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 - David J. Rothman 

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/Membership: Julie Cummings 
Publicity Chair, Electronic Media, 9428 Fallen Rock Road, 
Conifer, CO 80433  jcummings3@gmail.com 
1st Vice President: Paul Ford 
Strophes Editor, Electronic Media Assistant 
10239 Hickory Point Dr Sandy, UT 84092  pmford3@gmail.com 
2nd Vice President: Joseph Cavanaugh: 
Development Chair (Endowments/Sponsorships), BlackBerryPeach Prizes for Poetry Chair, 3722 Longford Cir. Ormond Beach, FL 32174  jcavanaugh@gmail.com 
3rd Vice President: Charmaine Pappas Donovan 
Special Awards Chair, 
18755 Tracside Road Brainerd, MN 56401 charmane@charter.net 
4th Vice President: Steven Concert 
College Undergraduate Poetry Competition Chair,Contest Sponsors/Brochure Co-Chair, 
49 Kitchen Ave., Harveys Lake, PA 18618 paperlesspoets@gmail.com 
Chancellor: Polly Opsah 
Convention Coordinator 
7316 Huntington, Oscoda, MI 48750 pollyopsahl@gmail.com 
1st Vice Chancellor: JoAn Howerton 
Judges Chair, 
2563 Twin Woods Cove, Memphis, TN 38134 ladyjoan1946@gmail.com 
2nd Vice Chancellor: Loretta Diane Walker 
4519 E. University Blvd. Apt. C, Odessa, TX 79762  walkerld1@aol.com 
Treasurer: Linda Harris 
711 6th St. SE, Altoona, IA 50009-1926 harristaxes@aol.com 
Secretary: Jessica Temple 
Alabama A&M University McCormick Building, Rm. 1 P.O. Box 4900 Normal, AL 35762-4900 NFSPSsecretary@gmail.com 
Immediate Past President Eleanor Berry 
Presidential Advisors Chair, 2614 N. Santiam Hwy., Lyons, OR 97358 eberry@wvi.com 

Appointive Board 

Board Liason to State Societies: Russell H. Strauss 
18 S. Rembert, St. Memphis, TN 38104 RSTRpoet@cs.com 
Contest Chair: Carla Jordan 
P.O. Box 2863, Evergreen, CO 80437-2863 ContestChair.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: Susan Stevens Chambers 
Manningham Trust Competition Chair 57310 166th Lane, Good Thunder, MN 56037 - schambersmediator@yahoo.com 
Librarian: Catherine L'Herisson, 518 Grinnell Drive, Garland, TX 75043 -  catherinepoet@juno.com 
Manningham Trust Advisor: Sam Wood, 1570 Auburn Way, Reno, NV 89502 
Publicity Chair: Amy Jo Zook 
Traditional Media, and Poetry Day/Poetry Month Liaison Co-Chair 
3520 State Rd. 56, Mechanicsburg, OH 43044 
Special Events/ State Outreach: Peter Stein, 5612 23rd Ave. S, Mineapolis, MN 55417 pwilliamstien@yahoo.com 
Stevens Manuscript Competition Chair: To Be Appointed 
Strophes Associate Editor: Jim Lambert 
11617 Sherry Lynn Dr., Carbondale, IL 62901-0732  jim@jimlambert.net 
Youth Chair: Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer 
P. O. Box 86, Placerville, CO 81430 rosemerryt@gmail.com 
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 
†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, and Jo McDougall.