Meet Our Current Teachers
Here are our Fall 2023 Term teachers!
Ava Adames is a Certified Health Coach, Certified Crystal Energy Worker, and ACE Group Fitness instructor. Her professional credentials include Intrinsic Coaching Solutions, The Love and Light School, American Heart Association and the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
Joan Adler is the former Director of APPRISE Medicare Counseling at the Mayor’s Commission on Aging in Philadelphia. She has been a Medicare counselor in the community for the last 6 years.
Justin Ahlbach has an MA in Literature and an interest in contemporary film.
Claudia Apfelbaum, LCSW, offers her intelligence, intuition and knowledge for your own re-emergence. She received her master’s degree in social work from Bryn Mawr College and has many years of experience and training, including Gestalt, Sand Tray, and Family Systems work. She loves walking in the Wissahickon and doing creative arts projects.
Liz Aubry began her restaurant career as a host and busser in order to put herself through college. Her experiences in the hospitality industry led to her infatuation with it. At 22 she became a bartender and never looked back. She loves the creativity, sounds, smells, and tastes involved in mixing a drink, and the fast paced yet family-like vibe of restaurants. She sees making cocktails akin to cooking: an emotionally rewarding way to bring people together. She is a bartender at Mt. Airy’s own Commodore Barry Club and Bar Lizette.
John Autin is a career educator and currently teaches mathematics online for the School District of Philadelphia. He is a former Human Resources Recruiter and Staffer and has a Master of Science in Human Resource Development from Drexel University.
Luther Bangert has been juggling for seventeen years. Performing and teaching has taken him around the world. His interest in the expressive potential of the technique of juggling led him to explore various movement frameworks and body methods within yoga, qigong, and contemporary dance. Luther brings this diverse skill set and his unique way of working with juggling to his classes for beginners and advanced practitioners.
Dorothy Bauer spent most of her adult life in Berkeley, California where she was able to take classes at Living Light Culinary Institute and study with world renowned raw chef and author, Elaina Love.
Stephanie Ben-Salem holds a BA and MA in piano performance , as well as a MA in education, and has been teaching students from all ages, abilities and backgrounds for the past 44 years. Besides the piano, she is very proficient in violin, cello, sitar, darbouka, santoor, and tabla as well as a plethora of other instruments. She has been a performing artist for over 50 years throughout the US and Europe.
Glenn Bergman is the former Executive Director of Philabundance, and previously served for 11 years as the General Manager of the Weavers Way Co-Op. Dim Sum has been his favorite brunch since childhood
Lynn Berkowitz, MFA, BFA, with a career in art museums, has developed an array of award-winning gallery tours, experiences, and apps aimed at helping audiences of all ages and abilities engage with a diversity of art ‘isms’ and approaches.
Sophie Bernard has been doing yoga for nearly 18 years. In 2007, she obtained her 200 hour yoga certification in Inner Fire Yoga from Yoga on Main. She is certified in Ericksonian hypnosis to deepen her students’ experiences while following her guided meditations. She is also a Reiki Master. Sophie grew up in the beautiful suburbs of Paris, France before she moved stateside to study International Commerce. She speaks 5 languages and loves to share her love of her beautiful native language. Her website is: www.voilawellness.com.
Marck “Flaco” Best is a native of Mt. Airy. As a master teaching artist, he holds roster artist positions with such prestigious arts education agencies as Young Audiences of NJ & PA, AIE, Perkins Center for the Arts, Appel Farm and Arts Horizons, and has a long-standing relationship with The Painted Bride Art Center, where he appears frequently. His passion lies in teaching men to dance with the women in their lives.
Becky Birtha is a poet and children’s books author.
Rochelle Brenner is a Black Belt and full-time martial arts instructor for children and adults. She is also a former amateur boxer and includes training that can challenge every level. She is the owner of Action Karate in Mt. Airy.
Karen Bruhin is a practicing esoteric and has been reading tarot for over thirty years.
Deborah Burns has been a medical transcriptionist for more than thirty years, operates a large medical transcription biz and has taught for many other programs. You’ll enjoy her warmth, humor and practical advice.
Miles Butler is the owner of the Germantown Espresso Bar and Many Hands Coffee Co. Many Hands Coffee Co. is a new coffee company rooted in the idea of positive change through community connectedness and profit-sharing. Many Hands began roasting and brewing their fair trade and organic coffees in early 2020 in North West Philadelphia and now bring our coffee truck across our region to festivals, private events, and beyond. Over the summer of 2022 they ran a pop-up coffee oasis in LOVE Park and have been featured in several publications both locally and nationally. By creating unique partnerships with wholesale customers and vending opportunities, we share our profits with folks doing incredible work in their local communities.
Troy Bynum, owner of TB Wildlife Photography LLC, is an avid birder and wildlife photographer local to the Philadelphia area. Troy spends most of his free time exploring natural areas around the tri-state in search of beautiful birds. Troy’s photography specializes in showcasing the astounding colors, patterns, and textures found throughout the natural world. We often overlook a lot of these things and Troy is on a mission to spark an interest in others to go outside and explore the world around them.
