BOARD CHAIR: Tali Shammas

Tali Shammas is a lawyer and PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, where she also teaches employment law. She completed a JD/MBA program at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business in 2015 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2016. Tali is passionate about educating writers on legal issues that may impact them and has delivered numerous talks on the topic. For more about Tali and her writing, please visit http://www.talishammas.com/.

TREASURER:

We are currently looking to fill this position. Please contact wcyr.cochair@gmail.com for details.

PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR and SOCIAL MEDIA LEADER: Liz Poyser

Liz obtained a Professional Editing Standards Certificate from Queen’s University in order to pivot from a career marketing financial products to proofreading and editing. She actually wanted to be an archaeologist when she grew up, but decided cursed tombs and poisonous arachnids weren’t for her. Instead, she creates stories inspired by history, myths and legends.

Volunteering at the York Writers’ Conference, Liz saw first hand how supportive the WCYR community is. She wants to help writers connect and be inspired through WCYR’s wide range of activities, benefits and events. 

PROGRAM COORDINATOR: Rick Ferguson

Rick Ferguson has retired after a 46-year career in the sheet metal industry. He began as an apprentice and graduated to the position of journeyman. Rick spent 35 of those years with Black and McDonald Ltd. in a variety of roles in project management and estimating, retiring in 2025 as Chief Estimator. Rick achieved certification as a professional quantity surveyor and a Canadian Construction Association Gold Seal estimator. After spending six years as a member of the board of directors of the Toronto Sheet Metal Contractors Association, he joined the board of directors of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association. Rick spent nine years coaching quarterbacks and receivers with the York-Simcoe Young Bucs Football Club.

Rick self-published through iUniverse, The Ghosts in Maple Leaf Gardens in 2013, the fictional tale of the curse upon the Toronto Maple Leafs failure to win the Stanley Cup since 1967. He is a member of the Uxbridge Writers Circle and the WCDR. His recently completed novel, Coaching, about a high school football coach turned grief counselor, will be published next year by Keetup Publishing. Reading Intuit Publishing will release Rick’s holiday collection, Three Christmas Stories, in October, 2025. His work is primarily general fiction, and he has plans to delve into children’s picture books. 

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR and WEBMASTER: Elise Abram

Elise is a retired high school teacher of English and Computer Studies, former archaeologist, and current author, editor, freelance writer, avid reader of literary and science fiction, and student of the human condition. She has written for as long as she can remember. Over the years, writing has become as essential to me as eating, sleeping, or breathing. 

Elise has been a member of the WCYR for about five years, and it has proven invaluable for forging connections with other writers and helping to get her work out there. The members are incredibly supportive, and I feel as if the group has been instrumental in helping her claim her identity as an author. For more about Elise and her writing, please visit https://eliseabram.com/.

SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR: Roderick Turner

Roderick D. Turner has been writing fiction for over thirty years. He has created more than 150 short stories, eight novels, as well as four full-length audio plays. He likes writing stories, and gets really fired up when he enjoys what he’s written. What’s really inspiring is when you start writing about a character and they take over, almost literally writing the story themselves. A retired Seneca College Professor, Roderick enjoys filling his time with family, friends, and good company while doing his best to help other writers get their work out into the world.

SECRETARY: Elliott Penn

Elliott is a lifelong bookworm and dreamer who has spent a lot of time living in other worlds. They are bursting with ideas for books and is building a writing practice that will lead into publishing. Elliott enjoys any and all genres, though does habitually gravitate to fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, mystery, and classics, and is learning to appreciate more contemporary and non-fiction work. Romance is a happy addition to any genre, especially if there are queer characters that have happy endings. Elliott dabbles in poetry and journal writing, and has a youtube channel where they discuss reading, writing, visual arts, and the general life shenanigans of a millennial emo-hobbit.

BOARD ADVISOR: Loni Cameron

Diving deep into imagination, I pull out whatever wriggling thing I can get my hands on and craft it into a story. I have found myself in the world of speculative fiction, recently exploring the world of gothic fiction, while also dabbling in science fiction. I look forward to seeing where my worlds and words take me.