Bill “The GolfFather” Cuebas is the Co-founder and Publisher of Ignite Golf Network and co-host of the weekly radio show Biggs Golf Talk. With more than a decade of experience in golf industry PR and communications, Bill understands what motivates both professionals and customers, and works to help industry leaders share their message effectively with consumers.

Passionate about both golf and country, Bill has combined these loves through extensive charitable work with a variety of organizations. His background in law enforcement sharpened his communication skills and ability to read people—assets he now applies to promoting and growing businesses across the golf community.

Christine Jurisich Page is a writer, spiritual director, and founder of Retreat, Reflect, Renew Ministry. She leads online and in-person retreats rooted in Mercy Spirituality, offering safe and welcoming spaces for people to deepen their spiritual journey. As the author of Retreat, Reflect, Renew: A Sacred Journal for a More Peaceful You, Christine brings creativity to everything she does—from developing embodied spiritual practices to cultivating leadership and meaningful connection, even in virtual retreat settings.

Born in Honolulu, Nakamoto has cultivated a life rich in culture and creativity. His heritage is deeply rooted in his grandparents, who immigrated from Japan and Okinawa in the early 1900s.

Music has been a significant part of Nakamoto's life. He learned to play the ukulele at nine, followed by clarinet during his early teens. At 14, he picked up a hand-me-down guitar from his older brother, igniting his passion for music. By age 20, he was performing small gigs and songwriting with his friend Karl Nishio. Nakamoto spent ten years in Los Angeles, where he continued to pursue music. After returning to Hawaii, he rekindled his musical partnership with Karl,  releasing his first original CD, “Field of Stones,” followed by “Songs the Wind Whispered.” 

Nakamoto has always appreciated the arts, initially aiming for a fine arts major before shifting to business. Upon retirement, Nakamoto reignited his passion for painting.

Ethan Cranke is a painter whose work draws from classical composition and sacred visual traditions, not out of religious conviction, but out of a deep fascination with the formal techniques that captivate the eye. Like a cinematographer studying old films, he’s interested in how light, form, and structure can quietly command attention, creating that moment of visual awe before the viewer even knows why. His paintings often carry symbolic or narrative cues, but those are secondary to what truly drives his practice: the formal arrangement of shapes and color, and the kind of mark-making that rewards close looking. Whether the subject is playful, solemn, or absurd, Ethan’s work is always rooted in painterly precision and an enduring curiosity about how images move us.

Gina Mims, a California native, relocated from Orange County to Ahwahnee, near Yosemite National Park, in 2013. Her family has been gathering at Bass Lake for annual reunions for over 75 years, and during one of these cherished trips, Gina decided it was time for a life change. While she painted frequently as an art major, the demands of running her graphic design agency left little time for creative pursuits. After her move, she reignited her passion for painting, returning to the canvas after nearly 20 years.

Now the owner of Inspiro Brands, Gina works remotely with clients but always carves out time to paint. Her acrylic on canvas pieces, crafted with both brush and palette knife, are known for their dreamlike essence. 

Gina is a past President and the current Marketing/Community Outreach Chair for Yosemite Sierra Artists. Learn more about the organization at YosemiteSierraArtists.org.

To explore Gina's work, visit GinaMimsArt.com.

My path to ceramics began in high school—the cute girls were there. Honestly, I’ve always enjoyed art. My mom was skilled; I watched and tried to paint like she did. We went to museums, but I never thought I was good enough. My cousins and I made great mud pies—rolled, shaped, dried. We played a lot; the dirt was dark and crusty.

Near retirement, I was invited to a pottery show. Clay and play suddenly clicked. The idea of colorful dirt transformed into original hand-created pieces—thrown, carved, painted, fired. Meeting potters and seeing their work grabbed me. It was open and embracing. Everybody learns as they are able.

I have Parkinson’s. It’s tough to decorate like I see in my head. My work has morphed as tremors changed—challenging yet hopeful. I’m encouraged to keep adapting as the disease progresses. Growth and change are essential.

Jennifer Moss is a writer, artist, technologist, and healer—someone whose life story reads like a beautiful tapestry woven with music, mystery, innovation, and soul. From launching a bestselling baby name book and writing metaphysical mystery novels to exhibiting photographic art near Yosemite and performing crystal sound bowl healing sessions, Jennifer’s journey defies boundaries and embraces transformation. She’s also a software developer turned web entrepreneur, a vintage jewelry enthusiast, and an active member of her local arts community in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Juliet Blackwell was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the youngest child of a jet pilot from New York and an editor from Texas. She earned a degree in Latin American Studies from UC Santa Cruz, followed by master’s degrees in Anthropology and Social Work from SUNY Albany.