Cara Caputo is the Manager of Interpretation and Public Outreach at Wyck House. She has a passion for material culture and sharing research with the public in accessible and exciting ways!
Joy Carey has been a Structural Integrator, also known as Rolfing, for 13 years. Structural Integration is a bodywork and movement practice that realigns the connective tissue in the body so that the bones of the skeleton line up again. The movement work that accompany her manual skills is called Physiosynthesis. She’s been doing this work personally and in her practice one-on-one successfully for many years.
Liliana Carpano has over seven years of formal and hands-on experience working with dogs. Four years ago she began specializing in behavior modification and rehabilitation for fostered rescue dogs and dogs living in homes. Now a Territory Manager for Suburban K9 Dog Training, she works with canine-service professionals as well as dog-owning clients to teach them how to better communicate with their dogs. Liliana is donating 100% of her instructor fee to Saved Me Animal Rescue: https://savedme.org/
Christina Castro-Tauser is the founding director of Expansions Contemporary Dance Ensemble and Executive Director of International Ballet Exchange. She earned her MFA at Temple University and was the recipient of the Rose Vernick MFA Choreographic Achievement Award. Christina is an adjunct faculty at Temple University and Teaching Artist for Taller Puertorriqueno. In January of 2023 she became the owner of Wissahickon Dance Academy.
Leonard Cherry is a Financial Advisor. He works with individuals and businesses, specializing in retirement strategies, investments and estate planning.
Rodney Chonka has lived, studied, taught and traveled in both Italy and France. Rodney is fluent in French and Italian and has taught both languages over many years.
Laura Cilia has been learning and teaching tap (and other dance) for over three decades! She has received classical training from the Anna Marie Dance Studio in Wilmington, DE and the Richmond Dance Academy in Richmond, VA. Laura teaches voice and piano to learners of all ages, and is a community theater enthusiast and performer.
Rich Clark is a naturalist and longtime guide at Morris Arboretum & Gardens.
Christopher Coan is a certified Pilates and Kripalu Yoga teacher with nearly a decade of experience. His classes are influenced by martial arts study, Buddhism and various healing modalities such as acupuncture and Ayurveda.
June Daley is the owner of JuneBug Sweet Treats, a small-batch bakery in King of Prussia, PA where LOVE is always the first ingredient.
Larry Daniels is a financial advisor with more than 20 years in the industry, both as a financial advisor and a manager. He specializes in retirement planning and asset management and is dedicated to helping both individuals and businesses achieve their financial goals.
Anna Dayle has been an educator for the past ten years. She has taught adults and children throughout her career. One of Anna’s favorite classes to teach is CPR, it’s a very important skill to learn. These days emergencies can occur at a moment’s notice and it is important to be prepared!
Jeremy DePrisco is a Pennsylvania musician, composer, performer, and sound artist with over twenty years of recording and performing experience. He works with field recordings, guitar, electronics, synthesizers, radios, found sounds, home-made gadgets, and processed video. A fixture in the electro-music community for the past decade, Jeremy currently presents solo and collaborative sound explorations throughout the Tristate area.
Dovene Deh has 20 plus years experience in engineering: electrical, software and cloud computing. He got his electrical engineering degree from Drexel University.. Dovene is currently working on an EV charging solution and supporting customers in their AI journey.
Barbara Delp, a local trust and estate attorney, has been teaching American Mah Jongg for over a decade. She enjoys introducing beginners to the basic rules of the National Mah Jongg League and teaching the finer points and strategies of this challenging game.
DHCC accomplishes their mission through communication access services, education and advocacy. DHCC advocates for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to help them gain communication access to services, businesses, educational institutions and their own places of employment. All DHCC ASL classes are taught by experienced Deaf instructors who look to not only teach ASL, but will also cover key ideas and stories about Deaf culture and history.
Judy Dobbs has experience in reflexology since 1975. She also teaches Aromatherapy and Better Peepers.
June and Audrey Donaldson are educators with over 35 years combined teaching experience. Together they share the joy of dance at a variety of events, such as festivals, dance conventions, school programs, and fundraisers.
Barbara Dowdall is a retired English teacher at A. Philip Randolph Career Tech High School
Nicole Dupree is a Mount Airy based natural materials artist, educator, and producer/host of nature-based art and craft show, Indigo in Green. You can find Ampersand Textile & Design botanical inks made by Nicole in the museum shops of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. For more nature art projects, field trips to green spaces, and plant portraits, watch Nicole on Indigo in Green, Saturdays @ 9AM on PhillyCAM. Connect, create, and collaborate with Nicole on instagram @ampersandtextile and @indigo.in.green
Nina Epstein is known as the Digital Diva and has been an information technology instructor and consultant for over 25 years, helping individuals and small business owners use technology to solve their computing problems.
Kirsten Erwin has studied T’ai Chi since 1982 and is a senior student of the late Sibok Robert Kassof. She has taught regularly for MALT since 2002! Related areas of training include long and short Yang T’ai Chi forms, Qigong, Reiki, Kung Fu, and meditation. She is a Certified Instructor of T’ai Chi for Arthritis.
