Pamela Jessup Runner

About the Author

Napa Valley Memoirist | Storyteller of Family, Faith, and Courage

Pamela Jessup Runner is a Napa Valley memoirist whose writing explores motherhood, faith, courage, and the enduring bonds of family.

Her debut memoir, Grief Grit Glory: A Mother’s Extraordinary Journey from Heartbreak to Hope, tells the deeply personal story of her son Jonny’s birth with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) and the profound path it created for her family. His life led Pamela into a world she never expected—one that challenged systems, redefined motherhood, and revealed the depth of sacrificial love.

Pamela’s story begins in Napa Valley, where she was a young mother raising her family while helping lay the foundation for what would later become Jessup Cellars. In the years that followed, her journey also led her into advocacy for families navigating complex medical and caregiving systems.

Over time, her life has woven together family, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and a deep commitment to preserving the identity and bonds of family.

Today Pamela continues writing while embracing life’s ongoing adventures—traveling with her husband, retired California Senator George Runner, spending time with her children and grandchildren, and reflecting on the stories that shape a blessed life.

Personal message from Pam

A memoir is not an autobiography. Instead, a memoir focuses on an event or a season of your life. Something happens—it changes you. The journey is your story.

Family Focused Disability Specialist and Inspirational Speaker

Pamela continues to use her voice and forty plus years of experience to champion the cause and protect the role of families of special needs' children and those who's loved one with significant disabilities cannot live in the family home.

Wine Business Coach

Business coaching for vintners of boutique wineries is a niche passion. Founder/Vintner for Stanwood Cabernet Sauvignon. Co-Founder of Jessup Cellars and proprietor/founder of Wine Elevation, where she created a customized and elevated wine experience for collectors and enthusiasts of hidden gems—delivering from the vintner to their door.

Travel and Adventure

Pamela is blessed in this season to travel with her adventurous husband, George Runner. She was challenged to learn a new skill—writing on the fly. She packs her laptop and printer in a small carry-on suitcase. She writes while carving out hours and days away from exploring sites or reading at the pool.

Napa Valley Roots

Napa Valley is her native hometown and the place her children and grandchildren call home, except Jonny, he lives in Sonoma. Wine Country is the natural backdrop for Pamela's memoir writing.

About Pamela Jessup Runner

Learning the Craft of Memoir

With a passion for writing and a determination to learn technique and find her narrator voice, Pamela Jessup Runner invested many years and hundreds of hours in her quest to bring her inspirational stories to life.

Like her other career ventures, she is self-taught, with a zeal to learn. She worked with mentor writing partners, published authors, coaches and completed several memoir specific courses.

Instructors include:

-Adair Lara, SF columnist and author of memoir, Hold me Close, Let me Go

(one on one memoir coaching and 50,000 word summer course)

-Alan Kaufman, SF memoir course, published author (8 week in person course)

-Irene Graham, Ireland, Memoir Writing Club (12-week course)

-Anne Lamont, Marin, Memoirist, Published Author, Bird by Bird workshops

-The Novelist Studio, online writing group- current participant

-Bonnie Prestel, Editor and Published Author Nine 1/2 months (current editor)

Living in a Writing Retreat Environment

Pamela and George spend their time at home in the scenic backdrop of the Lake Tahoe mountains. The beauty of nature, chirping of the blue jays, rushing sound of the American River, crisp fresh air provide the perfect environment for hours of writing solitude.

This is a photo of Pamela and Kate Campbell, her writing partner who sadly passed away a month after a writing day they shared. "Pam, you have at least four books in you, I better go so you can get started!" This photo sits framed next to her computer as a reminder of Kate's inspirational encouragement.

Boy Mom

Pamela became a mother and wife at seventeen years old. At twenty-four, her third son Jonny, was born with CMV (cytomegalic virus) that caused him profound multiple disabilities. All families are unique and hers is no different.

Fighting her insecurities, she found her voice. She was armed with a determination to make life better for other families like hers. Growing from the grief she lived with, she used the resulting grit to make changes in the bureaucratic systems that operated as a medical clinical "do it for you" model, to family friendly service delivery.

I Believe Families aren't Replaceable

Collaborative Approach

I am a passionate believer in the strengths and talents of others. I look for opportunities to bring a win for all and bring my best and trust others to do the same.

When I found myself in the position of taking a leave from my consulting work in the disability system—to start fresh as a founding partner in starting a winery—I learned that the skill sets were transferable. I love people, I loved wine and business. Being a connector brought success and sales followed.

This author era finds me invigorated and excited to see what's next and discover where God is calling me.

Passionate and Dedicated

Forty years ago, I found and used my voice on behalf of families like ours to create systemic change in California's Developmental Service System—from a clinical medical model to a family friendly approach. I challenged the status quo when residential care systems threatened to replace my role as Jonny's mom.

Sharing Jonny became the theme that unified the teams of numerous caretakers, educators, administrators, medical clinicians and helpers. My strategy was to collaborate and partner with the experts to bring Jonny the best possible outcome and quality of life.

In the early years, due to Jonny's profound CMV (cytomegalic virus) diagnosis and prognosis, we were told to expect a short life expectancy for our precious baby. His beautiful spirit transcends his years. Jonny 's life value isn't measured by what he can do but the mere fact that he is a child of God, perfect in His eyes.