During graduate school she published articles on immigrant families from Mexico and Viet Nam and translated Miguel León-Portilla’s Endangered Cultures. Juliet taught Medical Anthropology, produced a BBC documentary on Vietnamese children left behind by U.S. soldiers, and worked as an elementary school social worker in rural New York.

Juliet writes mainstream novels as well as the New York Times bestselling Witchcraft Mysteries and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind, she authored the Agatha Award–nominated Art Lover’s Mysteries and is a past president of Northern California Sisters in Crime.

Karen Lynn Ingalls is a California artist and credentialed teacher whose work includes paintings, drawings, collages, and life-sized sculptures. Her art has been shown at Lincoln Center, the Monterey Conference Center, and the Charles M. Schulz Museum, and is held in collections across the U.S. Originally a figurative artist, she became a dedicated landscape painter after helping raise awareness for Elkhorn Slough, a threatened wetland in Monterey County. Her expressive, color-rich paintings celebrate California’s rural beauty. Karen’s work has been featured in numerous publications and on public radio. She also creates community-based public art and teaches art to adults and children through institutions and her own online platform, NapaValleyArtWorkshops.com. After losing her studio in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, she moved to Backstreet Gallery & Studios in Santa Rosa’s Arts District.

Lee Silber, once a competitive surfer and surfwear entrepreneur, is the award-winning author of 24 books, including the “Creative Person” series, Wild Idea Club, and Sunshine. Known for immersing himself in his subjects—living homeless, spending time with a dying friend, or relocating to Kauai—he brings authenticity to every story. Silber’s engaging presentations blend humor, stories, and hands-on activities, honed through over 1,500 talks (including 250 for SkillPath Seminars). He lives in Mission Beach, California, with his wife of 25 years and their two sons.

Lisa Zylstra grew up along the Southern California coast, where she cultivated a deep appreciation for the ocean and coastal foothills. Her passion for hiking and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada eventually inspired Lisa and her husband to relocate to the Sierra foothills near Yosemite National Park in 2020. 

Lisa’s artistic journey began early, earning her awards and scholarships during high school, including a life-drawing scholarship to Otis Parsons College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and a prestigious first-place award among all senior artists in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She later earned a BFA in Illustration from CSU Long Beach. Her education and training led to opportunities to create artwork for corporations and private collectors. 

Today, Lisa’s passion lies in painting California’s diverse landscapes in oils.  Her work has garnered numerous awards and paintings are featured in several galleries.

Lura Schwarz Smith has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art, emphasis in painting and drawing, from San Francisco State University. She produced textile art and mixed media work from 1975, originally showing in California galleries throughout the 70s and 80s. In the 90s she taught, showed art quilts, and received awards at national and international levels. One of her art quilts was named one of the “100 Best American Quilts of the 20th Century.”

Over the past ten years, Smith has turned her focus to oil painting, exploring both realistic and more abstract and fractured approaches, drawn to the directness and immediacy of paint on canvas. Exploring the imagination and inner life through figurative art are primary themes in her art. 

To see more of her work, visit www.lura-art.com

For the last 45 years, Marco Zecchin, has been a fine art and commercial photographer. His father’s architectural career, was a great influence in his decision to specialize in architectural and interior design photography. But it wasn’t until he assisted and was mentored by the renowned fine art and architectural photographer Morley Baer, that the career path Marco chose became a path of living a life informed by his creative efforts. Integrating his Italian heritage with his American upbringing, personal philosophy, photographic business practices, and parenting of his daughter Zoe

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Mary Beth Harrison has called herself an “artist in waiting” for most of her adult life. 
Her return to the art world began when, for her 50th birthday, her husband gave her an entire painting set up – easel, paint, brushes, canvas, etc., and said, “You don’t have to wait for retirement; start now.” And she did!
 

She has won awards for her paintings in many California art competitions and has been featured on the cover of several publications.

View her latest works at the Yosemite Gateway Art Center in Oakhurst, Jennie’s Garden in North Fork, and on her website.

Nannette Potter is the award-winning author of the Blade Broussard international thriller series. An adventuress at heart, she lives vicariously through her fearless and impetuous characters who balance their lives on a knife’s edge.

When not writing, Nannette treasures time with family and travels the globe, where she dreams up future novels while sipping mango margaritas. She lives with her soulmate and husband Mark in California’s Central Valley, where she’s an active member of Sisters in Crime and Central Valley Fiction Writers.

From an early age Nedra has always had a very creative imaginative spirit. Early on in grammar school Nedra was putting together talent shows, dance routines, drawing, singing and was always happiest with her Muse.