Arthur J. Evans began writing for television in 2013 after moving to Los Angeles. He was a producer on the Wendy Williams Show, a staff writer on Ellen, the Carmichael Show and numerous pilots.
Lynsey Farrell is the co-Founder and Executive Director of the Grandmother Collective, a non-profit organization focused on catalyzing older women as agents of positive social development. She has taught or participated in grant writing for 15 years, ever since she was the Director of the American University study abroad program on Sustainable Development in Nairobi, Kenya. She loves helping people define what impact they’d most like to see in the world!
Yvonne Ferguson-Hardin has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years. She is a degreed Fitness professional with certifications in Cancer Exercise, Gerontology, Physical education and more. Changing lives through specialized programming aimed to improve functional fitness in the 55 and over population is her goal.
Kurt Findeisen has studied T’ai Chi Ch’uan with Maggie Newman since 1979 and has many years of teaching experience. He is a retired physician who believes his T’ai Chi instruction is as valuable as any drug he ever prescribed.
Rebecca Fisher is the cofounder of Philadelphia’s top rated Beyond the Bell Tours. Beyond the Bell designs inclusive historical walking tours that put the people back into people’s history. Rebecca is passionate about the intersection of social justice and tourism.
Mindy Flexer is a professional artist and certified art teacher. She takes each student seriously as an artist and works to help each one meet their own artistic goals. She loves sharing her passion for art with people of all ages and walks of life, and believes in the power of art to transform people, communities, and the world. She has taught with MALT since 2009!
Lu Flowers helps empower others by helping them build their digital skills! Lu has worked in libraries since 2014 assisting folks with technology of all kinds.
Naila Francis is a writer/poet, grief coach and death midwife. She helps people transform their relationship to grief and loss through one-on-one coaching, workshops, rituals and ceremonies. Her work is often informed by her love of poetry, nature and community. She is also the co-host of Breathing Wind, a podcast about journeying through loss, and the founder of Salt Trails, a Philadelphia collective making grief public and visible through community rituals.
Emani Frank began making slime during the recent pandemic, experimented with various slime textures and techniques, and brought her products to an eager local market in 2021. Our youngest teacher at age 11, she’ll be joined by her mom Robyn Frank, a popular MALT exercise teacher.
Robyn Frank has a passion for health, fitness and maintaining an active lifestyle. She is an avid runner and racer from 5Ks and obstacle events to ultramarathons. Robyn is a certified personal trainer and Xtreme Hip Hop Step Instructor, group exercise instructor (ACE), and a RRCA Run Coach. Her goal is to get people excited about exercise and help them find joy in movement.
David Freeman is a lawyer and educator. His thirty years of legal experience includes work as a prosecutor, defense attorney, zoning board counsel and private general practice. He currently focuses on education law, representing children and their parents. He is also a full-time educator in the Criminal Justice curriculum at Community College of Philadelphia.
Stacia Friedman has taught travel writing at Arcadia University and magazine writing at Temple University, in addition to teaching private writing workshops. Since 1996, her travel articles have been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Style, Intermezzo, The Hunt Magazine, Chestnut Hill Local, NYCityWoman.com, etc. In addition, she is a frequent contributor to HiddenCityPhila.org, RoxboroughPA.com and has written for the Chestnut Hill Local for over 15 years.
Martha From is a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner at Abington Jefferson Health and has been doing this work with patients and families for more than ten years.
Joy Gadson has over sixteen years experience as a licensed insurance agent with Colonial Penn and Bankers Life in PA, NJ, DE, and MD. She has a Certification for Long Term Care (CLTC) and has helped hundreds of families understand how long-term care works, specifically as it relates to Medicare, health insurance, and retirement.
Tracy Galek, PT, DPT, graduated from Thomas Jefferson University in 2017 with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. She specializes in orthopedic and neurological conditions and is LSVT BIG certified for people with Parkinson’s disease. She strives to empower her clients to have an active role in their health and wellbeing to achieve 100% of their goals.
Paul Gannon, ND, is a naturopathic doctor in practice for over twenty years, helping clients reach and maintain their health goals, tailoring the most effective cutting edge natural treatment protocols. He specializes in women’s health, cancer co-management and post-treatment thriving, gastrointestinal health, acute and chronic illness, as well as allergies and rheumatism.
Jojo Gass is an abstract expressionist who has taken her love for ceramics, candles and plants to create Art Fusion Designs. Currently she is a pottery student of award-winning ceramic artist Jimmy Clark.
Historic Germantown is a partnership of 18 extraordinary historic houses, destinations, and museums in Northwest Philadelphia that have joined together to protect, preserve, and share some of Philadelphia’s prized historical assets.
Jeannie Gerth is a fermenter, gardener, forager, permaculturist, and land steward, making and sharing jun and SCOBYS, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, continuously since 2018!
Andrew Gilmore has been studying the history of American entertainment since 1995, and has a BA from Arcadia University in Theater and American Recorded Popular Entertainment.
