At the 2014 NFSPS Convention, held June 26-29 in Salt Lake City, OPA’s immediate past president, Eleanor Berry, was elected President of The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS). She will serve a two-year term.
Eleanor first became involved with NFSPS in 2006 when another OPA past president, David Hedges, recommended her for chair of the Stevens Poetry Book Manuscript Competition, an annual contest that awards a cash prize and publication for a full-length collection of poems. In part to introduce that year’s winning poet for a reading from his new book, Eleanor attended her first NFSPS Convention in 2007. She has attended every convention since, in places from Minnesota to Tennessee to New Mexico, and greatly enjoyed the annual contact with poets from all over the country.
Elected to the Executive Board in 2008, Eleanor has also served as Membership Chair and, for the past two years, as chair of the annual College/University Level Poetry Competition, which awards a cash prize and chapbook publication to two undergraduates each year.
As President of NFSPS, Eleanor feels fortunate to have a board of experienced and dedicated people. She will be working with them to strengthen NFSPS communications in various media and to enhance the value of affiliation for member societies. She hopes that more OPA members will become involved in the work of NFSPS and enjoy the interstate collegiality that it fosters among poets.
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