Barbara Arnold

BARBARA ARNOLD, CHAIR, PUBLICITY Greenwood native Barbara Arnold works for Love Communications where she handles sales, service and development of local based cable advertising clients in the Mississippi Delta Region in addition to statewide and regional clients throughout Mississippi. Within the past five years, she has received numerous awards that vary from "The Extra Mile," "The Rookie of the Year" from Love Communications as well as "Top Recruiter" during the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce's membership drive. She remains active on the Chamber's membership committee. In 2003, The Delta Business Journal selected her one of its "Top 50 Under 50". County United Way as well as its publicity chairman and allocations committee. Barbara is a member of Altrusa International, a ladies service organization, currently serves as publicity chair and is a past board member. She is a past advisory board member for the Salvation Army. E-mail: barnold@lovecomm.com

Kenyon Billups-Hawkins

KENYON BILLUPS-HAWKINS - TECHNICAL SERVICES & GRAPHICS DESIGN Books 'n Blues logo designer Kenyon Billups-Hawkins is a professional artist working with Communities In Schools. He is a native of the Greenwood, Leflore area, raised in Minter City. He attended Amanda Elzy High, under the tutelage of Donald Parker and received his Bachelor�s of Fine Arts, with emphasis in graphic design, from Memphis College of Art. After five years of working abroad in the design field moved back to Memphis where he taught art classes at elementary schools and community centers. Kenyon then came home to teach art in the Delta. E-mail: kenyonsart@hotmail.com

Jean Cadney

JEAN CADNEY - CO-CHAIR, TICKET SALES Jean Cadney is the Business Development Specialist/Training Coordinator for Greenwood Utilities. & She serves on the board of directors for United Way of Leflore County, Cottonlandia Museum, Salvation Army, and Greenwood Rotary. & Cadney currently serves as a member of the executive committee for the Greenwood Leflore Chamber of Commerce and is this year�s campaign Chairman for & United Way of Leflore County. E-mail: jcadney@i55.com

Lauren Carneghi

LAUREN CARNEGHI - SILENT AUCTION (CALIFORNIA) Lauren Carneghi has a BS degree from University of Oregon in Education, with an emphasis in K-12 Health and Physical Education. After graduation, she developed Corporate Fitness Programs for various Silicon Valley companies and helped develop and establish one of the first On Site After School Programs for the YMCA. Lauren has been a community volunteer for the past 20 years and served on various boards and committees whose charge was to improve the quality of education in the public schools. Currently Lauren is on the Board of Directors for Adolescent Counseling Services; a nonprofit organization whose primary focus is helping adolescents and their families with the numerous cultural, sexual, educational, physical and emotional issues facing teens today. E-mail: Laurencarneghi@comcast.net

Sheila Clark

SHEILA CLARK - CO-CHAIR, REFRESHMENTS Sheila Clark has been a studio potter since 1997. What started as a hobby has turned into a full time interest and enjoyment. She is an artist for Communities in Schools and is a member of the North Mississippi Artists Guild. Her work has been accepted in juried art competition and is available in stores throughout the Mississippi Delta and in Madison, MS. E-mail: bgipclark@bellsouth.net

Catherine Climons

CATHERINE CLIMONS - CO-CHAIR,REFRESHMENTS Catherine Climons is a career educator. She taught Elementary Education for 34 years in the Leflore County School System - taught in the Alternative School in Greenwood School System for one semester - taught in Sunflower County School System for a year in Special Education - Presently she is teaching Adult Education for Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead Mississippi. Mrs Climons received her Bachelor's Degree from Jackson State University and her Masters' Degree from Mississippi State Unversity. She loves cooking, traveling, and helping others. E-mail: climons2002@yahoo.com

Renell Franklin

RENELL FRANKLIN - TICKET SALES Renell Franklin is new to the Greenwood community, having relocated to the area two years ago from Jefferson City, Missouri. She has dedicated numerous years to community organizations that focus on the well being of young people and education, which includes serving on such boards as Boys & Girls Club of the Capital City, YMCA and Girl Scouts of America. She holds a MBA from William Woods University in Fulton, MO; and a bachelor�s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. She has served as a journalist, communications strategist and public relations practitioner for more than 15 years.

