Kristina M.J. Powell

Executive Director Kristina M.J. Powell joins The Telling Room having dedicated her career to community building, Maine-based nonprofits. She graduated from Bowdoin College with her BA in Anthropology, and for seven years she worked in admissions & enrollment at the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), and then co-managed the study abroad advising department. At Bates College, she served as Associate Director developing and implementing new programs for underrepresented alumni, students, and their families. Kristina later managed the development team at The Center for Grieving Children, and in June 2021 received her MBA while serving as the Director of The Berwick Fund at Berwick Academy.

The Telling RoomJune 11, 2026Staff

Rylan Hynes

Communications & Editorial Director Rylan Hynes (they/them) studied creative writing, visual art, and theatre at College of the Atlantic as an undergraduate. Rylan has worked with independent bookstores and nonprofits across the country, is an alum of the Tin House Workshop, and a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance’s Community Advisory Board. Rylan and their work have been a finalist for multiple contests, and have received support from the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance and Monson Arts. When they aren't busy writing, Rylan enjoys spending time with their husband, making art, and gardening. Their debut novel Grafting was published by Islandport Press in 2026.

The Telling RoomJune 8, 2026Staff

Amy Kimball

Amy Kimball thinks having fun is of the utmost importance. Being a Teaching Artist with The Telling Room is the perfect job because it’s fun and challenging every day–meeting writers where they are and working with them to develop their craft. What could be better? Amy is a poet and memoirist with a masters in education.

Writers BlockThe Telling RoomJune 6, 2026Staff, SWARM, Works in Progress

Sarah Schneider

Development Director Sarah Schneider (she/her) holds a B.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Maine at Farmington and has studied towards her M.F.A. at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She was the Grants & External Affairs Manager at Maine Family Planning for over nine years and then worked at the Maine Women’s Fund as their Development Coordinator before joining The Telling Room in December of 2014. She remains optimistic that she will someday finish writing a literary biography of her cousin Dr. Doris Cochran, who was an avid weaver and groundbreaking herpetologist at the Smithsonian. Sarah lives in Portland with her family.

The Telling RoomApril 20, 2021Staff

Sonya Tomlinson

Director of Alumni Development Sonya Tomlinson has been teaching with The Telling Room since 2008. Sonya holds a B.F.A. in Design from UNC-Greensboro. Deeply involved in the arts both professionally and personally, she spent nearly a decade as traffic manager and contributing arts writer at The Portland Phoenix and on the events staff at Space Gallery - all the while moonlighting as performing and recording artist Sontiago on Montreal’s Endemik Music. Her heartstrings are tugged in the direction of teaching high school students self-expression through songwriting and poetry.

The Telling RoomApril 19, 2021Staff, YWL

Nick Whiston

Program Director Nick Whiston is originally from Boston, attended Earlham College in Indiana, and came to The Telling Room after working in education for eight years in Oakland, California. As a classroom teacher and then nonprofit director, Nick worked diligently to create opportunities for young people, focusing on college access and preparation. Since joining The Telling Room in 2013, he has rediscovered an appreciation for creative writing and the importance of youth voices. When he is not working, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, playing tennis, and dominating in fantasy baseball.

Nick CourageApril 18, 2021Staff

Marjolaine Whittlesey

Marjolaine Whittlesey grew up in France and came to Maine to go to College of the Atlantic where she focused on literature, ecology, and performing arts. Her innate love of teaching quickly took over and for the past twenty years she has taught French, theater, and creative writing to students of all ages. Her creative work in theater mostly centers around new work and physical theater, with a fun dose of Shakespeare thrown in for good measure. As Education Manager at The Telling Room she continues to teach all ages, empowering youth to find the stories they want to tell, and helping adults accompany them. She loves collaborating with passionate artists and educators who invite students to trust their voice.

The Telling RoomApril 17, 2021Staff, Second Story

Kathryn Williams

Teaching Artist Kathryn Williams is a young adult author, most recently of the novels Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff that Made Me Famous and The Storyteller (published in January 2022). Her nonfiction has appeared in numerous print and online publications, and she holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the Sewanee School of Letters at the University of the South. Originally from Virginia, she's been in Maine since 2012 and teaching for The Telling Room since 2014. In the Young Emerging Authors program, she gets to help the next generation of poets and storytellers turn their words and their worlds into books.

Nick CourageMarch 16, 2021Staff, YEA