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1 <br /> G 2013-14 Arts in Education Application — Appendices <br /> ORANGE COUNTY ARTS <br /> COMMISSION <br /> A. Resumes of key artists and administrators involved in the grant funded <br /> program <br /> John Claude Bemis is the 2013 Piedmont Laureate for <br /> Children's Literature. He is an educator, musician and the <br /> award-winning author of four novels. Originally from Pamlico <br /> County, John grew up a ravenous reader, playing violin and <br /> guitar, and having his head filled with his grandfather's <br /> stories of train hopping and hoboing around the country. He <br /> attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a <br /> North Carolina Teaching Fellow and taught elementary <br /> school for 13 years. He earned his Masters of Education in <br /> Literacy, which he also received from UNC-Chapel Hill. John <br /> was recognized as a News and Observer Tar Heel of the <br /> Week for his influential work as an educator and a children's <br /> book author. An inspiring speaker and dynamic performer, John presents at schools around the <br /> state and country and teaches workshops on writing and creativity. <br /> John found inspiration for his fiction in old-time country and blues music— and the Southern <br /> folklore at its heart. The first novel in his Clockwork Dark trilogy, The Nine Pound Hammer, has <br /> earned many accolades, including the North Carolina AAUW Juvenile Literature Award and <br /> being a New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing. The trilogy continues with <br /> The Wolf Tree and The White City and has been described as "original and fresh" and "a unique <br /> way of creating fantasy." His most recent novel, The Prince Who Fell from the Sky, was an <br /> Amazon Best Book of the Month. <br /> Information on the artist can be found at www.johnelaudebemis.com. <br /> Sonia Frischemeier, PTA Fundraising Co-Chair, has two children in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City <br /> Schools. She is dedicated to broadening students' experiences by bringing cultural enrichment <br /> to the school that inspire and educate. Sonia works as a grant writer, consultant and coach for <br /> local area non-profits, after a career in international trade development spanning Europe, Asia <br /> and Africa. <br /> Meredith Bolon, PTA President, has four children in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. An avid <br /> runner, she brings the same level of energy and enthusiasm to volunteering in the community <br /> and leading the PTA. She has covered the gamut of PTA positions in multiple schools, from <br /> Treasurer and Room Parent Coordinator to Webmaster& communications guru. She is <br /> presently an Independent Consultant, having worked in consulting for PricewaterhouseCoopers <br /> from 1993 to 2007. <br />