Our leadership team brings together diverse backgrounds and broad-reaching experience within the fields of education, information technology, health, human behavior, spirituality, the arts, and corporate and entrepreneurial business. Their unique knowledge and expertise help drive our initiatives forward.

Staff

 

Beth Bracale – Director of Programs & Operations

Beth Bracale has a degree in organizational management and recently received a M.Ed. from Ashford University, specializing in English Language Learners. When she’s not tending to the llamas, dogs, cat and flock of ducks on her farm in Conneaut, Beth serves Shadybrook as its Director of Programs & Operations.

On behalf of Shadybrook, Beth develops highly valued programs that facilitate spiritual exploration and a commitment to lifelong learning – lectures, workshops, conferences, retreats, special events, and outreach service initiatives. She’s also responsible for coordinating many of the finer details of our programming, ensuring their seamless execution and high standards our members have come to expect.

Fun Facts About Beth

A Perfect Morning: Getting up before dawn, putting on a pot of coffee, spending time with my dogs, and doing my spiritual practices before getting involved in the day’s activities.

Best Thing I’ve Done For Myself This Year: Went on a road trip with my best friend from high school.

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Michelle Hudson – Membership & Volunteer Coordinator

Michelle Hudson has over ten years of experience in community outreach within the non profit sector. She is also employed by the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library as their Outreach Coordinator.

On behalf of Shadybrook, Michelle serves as our Membership & Volunteer Coordinator. She handles our annual campaign, plans special events for our members, and organizes our volunteer supporters.

Fun Facts About Michelle

Last Book That Inspired Me: The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman.

Favorite Movie: The Godfather.

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Board of Trustees – Officers

 

Gary Rosenthal – Chair

Gary has practiced law in Lake County since 1975. His areas of concentration are estate planning, wills, trusts, and real estate. Gary served several years on the Lake County Senior Levy Coalition and on the Board of the Mentor Public Library System. Gary’s legal knowledge has been an especially helpful aspect of his Shadybrook board service.

 

 

  Tammy Loukas — Vice Chair

Tammy Loukas is currently employed by Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, where she is a Help Desk Specialist. Tammy is an artist at Brightfire Studios, and is co-founder of Tangled River Crafts, which offers Zentangle workshops. She is currently serving the Old Brooklyn Buzz on both the Business Development Committee and the Community Involvement Committee.

 

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Steve Imbornoni – Treasurer

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Nikki Saulino – Secretary

With a Masters in Social Work from Youngstown State University, Nikki is compassionate as well as detail oriented and organized. Nikki served for seven years as a Mental Health Therapist/Counselor and at Children’s Services in Ashtabula as a social worker. A graduate of Fellowships of the Spirit, she is a spiritualist minister and a metaphysician.  She lives with her husband Art in Ashtabula County.

 

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Trustees-at-Large

 

Jonathan Blackshire

Jonathon, a Youngstown resident, brings his work experience in IT, sustainability, activism, and music. He writes and performs songs about local social issues; in fact, he performed at the Shadybrook Holiday Party in 2011. He is currently working on projects with Occupy Youngstown, a sustainable rehab and a free university.

 

 

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Laura Christian Imbornoni

Laura Christian Imbornoni, M.Ed., RYT-500, is registered with the Yoga Alliance as a professional level yoga instructor and is an Integrative Yoga Therapist.  She is also an In-Motion Movement Therapy graduate. Laura is certified to lead Spirit-in-Motion^TM and as a Holistic Health Educator by the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Certified as a hypnotist, she is completing an internship with the Wellness Institute in Heart Centered Hypnotherapy. After 32 years managing Mentor’s Senior Center, Laura now teaches several yoga classes at Heights Wellness Center for Women.

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Nancy Herrick

Nancy Herrick is proud to acknowledge her service as an educator for thirty-five years. In September of 2009, Nancy assisted with the reopening of the Reiki Clinic at Ursuline Academy and is its present director. Nancy lives in Russell, Ohio with her soul-mate Kenny Frieder, their dog, Barkus, and cat, Bailey. She enjoys reading, learning, daily walks, and communing with nature. Nancy is our outgoing board secretary.

 

 

Lori Peterson 

Lori Peterson, M.Ed., is the founder of Creating Your Vision Workshops. She has extensive experience in the non-profit sector, as well as in education. Lori has served as fundraising chair for Ten Thousand Villages, as community outreach chair for Kiwanis International, as branding chair for Old Brooklyn Community Engagement, and also served on the housing committee of the Cleveland International Program. Additionally, Lori holds a certificate in conflict mediation.

 

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Art Saulino

Art’s formal education includes a B.A. in psychology.  He worked for the IRS eight years, and for Pathways, an outpatient mental health organization, for twenty years in clinical, administrative and technical positions. For four years, Art served as board treasurer of Homesafe, Ashtabula’s women’s shelter. He has studied the Tao Te Ching and Vajrayana Buddhism. His core values include tolerance, non-violence, and openness to spiritual experience. Art is strongly interested in promoting equality of women. He lives in Ashtabula County with his wife, Nikki.

 

 

Dean Williams

Dean Williams is an ordained priest and teacher in the Soto Zen Buddhist lineage. He is also a certified Buddhist chaplain. He is a volunteer with Hospice of the Cleveland Clinic and a founding member of the Cleveland chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Dean speaks at various churches throughout northeastern Ohio and, as a member of InterAct Cleveland, has participated in a number of interfaith services. He has served as Assistant Treasurer for InterAct Cleveland, and as a board member for both Project LEARN and for Udumbora Zen Center. Dean serves as Regional V P for the Meadowbrook Insurance Group.

 

 

Joyce Wolpert 

Joyce Wolpert holds three degrees from Case Western Reserve University. She is a lifelong Clevelander, and has taught area students in a variety of grade levels, from public school through graduate school. Along with Samual A. Wolpert, Joyce co-authored Economics of Information (Van Nostrand Reinhold.) She was a researcher/writer for Roger Ailes, Fox News founder, chair, and CEO. Joyce was also the author of several trust funds connected with the Cleveland Foundation. She is a mother, poet, artist, vegetarian, and long-time member of Shadybrook.

 

Carol Dombrose – In Loving Memory

We will miss your smile, your laugh, your energy, and most of all, your love.

Carol Dombrose has provided group and individual counseling for over twenty years. Besides her M.A. from CSU, she is certified as a Reiki Master and is a graduate of the Ohio Clown School. She is the mother of seven and the grandmother of thirteen. She is the Executive Director of Angel House Wellness Center: For Art and Creative Life Change, where she offers classes in the creative and healing arts.

Fun Facts About Carol

Greatest Accomplishment: Having seven beautiful children who are now seven wonderful adults.

Favorite Place to Be: Up on the ridge behind Angel House.

Best Thing I’ve Done For Myself Lately: That would have to be my trip to India, where I met wonderful people and experienced the spiritual connection that I have to India.

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