2010-2012 Elected Officers
Boca Raton Branch, NLAPW

PRESIDENT
Diane Brenda Bryan
Letters

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Diane Brenda Bryan received her bachelor’s degree from New York University and did post-graduate work in education at Post College and Hofstra University. She worked as a secretary for the N.Y. State Labor Department and was the first executive secretary of the War Labor Board. She also served as supply officer on an air base in Baltimore, Md. She taught English and was a drama coach for more than 20 years in N.Y. BOSCES published her English curriculum for all levels of eighth grade, and she presented a History of the Theatre on Educational TV. Diane was an actor in off Broadway productions, as well as in summer theatre in Long Island, where she was an actor in THEATERAMA, a regional touring company on L.I. For the past twenty-five years she has lived in Boca Raton where she served on the Board of Directors and president of her community. She has written many editorials for local newspapers and lectures on film and theatre. For many years she has chaired the Boca Raton Writers’ Roundtable. Her interest in historical events led her to write her first novel, based on fact, Soldier of God. Other books include Journeys, her second published novel, and Memoir of Manhattan, The Way We Were, a nonfiction book. Diane is an active member of the Cassell Network of Writers, the Florida Freelance Writers, and NLAPW. She served as Membership Vice President for the Boca Branch for four years.

1st VICE PRESIDENT
Programs
Marlene Klotz
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Marlene Klotz says that joining a creative writing class was the most worthwhile gift she ever gave herself. Her prime concerns centered around her family, until she fell into a health crises, which left her emotionally drained. Creative writing became Marlene’s savior. She sold her first poem to The American Journal of Nursing within a matter of weeks. That first $5.00 check was the beginning of an intense interest in writing poetry. Later on, her poem, A Mountain of Shoes was accepted by the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. to be included in their permanent archives. Since then, she has published articles and poems in Newsday, True Confessions, True Romance, True Story, Secrets, Mature Living, and Christian Parent. Everyone enjoys reading her light verses in the Hadassah and Pen Women newsletters. She self-published Alphabet Zoo, a book of children’s poetry. Her two books, Shared Memories and The Poetry of Life, were inspired from her volunteer experiences at a Delray Beach senior residence. Marlene previously served as the Boca Branch’s hospitality chair for four years.

2nd VICE PRESIDENT
Membership
Mary Twitty
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Since her early childhood, Mary Twitty has had a passion for creative writing. However, life got in the way and she was not able to pursue her writing until retirement. Upon retiring from the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., she moved to Florida to be with her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, where writing became her exclusive occupation. Her two published novels are Hannah’s Journey and Selective Discretion. She is currently working on two more novels, as well as a play.

TREASURER
Pat Wilson
Art & Letters

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Pat Wilson has been a pen woman for 30 years, serving in various capacities, including bylaws chair, editor, and treasurer of the Florida State Association. In the Boca Branch, she has served as editor, publicity and yearbook chairs, photographer, program vice president, two prior terms as treasurer and is the immediate past president. A retired newspaper columnist and freelance writer, Pat is also an award-winning photographer, poet and lyricist, as well as a communications teacher. Her former students have twice seen to it that her name was included in Who’s Who Among America’s Outstanding Teachers. She proudly displays a Congressional Award for her work in Palm Beach County’s Private Sector Initiative. Pat was named Florida’s Pen Woman of the Year in 1993.

RECORDING SECRETARY
Cora Lee Palma-Hayden
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Cora Lee Palma-Hayden is a writer, poet and artist of diversified interests. Although she has had many articles and poems published in anthologies and newspapers, she is also very accomplished at China painting. She has several chapbooks in her repertoire, along with awards and certificates from Poets of the Palm Beaches, where she served as treasurer. Her interest in the craft of astrology led to the composition of a unique bridal guide and illustrated book, A Touch of Venus —Wedding Planning with the Bridal Zodiac, published in 2009. This combined her astrological knowledge with her experience as a National Bridal Service Certified Bridal Consultant and owner-operator of The Red Palette Bridal Center. Judging a poetry contest for the Boca Raton Branch led to Cora Lee's becoming, first a patron of the branch, and then qualifying as a full-fledged member. Handling the job of Hospitality Chair this past year, she was charged with planning and executing receptions for our branch Book Talks and Art Shows, as well as the annual Membership Tea.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Mary Unterbrink
Art & Letters

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A Floridian since 1968, Mary Unterbrink has been a pen woman for nearly 20 years. She is the author of three published books, and more than 100 articles and Haiku poetry. Her art membership came when she won awards for her watercolors and mixed-media collages. Mary has previously served as vice president and art co-chair and enjoys working with the art committee on exhibits. Two of her short plays were included in the Play Reading Festival at the Willow Theatre in 2007. She also received a 1st Place Award for her adult plays at the pen women’s 2007 Florida State Conference.

