Write On Names New Executive Director

Door County’s home for storytellers has a new executive director. Write On, Door County has selected Al DeGenova to lead the organization during the next phase of its evolution. 

DeGenova is a writer, poet, teacher and marketing professional from the Chicago area. He has written four books, founded After Hours Press and is a co-editor of After Hours magazine, a journal of Chicago writing and art. He has taught several workshops for Write On, teaches an annual summer writing class (originally the Norbert Blei Writing Workshop) at The Clearing Folk School in Ellison Bay and has also taught in the MBA program at Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois. 

This is all work DeGenova has done in parallel to a 30-year career as a marketing executive. 

“Al brings a unique combination to Write On,” said board president Myles Dannhausen Jr. “First, he is passionate about storytelling and our mission to inspire and engage readers and writers at all ages and all stages, but he also has a deep background in marketing, where he managed large teams, budgets and strategy development.”

DeGenova will work with Write On’s founding and now artistic director, Jerod Santek, to continue growing the organization’s programs, outreach and reputation as a home for readers and writers on its 59-acre campus. 

“As a writer in the Door County community, I’ve had many interactions with Write On since its inception,” DeGenova said, adding that he is excited “to now become a part of the great work that Write On is doing. I’m grateful to the board for putting their confidence in me to help shape future growth and lead the organization to its next level of excellence.”

Write On is staging the Washington Island Literary Festival Sept. 15-17 and will host its annual gala featuring former Texas poet laureate Carrie Fountain at the Writing Center on Sept. 29. Find out more about Write On and its upcoming programs at writeondoorcounty.org.