General Nonfiction

Gonzalez, Ruben

Photo of Ruben Gonzalez
Birth Year (-Died Year)
1962
Birth City
Campana, Buenos Aires, AR
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Keynote Speaker
Biography

Four-Time Olympian in the sport of luge. First four-decade Winter Olympian. Spoken for over 100 Fortune 500 companies since 2002. Sold over 300,000 books in 10 languages. TED talk, "The Power of Following the Leader" has over one million views. Ruben moved to Colorado Springs in 2010 and visits the Monument Library at least a couple times a week.

Awards/Honors
Flag Flown in Ruben's Honor at the U.S. Air Force Academy after a Keynote (2022)
Houston Christian University Athletic Hall of Honor (2021)
The Olympic Spirit Award (2010)
Salt Lake City Olympic Torch Bearer (2002)
Four-Time Olympian (1988, 1992, 2002, 2010)
Education/Training
BS in Chemistry and Biology from Houston Christian University (1988)
Local Authors Genres
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Leadership, Overcoming Challenges, Change, Inspirational / Motivational, Teamwork, Success Principles.
- Topics Page from Website - https://ruben-gonzalez.com/speaking/motivational-keynote-speaker-topics/
- Speaker Videos Page - https://ruben-gonzalez.com/demo-video/

Brinker, Pamela

Birth City
Denver
Birth State
CO
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Author, Speaker, Psychotherapist
Biography

Pamela Brinker, LCSW, is a Colorado native, living in Colorado Springs. An integrative psychotherapist for 31 years, Pamela has treated thousands of clients while developing tools and practices to teach conscious bravery. She is a committed mental health advocate, helping others transform difficulties into foundations for strength and compassion as they find gratitude, hope, and freedom in everyday living.

Author of the new book released May 20, 2022, Conscious Bravery: Caring for Someone with Addiction, she teaches and speaks about radical self-care, knowing who we truly are, and “whole-being awareness,” along with other tools and practices she designed or refined to cultivate and embed conscious bravery. Her diligent personal yoga, meditation, and dreamtending practices have informed her life and her work for three decades. A mother of two sons and a step-son, Pamela is married and is a lifelong competitive athlete. She divides her time between the mountains and the ocean, and has lived in Colorado Springs for over 30 years.

Education/Training
Pamela attended the University of Colorado Boulder, and received her masters degree in social work from the University of Denver.
Local Authors Genres
Organizations
Member of: The National Association of Social Work, Somatic Experiencing International, and The International Association for the Study of Dreams.
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
- Conscious Bravery
- Whole-being Awareness: Beyond Mindfulness
- Braveologist: Growing Your Bravery
- Freedom From Codependency
- Radical Self-Care

Mingo, MelindaJoy

Dr. MelindaJoy Mingo
Birth Year (-Died Year)
1957
Birth City
Memphis
Birth State
TN
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Professor - Global Leadership Specialist
Biography

Dr. MelindaJoy Mingo has lived in the Pikes Peak Region for over 20 years. She is a professor and co-Director of the Equity Project at Pikes Peak State College. She is a global leadership trainer and cross cultural communications specialist. She is a visiting business lecturer at Hanoi University in Vietnam and a sought out speaker around the world. She is the founder of Significant Life Change which is a coaching initiative with a unique emphasis on leadership presence along with skills. She is featured in many podcasts, printed magazine interviews and in person speaking engagements around the topic of cross cultural and international business relationships. She is a Tedx speaker and her talk "Shame Off You" has been featured nationally and internationally.

Awards/Honors
Featured as one of the "22 People to watch in 2022," Southeast Express Newspaper
Educator of the Year Award, Living Legacy Award, Honorary Doctorate from Denver Institute of Urban Studies Community Transformation
Education/Training
PhD - Global Education & Leadership
M.A. - Human Resource Development
B.A. - Human Resource Management
Local Authors Genres
Organizations
Director of Belonging - Society of Human Resource Management Colorado Springs Chapter (SHRM)
El Pomar - Engaging Leadership Development
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
- 21st Century Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication for High Impact Success
- Cultivating Workplaces of Joy
- Leadership Presence - Beyond the Skills ©
- Creating and Sustaining Diverse Friendships
- Breaking off Shame and unhealthy Life Patterns
- The Significance of Community Transformation

Kincaide, LaNette

LaNette Kincaide
Birth Year (-Died Year)
1973
Birth City
Fort Worth
Birth State
TX
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Author, Writing Coach & CEO of I Write Writing Academy, LLC.
Biography

