Shanetia P. Clark, PhD, is an associate professor of literacy at Salisbury University (MD). She serves as a jurist for the Green Earth Book Award. Her teaching and research interests focus on children's and young adult literature.

Todd Mitchell is a Green Earth Honor Book award-winning author of several books for teens and middle grade readers including: The Last Panther, Backwards, and The Secret to Lying. Currently, he directs the Beginning Creative Writing Teaching Program at Colorado State University.

Eliot Schrefer is a two-time finalist for the National Book Award. His New York Times-bestselling books have been named to the NPR Best of the Year list and the American Library Association best fiction list for young adults. He has also won the Green Earth Book Award and Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award.

Sherri L. Smith writes award-winning YA and middle grade novels, including Flygirl, Orleans, The Toymaker’s Apprentice, and Pasadena. Sherri was a judge for the 2014 National Book Awards Young People's category. She teaches creative writing at Goddard College MFAW and Hamline University MFAC.

Cecil Castellucci is the award winning young adult author of books and graphic novels including Soupy Leaves Home, Don't Cosplay with My Heart, and Shade the Changing Girl. She was young adult editor of the LA Review of Books, Children’s Correspondence Coordinator for The Rumpus and a two-time Macdowell Fellow.