PPN Board Members
We're a mighty little nonprofit powered by passion, community, and the stubborn belief
that words still—and always will—matter.
Meet Our Team
Darren Nordlie
Co-President
Chief Spark Officer
Marketing
Events Partnerships
Growth
Darren Nordlie is the 2022 first-place poetry winner for EPIC Group Writers. His work has appeared in anthologies curated by two Washington State Poet Laureates, as well as publications from Hugo House, Wordswell, and other regional literary organizations. A featured reader at the Northwest Folklife Festival and Hugo House, Darren serves as Co-President of the Poetry & Prose Network, a role he has held since mid-2025 after joining the board in 2020. When he isn’t writing or organizing local literary events, you’ll likely find him watching films, rolling dice in a tabletop RPG, or catching live music.
Emily Wimberly
Co-President
Chief Connection Officer
Events
Community Finance
Marketing
Emily Young is a poet born and raised in the Pacific Northwest (West Coast Best Coast!). Her work has appeared in local anthologies including 2025 Western Washington Poetry Network Anthology, a Hugo House community chapbook, VALA Eastside showcases, and Jackdaw Press (forthcoming summer 2026). She serves as PPN Co-President and is happiest when drinking hot chocolate and writing with her pup Rowan on her lap.
Pamela Denchfield
Mailchimp Muse
Pamela Denchfield’s karaoke name is Salty. She lives to sing bossa nova and read poetry at open mics. Pamela enjoys being part of poetry groups in her hometown of Duvall as well as Woodinville, Redmond, and Seattle. Drum circles, choir, and solos round out her life. One day, she hopes to invite veg-curious poets to join her for a vegan potluck.
Marketing
Janka Hobbs
Snack Steward
Janka Hobbs grew up in Albuquerque, chasing lizards and feeding bugs to spiders. She now lives in the Puget Sound lowlands, where critters are less poisonous. Her stories and poems can occasionally be glimpsed in the wild. She is currently working on a poetry chapbook and figuring out what to do with a just-finished novel.
We are currently looking for:
A Treasurer to join our Board
A volunteer social media coordinator