New Board of Directors Serving BATW for 2026

Returning to the board are John Williamson, Laura Kiniry and Amy Sherman, as well as corporate laison Laurie Armstrong Gossy and executive director Ginny Prior.

Shannon Gomes will take over for Laurie Armstrong Gossy as the new program chair. A hearty thank you to Laurie, who will remain on the program committee.

Meet the new members below:

Kahja Elliott

As an avid lover of food culture and a new voice in food media, I’d love to be considered for inclusion on the board of BATW. In 2022, I founded KayInTheBay, a platform all about a fun, engaging, and community-centric approach to food which also includes digital content, events, food travel, freelance writing, and The As Told By Podcast, where I am the producer and host. Now in its sixth season and recently celebrating its first 10K combined downloads/streams, TATBP is an interview-series where I sit down for in-person conversations with some of the food world’s most interesting people, from award winners and celebrated chefs, to voices in food media, innovative and iconic brands, and organizations making a difference.
I’ve partnered with a number of PR firms nationally to create content for food-based businesses, lent voiceover talent to the Talks At Google Podcast, and am currently a fellow in the inaugural cohort of News Creator Corps, a fellowship teaching tactical skills like fact-checking, sourcing, and interviewing to ensure creators are disseminating accurate information, connecting content creators with news organizations, nonprofits, and other institutions to expand the reach of trustworthy information.
I’m also looking forward to my first non-food interview which will be published in Discover Santa Clara’s Visitors Guide later this year featuring Zaileen Janmohamed, head of the Bay Area Host Committee responsible for bringing the Super Bowl LX and FIFA World Cup to the Bay Area in 2026.
I’ve been a member of BATW for the last 2 years and would love the chance to use my skills, perspective, and network to both serve and help grow our footprint!

     Lalit Kumar

As an adventure writer and poet based in the Bay Area, I see travel writing as more than description—it’s about connection: between places, voices, and the people who bring them to life. I’d like to serve on the BATW Board to help strengthen that creative bridge and expand the reach of our community.

What I hope to do for BATW:

1.      Expand Visibility: Build stronger connections with Bay Area literary and book festivals to spotlight BATW writers and increase opportunities for public readings, panels, and cross-genre collaborations.

2.      Nurture Craft: Launch intimate, craft-centered sessions where writers can learn from California authors and sharpen their storytelling of place, purpose, and identity.

Why me:

1.      Community & Experience: As the author of Yosemite of My Heart and Years Spent, and a contributor to India Currents and multiple literary festivals (Tahoe Lit fest, SALA, Litquake, etc) I bring deep experience in both creative and travel-based writing.

2.      Championing Diverse Voices: I aim to help BATW reflect the full spectrum of today’s writers—bringing new perspectives, backgrounds, and stories into the room to ensure our collective narrative stays as wide as the world we explore.

My goal is simple: to make BATW a stronger, more visible, and more inclusive community—where every member finds both inspiration and belonging in the shared act of telling the world’s stories.

      Shannon Gomes

As a Northern California native raised in Sonoma County and living in San Francisco for 23 years, I bring deep local roots and strong Bay Area travel and food connections. My deep public relations background (Ketchum, Williams-Sonoma, and Good Food PR), focused on media and editorial collaborations, shaped my passion for storytelling and community.
Two years ago, I launched The Gomes Guide, a weekly Substack sharing stories, itineraries, and travel tips and insights to inspire my audience of Gen X readers. In early 2025, I expanded to audio with my podcast Mixtape Travels, interviewing engaging guests about memorable journeys and cultural discoveries. I share podcast highlights in my Substack, building an engaged community of travel lovers.
One of my greatest strengths is connecting people and hosting events.  I am eager to collaborate and learn from the Bay Area Travel Writers group as a new member. I am dedicated to fostering a vibrant, inclusive creative community. Serving on the board for the next two years would be an honor — supporting, inspiring, and elevating a passion for travel writing.

Jim Gladstone

A cultural critic and travel writer for more than three decades, I would be honored by your consideration when selecting new BATW board members. I am currently Senior Editor and feature writer at Bay Area-founded (now NY-based) PASSPORT magazine, the country’s oldest and highest circulation LGBTQ+ focused travel magazine (print and online); I’ve been a regular contributor since the magazine’s second issue in 2001. Iwas awarded the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s  2023 Excellence in Travel Writing award for my feature “A Postcard from Berlin.”
I also contribute travel stories to publications including the Bay Area Reporter, GayCities, and LGBTQ Nation, and have had non-LGBTQ-focused work published in The New York Times Book Review, Billboard, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Detroit Free Press, The Los Angeles Times, and many other outlets.
My recent travel writing has included major features on Tahiti; Osaka, Japan; Cologne, Germany; Western Colorado; Kansas City; the Anderson Valley, CA; and Iceland.
Having largely transitioned away from my “dayjob” as an marketing strategist/creative director over the past few years, I recently became a BATW member in the hopes of connecting with a community of writers in the Bay Area. I’ve been impressed with the events I’ve attended and would value the opportunity to help support the association’s efforts by helping with programming, event planning, and community building.

Nicole Findlay

I’m writing to express my interest in joining the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Travel Writers. I grew up in the Bay Area and currently live in San Francisco with my husband, our 8-year-old son, and his 70 lb. puppy. I’ve been a proud BATW member since 2023.
I currently write for BARTable, BART’s lifestyle site and weekly newsletter that helps readers discover places to eat, drink, shop, and explore near BART stations. Each week, I publish two articles: one feature + one weekend roundup of fun Bay Area events. Additionally, I’m on content teams at 7×7, Success Magazine, and The Napa Crush. My bylines also include Business Insider, SFGATE, GetYourGuide, and more.
A few fun facts:

I have dual citizenship (U.S. and U.K.).
I was a collegiate soccer player who also played for professional club Glasgow Celtic.
I’m a former paralegal who now works in legal marketing.

BATW has been so helpful in my professional growth. I’ve learned from virtual and in-person meetings, met many interesting people, and even earned a few bylines from those connections. I’d love to contribute to the success of this organization that has been of great value to me and my career.