings, plus Noreascon, Minicon, and
MidSouthCon when Terry was Guest of Honor. In 2007, she was even lucky
enough to perform
as an extra during the filming of The Colour of Magic! She plans
to attend the 2008 DWCon as well. Her unnerving omnipresence has led
Terry to dub her his 'Official Designated Stalker.' In addition to
volunteering at numerous Arizona conventions and fan events, she served
as a guest liaison at DarkCon 2007 (where all the guests survived) and
is a member of the Southwest Costumers Guild.
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Mike Willmoth
Hotel Liaison
Mike has been committee for Computer Gaming, Programming, Online
Liaison, Publicity, Webmaster, Guest Liaison and Hotel Liaison for
numerous LepreCons and CopperCons, Hotel Liaison for several
DarkCons/HexaCons/AniZonas, Treasurer for several World Horror
Conventions, Program Director for Westercon 1992 (WesterColt .45), Hotel
Liaison for Westercon 2004 (ConKopelli), Senior Program Staff for
Westercon 1988 and 2006 (Conzilla), Senior Staff for NASFiC 1987
(CactusCon), Science Program Staff for NASFiC 2005 (CascadiaCon),
Science Program Liaison for Worldcon 2002 (ConJose), Science Program
Team Leader for Worldcon 2003 (TorCon 3), Pre-con Science Program Staff
for Worldcon 2004 (Noreascon 4) and Science Program Staff for Worldcon
2006 (LACon 4). He also chaired the 2004 World Horror Convention and
the 2004 World Fantasy Convention, both held in the Phoenix, AZ,
metropolitan area. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Leprecon,
Inc., is on the board of the World Horror Society, on the World Fantasy
Convention board, on the board of CASFS (Central Arizona Speculative
Fiction Society Inc) and is the Vice-President of ASFA (Association of
Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists Inc). He is chairing the Phoenix In
2009 Westercon 62 Bid sponsored by Leprecon Inc.
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Ed Green
Operations
Bio coming soon!
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Jeff George
Treasurer
Jeff has been active in Sci-Fi/Fantasy conventions since the early
1980's. He's banked CopperCon 19, 21 & 23 and HexaCon 9. He was
Co-Banker for ConKopelli (Westercon 2004) and AniZona 2 and 3 and was the
Industry Liaison for AniZona 1. He has also worked as committee,
staff or volunteer in many other convention areas and has
occasionally been a program participant. He was on the Central
Arizona Speculative Fiction Society (CASFS) Board of Directors from
2001 until December 2008. He is active in the local Doctor Who &
Star Trek Clubs, The Arizona Regional Doctor who Interest Society
(TARDIS) and United Federation of Phoenix (UFP) as well as CASFS and
Leprecon, two non-profit organizations who put on most of the Phoenix
conventions.
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Liz Mortenson
Dealers Room Coordinator
Bio coming soon!
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Kevin McAlanon
Programming Director
Bio coming soon.
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Randall Whitlock
Maskerade Director
Maskerade Director Randall Whitlock is known for atrocious visual puns,
including "Dances With Werewolves" and "The Dookus of Hazzard." Randall
has directed seven masquerades for CopperCon and served at different
times as President, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster for the Southwest
Costumers Guild. Randall also publishes the "Randwulf's" line of sewing patterns at Moirandalls. He has been a devoted Discworld fan since receiving
"Sourcery" as a Hogswatch gift sometime in the early 1990s.
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Catherine Book
Charity Auction Director
Bio coming soon.
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David Gish
Art Show Director
Bio coming soon.
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Valerie Lynn
Publicity Director
With 13 years experience in marketing and 6.5 in production, Valerie
Lynn hasn't learned her lesson and decided doing publicity for the con
would be 'fun.' She became a Discworld fan after being urged by Anna to
give one book a read and now has the entire set. Minicon 2005 in
Minnesota introduced her to the world of cons and also to Terry
Pratchett in person. She volunteered for various tasks at Minicon and
was a costume judge with Pterry and Anna. She has attended local
renaissance faires over the years, has an affinity for costuming and
affects a fake Brit accent with frightening regularity. In real life,
she is also a board member for her local Ronald McDonald House.