Susan Gobreski is a long-time policy advocate with extensive experience in public policy and civic engagement. She currently serves on the state board of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania as the director of government policy. She is also a consultant to several organizations engaged in democracy advocacy at the state and federal levels. She has served as director of several policy organizations, including Education Voters of PA, which she founded.
has been a career policy advocate, including significant work in communications and helping campaign supporters, volunteers and staff people use communication tools to support policy campaigns. She also raised three daughters in the social media era! Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook Messenger, Slack or the more common alternatives, she has had to figure out how to use them, or try to get information on what the young people are doing. She also uses lots of Apps – like Uber and Lyft, Septa’s app, ParkMobile and more. Sometimes she is a power user, other times she muddles through, but she is willing to help newbies figure it out!
Marci Goldshlack has been a corporate trainer and educational consultant for over thirty years. She has a successful track record of meeting management and employee needs for organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit. In her spare time, she is a standup comedienne.
Makiko Goto-Widerman is a graduate of Showa Women’s University in Japanese literature and language and has taught Japanese language at a Japanese school in Princeton, NJ. She has organized award-winning homestay tours to Japan, is a graduate of UMass Amherst’s Arts Interdisciplinary Studies program, offers workshops in floral design, including Ikebana, at Allens Lane Art Center, and champions the art of traditional Japanese cooking.
David Grauel comes to MALT by way of NYC where he was a Technical Support and Training Specialist in Microsoft Office products for such companies as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. As part of the Human Resources Administration, he trained supervisors and staff, worked the Help Desk, and performed network troubleshooting.
Tyler Hathaway is a singing instructor and musician. He is enrolled in graduate school at Goddard College for a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling with a focus on expressive arts therapy. His teaching practice is informed by his acting training at the Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca, his experience with different healing practices (including somatic exercises, cognitive behavioral therapy, breath work, and meditation), and over 20 years experience as a drummer and percussionist.
Gina Henry created Go Global, Inc. to empower people to travel as much as they want. She has been taking about ten free vacations per year over the past quarter-century. Check out www.goglobalinc.com for more info.
Gayle Herbert Robinson is an ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor. She is passionate about making exercise FUN! Gayle brings her positive energy and awesome playlist to every workout, giving you the excitement to keep coming back week-after-week.
Andrew Herron is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and one of the founders of Stone Pine Financial Partners. Stone Pine specializes in working with and advising people in retirement. Over the past two decades they have developed the specific expertise to guide people on this journey. Andrew has taught classes on retirement for the past ten years, and is often sought out by other advisors and the media for advice and clarification on issues pertaining to retiree financial planning.
Clan Mother Teri Hislop is a tribal member of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and Keeper of Traditional Craft. She tells stories through her illustrative beadwork and other traditional crafts such as pine needle basketry. She is also an instructor of the Lenape language.
Rebecca Hoenig has been an artist and art teacher for several decades. She is particularly inspired by nature and begins most of her work with drawing and observation from life. Rebecca loves to share her experience and enthusiasm for collage and to help students tap into their creativity.
Seth Holzman (BA Music, Syracuse University) has been playing harmonica since 1965 and teaching adult harmonica classes since 1975. Seth was inspired to play by (and eventually studied with) the great blues harmonica player Sonny Terry. Seth has played professionally since 1972 and has performed with Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Dave “Honeyboy” Edwards, Ronnie Earl, Roomful of Blues, Magic Slim & The Teardrops and many others. He currently plays with Stevie and the Bluescasters (and occasionally with other musicians).
Allison Houghton is an educator and author on a variety of organic gardening topics. She has served as the education director for the MA chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass) and as assistant grower for The Food Project farm in Lincoln, MA, and as the director of horticulture at Green City Growers building hundreds of food-producing gardens in the Greater Boston area.
Gabriella Ibieta holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the City University of New York and was Associate Professor of English at Drexel U for over thirty years. Among the courses she has taught, her favorites are: Leaving Home: Migration and Displacement, Mural Arts Philadelphia, and Memorable Memoirs. She’s co-editor of Inventing America: Readings in Identity and Culture, and editor of Latin American Writers: 30 Stories, both from St. Martin’s Press. Gabriella is delighted to share her passion for reading, researching, and discussing literature and the arts with the MALT community.
Howard James is a former co-owner of Tea Country, LLC, a provider of gourmet loose-leaf tea. He has studied the tea industry since 1999. Howard received the industry-standard Level-II certification from the Specialty Tea Institute in March 2006.
Dora Johns is a realtor with Keller Williams Realty and an avid analyst of the real estate marketplace. Her classes help the consumer make informed decisions about their real estate needs. Dora has been a registered nurse for more than thirty years and uses her science and math skills in her cold process soap making classes. Dora has been teaching soap making to Mt. Airy Learning Tree students since 2014!
Anne Johnson, a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique and Art of Running instructor, has joyfully been teaching in-person and online classes worldwide, at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University, MALT (since 1995!) and for her private local students in Mt Airy. She continues her outreach to people of all ages, professions, skill levels and diverse backgrounds.
Anne is a graduate of The Sacred Science of Sound Crystal Alchemy Training with Jeralyn Glass. She brings her wisdom and experience from 25 years teaching the Alexander Technique into her explorations with sound healing with her Crystal Alchemy Bowls and her own voice.
