PRESIDENT: Victor R. Volkman served as UPPAA webmaster from 2009 – 2019 and President since 2019. Victor is the owner of Modern History Press, which tells stories of conflict and the struggle for identity in modern times. Most recently, Modern History Press has published the U.P. Reader, an anthology of stories, essays, and poetry written entirely by UPPAA members and distributed throughout the UP. He is the book reviewer for Marquette Monthly magazine and created the U.P. Book Review to give even more exposure to U.P. literature. He received a BS in Computer Science (Class of ’86) from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI.
VICE-PRESIDENT: Terri Martin has been a member of UPPAA for many years and finds it not only invaluable in the information and opportunities it presents, but also an inspiration for people who have the calling to write. Terri has a master’s degree in English from NMU and has worked in higher education for 12 years. Additionally, she worked for a non-profit as grant writer. Eventually, Terri decided that there was more to life than commuting and it was time to end the decades-long writer’s hiatus. Terri’s first book, A Family Trait, which is a middle-grade novel, was first published in 1999 by Holiday House in New York and was republished by Modern History Press under the title Voodoo Shack in 2023. A second middle-grade children’s book, The Home Wind, came out in 2021 and has been recognized as a UP Notable Book. After writing a monthly column for years for UP Magazine (Porcupine Press Publications), Martin anthologized her humorous stories into books: Church Lady Chronicles: Devilish Encounters (2020), High on the Vine: Featuring Yooper Entrepreneurs Tami & Evi Maki (2022), and her most recent collection, Roadkill Justice (2023). Terri also has a full-length novel, Moose Willow Mystery, which was published in 2022. Terri’s books are available in print and eBook on Amazon and Barnes and Noble or through her website TerriLynnMartin.com.
TREASURER: Jodi Perras is a writer and communications professional who grew up near the small town of Nadeau, Michigan. She publishes an on-line blog that recounts early Menominee County history, seen through the eyes of her great-grandmother, 20-year-old Minnie Gamache. Combining historical research with entries from Minnie’s 1904 diary, the blog recreates life in a French-Canadian farming and lumber community at the turn of the 20th century. In 2022, she received the Jacob Platt Dunn Jr. Award from the Indiana Historical Society for her article in Traces of Indiana magazine: Hoosier Blackface Minstrel Shows, Embraced and Detested, Performed and Protested. Jodi worked in journalism, government and non-profit environmental advocacy before entering semi-retirement in 2019. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Butler University. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Joe, and their rescued English Setter, Ruby. Visit her blog at leavesofmenominee.com.
RECORDING SECRETARY: Nikki Mitchell (term beginning 01/01/2025) is the author of the Middle Grade Portal Fantasy trilogy, Eleanor Mason’s Literary Adventures, and The Magic Shoebox Adventures, along with several other picture books. She is a native of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and has a BA in English writing with an emphasis on journalism from Northern Michigan University. Before becoming a full-time children’s book author in 2019, she worked for the Iron County Reporter. As a mom of a child with ADHD and autism, she continues to write fantasy tales with disabled characters and characters with ADHD, anxiety, and autism. Working with young writers is also a huge passion of hers, and she hopes to help inspire a lifelong love for reading and writing with her stories. To learn more about her work, visit www.poison-apple-press.com.
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR: Brandy Thomas is a professional editor who lives and works in Marquette, Michigan. In addition to editing the written word, she is also an audiobook narrator and audio engineer. She is the voice of the U.P. Reader as well as several other series. Brandy began serving on the UPPAA board in 2015-16 as Recording Secretary and has been Membership Chair since 2016. She also serves as the Director of Development on the Revolve CC (Creative Collaboration Conference) board of directors. When she is not refining other’s words, she writes poetry and short fiction, quilts, and is a musician. www.ThomasEditing.com.
NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Jansina Grossman is the owner of a nontraditional publishing company, Rivershore Books (www.rivershorebooks.com), and is a self-published author of three novels and two short stories. She’s spent the past decade editing and designing books for other authors, combining her love of words and graphic design. She is based out of Minneapolis, MN, and is pleased to be a member of UPPAA.
NOTABLE BOOKS CHAIR: Mikel B. Classen has been writing and photographing northern Michigan in newspapers and magazines for forty years, creating feature articles about the life and culture of Michigan’s north country. A journalist, historian, photographer and author with a fascination of the world around him, he enjoys researching and writing about lost stories from the past. He is founder of the U.P. Reader. In 2020, Mikel won the Historical Society of Michigan’s George Follo Award for Upper Peninsula History. Classen makes his home in the oldest city in Michigan, historic Sault Ste. Marie. He is also a collector of out-of-print history books, and historical photographs and prints of Upper Michigan. At Northern Michigan University, he studied English, history, journalism and photography. His books have twice won the U.P. Notable Book Award (2020 and 2021). In late 2023, Mikel released his first novel, The Alexandria Code, an Isabella Carter Adventure, published by Modern History Press. To learn more about Mikel B. Classen and to see more of his work, go to his website at www.mikelbclassen.com.
PUBLICATIONS CHAIR: Deborah K. Frontiera grew up in Lake Linden, MI. She taught in Houston public schools from 1985 until 2008, and then worked part time for Houston’s Writers In The Schools program for six more years. In 2019, she and her husband moved back to the Copper Country, but they do head south for part of the winter each year. She has written for both children and adults, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Several of her books, in and out of print, have won awards. She is currently the editor for the annual UP Reader. Visit her website at www.authorsden.com/deborahkfrontiera
AT LARGE: Evelyn Gathu is director of the Crystal Falls District Community Library. She is also the creator and moderator of the U.P. Notable Books Club, which meets monthly via Zoom to discuss the U.P. Notable Books and learn from their authors.
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