NFSPS
The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) is a non-profit organization, exclusively educational and literary. Its purpose is to recognize the importance of poetry with respect to national cultural heritage. It is dedicated solely to the furtherance of poetry on the national level and serves to unite poets in the bonds of fellowship and understanding.
The NFSPS sponsors fifty annual poetry contests with cash prizes totaling over $6,000, including a grand prize of $1,000. It also sponsors the Stevens Manuscript contest for a collection of poems by one poet, with a cash prize of $1,000 plus publication, the BlackBerry Peach Poetry Awards, with total cash prizes of $1,750.00, plus publication, and the College Undergraduate Poetry competition, which awards two $500 prizes, plus publication.
Strophes is the national society's official newsletter. It is published quarterly with national news but also with state societies' news. It announces numerous contests and lists the national board members and state presidents. The summer issue provides names of judges and winners for the national contests. Annual conventions are conducted for business, instruction, and fellowship. Poets who attend share poetry, ideas, and inspiration, which they carry home to their local organizations. The Federation Library Collection is housed at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. In addition to the Encores (prize poem anthologies which contain winners of the national poetry contests), the collection includes books and materials provided by organizations and individuals.
The emblem of the Federation is the Athenian Greek coin insignia that appears on all NFSPS publications and has been incorporated into the design of the medal (see above) which is presented to NFSPS presidents at the end of their terms. The members of the Federation are members of an NFSPS affiliated state organization. Any poet wishing to know the location of his or her state society may contact NFSPS for this information. Send a business-sized SASE to: Julie Cummings 9428 Fallen Rock Road Conifer, Colorado 80433
Honorary Chancellor - Lance Larsen
Executive Board: The Executive Board shall be comprised of all elected officers of the NFSPS and the immediate past president. This body shall serve as the governing body of NFSPS. [NFSPS Bylaws, Article VI-Executive Board, Section A.]
Elective Board
President: Paul Ford, 2412 E. 10265 S., Sandy, UT 84092 president@nfsps.net
Electronic Media
1st Vice President / Joseph Cavanaugh, 3722 Longford Cir Ormond Beach, FL 32174 jcavanaugh1@gmail.com
Development Chair (Endowments/Sponsorships), BlackBerryPeach Prizes for Poetry Chair
2nd Vice President: Steven Concert, 49 Kitchen Ave, Harveys Lake, PA 18618 2ndvicepresident@nfsps.net
Contests Sponsors/Brochure Chair
3rd Vice President: JoAn Howerton, 1550 Trent Blvd Apt. 1403, Lexington KY 40515 ladyjoan1946@gmail.com
Special Awards Chair
4th Vice President: Jessica Temple, 103 2nd Ave SW Fort WaltonBeach, FL 32548 jessica.NFSPS@gmail.com
College Undergraduate Poetry Competition Chair
Chancellor: Deborah Petersen, 718 S. Bennet Street, Bluffton, IN 46714 djpetersen57@yahoo.com
1st Vice Chancellor: Terry Jude Miller tmilleroftexas@hotmail.com
Stevens Manuscript Competition Co-Chair
2nd Vice Chancellor: Peter Stein (address and email not available)
Treasurer: Linda Harris, 49512 SE Weber Rd, Sandy, OR 97055-7425 harristaxes@aol.com
Secretary: Polly Opsahl, 7316 Huntington, Oscoda, MI 48750 pollyopsahl@gmail.com
Manningham Trust Competition Chair
Immediate Past President: Julie Cummings, 9428 Fallen Rock Rd, Confer, CO 80433 jcummings3@gmail.com
Presidential Advisors Chair, Strophes Editor, Contest Chair, and Electronics Media Assistant
Appointive Board
Board Liason to State Societies: Russell H. Strauss 18 S. Rembert, St. Memphis, TN 38104 RSTRpoet@cs.com
Membership Chair
Judges Chair: Carla Jordan 5858 Pintail Way, Frederick CO 80504-9668 judgeschair.nfsps@gmail.com
Encore Editor: Kathy Cotton, 1019 Applewood Lane, Anna, IL 62906 kacotton7@frontier.com
Historian: Nancy Baass, 408 E. Warren AVE., Victoria, TX 77901-4847 nancy.baass@gmail.com
Legal Councelor and Parliamentarian: Susan Stevens Chambers, 57310 166th Lane, Good Thunder, MN 56037 schambersmediator@yahoo.com
Librarian: Catherine L'Herisson, 518 Grinnell Drive, Garland, TX 75043 - catherinepoet@juno.com
Poetry Day/Poetry Month Liaison: Amy Jo Zook, 3520 State Rd. 56, Mechanicsburg, OH 43044
Publicity Chair:Bernadette Perez, 19645 Hwy 314 Belen NM 87002 bpburritos@aol.com
Stevens Manuscript Competition Co-Chair: Eleanor Berry, 2230 SE Laura Lane, Dallas, OR 97338 eberry@wvi.com
Strophes Associate Editor: Julie K. Shavin julianza@comcast.net
Youth Chair: Open
Website: Billy Pennington, P.O. Box 7842, Moore, OK 73153 nfspsweb.master@gmail.com
Past NFSPS Presidents:
*Cecilia Parsons Miller, *Clinton Larson, *Robert D. West, *Edna Meudt, *Marvin Davis Winsett, *Max Golightly, *Hans Juergensen,
*Russell Ferrall, *Jean Jenkins, *Catherine Case Lubbe, *Glenn Swetman, *Carl Morton, *Alice Briley, *Wauneta Hackleman,
*Jack Murphy, *Barbara Stevens, *Henrietta Kroah, *Jerry Robbins, Pat Stodghill, *Wanda Blaisdell,*Ralph Hammond, Amy Jo Zook, Susan S. Chambers, *Clarence P. Socwell, *Madelyn Eastlund, Budd Powell Mahan, Doris Stengel, Nancy Baass, Russell H. Strauss, Jeremy M. Downes, Eleanor Berry, *James Barton, and Julie Cummings
*deceased,
Past NFSPS Honorary Chancellors
Joseph Auslander, John Crowe Ransom, Glenn Ward Dresbach, Jesse Stuart, Grace Noll Crowell, Jean Starr Untermeyer, Loring Williams, Harry M. Meachum, John Williams Andrews, August Derleth, William E. Stafford, N. Scott Momaday, Richard Armour, Richard Eberhart, James Dickey, Judson Jerome, John Ciardi, Robert Coles, Richard Shelton, Marcia Lee Masters, Robert Penn Warren, Richard Wilber, William E. Stafford, Rodney Jones, Tess Gallagher, Michael Bugeja, David Wagoner, Maxine Kumin, Naomi Shihab Nye, Li Young Lee, Lewis Turco, Ted Kooser, Natasha Trethewey, Peter Meinke, Jo McDougall, and David J. Rothman