My name is LaNette and I’m a Christian author, Writing Coach, Certified Grief Specialist, Marine wife, and grandma who loves hot pink, polka dots, and glitter. My favorite hobbies are writing, meeting new people, and cooking. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree from Texas Wesleyan University and Associate of Arts Degree from Tarrant County College. During my years of college, I was selected to be a part of the Sigma Kappa Delta English Honor Society and Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Society. Over the years, I’ve self-published six books, one noted as a top-seller on Amazon in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. My love for writing and self-publishing led me to my genuine passion for helping others to write and develop their stories. I’m a Texas native currently enjoying the mountains and hiking trails in Colorado.

Awards/Honors
Recently featured on FOX, NBC, CBS, and Denver Voyage Magazine
Education/Training
Bachelors Degree (Texas Wesleyan University) - Associate's Degree, Tarrant County College
Organizations
Sigma Kappa Delta English Honor Society and Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Society
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Grief - Social Media (Meta & Instagram) - How To Self-Publish Your Story - How To Sell More Self-Published Books Online

Britton, Tanja

Book cover of Places & People of the Pikes Peak Region
Birth City
Worms, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Writer
Biography

After growing up in Germany, Tanja Britton came to Colorado Springs thanks to her husband Mike, whose family, like many, was transplanted to the Pikes Peak region because of their affiliation with the military. Her interest in medicine led her to explore the fascinating history of tuberculosis in the area, which catalyzed wider historical studies. Increasingly fond of nature, photography, and writing, she was inspired to combine her interests by starting a blog in 2016 and by writing her first book.

Education/Training
Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
Published Works Book Jackets
Image
Places and People of the Pikes Peak Region
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Colorado Springs parks - Colorado Springs history - Colorado's avifauna

Teale, Tamara

Birth City
San Diego
Birth State
CA
Current Location
Pueblo, CO
Occupation(s)
Scholar and Writer
Biography

Long time resident of Colorado Springs until 2018. Graduate William J. Palmer High School. Numerous instructor positions teaching English Rhetoric and Composition at CU-Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College, and CSU-Pueblo. Have taught British Literature 18th- to 20th-century, American literatures including Latino/Latina, Chicano/Chicana, Native American, and African American, and Introduction to Humanities.

Awards/Honors
Frank Waters Foundation, writing/research residency, Arroyo Seco, New Mexico, August 2004.
Helene Wurlitzer Foundation writing/research residency, Taos, New Mexico, July-August 2003.
Education/Training
Ph.D., “Comparative Literature,” Department of Comparative Studies, State University of New York at Stony Brook; full residency. Dissertation: “The Liberty-Genocide Paradox: American Indians in European and American Travel Writing, 1795-1991.” Degree awarded: 1996. -- M.A., “The Sociology of Literature,” Department of Literature, University of Essex, Colchester, England; full residency. Thesis: “The Concrete Human Subject,” on Georg Lukács’s concept of world history and heroism in American novels. Degree awarded: 1991. -- B.A., “English,” The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; full residency. Includes Junior Year Abroad at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England. Degree awarded: 1988.
Organizations
The Rocky Mountain chapter of the Modern Language Association (meets in various locations from Albuquerque, NM, to Boulder, Colorado).
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
The Reverend Charles Kingsley (1819-1875), Canon of Westminster Abbey, visited Colorado Springs in the summer of 1874 with his daughter, Rose Georgina Kingsley. He was a Broad Church Anglican who promoted medical science, trade's unions, and individual improvement. He knew Palmer's English business partner, William A. Bell, when Bell was a student, and Kingsley gave history lectures at Cambridge University (1860 to 1869).

Rose Kingsley was the first to write about the infant town, Colorado Springs, in her book "South by West" (1874).

William A. Bell and William Henry Blackmore were General Palmer's English financial advisors. Bell was a graduate of Trinity Hall, Cambridge University; in contrast, Blackmore was the talented son of a highly successful tradesman from Salisbury, England.

Bowen, Barbara

Bowen, Barbara
Pseudonym
B. J. Bowen
Birth City
Galveston
Birth State
TX
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Retired - Author
Biography

For 19 years, I played in the Colorado Springs Symphony. My current cozy mystery series is based on those experiences.

