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Rosemary Scott Vohs was classically trained in performance arts in her native England, where she began presenting literature at the age of six with the London Academy for Music and Dramatic Art. Rosemary is a faculty member at Western Washington University, where she teaches storytelling, public speaking, and instructional communication. As a performance storyteller and narrator, she is frequently featured at festivals, school arts programs, and musical events. Rosemary has served as chair of the National Storytelling Conference, state liaison to the National Storytelling Network, and chair of the American Folklore Society's Aesop Prize award committee. She is a founding member of the Bellingham Storytellers Guild and is a long-time resident of Whatcom County.

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Caskey Russell was born and raised in Washington and has lived in Oregon, Iowa, Wyoming, and New Zealand. He is a father, a professor, a musician, and an enrolled member of the Tlingit Nation (Eagle / Kooyu Kwáan) of Alaska. He is the author of the Raven and Eagle Series, a fantasy trilogy based on Tlingit culture. The first book in the series, The Door on the Sea, was published in October 2025 and was one of NPR's Best Books of 2025. It also won an Honorable Mention in the International Association for the Fantastic Arts Crawford Award. The second book in the series, The Eagle in the Mountain, will be released this fall. Find out more at caskeyrussellbookeater.com.

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Anna Booker has been a practicing historian in the public and private sectors for over twenty-five years, including more than two decades teaching at Whatcom Community College. Among her accomplishments is a grant-funded digital history project on the transformation of Bellingham Bay over the last 150 years, which was presented by students at the city’s inaugural SeaFeast. She has received grants for teaching and research from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, BNSF Foundation, and the Northwest International Education Association.

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Darrell Hillaire, is the Executive Director of Setting Sun Circle (formerly Children of the Setting Sun Productions). As the previous Chairman of Lummi Nation, Darrell addressed the spoliation of ancestral lands and the epidemic of mental health and addiction that besieged Tribes. He made gains by connecting to the community and forging alliances. Darrell helped found Lummi Youth Academy to educate youth on Treaty Rights, historical trauma, and Salish lifeways. This provided a mechanism for youth in foster care to reconnect with their Tribal roots. Two Academy alumni serve on Setting Sun Circle’s board. Darrell guides Setting Sun Circle with spirit. His leadership, vision for the world, and connections in the community foster learning and growing together. Find out more at https://settingsuncircle.org/.

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Don McMoran serves as Director of Washington State University Skagit County Extension and Professor of Agriculture & Natural Resources. A lifelong Skagit County agricultural leader, he has dedicated his career to supporting local farmers, strengthening rural communities, and connecting research-based information with practical on-farm solutions. Since joining WSU Skagit County Extension in 2006, Don has led programming in cropping and irrigation systems, agricultural leadership, outreach to underserved audiences, and farm stress prevention. Don’s work reflects a strong commitment to the people, farms, and future of Skagit County agriculture.

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Nidia Hernandez is a Latina founder of Familia del Norte, an artisan cheese company rooted in tradition. Inspired by her heritage, she creates authentic Hispanic-style cheeses made with simple, real ingredients that celebrate culture and craftsmanship. https://www.familiadelnorte.com/

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Rena Priest (pictured above) is a citizen of the Lhaq’temish [Lummi] Nation. In a historic appointment, Priest became Washington State’s sixth Poet Laureate (2021–2023), the first Indigenous person to hold the position. In this role, she championed poetry that celebrated the ecological gifts of her ancestral homelands. She is an Academy of American Poets Fellow, a Maxine Cushing Gray Distinguished Writer, and a winner of a Washington State Book Award for poetry. Her new essay collection, Positively Uncivilized, was published as the winner of the 2025 Keepers of the Fire Award from Raven Chronicles Press. Learn more at renapriest.com