Brannon Johnson has been rowing for two decades and coaching for the last 15 years. She is a former City National Jr. Champion and was a four-year Division I Collegiate athlete at the University of Texas.
Jacqueline Jonas is a storyteller, seamstress and cooking coach. Through her work as The Kitchen Doula, she seeks to empower everyone to cook well and often. To find out more see her website jackiejonas.com.
Marcia Jones, MFA, is a teaching artist in Mt. Airy. Her instruction-based teaching method, which she names Making Art Makes Us Smarter (c.2010), represents her passionate belief in the regenerative power of creative art. Marcia’s primary mediums are watercolor and pastel. Her work can also be seen at Le Bus in East Falls, and in private collections.
Eileen Kelsall has been practicing, studying, and teaching Qigong for the past eight years. She finds immense joy in sharing this special practice and inspiring others to make Qigong a way of life!
Cara King specializes in teaching ballet to adults and creative movement to young children. She completed the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, participated in summer intensives at the Pennsylvania Central Youth Ballet, and earned a degree in dance from Hope College. After teaching ballet for the Settlement Music School (Germantown), she began teaching residency programs for International Ballet Exchange and at Wissahickon Dance Academy. She loves children, loves the art of dance, which is why she also loves teaching and has loads of fun doing it!
Linda Kish obtained her MS from Temple School of Pharmacy and is a Reiki Level II practioner. For over fifteen years Linda has led and taught various yoga classes including vinyasa, Hatha, restorative and chair yoga. She is a registered Yoga Alliance instructor (200 plus hours) and for over twelve years has also been a helpline volunteer for Living Beyond Breast Cancer.
Lisa Klauder has been a fitness instructor for more than thirty years. She has taught corporate and public classes including kids and senior fitness classes. Lisa has a certification in Group Exercise from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA).
Debra Klingler has been a MALT dance instructor since 1994. She teaches a wide array of partner dances, including ballroom, swing and Latin dancing throughout the Philadelphia area, and can be found enjoying dancing with her students and partners in many local dance clubs.
Tony Knighton is the author of a collection Happy Hour and Other Philadelphia Cruelties and two novels, Three Hours Past Midnight and A Few Days Away, all published by Brash Books. Some of his short stories are included in anthologies from Cemetery Dance, Grey Matter Press and Close to the Bone. View his website at www.tonyknighton.com.
Katrina Kopeloff is an illustrator and art educator. She’s been teaching pre-college high school classes at Temple University as well as college level courses at Moore College, La Salle University, and elsewhere. She loves connecting with the community and getting people excited about drawing.
Connie Koppe has been finding joy in singing since she was 6. She has been teaching actors, singers and CEOs to build and use their voices more effectively for over 30 years. She teaches speech at the University of the Arts and private speech and singing lessons from her home in Germantown. www.conniekoppe.com.
Laura Lacy is the Co-Owner of Attic Brewing Co. in Germantown. After working thirteen years for a major fashion retailer, she decided she wanted to be her own boss. Together with her husband Todd, she opened Attic Brewing Co. in January 2020. She’s the business mind behind the brewery and prioritizes the company’s community involvement and inclusive company culture.
Mickey Leone is the director of Chestnut Hill Music Academy. CHMA is a full service school in Chestnut Hill providing private lessons and training on all instruments and voice to all ages. Info at www.chestnuthillmusic.com
Jessica Liddell is the owner of Bella Mosaic Art, the only studio in Philadelphia dedicated to the ancient art of mosaic. Artist run and operated, we offer classes, facilitate community art projects, and create commissions.
Myriah Lipke is the Director of Financial Planning at Stone Pine Financial Partners. Stone Pine specializes in working with and advising people in retirement. Myriah joined Stone Pine in 2018 with 15 years of experience in higher education, where she provided academic advising to adult students in career transition. Her long-time interest in saving and planning for the future, coupled with her counseling experience, made her a natural fit for financial advising.
Nathan Alling Long grew up in rural Appalachia, earned an Ma and MFA in literature and creative writing, and now lives in Philadelphia while teaching at Stockton University in NJ. Their work appears on NPR, and in over 100 publications, including Best Short Fictions 2023, Best Microfictions 2020, Tin House, Master’s Review, Electric Lit, and Witness. The Origin of Doubt, their collection of fifty short fictions, was a 2019 Lambda Award finalist. Nathan has been writing and teaching about flash fiction for over 20 years and still loves reading a new flash story.
David Low,MS, PhD was an entertainer and drug counselor before getting a doctorate in Religious Studies, and teaching as an adjunct instructor at Rutgers, Rowan and other colleges in the area. He has a private counseling practice in Mt. Airy. See more about him at davidlowmsphd.com
Vanessa Lowe can be heard on G-Town Radio and the Spotify podcast, “Vanessa’s Money Hour.” Recently retired at age 56, she pursues “passion projects” such as impact investing, conference hopping, and moving personal and institutional money toward justice. Learn more at www.vllconsulting.com.
