The WSF could not be possible without the festival committee members, who work to review applications, coordinate volunteers and food orders, promote the festival through videos and blog posts, and fill in all the many jobs that aren’t covered by the festival volunteers.
Thank you to the volunteers who help put out the programs, work the door and the merchandise table, provide rides, monitor the Youtube stream, and help make sure the festival runs smoothly.
And thank you to the Festival Emcees, who are also volunteering their time and energy.
Interested in volunteering for the festival?
The 2025 Festival Emcees
Bonnie Gardner
Emcee
Bonnie Gardner has extensive experience as a staff member and volunteer leader in the nonprofit sector, primarily focused on education. A former journalist drawn to storytelling, she performs in the DC area and has appeared at state festivals and the Women’s Storytelling Festival. Bonnie serves on the Better Said Than Done Board of Directors.
Sherry Grimes
Emcee
Sherry Stafford Grimes is a NoVA native who brings a lifetime passion for the arts to her support of Better Said Than Done. From her full-time work at Grimm & Parker Architects supporting meaningful and empowered projects to her tireless support of artistic organizations such as The Moth and Artomatic, Sherry always works with passion and a smile to help make our DMV home a better place.
Jeanna Lee
Emcee
Jeanna Lee is a Florida native who moved to the DC metro area in 2012. Jeanna grew up listening to a multitude of folktales, fables, and parables told by her mother, which left a profound impression on her. As a storyteller, Jean intertwines humor with personal anecdotes and stories to entertain and educate a diverse audience of all ages, ethnicities, and orientation. During her free time, Jean likes to read, travel, swim, and spend time with her two dogs – Mimi and Miso.
Jamie McElhatton
Emcee
A former newspaper reporter and private investigator, Jamie McElhatton is a special education educator, stand up comedian and storyteller who performs in and around Baltimore and Washington, DC. Jamie has performed on stages for Story District, the Theatre Lab, and numerous comedy venues. Their one act play, “Duck”, was produced in 2023 by Baltimore-based Pink Pen Theatre.
Miriam Nadel
Emcee / Storyteller
Miriam Nadel has told folktales, personal stories, and original stories for almost 35 years. Some of her favorite venues include The Washington Folk Festival, the C&O Canal Visitor Center, Better Said Than Done, a Hollywood art gallery, and a campground in the Empty Quarter in Oman. She collects hats, paper dolls, and stories about ancestors with criminal records. All of her stories are true, whether or not they happened that way.
Kristin Pedemonti
Emcee
Story fills the Kintsugi cracks of Kristin Pedemonti’s life whether through her work as Narrative Therapy Practitioner, or Storytelling Consultant for UNICEF and the World Bank or on the stage or page. Kristin believes that stories told and listened to can and do heal.
Mayor Catherine S. Read
Emcee
Catherine S. Read is serving her second term as Mayor of Fairfax City.
She first performed in a stage role at the age of 5 and continued doing live theatre throughout elementary and high school, including with various local community theatres in Roanoke, VA. She continues to be a passionate theatre patron claiming NYC as her spiritual home and spending many hours listening to The Moth.
Lauren Stephens
Emcee
As National American Miss Virginia, Lauren Stephens uses her microphone to uplift the voices of others. With her BA in art history and a passion for serving others, she created her platform Painting Peace. By leading mindful art exercises to unhoused communities in the DMV, she spreads the message that your past does not define your future.