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 – Elizabeth Ellis, Bree Fram, Sherry Grimes, Carol Moore, Miriam Nadel, Mayor Catherine Read, Jessica Robinson, Delegate Holly Seibold, and 1A host Jenn White – who are also volunteering their time and energy.
Interested in volunteering for the festival?
The 2026 Festival Emcees
Elizabeth Ellis
Emcee
Elizabeth Ellis grew up in the Appalachian Mountains and was a children’s librarian at the Dallas Public Library before becoming a professional storyteller. The “Divine Miss E” is a versatile and riveting teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories of heroic American women, though her personal stories are arguably her best. Invariably hilarious and poignant, she is a repeated favorite at the National Storytelling Festival. A mother and grandmother, she makes her home in Dallas, Texas.
Bree Fram
Emcee
Bree Fram, is a rocket scientist, author, and former Space Force colonel. A leading voice on inclusive leadership and public service, she co-hosts the Forged in Fire podcast and champions values-driven change to strengthen democracy and opportunity for all.
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. Sherry always works with passion and a smile to help make our DMV home a better place.
Carol Moore
Emcee
Carol Moore is a dedicated public speaking coach and professional storyteller who loves to educate and entertain. With a style that is comedic, conversational, and authentic, she has performed with organizations such as the National Storytelling Festival, the Women’s Storytelling Festival, the Moth, Story District, Tales and Ales, Storytelling Arts of Indiana, Six Feet Apart Productions, the TELL: Pittsburgh Storytelling Series and more. Carol has presented at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, served as a speaker coach for TED speakers through TEDxTysons, competed in public speaking competitions with Toastmasters International and is a member of both the NSN and the National Communication Association.
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.
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.
Jessica Robinson
Emcee
Jessica Piscitelli Robinson is the Founding Executive Director of Better Said Than Done. In addition to producing storytelling shows since 2011, Jessica has performed at Exchange Place at the National Storytelling Festival, on WGBH’s “Stories from the Stage,” and for Artists Standing Strong Together, Six Feet Apart Productions, Mostly True Things, and three National Storytelling Network (NSN) Conferences. Jessica was featured at the Stone Soup, the Washington Folk, the Florida, and the Hampton Storytelling Festivals and is a 2023 ORACLE Award recipient from the NSN. Jessica is the author of the memoir, Stages: My Life in Stories.
Holly Seibold
Emcee
Delegate Holly Seibold proudly represents Virginia’s 12th District in the House of Delegates, where she has served since 2022. She is Chair of the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee and serves on several key House subcommittees, including ABC/Gaming, Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process, Public Safety, and Firearms. A leader within the House Democratic Caucus, she currently serves as both Caucus Secretary and Deputy Whip. A longtime advocate for education and equity, Holly holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications, Law, Economics & Government from American University and a Master’s in Education from The George Washington University. She began her career in the nonprofit sector, later becoming a Fairfax County Public School teacher. In 2010, she founded an educational consulting firm specializing in STEM programming. In 2015, she launched BRAWS, a Vienna-based nonprofit that provides menstrual supplies and undergarments to women and girls in need.
Holly has received numerous awards, including the 2017 Emerging Influential Leader of the Year from the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit of King Award. She has also been active in a wide range of community organizations, from PTAs and youth sports leagues to advisory and advocacy boards across Northern Virginia.
Holly lives in the Town of Vienna with her husband, Erik, and their two children.
Jenn White
Emcee
An award-winning journalist and podcast host, Jenn White has worked in public radio since 1999. White hosts 1A, a nationally syndicated daily news program from WAMU and NPR. 1A is NPR’s fastest growing weekday show. It’s carried on more than 460 stations around the country and reaches at least 3.4 million listeners weekly.
She is also a familiar voice on several public radio podcasts, including Making Oprah, Making Obama and 16 Shots, which chronicled the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald and the trial of Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.