Paul Lyons is a veteran comedian of over 30 years, he has taught stand-up comedy at UCLA and at The Improvisation. Paul taught Jim Gaffigan and many other working comics as well as business professionals who wanted to add humor to their presentations.
Paul Martin has been teaching regularly since 2000. He has trained under internationally recognized Masters in QiGong, Tai Chi, and Healing Arts. He has taught several times at the prestigious National QiGong Association Conference.
Jen May has been practicing yoga for 20 years, and she is sure that yoga has helped her balance her physical body, create a more resilient nervous system, and be more present for all the moments of life. With a background in biology research and teaching, Jen loves learning and teaching about bodies and movement. Jen has a 200 hr. certification in vinyasa yoga from Wake Up Yoga. She has also completed a 300 hr. Yoga Wellness Educator Training from Yoga U. Online, which emphasized teaching beginners and older beginners how yoga can benefit body awareness, posture, and healthy aging.
Shane McMahon performance style is both personal and timeless, blending together the sounds of many genres. He is an advocate for local open-mic culture and enjoys sharing his craft through teaching guitar lessons. As a musician, teacher and mentor, Shane has something special to offer everyone who appreciates music!
Vicki Mehl has studied T’ai Chi since 1995. She enjoys T’ai Chi because of its innumerable physical and mental health benefits, and because there is always more to learn.
Paul Mladjenovic is an educator, national speaker and author of Stock Investing for Dummies and the owner of RavingCapitalist.com. He has taught with MALT for over 25 years
Sherin Motawea is a native Egyptian. She is a graduate of the School of Tourism and Hotel Management in Egypt, where she earned a Bachelor of Egyptology. She was the Head of the Egyptian Museums Department at the Supreme Council of Antiquities under the supervision of the renowned Egyptologist, Dr. Zahi Hawass.
Ericka Neville, “The Money Coach,” went from bankruptcy to becoming an award-winning licensed financial expert. She has been conducting money management workshops, seminars and Bo$$ Money Challenges for the past twenty years. Ericka is co-creator of the 2019 Millionaire Mind Set Dream Big Summit.
Anita Nicholson is an established performer in the Philadelphia Community. Within the world of Improv, she trained at Philly Improv Theater and the Magnet and has performed in the PA & NJ Ren Faires, Bright Invention Ensemble, Philly Improv Theatre Conservatory, and more! She currently serves as diversity advisor for ImprovUtopia and will offer Improvised Star Trek at ImprovFest Ireland. In the world of dance, she is a certified bellydance instructor who started in 2001 and went onto study with June Seaney, Tessa Myers, Habiba, Kaeshi Chai (BellyQueen), Oreet (bellydancer of the year) and Zoe Akili. She specializes in body positivity, teaching veil, cymbals, floor routine and assisting beginners in mastering the basics of the dance.
Lisa Norris, RD, works with people living with diabetes who are tired of eating bland healthy food and want their A1C and blood sugars in control. She has over 25 years experience as a Registered Dietitian and has strategies to help her clients and students enjoy their favorite foods again and finally get their numbers in normal ranges. Lisa is a passionate cook, baker and instructor that loves to be a part of the moment when her students take a bite out of a meal they’ve cooked together and realize that healthy food can be full of flavor and delicious.
Barbara Ochester, EdD, MSN BSN, RN, began her professional career as a Registered Nurse over 48 years ago. Building a foundation in bedside nursing in the medical/surgical, intensive care, and emergency departments, she continues active clinical practice doing cannabis counseling, wellness clinics, and immunization nursing. Barbara currently works at the Pacific College of Health and Sciences, teaching in the medical cannabis track.
Bonnie Ostrofsky is in private practice as an attorney, concentrating in estate planning and probate, real estate law and business law.
Y’vonne Page-Magnus has many years of experience in this field. She has a BA in Fine Arts from the Inter-Continental University in London where she learned jewelry making, knotting and silk threading from a private instructor. She also studied geology on her own and is deeply passionate about semi-precious stones.
Grace Perkins developed the chair yoga class at the request of the Chestnut Hill Senior Center in 1985. She has created a unique program that integrates posture, metaphors, poetry, seasonal energetic awareness and stories to enhance the basic Integral Yoga approach she teaches.
Lindsay Pinter earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, is a board certified coach (BCC), and became a certified hypnotist (CH) after having her own amazing experience with hypnosis. Her work has focused largely on people experiencing anxiety, feeling “stuck”, and general life dissatisfaction. Hypnosis has helped Lindsay in ways that other remedies did not and she hope to teach others all the ways hypnosis can help them too.
Julie Potter has been making art since she was old enough to hold a crayon. She has a BS in Interior Design, with a minor in Fabric Design. Julie has taught different styles of art to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, church groups, ladies retreats and more. She believes everyone has creative ability within themselves.
Clayton Prince studied directly under the UFC champion, Royce Gracie. Clayton’s now teaching Jiu Jitsu in the Mt. Airy area on Sprague street. He is also the owner and operator of The Philadelphia Musical History Tours. For more information, see www.themusicalhistorytours.com.