2010-12 Appointed Officers

ART CHAIR
Myra F. Levick, Ph.D
Art

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Dr. Levick is a psychologist and art psychotherapist, who has held many positions in the Pen Woman organization. In addition to her duties as Corresponding Secretary, she also serves as Parliamentarian for both the Boca Branch and the Florida State Association. She is an exhibiting painter and author of three books on art therapy and numerous published articles. At the 1997 NLAPW Florida State Conference, she received the First Place Letters Award for her book, See What I’m Saying, What Children Tell Us Through Their Drawings. Moving to Florida in 1986, she established and directs the South Florida Art Psychotherapy Institute, through which she does consultation and evaluation, lectures at universities here and abroad, and conducts seminars. Dr. Levick was a founder and first president of the American Art Therapy Association and director of the first art therapy program leading to a master’s degree at Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia. In the Fall of 2005, she will direct and coordinate a new post-master’s certificate program in art therapy at the Christine E Lynn College of Nursing on the Florida Atlantic University Campus.

LETTERS CHAIR
Carol White
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Carol White, a native New Yorker, lives in Delray Beach, Florida. A long-standing Letters member of the Boca Raton Branch, she has served the branch as both recording secretary and letters chair. Carol is a frequent fiction contributor to the East Hampton Star newspaper, and her articles have been published by the Sun Sentinel, Insight for Playwrights and Senior Scene. She is the executive producer of the Boca Raton Theatre Guild, coordinating five annual productions. Her short plays have been staged and produced nationwide, and she has received many awards for her short stories, plays and poems. Carol recently penned Hidden Choices as her first novella.

MUSIC CHAIR
Sheila Firestone
Music

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Sheila Firestone is a member of ASCAP, a composer and retired educator of the Gifted and curriculum developer She is also a past coordinator for the Dade County Special Arts Festivals. Sheila was named Teacher of Note by the Young Patronesses of the Opera in Miami. Founder of Songs for a New Day, she conducts educational workshops, in which she incorporates a participatory children’s ballet, “The Peace Patch.” She has won awards for both her compositions and educational work. There are periodic, local performances of her new-classic, post-modern and spiritual works; a number of these are available on CD. Sheila is the recording secretary for the Florida State Association.

EDITOR
Pat Wilson
Arts & Letters

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See Treasurer above.

MEDIA CHAIR
Betty Elster
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Betty Elster has been an Arts and Letters member of the Boca Raton branch since 2003. She previously served as its third Vice President, Publicity.

Betty enjoys writing in many capacities including journalism, memoirs, short stories, poetry, and public relations; and has been published in Michigan and in Florida in a variety of newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. She also enjoys photography, charcoal sketching and oil painting.

After several years of attending college in Michigan on a part-time basis while raising her family, Betty decided to return to school at age 50 to complete her degree. She graduated magna cum laude from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelors Degree in Communications and a Certificate in Women’s Studies; and is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Betty has more than 20 years of professional communications experience and has written for diverse corporate and non-profit organizations including a staffing firm, financial company, medical organizations, Weight Watchers, Florida Atlantic University, the Boca Raton Museum of Art, and the Palm Beach Photographic Centre. Public relations clients have included Alamo Rent-A-Car and Rexall Sundown Inc., as well as local authors.

In Florida, her articles and photographs have appeared in numerous newspapers including The Sun-Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post, The Palm Beach Daily News, and The Boca Raton News. Her photographs have appeared in magazines including Boca Raton Magazine, Gold Coast, and Palm Beach Illustrated. She has her own public relations company – The Write Style – and co-founded Book Blazers, Inc., the public relations firm dedicated to the promotion of authors and their books.