Officers - Executive Board

Margaret E. Wright-Cleveland (Peggy) received her B.A. in Humanities from Florida State University, her M.A. in English from the University of Louisville, and is currently finishing her dissertation in American Literature from Florida State University. Peggy’s research interests include American Literature between the World Wars, African American Literature, and Southern Literature. Her dissertation examines the connections between Lost Generation, Harlem Renaissance, and Southern Renaissance representations of race.

Peggy is the Director of the Office of Faculty Recognition at Florida State University and teaches in the Program in American and Florida Studies. She was involved in the inaugural year of the Florida Book Awards and is excited to be part of year three.

Wayne A. Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies and Professor of American Studies at Florida State University. He has served on the Editorial Boards of Library Quarterly (1995-2000) and Library History (1996- ), and on the Advisory Boards of Libraries & Culture (1978- ) and Lifelong Education & Libraries (Kyoto University; 1997- ). He is currently the Director of the Florida Book Awards, and in the academic year 2008 - 2009 has a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship to write a book on the history of American public libraries.

Lester Abberger, a member of the Florida Humanities Council Board of Directors, is managing partner of Florida Lobby Associates, a Tallahassee governmental affairs consulting concern. He is senior consultant to the investment banking firm of Kirkpatrick Pettis and Company and is a limited partner of Home Town Neighborhoods, Inc., a traditional neighborhood real estate development and investment company. Mr. Abberger is active in numerous statewide civic organizations involving land conservation, architecture and urban design, public policy, library systems, public health, and education. In addition, he is trustee of the National Trust for the Humanities, past chairman of the Florida Humanities Council, and past chairman of the national Federation of State Humanities Councils. A past chairman of Leadership Florida, he has also received the Leadership Florida Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Mr. Abberger is a graduate of Davidson College, a Knight Fellow at the University of Miami School of Architecture, and has completed executive education programs at the Yale School of Management, the Harvard School of Public Health, the Stanford School of Business, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Gloria Colvin is a librarian in Reference and Research Services at Florida State University. An active member of the Florida Library Association, she sits on the Executive Board, serves as Communications Coordinator, and edits the semiannual journal Florida Libraries. She earned a B.A. in English and art history and an M.A.T. in English education at Duke University and an M.S.L.S. at the University of N.C.-Chapel Hill. An avid reader, she especially enjoys literary fiction and participates in several book discussion groups.

John Fenstermaker, Fred L. Standley Professor of English and University Distinguished Teacher at Florida State University. He specializes in Victorian and Modern American literature and culture. He recently retired as Director of the Program in American and Florida Studies, and now represents the FSU Friends of Libraries in his capacity as its President. Fenstermaker has been President of the Florida College English Association, the Florida Association of Departments of English, and the South Atlantic Association of Departments of English. He is a member of the Administrative Committee of the Southern American Studies Association. In 2005, he served as President of the South Atlantic Modern Language Association.

Terry Lewis has been a trial Judge in Tallahassee since 1989, where he presides over a variety of criminal and civil cases. He has been active over the years in a number of professional, educational and community service organizations, including: Inns of Court, Committee on Civil Jury instructions, Education Chair for County and Circuit Judge Conferences, Faculty for Florida Judicial College and College of Advanced Judicial Studies, Leadership Tallahassee, Leadership Florida, YMCA Board,  Tallahassee Rotary Club President, Kids Voting, Teen Court, Justice Teaching Institute, Local, Statewide and National High School Mock Trial Competition. His professional awards include Judge of the Year, Florida Law Related Education Association - 1993, Judge Harvey Ford Leadership Award - 1996, Trial Judge of the Year Award, American Board of Trial Advocates - 2000.

The judge began work on a novel in 1990. Seven years, two writing courses, and many books and articles later, his first novel, Conflict of Interest, a murder mystery set in Tallahassee, was published by Pineapple Press. His second novel, Privileged Information, was released in 2003. He is currently at work on a third.

Terry’s wife, Fran, is a guidance counselor. They have one daughter, Angie. Terry likes to relax with a good game of tennis or basketball, a good book, or film.

 Rick Campbell’s most recent book is The Traveler’s Companion (Black Bay Books, 2004).  His first full-length book, Setting The World In Order (Texas Tech 2001) won the Walt McDonald Prize. His poems and essays have appeared in The Georgia Review, The Missouri Review, The Tampa Review, The Florida Review, Southern Poetry Review, Puerto Del Sol, Prairie Schooner, and other journals.  Campbell has won an NEA Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, and two fellowships from the Florida Arts Council. He is the director of Anhinga Press and the Anhinga Prize for Poetry, and he teaches English at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida.  He lives with his wife and daughter in Gadsden County, Florida.

State Librarian Judith A. Ring has overseen the programs and services administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services since January 2003.  The Division of Library and Information Services is the information resource provider for the Florida Legislature and state agencies.  It coordinates and funds public libraries; implements statewide reading, information, and literacy initiatives; provides records management services; and collects, preserves, and makes available the published and unpublished documentary history of the state. Judith attended college at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and received her Masters in Library Science at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.