Eric Prine worked as a professional interior and architecture photographer for over 15 years. He began real estate investing and doing property management over a decade ago. As a Realtor®, Eric is able to combine his love of architecture and real estate.
Patricia Quigley is a licensed Pennsylvania funeral director at West Laurel Hill Funeral Home in Bala Cynwyd, and a long time Mt. Airy resident.
Bea Quindlen Bea Quindlen loves to share what she’s discovered and pass on the joy of crafting. In fact, she’s teaching four of our crafts classes this term.
Gwen Ragsdale is the Executive Director of the Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery. She is a storyteller, novelist and filmmaker. Her novel, Peculiar Relationships, explores the evolving relationships between black and white women from slavery to current day. Her films are award-winning. Lest We Forget won Best Documentary Award from HBO/Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, and My Slave Sister, Myself won both the Toronto and New York Best Documentary Awards.
Nancy Rasmussen has taught non-fiction writing courses at three universities in addition to her long-running memoir class for MALT. She has also written short pieces for several magazines along with personal essays for her writers’ group and online contests. Currently, Nancy edits for and coaches various clients, helping them share their stories with others.
Karen Rile is a writer, editor, and yoga teacher. She is a certified Flexibility Coach and Yoga Breathing through Yoga Teachers College, where she earned her first 200-hour yoga teacher certification. She is a practitioner and 200-hour certified teacher of the LYT yoga, the only yoga system created and taught by physical therapists.
Max Rivers, the Marriage Mediator, is also an NVC* trainer, an NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Practitioner and an Ericsonian Hypnotist specializing in using the unconscious to help empower clients to achieve their healing goals.
*NVC and Non-Violent Communication are trademarks of CNVC.org and Marshall Rosenberg.
Sara Robbins, a Mt. Airy native, is an award winning fiber artist who has been weaving baskets for over 25 years and 5 years ago discovered loom weaving. Sara is a member of the Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers.
Nicole Rodriguez is an exercise therapist. She is certified in Exercise Therapy Skills and Posture Alignment through the Egoscue Institute.
She worked as an exercise therapist at Egoscue of Philadelphia before opening Pain Free Philly. She was disabled in a car accident and a chronic pain sufferer for years until she was healed by corrective exercises. Nicole works with clients privately and semi-privately at MovementRx Studio in Wynnewood, where she teaches strengthening/cardio and dance fusion classes. Learn more at https://painfreeinphilly.com/
Liese Sadler has been an oil painter since 2012, learning to paint outdoors thru workshops, classes and 9 years of weekly “paint outs” as a member of the Plein Air Painters of Salisbury, NC. She is also a studio painter of still life and portraits. Her goal is to spark interest in outdoor painting and to help make the artform approachable for everyone.
Stacie Sawyer, MEd, is an accounting instructor with over twenty years experience at the high school and college levels. In her role as property manager and bookkeeper for JTS Real Estate, she currently uses Microsoft Office and Quickbooks on a regular basis.
David Schaaf is a retired local architect and former director of the Urban Design Division of the City Planning Commission. Mr. Schaaf was a member of the City’s Historical Commission for more than a dozen years. He has lived in Mt. Airy for nearly 40 years and has led this very popular MALT tour since 1992.
Mindy Shapiro is a papercut, Zentangle® and book artist. Mindy’s love language is her art and she strives to share that with others through her work, teaching, engagement and communication. Mindy has taught with MALT for over 25 years!
Alan Silverblatt has been a caseworker, an attorney, and most recently a software developer for a large social services agency. His interests include helping others solve problems and avoid pitfalls in technology, car buying, and investments. A resident of Chestnut Hill, he’s now happily retired and devoting more time to model railroading, hosting a rock and blues show on G-town Radio, and playing and singing in a band.
Kellen Sines has an extensive background in adult and community education, instructional design and technology, and training design and delivery. The instructor uses bullet journaling to implement and maintain their goal-setting for self-improvement activities. They also have an interest in topics of wellness and wellbeing, which inspires their commitment to bullet journaling.
Cheri Skipworth is the owner of the HandmadeU Studio. HandmadeU inspires creativity in others through offering a monthly craft subscription box as well as craft workshops. Cheri has been an avid crafter for more than 30 years and has been teaching arts and crafts for more than 20 years.
Kathleen Smith, JD, is an experienced educator and attorney. She is an associate professor at Chestnut Hill College and has received numerous awards recognizing her contributions to legal education, jurisprudence, civic engagement and public service.
Kris Soffa is a trailblazing conservation advocate and serves on the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commission. She is a Trail Ambassador for the Friends of the Wissahickon and a PA Master Naturalist.
RowZone Staff will teach The Rowzone Fitness workout, a perfect combination of cardio, strength, and technical rowing training with the use of Concept2 rowing machines. We add in body toning exercises. Our upbeat classes are taught by rowers, rowing enthusiasts and trainers, suit all levels and ages, and will challenge your mind and body while giving you a work out that you will never forget.
Kim Staub is the Executive Director of Wyck with over 12 years of experience in historic site management. She holds an MA in History from Virginia Tech.
