Board of Directors
Jane Danielson
Co-President
Jane is the owner of Eagle Harbor Book Co., a beloved destination on Bainbridge Island for over 50 years. After a lengthy corporate career in product development, Jane moved into bookselling and found her passion. Before buying the store with her husband in 2016, Jane was the Events Manager and a tireless hand-seller of books – her favorite pastime. In the time she’s been at the store, Eagle Harbor Books has hosted hundreds of author events. Participating in the Bainbridge Book Festival is the logical evolution for a lifetime champion of books.
Gretchen Gende
Gretchen would be hard pressed to name many moments better than being in the middle of a good story. Books are and always have been in hand and stacked everywhere, balm, escape, challenge and aspiration. She’s recently started working at Eagle Harbor Book Co., glad for work in the world of words. In her past, she was an attorney in Seattle, then transitioned to public policy work in California, before happily returning to the PNW and starting a family. Since 2003, three kids and two dogs have complicated time management, and she’s been trying to catch up, keep everyone going, and get organized ever since. Gretchen is excited to play a part in the inaugural Bainbridge Book Festival.
Nancy Goll
Founder and Co-President
Nancy has worked for many years in marketing and corporate communications for nonprofits, corporations, and now a digital marketing agency. She and her family have lived on Bainbridge since 2009. Nancy was at the 2022 Printers Row Lit Festival in Chicago when she had an idea that she tried to – but couldn’t – shake. Sipping a glass of wine at the festival on a beautiful autumn day, she realized that Bainbridge Island was the perfect place for a book festival. She was just crazy enough to give it a shot.
Dave Danielson
Secretary/Treasurer
Dave is the co-owner of Eagle Harbor Book Company.
Jill Anderson
Jill is a program manager for Starbucks Coffee Company with an extensive background in project management and operations. She grew up in the Bainbridge Island community and moved back to raise her family in this amazing place. Her interest in the Bainbridge Book Festival stems from a love of reading and the opportunity to create an event geared toward book lovers of all ages.
Jon Mooallem
Jon Mooallem is a writer who lives on Bainbridge with his family. His nonfiction books are Wild Ones, This is Chance! and Serious Face. He’s also the author of Gondos: The Novelization of the Major Motion Picture “Gondos,” a free serialized novel on Substack.
Amy Reitz
Amy Reitz is a full-time book lover and part-time physical therapist. She’s the owner of Groundwork Physio, a clinic on Bainbridge Island that’s been serving the community for the last seven years. With a special passion for youth literature, Amy aspires to writing, reading, and gushing over kidlit of all sorts. She’s currently working on a novel in verse for early teens.
Sheri Renner
For nearly 35 years, Sheri has embraced the natural beauty of Bainbridge Island, exploring the trails and backroads of Kitsap County by bike and foot. Though her corporate career took her abroad for a time, Bainbridge has always been where her heart feels most at home. After reconnecting with Nancy at Pegasus one weekend, Sheri eagerly signed up to manage all things communications for the Bainbridge Book Festival. An avid hiker, she’s covered nearly every trail in 30 Walks on Bainbridge, and has combined several to create a few of her own.
Kerry Smith
Kerry has lived on B.I. since 1996. Prior to retiring, Kerry was a freelance project editor for Braided River, an imprint of Mountaineers Books. She also worked with other prominent and innovative companies as a technical editor, content development editor, and marketing communications manager. Early in her career Kerry established a nonprofit historic preservation organization in Anchorage, AK.