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Jon Lemerond
Staff Artist
Jon Lemerond is the man behind the artwork featured on our Convention
website. Jon is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago,
and makes his living as a professional 3D Modeler/Animator, and Graphic
Artist. His work can be seen in the design of toys, various video games,
television programs, and commercials. His art has graced the covers of
video game packaging, websites, and children's books. Jon spends what
little spare time he has at the HarperCollins TerryPratchettBooks.com
Message Board under the Pseudonym "Andrew Salt", where he displays his
remarkable knowledge of the Discworld books, and enjoys posting the
occasional piece of Discworld Fan art.
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Rowan Wakefield
Volunteer Coordinator
Rowan has been an Administrator-Production Manager, Vendor Liaison,
Entertainment
Coordinator, Facilities Manager, Props Builder, Media and Promotions
Manager, Advertisement & Marketing Manager, and Web and Graphics
Designer
for Western Gates Faerie Realms, Phoenix Faerie Festival from 2006-2008.
She has also been a Staff Volunteer
for the Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts (P.A.P.A) from 2007-2008 and a
Communications Officer for Fireland
Faerie Nations Inc. in 2008. She has been involved in Art &
Marketing Graphics for Valley of the Sun Pagan
Projects Inc. and Pagan Pride Day from 2007-2008, and has been
Entertainment Coordinator and Co-Media & Promotions Liaison for the
Phoenix Pagan Pride Day Project from 2004-2008.
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Margaret Grady
Ambience (local coordinator)
Margaret has done ambience for World Horror 2004, two DarkCons, and
CopperCon 27. Starting in the early 80's, she has chaired three
CopperCons and PhringeCon 3, and been treasurer for several
CopperCons/LepreCons/HexaCons and WesterColt .45. She has had committee
positions at three World Fantasy Conventions, two Westercons, a NASFiC,
and countless local conventions: art show, charity auction, special
events, publications, registration, masquerade, masked ball, programming
staff, guest liaison, hotel liaison, modern dance, chairman's assistant,
convention hospitality & pro/staff lounges, and security staff. She
is a member of the Southwest Costumers Guild,
and most recently she has been coordinating parties for the
International Horror/SciFi Film Festival and the Dark Ones, and was very
active in the Arizona Browncoats' '07 & '08 screenings of "Serenity"
for charity.
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Jean Ogg Tillson
Disreputable Tavern Consultant
Jean helped design, build, and staff "The Mended Drum" at Noreascon
Four, the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention (Boston, 2004), whereat
Terry Pratchett was guest of honor. One of her proudest moments was when
she got to buy her favorite living author a beer in the Drum (a Sam
Adams. Terry's reaction: "You know, this stuff really isn't too bad.")
Most of Jean's convention experience, however, has been gained via her
involvement with The Wodehouse Society, planning and
coordinating both their 2005 and 2007 international gatherings.
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Denise Connell
Seamstress Party Director
In the early 90's Denise met a British writer who was charming, funny
and kind. They had interests in common and became email buddies. It
wasn't until months later that she discovered he was a literary rock
star. This is still her favorite Terry story.
In 2002, the World Science Fiction Convention committee asked Denise to
throw a party for Terry, who was their Guest of Honor. She organized the
Seamstress Guild and they threw a legendary costume party that is
talked about to this day. It should be said here that the rat story is
only partly true. In 2008, Terry asked her if the Ladies of the Guild
might have an evening free (or at least, reasonably priced) which is how
she became the Party Maven for NADWCon.
Denise is the owner of Connell Consulting, a job akin to being a witch
in Lancre. She has 25 years experience directing, producing and working
on a variety of conventions, festivals, theatrical performances,
charity and literary events, costume balls and gatherings of all types.
Her education is both varied and whimsical and mostly serves to make
her fun at parties.
In her spare time, she is active with groups that rescue companion
animals and is also trained in wildlife rescue. She recently moved to
Oregon to be closer to Powell's Books.
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Mark Boniece
Security Coordinator
Bio coming soon!
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More committee profiles coming soon!