A 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 has served both the Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency in various capacities. Bringing public agencies, stakeholders, and communities together are her passion. La Ronda has written numerous articles on her topics of passion. She splits her time between Southern California and Sacramento, where she fills the role of Ombudsman. With a Master’s 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 In the early 2000’s, La Ronda worked hard to gather historical documents for the branch.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 a branch history for which she interviewed Ethel Bangert, the longest serving member at the time and a co-founder of Sacramento Suburban Writers.