Category: Convention Staff

Anita Bruckert

March 14, 2014 / ravenchair

Vice Chair

Anita is a multi-media artist who has enjoyed RavenCon from day one, and has progressively become more involved.

In her art, she has exhibited in galleries throughout the Central New York and Adirondack region, Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Richmond, VA. As a henna artist, she has covered the feet, hands, and backs of local Richmonders.

Aside from her that, she spent many years in theater, working primarily behind the scenes designing sets and costumes. She worked on the sets for A Midsummer Nights’s Dream, Sleeping Beauty or Coma, Anything Goes, The Sound of Music, Little Shop of Horrors, and All in the Timing to name a few. She now makes costumes just for herself and friends, and focuses more on her artwork, and working with the cast members of Charming Underclothes in Roanoke, VA as she plays Magenta.

The boring info: she has several degrees; Fine and Performing Art, Studio Art, and Curriculum Design and Instruction. She is a certified corporate trainer and is a practicing licensed Optician and Arbonne Consultant.

mailto:vice-chair@ravencon.com

Doris Manning

January 5, 2011 / ravenchair

Registration Director

After many years of working behind the scenes for another science-fiction and fantasy convention, I promised myself I was going to take a break from doing anything more than being a regular con-goer. As you can see, that promise didn’t last very long because here I am as RavenCon’s Registration Director.

mailto:registration@ravencon.com

Cheryl Jones

January 5, 2011 / ravenchair

Fan Table Director

“Starfleet utilized a little known reactivation clause. In other words, Admiral, they drafted me!” —Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Yes, this is how it all began. I, a past commander of the USS Chesapeake, was drafted by the current captain to join RavenCon.

I am Cheryl Lynn “Chessie” Jones, and I am the Fan Table Director for RavenCon.

mailto:fantables@ravencon.com

René

January 5, 2011 / ravenchair

Dealers’ Room Director

I have volunteered at conventions for over fifteen years. I was president of the USS Chesapeake (a chapter of Starfleet International) in Richmond for eight years, now I’m second in command. The Chesapeake is a non-profit charity organization that supports Ronald McDonald House, the Battered Women’s Shelter, and other charities in the Richmond area.

Crystal Ritchie

January 5, 2011 / ravenchair

Science Track Director

Crystal Ritchie is a convention veteran. She is constantly networking and mixing with con-goers all across the South. Her mission is to find out who they are reading, what topics they are interested in, and who they would like to see as Guests of Honor at their “dream convention”. When she isn’t in con-mode, she can often be found acting as hostess at the Baen Barfly’s Hospitality suite.

Bill Truesdale

January 5, 2011 / ravenchair

Director of Convention Operations

Hi, I’m Bill Truesdale and for years I’ve attended conventions as a fan and I’ve also been working them too, mainly con security, from San Diego Comic-Con to Shore Leave, Dragon*Con, and ImagineCon 2000. I hope to make our panels run smoothly so that our con-goers can have a great time going to them. Any questions on the convention, or Con-Ops, please e-mail me.

mailto:conops@ravencon.com

Art Show Staff

January 5, 2011 / ravenchair

Paul Blotkamp & Vanora Hagan

Art Show Co-Directors

Paul attended (and staffed!) his first convention his freshman year in college at Virginia Tech (that was Technicon 1—if you know the con, you do the math). Over the years he has run Operations, Security, Dealers, and Art Show for several cons (but not at the same time). He has also twice been Chairman for Katsucon. RavenCon marks his sixth convention as Art Show Director. Of all con departments, Art Show is his favorite—it gives him plenty of time to keep an eye on the pieces he intends to buy for himself!

Vanora is a veteran of too many Art Shows to count. She earned her BFA from the Corcoran College of Art in Washington, DC (and still works retail when not attending cons). Her art has been published in the 2006 and 2007 editions of Imagine. Her work has even garnered a celebrity endorsement from Aaron Douglas of Battlestar Galactica. As well as submitting her work to around ten cons per year, she also represents several other artists at many cons. She was first “volunteered” into running Art Shows when the artists at one convention staged a coup to take over a show that apparently had no staff. And she has not been able to escape it since!

The art show team is rounded out by the incomparable Krissie Hadley.

mailto:artshow@ravencon.com

Michael D. Pederson

January 5, 2011 / ravenchair

Convention Chair

Way back in 2004, Mike (along with Tee Morris and Tony Ruggiero) came up with the crazy idea of hosting a convention in Richmond, VA. He’s been chairing RavenCon ever since.

In addition to running RavenCon, Mike Pederson is also the publisher/editor/graphic designer responsible for the fanzine Nth Degree. Mike began his career as a writer/publisher in 1988 when his SF short story, “Dust Storm,” won first place in a local writing contest. In the 1990s, he wrote and published the Raven comic book series (with artist Robert Quill) and edited and published Scene, a Virginia-based entertainment magazine. In 2001, Mike was part of the “Best in Class – Master Division” winning presentation (Pre-Emptive Strike) at the Millennium Philcon Masquerade. Two month later he started Nth Degree. In 2007, he wrote a chapter on “Writing for Magazines” for Dragon Moon Press’ Writing Fantasy: The Author’s Grimoire.

Other than RavenCon, Mike has also run programming for Trinoc*coN, been Fan Guest of Honor for ConCarolinas and Mysticon, co-chaired a successful NASFiC bid (with Warren Buff), and served as Master of Ceremonies for MarsCon. Between Nth Degree and his many convention appearances, Mike has become the East Coast’s go-to guy for interviews. He’s interviewed guests for Balticon, ConCarolinas, ConGregate, MarsCon, Mysticon, RavenCon, and StellarCon. In the last few years Mike has interviewed a wide range of writers, gamers, artists, and actors. Those interviews have included Aaron Alston, Kevin J. Anderson, Elizabeth Bear, Jennie Breeden, Terry Brooks, Jim Butcher, Orson Scott Card, Nicki Clyne, David B. Coe, Glen Cook, Larry Correia, Peter David, Peter Davison, Larry Dixon, Sherilyn Fenn, Phil & Kaja Foglio, Charles E. Gannon, Joe Haldeman, Richard Hatch, Jim Hines, D.B. Jackson, Albin Johnson, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Alethea Kontis, Katherine Kurtz, Ellen Kushner, Mercedes Lackey, Sharon Lee, George R.R. Martin, Todd McCaffrey, Steve Miller, Rebecca Moesta, Jody Lynn Nye, Tamora Pierce, Mark Poole, John Ringo, Kim Stanley Robinson, Carrie Ryan, Delia Sherman, Michael Stackpole, Allen Steele, Bruce Sterling, S.M. Stirling, Tony Todd, Lani Tupu, John Varley, David Weber, Connie Willis, Janny Wurts, Timothy Zahn, and too many more to list.

In 2017, Mike was honored with the Rebel Award for his contributions to Southern Fandom.

Yes, Mike is an insanely busy person; if you see him around the con please feed him lots of caffeine and/or beer.

When not engaged in geekish pursuits, Mike is an under-employed graphic designer and lives in Powhatan, VA.

mailto:chair@ravencon.com