The International Society of Family History Writers & Editors recently announced the winners of the 2016 “Excellence in Writing” competition. We were very thankful for those who volunteered many hours in reading and judging the submissions. As the competition coordinator, I read the submissions and personally know how awesome the submissions were, making the judging difficult. The Judges not only read the entries and selected the first, second, third place and honorable mentions, they critiqued every article that was submitted. The Judges are kept confidential until after the winners have been announced. While we keep who judged a particular category confidential, we do want to give much thanks to the Judges and recognize them. They are named in no certain order. Please join me in giving thanks to them for their volunteering in the 2016 “Excellence in Writing” competition.

• Clarise Fleck Soper, CG
• Glen Covert
• Dave Liesse
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• Clois Sansone-Williams
• Wendy Wilson Spooner
• Robbi Ryan
• Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AAG
• Jason R. Terrell
• Zachary H. Michael Hopkins
• Gary Ball-Kilbourne

We are currently seeking volunteers for future judges. Judges are allowed to also enter the competition, as long as it’s not to the category they are judging. Contact Tina Sansone, Competition Coordinator at Famhistorywriter@gmail.com to volunteer or request more information about the competition.

The 2017 “Excellence in Writing” competition is currently taking submissions, the forms should be on the website, ISFHWE, soon. The categories are Columns, Articles, Newsletters, Unpublished Authors, Unpublished Materials-Published Authors & Poems/Song.

Again, a very big Thank You to our 2016 Judges. They were a great help in the "Excellence in Writing" competition.