an Shannon is the part-time assistant pastor at Westminster UCC, a full-time student at Eastern Washington University and hopes to attain ordination before the age of 60.

After a career in marketing and public relations in New York City and Santa Barbara, Calif., Judith Shadford moved to the Northwest to focus on writing.

A native of Detroit, Neal Schindler has lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than 12 years. He has held staff positions at Seattle Weekly and The Seattle Times and was a freelance writer for Jew-ish.com from 2007 to 2011.

Thomas Schmidt is a retired psychotherapist and chemical dependency counselor who belongs to the Sufi Ruhiniat International order of Sufi’s and is a drummer in the Spokane Sufi group and an elder at the Country Homes Christian (Disciples of Christ) Church.

Originally from the Netherlands, Sicco Rood has lived in the United States since 1992.

Jocelyn Paluch is the volunteer committee chairperson for the American Cancer Society's "Bark for Life" event.