From the Board

By Judith Horstman –
President BATW
 
Welcome to the 2020 BATW Board of Directors
The election is over and all six of the admirably qualified candidates were confirmed by the membership.
The 2020 election was unusual: due to a unique convergence of circumstances, six of the nine BATW Board of Director’s seats were open for 2020. This is because terms of three elected members expire at the end of 2019, as coincidentally, do the terms of three appointed members.
Many many thanks to our outgoing Directors, who did amazing work these past years: John Sundsmo,  Shayna Yasuhara, Carole Terwilliger Meyers and Barbara Barrielle. We are grateful for your service.
Here are the new directors, in alphabetical order. What an impressive group!
Ruth Carlson, a longtime San Francisco resident and travel journalist, was first appointed to the BOD two years ago. She publishes regularly, and her prior career in public relations helped her coordinate several meetings and events – and in between she wrote a book, Secret San Francisco: a guide to the weird, wonderful, and obscure and is currently writing a second book in the San Francisco series.
Erin Caslavka has been a BATW member on and off since 2011 and served three years as the Program chair.  She also helped spearhead the organization’s published anthology “Travel Stories From Around The Globe.” An active travel writer for several publications including Oakland and Alameda Magazines, she will continue the Board’s mission to focus on members’ professional needs and challenges.
Matthew Eley is a recent addition to the BATW who has written, recently, for publications ranging from the Philosophical Society publication Gibert! To the hip, Bay Area-focused Bold Italic. His most recent travel-related novel is The Late Occidental and his blog can be found at 21^st Century Yankee. Matthew brings knowledge about today’s tools for travel writing and will help plan and promote events that will appeal to younger writers and photographers while serving the needs of existing members.
Alec Scott is a widely published Canadian-born travel journalist based in Oakland. His recent work can be seen in a wide variety of respected publications including San Francisco Chronicle (and its magazine), The Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco magazine, Sunset, Wine Enthusiast, Report on Business, Toronto Life, Via, the Walrus, Globe & Mail and Daily Beast. Noting the pace of change in travel writing is rapid, he will work to help BATW “stay nimble” to adapt to the shifting times while attracting new members.
Ed Walsh is a longtime assignment editor at ABC7 KGO-TV News in San Francisco and longtime BATW member (and faithful volunteer). In print, he is a regular travel contributor to the Bay Area Reporter, the nation’s oldest and largest LGBT newspaper. Ed aims to organize events that help our fellow writers stay current in the fast-changing publishing landscape.
John Williamson is a widely-published photographer currently collaborated on a new San Francisco book with Ruth Carlson) and a BATW member since 2015.  John led the transition to our new member management software (from Member Clicks to Wild Apricot) which was completed in 2016. He has served the Board since 2017 managing database software and then as BATW Treasurer for the past 2 years – a demanding post in which he tightened expenses and increased our savings. He will continue to serve as treasurer for another year.
The BATW is fortunate to have these skilled professionals serving the membership. Thank you, New Board and Retiring Directors!