Andy Hackleman

ANDY HACKLEMAN - COCHAIR, MUSIC & MUSICIANS Andy, a Greenwood native, has helped organize most festivals and concerts in the area for the past few years. He served as Entertainment Chairman for the Greenwood Balloon Festival from '98 until 2004, Entertainment Chairman for the 4th of July festival since 2002, and as Entertainment Chairman for Main Street Greenwood's River to the Rails street fair. Some of his most rewarding work he has done has been with the International Blues Foundation, including the annual WC Handy Blues awards and the International Blues Competition. In 2003 Andy represented the foundation at the Nottoden Blues Festival held in Nottoden, Norway. E-mail: andyhackleman@gmail.com

Zinnia Howze

ZINNIA HOWZE - CO-CHAIR, INVITATIONS E-mail: zhowze@yahoo.com

Steve LaVere

STEVE LAVERE - COCHAIR, MUSIC & MUSICIANS After spending most of his life deeply involved with blues, jazz and folk music, Steve LaVere has earned the title of music historian. Before founding the Peavine Awards at Delta State University in 1998, opening the Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum Gallery in November 2001, and the Blue Parrot Cafe, also in Greenwood, Mississippi in October 2004, LaVere spent the 1990s promoting Mississippi Delta Bluesman Robert Johnson to the lofty height he now enjoys. He came to Robert Johnson after a former life spent collecting records, researching and writing about the lives of blues and jazz men and women, taking photographs, producing records, radio shows, stage productions and films. His present involvements include creating The Riverside Quarters (Greenwood's answer to Clarksdale's Shack-Up Inn), music publishing and producing books of both his own photography and his archive as well as his writings about a handful of his favorite entertainers. E-mail: deltahaze@mailblocks.com

Libby Lubas Walker

LIBBY LUBAS WALKER - COCHAIR, VENUES Libby Lubas Walker is the Director of Special Projects for the Leflore County School District. She is a career educator with 26 years experience. Her certifications include English, Speech, and Gifted Education. For the past 14 years she has written and administered projects for the Leflore County School District. These projects include a Teen Parenting Program which places licensed daycare centers at both of the high schools so that teen parents can remain in school; an Even Start Family Literacy Program; an Abstinence Education Program; a Homeless Education Program; and a Support Our Students after school tutoring program. She serves as a substitute Sunday School teacher for her church and is on the board of the Leflore County Humane Society. Mrs. Lubas-Walker is a certified trainer and holds administrative certification in the nationally acclaimed Parents-As-Teachers program. Mrs. Lubas-Walker is also a frequent guest columnist for The Greenwood Commonwealth and enjoys writing and spending time with her daughter and grandchildren. E-mail: libbyl@1-55.com

Karen & Laine McKay

KAREN MCKAY - CO-CHAIR, INVITATIONS Karen McKay is the owner of two at-home businesses, Secretary by Design(www.secretarybydesign.com) and Wrap It Up (www.wrapitup2004.com). She lives in Greenwood with her husband, Brad and daughter, Laine. & She enjoys spending time with her family, cross-stitching, reading and baking. & She is a member of the First Baptist Church, the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce, Delta Band Festival Committee and LeBonte Women's Club. E-mail: bk1998@bellsouth.net

Lana Miller

LANA MILLER - CHAIR, SILENT AUCTION Lana Miller has dedicated more than 13 years to numerous community service projects as a volunteer and event chair. She serves as a board member and projects chair of the Junior Auxillary (JA) of Greenwood, a ladies service organization. Lana has also served on the JA & auction committee and the patrons party committee for their annual fundraiser. She also volunteers time to & several Junior Auxilliary projects including: Clothing Corner, which provides clothing to less-fortunate children; Puppet Pals, which teaches children how to deal with bullies and strangers; Pediatric Playroom, which provides a playroom furnished with toys and games on the pediatric unit of the local hospital; and Stars, a mentoring program for teenage girls In addition, Lana serves as chairperson for the Crown Club, a group of approximately 50 tenth and eleventh grade girls who participate in numerous community service projects including Beacon Harbor which is a home for mentally and physically challenged adults, the Golden Age Nursing Home, Unity Hospice, the March of Dimes Walk and the 300 Oaks foot race The Crown Club's annual fund raiser also provides scholarship money for area high school students. Lana is an active member of her church where she serves on the children's committee and has been a Sunday school teacher and vacation bible school teacher. She is currently attending nursing school. E-mail: lana38930@yahoo.com

