Staff
The people who make LeakyCon possible
LeakyCon Managers
 MELISSA ANELLICo-Founder / Executive DirectorMelissa Anelli has been active in the Harry Potter fandom for nearly 12 years. In addition to co-founding LeakyCon and Mischief Management, she is the owner and operator of The Leaky Cauldron and the new site LeakyNews.com. Melissa’s first book, the New York Times bestselling Harry, A History, was published in 2008 with a foreword from J.K. Rowling. Since 2009, Melissa has also served as senior creative consultant on Pottermore. In her spare time, she indulges her other obsessions: theater, television, and the sparklification of designer shoes. A NYC native and dweller, Melissa is currently hard at work on her second book. |
 STEPHANIE DORNHELMCo-Founder / Executive DirectorOn a family trip to Yosemite in 1999, Stephanie Dornhelm was searching for an excuse to avoid hiking with her boyfriend’s parents (now her in-laws). In desperation, she began reading a children’s book lying on the coffee table…and within ten minutes, she had fallen in love with Harry Potter. She joined the staff of The Leaky Cauldron as a PotterCast Transcription Elf and attended her first fan conference (Lumos) in 2006. She lives in New York City with her husband, a sports-loving Muggle, and their daughter, a future Harry Potter fan. |
DAVID MICHAELS
Finance Director
David (a native Brit) met Melissa in London and was invited to join the LeakyCon team in summer of 2011. During college David was a soccer coach for MLS Camps and was thrilled at the prospect of getting involved in such a vibrant and diverse community driven conference. He has been working in finance for over seven years, first at an asset management firm and then as a senior analyst in a U.K. bank.
MELISSA LAWSON
Project Manager & Logistics Director
Melissa is a high school librarian in southern Ohio. She fell in love with Harry in a YA Literature class in the spring of 2001, then joined The Leaky Cauldron when none of her friends had finished reading Half Blood Prince and she was desperate to discuss. In early 2006 she wrangled a spot on the Leaky staff and can’t seem to pry herself away. When she’s not at school or planning LeakyCon, she’s usually singing or snuggling her one-year-old son.
JENNIFER CLACK
Director of Entertainment and Programming
A new Ravenclaw (thanks to Pottermore), Jennifer Clack is the Director of Entertainment and Programming for LeakyCon 2012. In the Muggle world, she is an event planner and Mom to a pre-teen daughter. She found her way into the Harry Potter fandom in 2002 after searching the internet for Order of the Phoenix news. She met her Harry Potter family at Lumos 2006 in Las Vegas and completely fell in love. Eight Harry Potter cons and ten years later, she is still excited to be part of this amazing group of people and to see them this summer in Chicago.
MAUREEN JOHNSON
LeakyCon Lit Director
Maureen Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of ten books for Young Adults, including The Name of the Star, Suite Scarlett, and 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Her books have been published in 21 languages, and she was an Edgar and Andre Norton Award nominee. Maureen spends large portions of her day tweeting about hamsters, writing, battery-eating, and disco dancing—so much so that Time Magazine named her one of the top 140 people to follow online, and there were celebrities on that list and everything! She, too, grew up in Philadelphia—but unlike Robin, did not go to Harvard. She went to Columbia University for her MFA, so she supposes that is something. Maureen is thrilled to be the LeakyCon Lit Director. She is always available on Twitter (@maureenjohnson) or at www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com. Weasley is her king.
JORDAN EDWARDS
Creative Director and Communications Co-Director
Jordan Edwards is the Creative Director and Communications Co-Director for LeakyCon and works as a graphic designer in Ohio full time. He joined the LeakyCon staff in 2009 after attending LeakyCon in Boston. When not wandering around Harry’s wondrous world, he can be found trekking across Middle-earth or daydreaming about the Happiest Place on Earth. He is thrilled to be a part of the amazing team that helps bring the magic of LeakyCon to life.
KATIE BURNSIDE
Communications Co-Director
Katie is a retail clothing buyer and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. She found a love of all things Harry in the summer of 2005 and hasn’t stopped reading and re-reading the Harry Potter books since. She joined the LeakyCon team in September 2010 as Publicity Coordinator and has enjoyed every minute of working with everyone that makes LeakyCon such an amazing event. She can most often be found day-dreaming about fashion, watching Doctor Who, and planning her next trip to Paris.