Anne Stevenson Smith started playing ukulele in 2010, just when the current uke craze began. As a music major, with a history of singing and playing other instruments, she found the ukulele to be a perfect fit. She is the leader of the Philadelphia Mainline ukulele meetup group. Anne focuses on basic chords and best practices, and has also done a wide range of uke workshops for the Philadelphia Folksong society as well as for the Uke Meetup group.
Alexa Strus is Mt. Airy Learning Tree’s Program Administrator! They are passionate about accessibility for all and love to help others find their way around technology.
Nancy Sullivan has been knitting for ten years and has worked at a knitting shop where she frequently helped countless customers with their projects. She is always eager to share her love of knitting with others.
Christopher Switky is a certified dog trainer, founder of Positive Canine Concepts, and a graduate of the Masters’ Program in Dog Training at CATCH Canine Trainers Academy. For more information about Chris and his philosophies on dog training, please visit positivecanineconcepts.com.
Maggie Szeder is passionate about ending sexual violence and believes strongly in the importance of empowering individuals so often targeted by that violence. She has been working in violence prevention since 2012 and is a certified level 2 self-defense instructor through Empowerment Self-Defense Global. She currently works as the Manager of Prevention, Education & Outreach at Women In Transition. When she’s not at work, you can find her dancing withThe Franklin Follies, performing with Narberth Community Theatre (NCT), and tackling the jungle that is her backyard.
When she’s not at work, you can find her dancing withThe Franklin Follies, performing with Narberth Community Theatre (NCT), and tackling the jungle that is her backyard.
Kaniesha Thomas, MSW has been an entrepreneur for the last four years. The mission of her business is to create art that embodies spirituality, healing and self care. www.revolutionaryratchet.com
Muyiwa Togun is the Founder and CEO of Roy Urban Kollection (RUK), an African textile, art and fashion manufacturer and brand. He is a self-made artist, textile and fashion designer, pulling inspiration from his Yoruba roots and his lived experience as a Nigerian youth navigating poverty, systematic oppression, and assimilation into a new culture as a recently immigrated resident to the United States.
Nicki Toizer was the Technical Director at MALT for ten years. She has loved photography for more than 25 years and enjoys teaching others how to use their cameras.
Hildy Tow is The Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Curator of Education at the Woodmere Art Museum.
Chris Veneziale has been performing SEO for nearly seven years and specializes in local search marketing. He has a Masters degree in Information and Library Science from Drexel University and currently works remotely as an SEO Account Manager for a digital marketing agency. Chris also freelances, offering SEO services for local businesses including site audits, SEO writing and optimization.
Sandra Wade is a model, actress, writer, filmmaker and web developer. She was an online dating trailblazer in the early 90’s and her experience was documented by HBO in “Breakthroughs: Amazing Things to Come”. She is excited to help you get back out there!
Laila Wah, OMD, is a Doctor of Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine, Feng Shui Practitioner and Space Clearing Master with more than 35 years experience. She has a private practice and serves the tri-state region
Carolyn Wallace is an educator, program coordinator and collections manager with a background in historic sites. In her current role as Education Director for Cliveden of the National Trust, Carolyn is focused on education, interpretation and collections.
Tim Wetzel is a 2nd degree Black Belt in Kenpo karate with a passion for stick training. He is currently the head instructor at Action Karate Mt. Airy.
Rae Whatley is a certified Jikiden Reiki teacher since 2019. She has been a Reiki practitioner for over 25 years, most recently studying with Mr. Tadao Yamaguchi, Head of the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Kyoto, Japan. A long-time environmentalist and holistic wellness advocate, Rae has been actively involved in teaching people to take control of their health and their environment for almost 30 years. She is the founder of Sinclair’s Soothing Minute Massage and Firefly Healing.
Kim Williams has been teaching drama, dance and creative arts for over 35 years in Philadelphia Area after school programs. She is the artistic & managing director of Mt. Airy Performing Arts and is a theatre director and choreographer in many area schools. Find out more at https://mtairyperformingarts.org/
Lynne Williams, EdD candidate is the executive director of the Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group, which provides online career education and networking. She writes resumes, LinkedIn profiles and company pages, and focuses on keywords. She is writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn. Connect on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/lynnewilliams
Helen Wilson began playing table tennis during her college years, and has been on staff at the Trolley Car Table Tennis Club since it opened in 2011. She won the women’s singles and women’s doubles events for her age group at the 2018 U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships.
Djuna Wojton, BFA, is a certified level two neurographica practitioner. She is also a spiritual healer with over three decades of experience teaching reiki, guiding people into their past lives, and doing private sessions for people worldwide. She is the author of Karmic Healing: Clearing Past-Life Blocks to Present-Day Love, Health, and Happiness, and Karmic Choices: How Making The Right Decisions Can Create Enduring Joy.
Lisa Zahren has been teaching as a certified Nia Instructor (and with MALT) for over a decade. She is committed to working with people at all wellness levels, including facilitating movement classes in partnership with the Cancer Support Community of Greater Philadelphia. Lisa is also a teacher in training through Open Floor International, a global conscious dance non-profit.