ABOUT
STEVEN SERGIOVANNI
Director
When your parents are Texas ranchers, you develop a taste for quality barbecue sauce. A sauce that is spicy enough to bring tears to one’s eyes yet tasty enough to keep a person eatin’. As a child, Steven thought that barbecue sauce would be his calling. His mother recalls several occasions when young Steven would "muddy" up the kitchen with his concoctions. One of his recipes called for a healthy dose of cottage cheese and dill—this sauce was not a hit and Steven abandoned his dream. For several years he wandered from job to job, even appearing as an Indian in an off-Broadway play, Stuffing: The Thanksgiving Miracle of 1938. After the production closed early, Steven took a job in an art gallery and never looked back. One can see why Steven loves his job by reading a quote he gave to Vanity Fair back in 1998: "Working in an art gallery puts me in close proximity to bubble wrap and that stuff is just so electric.”Scrabble point total:
Steven=9
As reported by Kammy Roulner
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HEATHER DARCY BHANDARI
Director
Sycamores, Pines, Redwoods, Douglas Fir trees, it really doesn't matter which; Heather can identify them all blindfolded. Heather has a world-class sense of smell. She once scored a perfect 700 when measured by a state-of-the-art electro-olfactogram. Her talent was discovered when she volunteered for an experimental test being administered by Brown University professor Handri Aribishi, who suggested that she should find work with Homeland Security because, "she could detect bombs that hadn't even been made yet.” But, like so many people with amazing powers of smell, she decided smelling things for a living was just not for her and decided to pursue her true passion, "ART.” She knew she had made the right decision when she saw (and smelled) Ed Ruscha’s famous piece, Chocolate Room. No one appreciated that piece quite as much as Heather.Scrabble point total:
Heather=13
As reported by Kammy Roulner MORE »
MONICA HERMAN
Director
Nobody celebrates the music of Booker T. and the MGs quite like Monica Herman. In high school, she once shaved the words "Green Onions" into her head. Her friends thought it was a sideways reference to Dr. Seuss, but she relished the opportunity to tell them just how wrong they were. This attitude might have alienated her from her peers, but it only reaffirmed her commitment to the band. In 2003, she self-published the first of three books about the band titled, "A Book about Booker.” It has sold itself into the 19,345th position on Amazon.com's bestseller list just above Dr. Doug's book about feet titled, "More Shoes than Feet.” Monica's passion is unrelenting and she is currently working on her fourth book that she says is a real departure from her previous books. "This book will revolutionize the way we look at Booker T. and the MGs because it asks the question: What if Booker T. and the MGs had lived with the elves in Rivendale? How would that have changed their music?"Scrabble point total:
Monica=10
As reported by Kammy Roulner MORE »
COURTNEY STRIMPLE
Exhibitions Coordinator
Courtney's father once worked at the Washington Post with noted author Peter Benchley. Courtney cites this as integral to her wanting to become the world’s greatest shark hunter. As a child, she would often be seen in pet stores stalking sea horses and small tropical fish. After an incident involving toothpaste and an emergency road flare, Courtney was banned from "Pinky's Pet Connection" for life. The punishment seemed extreme at the time, but it pushed Courtney in a new direction and one that she has pursued with the same intensity that she previously devoted to aqua-poaching. These days Courtney can be found wrapped around her computer, blogging about art and fashion, uncovering the hidden world of gesso, lace and medium-density fiberboard. When asked about her career transition, Courtney once said, "It might not involve a steel cage and scuba gear, but nowadays I don't have to pick nearly so much sand out of my crotch... Can I say crotch?" Sure you can Courtney—if anyone has earned the right to say "crotch," it's you.Scrabble point total:
Courtney=13
As reported by Kammy Roulner
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CHUKA CHUKUMA
Production Assistant
Parents love him. Jocks love him. Coaches, cashiers and clergy love him. It seems that everyone loves Chuka, even interns hoping to claw themselves a job in a poor economy love him. His high school peers even voted him "least likely to be bludgeoned to death at a bar." Since leaving his penthouse condo on the fancy side of West Palm Beach, Chuka has made himself into what the French call a Bon Vivant. Chuka has an open invitation to attend any social event that meets his high standards of free drinks and plenty of flash photography, but be warned that in addition to stealing your heart he might also make off with your 1865 Chateau Lafite.As reported by Kammy Roulner MORE »
ROB CARTER
Preparator
Growing up in a dreary place under the oppressive grip of a maniacal queen is no fun, so Rob left the UK for the sunny, welcoming shores of America. He could have chosen to live any place in this great land, but he chose New York City because no one loves the Yankees quite like Rob. He can remember watching the 1977 World Series and being in awe of third basemen Graig Nettles. "I can still see him picking it at third. Most folks remember Reggie, but Graig was the real Yankee hero in that Series,” Rob said during a phone interview. Unfortunately for Rob, a bum knee and a complete inability to hit a curve ball kept him from becoming a Yankee himself, but he still has season tickets and enjoys the game as much now as he did when he was a kid.Scrabble point total:
Rob=5
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MICHAEL GREENBLATT
Designer
When thinking about Michael, you have to ask yourself this question: What would happen if a tsunami were to hit Cleveland? One can only imagine the carnage that would result from such a horrible and unimaginable event. Michael spends his spare time considering just such events and works them into his quilting projects. Michael’s ultimate goal is to sew a quilt so massive and well constructed that if a tsunami were to hit Cleveland he could use his quilt to dry off all the wet survivors. "Generous, compassionate and sincere, that is who Michael really is,” states a waitress who once waited on Michael back in 1987.Scrabble point total:
Michael=14
As reported by Kammy Roulner
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PAIGE WEST
Founder
It's tough to have a name that is a homophone. Paige is not page but you can't write a book about generosity without devoting at least one page to Paige. Mayor Charlie Collins once gave Paige West the keys to the city of New Fallbrook Falls for her lasting commitment to the proper use of construction paper and paste. "She is an inspiration to us all and her legacy will be seen on bulletin boards everywhere,” says preschool student Jack Harper. Beyond her craft philanthropy, Paige takes time out of her busy schedule to monitor the threat of the bark beetle to the few remaining Chestnut trees left on the East Coast of North America. Ranger Fred Palmer notes that, "She may be the queen of construction paper, but when it comes to preserving the Chestnut trees in this region, she is a peasant like the rest of us, down in the dirt catching bark beetles.” Paige isn't the first to notice that you can't have quality construction paper without a healthy forest, but she is one of the few people taking steps to ensure that the youths of North America don't have to use shoddy materials when cutting out silhouettes of Honest Abe for President’s Day.Scrabble point total:
Paige=8
As reported by Kammy Roulner
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