Valeria Moses

VALERIA MOSES - COMMUNITY RELATIONS E-mail: vdkinner@hotmail.com

Lewis Perdue

LEWIS PERDUE - B'nB FOUNDER New York Times bestselling author and Greenwood native Lewis Perdue (who grew up in nearby Itta Bena) came up with the Books 'n Blues concept as a way to help give back to his roots. The concept developed from his twentieth book, Perfect Killer, which is a Southern novel wrapped in a thriller and set in the Delta. Perdue had to wait for the death of his mother before this book could be published. Books 'n Blues as shaped by the many other volunteers is a far better concept than Perdue ever imagined. A biography of Perdue can be found at IdeaWorx. E-mail: lperdue@ideaworx.com

William Perdue

WILLIAM PERDUE - B'nB WEBMASTER Books 'n Blues Webmaster William Perdue is an honor-roll student at St. Francis-Solano School in Sonoma, California. He runs his own business at http://www.yourtechworx.com and is a member of Boy Scout Troop 16. The Books 'n Blues website is on the williamperdue.com web server. E-mail: william@williamperdue.com

Jauretta Silas

JAURETTA SILAS - COCHAIR, VENUES Jauretta Silas is a career educator with 34 years of experience. & She taught business education at Leflore County High School for 29 years. & She received her Bachelor�s and Master�s Degrees from Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. & For the past five years, she has served as the Home School Coordinator for the Leflore County School District�s Even Start Family Literacy program. & As such, she has coordinated literacy efforts for over 500 families who were in need of these services. & Even Start teaches Adult Education, Early Childhood Education, and Parenting Education to the families served by the program. Mrs. Silas is a certified parent educator with the highly acclaimed Parents As Teachers program. & She enjoys traveling and spending time with her son and daughter and their children. E-mail: jauretta@msdelta.com

Bonnie Sterngold

BONNIE STERNGOLD - SILENT AUCTION (CALIFORNIA) Bonnie Sterngold worked for Coopers & Lybrand as an administrative manager for 3 1/2 years before starting her own company, & "Bookkeep", a bookkeeping business, she ran for 20 years. & For the last 12 years Bonnie has also been manufacturing and marketing the "Sterling Knife Sharpener", a pocket-sized sharpener her father invented. Bonnie has been PTA Treasurer for her sons' schools almost every year since 1994. During the three-year period she was on the PTA Board, & she helped raise more than $2,000,000 for the Portola Valley Schools Foundation. & Bonnie is currently in the second year of her three-year term on the Woodside High School Foundation Board and has been responsible for data input and output for the 2004 & 2005 "Spring Into Auction." E-mail: bonniesterngold@aol.com

Angelia Ware

ANGELIA WARE - & CO-CHAIR, TICKET SALES E-mail: aljjwware@yahoo.com

Donna Warner

DONNA WARNER - BOOKS & AUTHORS Donna Warner recently edited Allyn Evan�s Grab the Queen Power, and is currently editing the writing blogs for Queen Power, as well as collecting and publishing interviews on successful women on the blogsite, Queens� Dreams Coming True. She is currently working on a collection of essays about revelations in ordinary life, Being in America. She worked in Greenwood�s Region Six Mental Health program from 1984 to 1991; as Director of the Friendship House, she helped transition the day treatment program for adults with major mental illnesses to a Clubhouse format focused on reintegration into the community. In 1997 she helped established the Arts for Success Pottery Co-op, and served as President until 1999. E-mail: dkwarner@tecinfo.com

Linda Whittington

LINDA WHITTINGTON - EVENT CHAIR Linda Whittington serves as Executive Director for Communities in Schools of Greenwood Leflore, Inc. & Since assuming that position in 2001, Whittington has re-focused CIS from after-school tutorial programs into developing arts/humanities strategies to impact and engage area youth. She has expanded the program from just serving youth in Leflore County to serving youth in 5 additional surrounding Delta counties and the Oakley Training School. Since 1999, Whittington has been involved in the Mississippi Arts Commission�s Whole Schools Arts Initiative as a Field Advisor. & That initiative involves schools statewide plus Florida and New Mexico that are implementing curriculum based on the arts. & In addition to this initiative, she works on a team of 3 artists to create interactive, interdisciplinary units for MAC, which are distributed nationwide. From 1995 � 2000, Whittington was Executive Director of the South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado, AR. & While there, she expanded arts-in-education programs from 1 school district to 5 school districts. Whittington served as Education Director of Imagination Celebration Fort Worth, Inc. from 1991 to 1995. & That program affiliated with the Kennedy Center, was a co-curricular arts and education program responsible for scheduling, coordinating and funding over 53 artists and/or arts groups into schools in Fort Worth and surrounding communities. & This program reached approximately 90,000 students annually. E-mail: celia@nextdoor.com