The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network introduces you to our “Young Professional of the Month,” Katharine Woodman-Maynard. Each month the CYPN Steering Committee recommends a young professional in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better.
How old are you? 34.
Where do you live? Concord.
Where do you currently work? I’m a graphic novelist and freelance graphic designer and illustrator. I work from my at-home studio. I have a young-adult graphic novel coming out in 2021 (the official announcement hasn’t been made by my publisher so I can’t share much about it yet). It will be around 230 pages long and will be hand-colored with watercolor.
Most of my freelance clients are out of state, but in Concord I’m doing a commission for the Capitol Center for the Arts at the new Bank of N.H. Stage. I’ll be creating a comic that will describe the history of the building from Civil War-era to the present day. The illustrations will be enlarged and put into vintage movie poster frames.
I’m also excited to be working on a project using comics to talk to children about mental health.
What’s your favorite part of your work day? I love the first hour or so of my work day which usually starts around 7:30 a.m. I’m a morning person, so my mind is just working really quickly first thing in the morning.
Where did you go to school? I went to Harvard, where I studied visual arts with a focus in animation.
What do you like to do for fun? Trail running, Nordic skiing and cooking.
Last book you’ve read? Off Season, a graphic novel by James Sturm.
How did you find out about CYPN and how has it benefited your business or you personally? I found out about CYPN on Facebook when we moved here five years ago and didn’t know anyone in the area. I have a lot of friends who I originally met at CYPN.
What organizations are you involved with? My husband, Mike Schowalter, and I co-founded and run Concord N.H. Trail Runners. During May through October, we meet every Wednesday night at a different trail system in the area. Concord has over 80 miles of marked trails so we have plenty to choose from. If you’re interested in joining us, find us on Facebook or Strava.
I mentor a fantastic 13-year-old girl through the Friends Program which is a wonderful organization (that actively needs more mentors). I’m also a board member for the Harvard Club of New Hampshire.
What’s your favorite restaurant in Concord? Revival.
What’s your favorite place to go in Concord? Revelstoke!
What has been your favorite CYPN event so far? I really enjoyed the CYPN event at the Friends Program. It was fun to talk to others about my experience mentoring with the program.
If you could visit any country, where would you go? The Shetland and Orkney islands, north of Scotland. I’ve been interested in visiting there after reading folklore from the area which is an interesting combination of Celtic, Scandinavian, and Catholic elements.
Where is the best place you’ve visited? Iceland was spectacular.
(About CYPN: Concord Young Professionals Network is a professional and personal development initiative of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce that promotes the growth of Capital Region professionals in their 20s, 30s and 40s. CYPN will host its monthly networking event at the New Hampshire Audubon in Concord on June 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For more info or to register, visit ConcordNHChamber.com/CYPN. Email events@concordnhchamber.com to sign up for future event updates.)