LEAKYCON STAFF
ASHLEY BENNING
Programming and Merchandise
Ashley Benning is an online high school English teacher (you read that correctly) and LeakyCon 2011 presenter. She loves all things literature, and is thrilled to be on the academic programming team for 2012. In her spare time, she likes to read, write, and travel. The quote on the wall above her desk reads, “Of course it is happening in your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
KAREN BERNSTEIN
Volunteer Coordinator
Karen Bernstein is a middle school social studies teacher in St. Louis, MO who relishes the opportunity to come home and work with the fantastic volunteers of Leakycon 2012. She developed her love of the HP fandom through her previous role with the Harry Potter Alliance, and in her spare time, can be found listening to musicals, visiting the zoo, or debating politics with whoever will talk to her.
LAURA CHERNIKOFF
Programming and Logistics
Laura Chernikoff is in her final year of a film studies degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is currently responsible for creating the LeakyCon 2012 schedule and helping the logistics team. She can most often be found in a movie theater, glued to a computer or TV screen, or with her nose in a book.
LEAH CORNISH
Registration and Logistics
Leah Cornish is pumped to be working with Registration and Logistics this LeakyCon. IRL she works as an Ad Ops analyst for Condé Nast in New York City. She also performs with, and works as the social media coordinator for PiPE DREAM theatre. Leah spends far too much time watching television.
EMILY EDWARDS
Communications
Emily Edwards is a sophomore at Otterbein University in Ohio studying Communications. After attending LeakyCon in 2009, she was inspired to pursue a career in event planning. In those rare moments of relaxation she enjoys watching Disney movies and drinking a Mountain Dew.
ANDY FRIEL
Web and App Developer
Andy Friel is a web developer based out of England. When not dedicating his free time and sanity to LeakyCon he enjoys reading every book he can get his hands on and taking on more projects than he can handle.
ABBY LARUS
Help Desk
Abby Larus is a high school senior residing in North Carolina. She was a volunteer at Leakycon 2011 and jumped at the invitation to join staff in 2012. In her spare time, she can be found with her nose in a book or wasting time somewhere on the Internet.
AIMEE N.
Design and Communications
Aimee is currently stressing over what to type. She prefers trolling design and fashion blogs, watching BBC shows online (“What is a weekend?”), snacking and pinning things to Pinterest that she could never afford (sigh).
CLAUDETTE PAGE
Programming and Merchandise
Claudette Page is a fourth grade teacher from Jacksonville, FL. She is thrilled to be the middleman behind the merchandise at LeakyCon and the go to academic programming gal. You will frequently find her watching Downton Abbey, organizing things, or eating Mexican food with her friends.
AMANDA REARICK
Design and Communications
Amanda Rearick is a junior Advertising and Graphic Design student in Ohio and also works as a LeakyCon graphic designer. When she’s not working on school work or working events for the student programming board, she can be found at local coffee shops with friends, a book, or a sketchbook. Always accompanied with a hot tea. Always.
CANDACE RIM
Help Desk Liaison
Candace Rim is currently serving as LeakyCon’s Help Desk Liaison and works in a psychology research lab in sunny California. Her evenings and any free time are usually spent swing dancing, reading, and catching up on Doctor Who.
TANNER SCHROEDER
Registration and Logistics
Tanner Schroeder is a freshman at Indiana University Bloomington working in Registration and Logistics for LeakyCon. In his spare time he helps run the Doctor Who Society and Harry Potter Society at IU and waits patiently for his lost letter from Hogwarts.
LORI SEMAN
Volunteers
Lori Seman is a Forensic Scientist residing in Mobile, AL. This is her first year working with the LeakyCon staff and she is excited to be serving as a member of the Volunteer recruitment/training/organization team. When she isn’t playing Abby in the lab or working on a video for the FittieFive, Lori can usually be found on the stage or working behind the scenes at one of her local community theaters.
ROBIN WASSERMAN
LeakyCon Lit
Robin Wasserman is the author of The Book of Blood and Shadow and several other young adult books including Hacking Harvard, the Seven Deadly Sins series, and the Cold Awakening trilogy. (Though you may know her from all-time bestselling literary triumph, Scooby Doo: The Search for Scooby Snacks.) She grew up in Philadelphia, went to Harvard, and, for her very first task at her very first job out of college, was assigned to scour the city for a miniature red carpet that could be rolled out for J. K. Rowling’s imminent arrival. (She failed.) More information about Robin Wasserman can be found on her website.
SARAH WILKES
Programming
Sarah Wilkes is a programmer analyst and indie rock enthusiast from Kansas. She enjoys reading historical fiction and scifi/fantasy, watching Downton Abbey and Portlandia, and is excited to be helping with academic programming this year.
Would you like to join the LeakyCon team as a volunteer during the conference?
Check out our Volunteers page to learn how!
