Mary Anne and her five-year-old daughter have been active participants in the co-op's book club since its inception in the spring 2009 semester. Mary Anne has accumulated a B.A. and an M.A. in English as well as worked professionally as a college writing teacher, a writer, an editor, and a graphic designer; as book club coordinator, she welcomes the unique perspective that you will bring to our little group.
Karen Sun Ray Coletti began her dance career at home learning dances and music of Polynesia and Indonesia from her parents. At an early age she performed at luaus and a weekly show at the Hilton Hotel in Gainesville, Florida. As a young teen she began studying International Folk Dancing and Belly Dancing. She later became the Performance Director for the University of Florida International Folk Dancers holding that position for five years. She also had the honor of choreographing and performing folk pieces for the internationally acclaimed professional ballet company, DanceAlive! Later she became the dance director at the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society for three years. She toured the nation for a summer with a Polynesian performing group. She performs with the Sahnobar Dance Ensemble which has performed for Disney's EPCOT Center, Universal Studios, the openings of the International Museum's 'Splendors of Egypt' and "Alexander the Great'. They also perform annually at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, Florida.
She is currently the co-director of Hip Expressions Dance Studio and performs and teaches regularly in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
Susan majored in the visual arts in college and taught art to a variety of different students, ages 3 to 17, before children. She has homeschooled her three daughters from the start and is a member of SPCH. She has participated in art shows, and loves to paint. In recent years she has learned to face paint working with her daughters' dance company for their cirque-style shows. She has attended face painting conventions in Orlando to learn about techniques and the materials. She is working on illustrations for an upcoming parenting book. Aside from her own artistic pursuits, one of her greatest joys is seeing others especially younger people find and express their creativity.
Brenda R. Gregory is a Florida artist residing in the city of Tampa. Brenda received her BFA in Medical Illustration and Associate of Applied Science in Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1984. She began her diverse art career as a medical and scientific illustrator and then as a graphic designer. Brenda's ability to communicate the precision of detail necessary for medical illustration, coupled with the creativity required for graphic design is reflected in her metalsmithing and jewelry design. Brenda credits St. Petersburg artist Tom McCarthy, with whom she has been studying since 2000, for awakening in her a respect for the materials and the skill metalworking demands. In 2002, Brenda won an award from The Arts Center Urban Legends exhibit for a bracelet constructed out of sterling silver, electrical components and gem stones. In 2005, Brenda received Ted Edidin Memorial Award of Merit at the 51st Annual Statewide Juried Competition. Her work is available for sale at Florida Craftsmen & the Tampa Artist Emporium. Brenda is currently available to teach metalsmithing to teens and adults.
George L. Heinrich owns and operates Heinrich Ecological Services, a St. Petersburg-based company conducting wildlife surveys and research, natural history programming, and nature-based tours. A graduate of Memphis State University, his interests include southeastern upland and brackish wetland ecosystems, conservation challenges facing Florida's non-marine turtles, and the role of education in conserving herpetofauna. He has worked for a number of years on the conservation of gopher tortoises and has studied the ecology and conservation needs of diamondback terrapins as part of a University of North Florida research team since 1995. A former park ranger at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, George has taught ecology and herpetology to students of all ages for over twenty years. He has served twice as co-chair of the Gopher Tortoise Council (an uplands conservation organization) and is the founding president of the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust. George has received a number of awards from state and regional NGOs for his conservation work, the most recent being the Crystal Vision Award from the League of Environmental Educators in Florida. For more information, please visit: www.heinrichecologicalservices.com.
Laura Johnson is a homeschooling mom, a teacher, and owns a children's party business and mystery game design company. She has taught many homeschool classes in her home in Tampa, and also is a homeschool evaluator. Laura taught K-1 for 8 years before becoming a mom and choosing to homeschool her son.
Barbi Parent, a wife and a mother of two, was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She graduated from Florida International University in 1994 with a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Studies.
She now lives in St. Petersburg and is in her sixth year of homeschooling. She strongly feels that writing/composition is important to learn and that our children could grow to love it when it's taught to them and shared in a fun way with other children.
She is also a member of the St. Pete Co-op Homeschoolers.
Jennifer is a 200 Hour RYT through the Yoga Alliance. She has over 5 years experience teaching Children's Yoga, health and nutrition classes. Jennifer is also a Certified Yoga Ed (c) Instructor, allowing her to teach K-8th Grade for Physical Education credit in the public, private or Co-op Schools.
Jennifer’s most recent training took her on a journey to the Omega Institute to work with Dr. Bali in a Quantum Leap through Yoga. She also has continued to enhance her personal practice by including studies with the Isha Foundation’s Inner Engineer program.
Yarrow Ries is a fiber artist in residence currently working in our community with both disabled and normally developing children. Yarrow is an early childhood educator, having taught in both Waldorf and Montessori schools K-8. She has owned her own Therapeutic Art and Movement business "Lifeways" since 2002 serving both public and private sector.
Dan has a BA in Mathematics & Education from the University of MD, 1991. He
was certified in secondary education in MD 1991 (expired).
Dan has taught middle school mathematics for Baltimore County. He was also
an instructor/director for the Living Classroom of Baltimore for 10 years,
where he designed and ran experiential, hands-on learning projects for youth
ages 8 to 18.
Dan founded Select Choice in 2005 to provide educational
services including private instruction, tutoring and SAT/ACT test prep
services.
Dan is also a USCG licensed captain, and an American Sailing
Association certified instructor and teaches youth and adult sailing in the
area.
Doug has a M.Ed. in teaching the visually impaired from Boston College and a BA in Fine Arts from Rutgers University . He taught Orientation and Mobility to the visually impaired and then science at the secondary level in the Pinellas County school system. He was awarded Pinellas County Science Teacher of the Year in 1990 by his peers. In 1991, he became Education and Exhibits Director at Great Explorations Museum where he created one of the first homeschool science programs in the area. Since 1996, he has owned and operated Hands-On-Planet-Earth, H.O.P.E., offering Science & Nature Classes to thousands of homeschool children in the Bay area, science and nature educational programs at schools, earth camps, nature tours and safaris, and wildlife exhibits that have been seen throughout Florida, North and South Carolina, Delaware and Connecticut.
Dave is a USF graduate with a major in Music and Religious Studies. He has 30 years of experience teaching music and is the Owner of Rock'n'Blues Academy - 3226 Bennett St., St. Petersburg - (727)520-ROCK.
He also teaches music classes for the YMCA and performs in a blues-rock band every Friday night at the Drunken Clam - 46 46th Ave. St. Petersburg Beach.
Craig Van Tilbury has two international chess titles bestowed by the world chess federation. Besides the title of F.I.D.E. master, Mr. Van Tilbury is also an International Arbiter of chess events. He has taught in New York City, St. Croix, U.S.Virgin Islands, Sarasota, Tampa, and St.Pete. Two of his recent students finished 1st in K-12 division competitions while still in middle school.
A long-time resident of St. Pete, Ms. Wisterman has a Bachelor's in Spanish from the University of Florida and holds a Master's in Foreign Language Education from UF as well. After college she taught Spanish to children K-8 for three years at a private school, and then taught English to middle schoolers representing over 30 nations and 20 languages for three years in public school. She currently enjoys being a stay-at-home-mom to a bilingual three year old and has just finished up further graduate studies at USF so she can teach at the college level.