Today I’m delighted to have children’s author and illustrator Robin Koontz with me!

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Why do you think volunteering is important and what do you get out of it?
I think that the only way change happens is if people get involved and make it happen. And it all starts in your own neighborhood. If everyone donated a little of their time to their communities, they would also reap the benefits of their efforts. In my case, our efforts helped fledgling talented writers and illustrators focus their skills and get published, or at least, hone their craft. What did I get out of that? That’s hard to put into words, but in any case, it was never my goal to get anything out of it. I just wanted to help.

Why do you volunteer for SCBWI?
People often feel that if they join an organization, then it is the job of the organization to meet their needs. I’ve always been more proactive than that, so when I saw that help was needed in our SCBWI region, I joined the board and began to dig in. Happily there were a few others who felt the same way!

You can check out Oregon SCBWI here!

Robin Koontz has been a volunteer for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Oregon region, since 1990, serving as Regional Advisor from 1994-2012. She is the author and/or illustrator of scores of trade and educational books for K-12.  www.robinkoontz.com or robinkoontz.wordpress.com