Former Sacramento Branch president La Ronda Bowen (bowen.writer@gmail.com) has pursued writing and public policy her entire adult life. Her areas of expertise include economic development and global warming. She served the US Environmental Protection Agency as an advisor and currently splits her time between Southern California and Sacramento, where she is the California Air Resources Board’s Ombudsman and Small Business Liaison. Connecting citizens to their government in meaningful ways is her passion. La Ronda has written numerous articles, including on environment, business, and health. With a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction, she belongs to a critique group in Los Angeles County while maintaining her Sacramento Branch membership. When not working or writing, La Ronda travels internationally, reminding her that the best recipe for healthy communities is an informed, activist population, a strong small business community, and an open government. China, Indonesia, Korea, Cuba, Spain, Scandinavia, and many Latin American countries are among the destinations La Ronda has visited. In the early 2000’s, La Ronda worked hard to gather historical documents for the branch. She drafted the first Sacramento Branch history for which she interviewed Ethel Bangert, the longest serving member at the time and co-founder of Sacramento Suburban Writers.