Ms. Cici Williamson

Second Vice President : Cici Williamson

Cici Williamson's writing niche is food and travel.She is a syndicated newspaper columnist who has been writing a weekly food column for 20 years.Her writings are currently read in about 25 newspapers across the country.

Ms Williamson is also a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Post and Richmond Times Dispatch.Her writing generally includes destinations, cruises, cuisines and chefs.She does her own photography and more than 300 of her photographs have been published in magazines and newspapers.In addition she has written 5 cookbooks.Her food-travel features appear within the Internet in Culinary Cyber City (www.culinary.net).

Ms Williamson is past president of the Washington, DC chapter of Les Dames d Escoffier.She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Food Journalist, as president of the International Microwave Power Institute and the National Capital Area Home Economists in Business.She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. (Tel .703-533-0066, ciciwmson@aol.com).

CiCi WilliamsonNEWSLETTER EDITORciciwmson@aol.com

Cici Williamson, a food and travel writer who featured Shenville Creamery in her book, The Best of Virginia Farms Cookbook and Tour Book, was shocked-- but perhaps not totally surprised-- to hear about the creamery going udder-up.

"One of the things wrong with America is obvious: We have Enron executives bilking their own employees and shareholders of billions-- while honest, hard-working farmers such as the Heatwoles, are forced out of business because of high interest payments," she says.

Williamson calculates that Virginia has lost half of its farms in the past 40 years­ from 98,000 in 1960 to 49,000 today.Besides the obvious threats posed by land-hungry commercial and housing developments, it's simply getting harder and harder for farmers to earn a living.

"We pay farmers three cents for the wheat to make a loaf of bread, and the plastic bag costs three cents.What I'd like to know is, when a loaf of bread at the supermarket cost $1 or $2, who's making all that profit?Can't we return some of it to the farmer?"Williamson asks.

CiCi Williamson: Les Dames d'Escoffier International BenefitEvents president Jim Wintner coaches neophytes to success in setting up an online auction.

Presented by CiCi Williamson, author of six cookbooks and more than 1,500 newspaper and magazine articles.Ms. Williamson, former PBS TV host, syndicated food-column writer and co-editor of CHoW Line, the newsletter of Culinary Historians of Washington, will take you on a fascinating trip across four centuries of agriculture in Virginia in this absorbing lecture.

By CiCi Williamson©,
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By CiCi Williamson©,Food and Travel Writer