A major car accident in her late 30s led to an NDE and many surgeries and complications she lives with to this day. During her recovery from the car accident the nursing staff asked her family what would help in her recovery, so while in an induced coma they put headphones on her with music to ease the pain: the result is she came out of it ready to write and play music leading to her first CD that led to her being listed in the top 100 harmonica players by The World of Harmonica UK website and becoming a representative for Hohner Harmonica Company (now KHS America). 

Nowadays you will find Nedra in her studio daily creating new works and getting ready for the many public appearances on her calendar. 

Paul Overton is the founder of Object Lesson Interiors, a studio devoted to sustainable, soulful design. Guided by his TGIF philosophy (Thrifted, Gifted, Invented, or Found) Paul creates high-impact spaces that honor the stories objects carry while minimizing environmental footprint.

His work challenges the throwaway culture of fast design by reimagining what already exists: sourcing vintage and secondhand materials, reinventing inherited pieces, and crafting inventive, one-of-a-kind interiors that blend beauty with purpose.

A passionate educator and writer, Paul shares his anti-consumerist design philosophy through articles, classes, and community events. From hosting flea market field trips to publishing manifestos on creative reuse, he inspires others to see design not as consumption, but as conversation.

Paul invites us to design with the world, not against it—embracing sustainability, imagination, and authenticity in every detail.

Ronnie Ann Ryan, MBA, CCC, is an intuitive life coach who works with midlife women to reignite their magic and tap into their inner isdom. Known for cutting through the cosmic fluff, Ronnie’s practical, simple methods help you conquer uncertainty, move forward, and experience the magic all around you.

Ronnie is the host of the popular mystical podcast Breathe Love & Magic, which ranks in the top 5% globally. She’s also a bestselling author with six books. 

She has appeared on ABC, NBC, FOX, NPR, BBC, Yahoo! News, and MSN.com. She has been a coach for over 20 years, and you can work with her privately for coaching, energy clearing, or intuitive and past-life readings.

Sam Lesante Jr. is the President and CEO of SSPTV (Sam-Son Productions), a family-owned television production company serving Greater Hazleton and beyond for more than 40 years. A lifelong part of the business, Sam began producing segments as a teenager before earning his communications degree from King’s College. Today, he oversees SSPTV’s local news, community programs, and commercial productions, while expanding partnerships with schools, organizations, and local businesses. He and his wife, Lori, live in Conyngham with their daughter, Isabella.

Teresa started her adventure with art in her hometown in Shafter, CA. She spent most of her adult life pouring her creative energy into home-making, raising children, volunteer work and enjoying offering hospitality. Nearing the empty nest stage she pursued her latent art passion.  Her style has been influenced by her world wide travel and classes taken near the places she has lived.

She now lives in Oakhurst, CA and has been inspired by Yosemite National Park and the ever changing beauty in the surrounding mountain communities.

Teresa sees making art as important play that helps all humans to be more fully alive, as we connect with each other and experience what it means to be co-creators, adding to the beauty.  From her vibrant transparent watercolor paintings to her landscapes in acrylic, you will experience being transported to another place and invited to ‘see’ the beauty in the ordinary.”

Born in downtown Los Angeles and raised in Venice, CA, Trowzers is the eldest of five in a family of artists. Growing up in Venice’s bohemian community, he was surrounded by creatives and exceptional art teachers at Venice High, including Betty Edwards (“Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”). Their mentorship led him to the CalArts Saturday drawing program and eventually to earning his BFA at CalArts.

His upbringing strongly shaped his artistic style—from the vivid Southern California light and surf culture of his youth to the bold graffiti murals that color its streets. His palettes reflect both his Mexican heritage and the sun-soaked beaches he loved. His influences span Braque, Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Klee, Kandinsky, and the early black-and-white cartoons and anime he absorbed as a child. All of these elements form the foundation of his creative life.

Vicki D. Thomas is an award-winning artist with a deep passion for watercolor painting. The medium’s transparency allows her to create stunning images, especially her vibrant floral still-lifes, which have been adapted into giftware like teapots and greeting cards. She has also ventured into acrylic painting, showcasing bold landscapes and florals.
Vicki has mastered the art of depicting whimsical themes for both adults and children. She has taught painting to students of all ages and is an active member of local art clubs, particularly Yosemite Sierra Artists. Since moving to the Sierra Nevada Foothills, she has enjoyed plein air painting inspired by the stunning scenery.
In addition to her art, Vicki is an author of the Relics Adventures series, having published three books, with the fourth in progress. She enjoys her home life with her husband, surrounded by local wildlife. For more, visit her website: www.vickithomasartist.net