Awards/Honors
Finalist and Honorable Mention 2018 Focus: Eddie Award for "Letting Go with Grace" (Unity Magazine, September/October 2017)
Education/Training
Bachelor's Degree in Music, Boston University, 1976
Published Works Book Jackets
Image
Ballistics at the Ballet
Organizations
Sisters in Crime
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Music - Rookie Publishing

Washington, Durthy A.

Pseudonym
JoRayma C
Birth City
Nuernberg, Germany
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Writer - Journalist - English professor - Seminar leader
Biography

A writer, seminar leader, and former English professor, Durthy A. Washington has taught graduate, undergraduate, and adult education courses at several colleges and universities including The Colorado College, UCCS, and the US Air Force Academy. Durthy is the founder of LitUnlocked, which offers workshops and seminars dedicated to the art of mindful, culturally responsive reading. Each workshop centers on the LIST Paradigm, an innovative approach to critical reading that helps readers unlock the power of literature with four keys to culture: Language, Identity, Space, and Time.

Awards/Honors
English Language Specialist, St. Petersburg University, Russia (Feb.-Apr. 2015)
Cadet Escort, Olmsted Cultural Immersion Trip, Ghana, West Africa (2010)
Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program, Senegal, West Africa (2009)
NYU Faculty Research Network Seminars (2003, 2005, 2006, 2008)
Hurston-Wright Fouundation Writer's Workshop, Howard University, Washington, D.C. (July 2004)
U.S. Air Force Academy Outstanding Academy Educator Award (May 2001)
Keynote Speaker, U.S. Air Force Academy African American Heritage Luncheon (Feb. 2001)
U.S. Air Force Academy Literary Research Award (May 2000)
Pikes Peak Library District Board of Trustees (1997-1999)
Education/Training
MA English, San Jose State University - MS Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles - BA English, San Diego State University
Organizations
The Toni Morrison Society - PILLAR Institute for Lifelong Learning - Pikes Peak Library District Adult Reading Program (Facilitator) - Friends of the Pikes Peak Library - Educating Children of Color Conference - African American Youth Leadership Conference
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
Culturally Responsive Reading - Culturally Responsive Teaching - African American Literature - Approaches to Teaching Literature - Writing Memoir and Autobiography

McGuirt, Stephanie

McGuirt, Stephanie
Current Location
Fountain, CO
Occupation(s)
Writer
Biography

Stéphanie McGuirt is a homeschool mom and business owner living in beautiful Colorado with her husband, Bryan, and their 2 children. When she's not adventuring with her kids or working with clients in her business, she's working on a bountiful garden and little homestead, and, of course, playing. For resources and to learn more, visit her website, www.stephaniemcguirt.com.

Local Authors Genres
Published Works Book Jackets
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
The value of play for all ages and simple, affordable ways to play without needing a big budget or fully-stocked craft cabinet.

Rodwell, Eric

Rodwell, Eric
Birth City
Richmond
Birth State
VA
Current Location
Colorado Springs, CO
Occupation(s)
Retired Military
Biography

Having reaped the benefits of pedagogical academia, Eric J. Rodwell is an alumnus of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). He has lived in the Pikes Peak Region since 1996. He is a retired military veteran with over twenty-one years of honorable and distinguished service. Ten of those years, being a paratrooper in the elite 82nd Airborne Division; and, he was ordained as a minister of the Gospel in 1983. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Tina, for over thirty-nine years and the proud father of two sons, one daughter, one son-in-law, six grandkids, and one on the way in January 2021.

Awards/Honors
Writing accolades from WSTS Radio Station in Fayetteville, NC - Sweetheart Contest Winner
Military: Meritorious Service Medal - Army Commendation Medal - Army Achievement Medal - Expert Infantryman Badge - Senior Parachutist Badge with Combat Distinction - Bronze Service Star - Air Assault Badge - Expert Marksman Badge
Recipient of the Commanding General's Gold Recruiter's Badge
Education/Training
Civilian: Alumnus of UCCS Letters and Arts; Executive Director of the METH Taskforce for El Paso and Teller Counties; Ordained Minister of the Gospel since 1983.

Military: Logistics Automation Specialist, Airborne Jump Master School Graduate, Environmental Compliance Officer Certification Training.
Published Works Book Jackets
Organizations
I am a member of the 82nd Airborne All American Guard of Honor Group, and The Paratrooper H-MINUS Group.
Speaker Availability
Yes
Speaker Topics
My book, which happens to be my memoir - My Christian faith, inspired poetry, short narratives with heartfelt and patriotic sentiments, to include hilarious anecdotes.