Board Of Directors
Ruth Burlini - President
Ruth Burlini is a Spanish teacher at Nippersink Middle School. She has lived in Spring Grove with her family for the past 20 years and is a proud mother of two daughters. Ruth loves to find the beauty in nature and everything around her. She continually encourages her students to not just look at the world around them but to actually notice it.
Patty Boyer - Vice President
Patty Boyer is a former bilingual speech-language pathologist who worked in Chicago and Northern IL for 20+ years. She currently lives in Northern AZ but loves the storytelling community back home. She truly believes there is something magical that happens between people when they share their authentic stories.
Elise Livingston - Treasurer
Elise Livingston is a local real estate broker and Past President of Illinois Storytelling, Inc. She loves being witness to the connections between people that storytelling fosters.
Becky Johnson - Secretary
Becky Johnson is a veteran teacher turned elementary school librarian. She is passionate about connecting children to words and imagination without limits as well as creating universal acceptance among humankind.
Rich Tobiasz - Logistics and Grounds Director
Rich Tobiasz recently retired from his lifelong career as a Firefighter Paramedic, Flight Nurse and Fire Chief in Spring Grove. Currently he teaches Horticulture and Agriculture at McHenry County College and volunteers as a Master Gardener for the U. of I. Extension in McHenry County. He lives on a small organic vegetable farm in Spring Grove and on the side, tells personal, farm and historical stories, mostly related to Spring Grove.
Creative Consultant
Jim May - Artistic Director/Storyteller
Jim May is a former teacher, college counselor, and an EMMY award-winning storyteller and author. He has been a full time, free lance storyteller since 1986. His storytelling appearances include venues across the US, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and Paris. He has been inducted into the National Storytelling Network’s “Circle of Excellence”(Hall of Fame).
Jim is the founding Artistic Director of the Illinois Storytelling Festival held in Spring Grove, Il and served as it’s artistic guide for twenty years. The festival received annual programming grants from The Illinois Arts Council and was listed by “Parenting” magazine as one of America’s best family events.
His first collection of stories, THE FARM ON NIPPERSINK CREEK (August House, Atlanta, 1994) won a Best Book award from the American Public Library Association. His latest collection of stories, TRAIL GUIDE FOR A CROOKED HEART (Parkhurst Brothers, Marion, Mi 2016) won an Anne Izard best book award from the Westchester County, New York public library foundation.
Jim is the founding Artistic Director of the Illinois Storytelling Festival held in Spring Grove, Il and served as it’s artistic guide for twenty years. The festival received annual programming grants from The Illinois Arts Council and was listed by “Parenting” magazine as one of America’s best family events.
His first collection of stories, THE FARM ON NIPPERSINK CREEK (August House, Atlanta, 1994) won a Best Book award from the American Public Library Association. His latest collection of stories, TRAIL GUIDE FOR A CROOKED HEART (Parkhurst Brothers, Marion, Mi 2016) won an Anne Izard best book award from the Westchester County, New York public library foundation.
