Katie Cross has served on the board of directors for Azalea Blossom Incorporated for the past two years, previously taking on the role of secretary and for the last year, as president of the board. She holds two degrees in piano performance, a bachelor's from Oberlin and a Masters degree from Ithaca College. Her many years experience teaching and performing music include a summer at the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon and contributing background vocals on the "Bricks in the Wall" compilation. Katie has participated in several other not for profit organizations in Ohio, New York and California before becoming a board member of Azalea Blossom Incorporated. Katie believes that domestic violence can happen to anyone and that every single person, especially a young woman, needs adequate education in learning the particular signs in a relationship that point to potential violence in the future. Katie believes that people will not necessarily seek out this information because they think it won't happen to them and they need to have it presented at various times and stages of their lives. Katie brings personal experience to bear on this issue and carries a passion to prevent others from going through it alone. She currently resides with her husband and three children in Oberlin, Ohio.

"I am inspired by the initial success of the SAFE Through the Arts program and want to see it flourish and grow eventually to a national scale. There need to be more programs like the one Margaret Bernstein has brought to fruition that will influence the next generation. I bring to the table first hand experience of domestic violence, a twenty-five year career in performance and in teaching music to children and their parents, encouraging healthy relationships in the families that I teach.  I can offer insight also from the experiences of being a living within a multi-racial family and can also provide valuable connections from residing in the environment of Oberlin College, a historic leader of social change."

Helen Bernstein is a retired dancer and ballet instructor residing in Long Island. Her professional career ( under the name Bunty Kelley ) included years of dancing with the Sadlers Wells (the Royal ) Ballet in London, England under the direction of Dame Ninette de Valois as well as performing in many of choreographer Agnes de Mille's productions in the United States. Mrs Bernstein also served on the Dance Faculty of Adelphi University in Garden City, New York and the Long Island High School for the Arts in Syosset, New York. She is currently a volunteer mentor with the Hempstead School district.

"I believe strongly in the SAFE through the Art program and its beneficial effects on young people, whether or not they have already experienced the effects of a domestically abusive relationship. My qualifications include a seventy-two year involvement in the Arts, approximately fifty of those years also being in education. As the Interim Secretary of Azalea Blossom Incorporated for the past year, I have been helping edit outgoing notices and newsletters in addition to researching prospective grants. I am happy to be continuing serving on the Board of Directors."

Lisa Joy Reitman-Dobi is a graduate of Barnard College at Columbia University, where she received her Masters in writing from Long Island Univeristy. She is a recipient of the Merit Fellowship, the Linda Gronlund Memorial Scholarship and the GAPA Awards at Southampton College, Long Island University. She is the author of “Tell Me About It,” a full-length play about a young man trying to learn the truth about his Holocaust survivor mother, which was produced in 2004 to critical acclaim. She has been a guest speaker for the Hidden Child Association/ ACLU at the United Nations Plaza during the ceremonies for Yom Hashaoh 2004, was a keynote speaker for the Hidden Child Foundation/ACLU conference in Washington D.C. From 2003-2005, and has also been invited to speak in Norway, Canada, Switzerland, and Chicago. In addition, Ms. Reitman-Dobi has been a columnist for Jewish World Review, is a regular contributor of humor columns, short fiction, as well as book reviews for The Easthampton Star, and was the editorial consultant for the American Sportscaster’s Association. Ms. Reitman-Dobi’s work has been published in Second Generation Voices:  Reflections by Children of Holocaust Survivors and Perpetrators  (Syracuse University Press 2002), which received the B’Nai Zion National Media Award in 2002. The book has been used as a tool for support groups created to help children of Nazis heal from their inherited sense of guilt. In addition, Ms. Reitman-Dobi was the writer for the incipient grant proposal for the Sempo Sugihara Foundation. In 2002 she created a resource book of Holocaust information and testimonials, which is now used as the study guide for Hampton Day School in Bridgehampton, New York. She currently lives with her two dogs and teenage daughter in Manhattan and Southampton, New York.

"I believe in the earliest installation of skills with which children --later as adults-- can create maintain a genuine appreciation of their own self-worth.  With those skills, they have a far better chance of overcoming the obstacles that inevitably come along, and with those skills, it is more likely that they will raise the next generation to have more self-confidence and self-respect.  I think that it is often the case that people behave badly as a result of being treated badly, and have no idea how to build themselves up in the face of such adversity. These patterns repeat over and over, generation after generation. Offering the tools to nurture a positive sense of self can break that cycle and benefit countless individuals and families. I feel that SAFE through the Arts is a marvelous program, addressing these issues and providing tools to build a positive sense of self. I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to help it flourish."

Michael Skinner is an award-winning guitarist and singer-songwriter hailing from New Hampshire. For fifteen years, he owned and operated a music production company, which encompassed music management, a booking agency, and a record label for several professional musical groups. He currently is a nationally acclaimed performer and public speaker, whose primary focus is to bring awareness of mental illness, trauma, and child abuse to the general public. He has volunteered with countless advocacy groups throughout the North East including serving as a consultant/advisor for the Division of Behavioral Health of New Hampshire’s Data Infrastructure Grant Special Interest Group, as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children, and as a member of the Advisory Committee to the State of New Hampshire Vocational Opportunities for those with mental illness. He is also an advocate for the Professional Musicians Club of Boston, a private not for profit organization whose mission is to financially help professional musicians who cannot work due to injury or illness.
Michael’s many awards include the “Make A Difference Award” from the Rape, Education, Advocacy, and Crisis Hot Line of Maine (REACH); the “President’s Award” from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (New Hampshire chapter); and the “Volunteer of the Year” award from the Manchester (New Hampshire) Mental Health Center.

"I believe in the mission of what Azalea Blossom is trying to accomplish. I feel that my years of experience as a professional musician, advocate, and published writer on the concerns and issues involving trauma, abuse, and mental health are of great attribute to the organization. In addition, I have experience in serving on the boards of Not for Profit organizations dedicated to helping people affected by trauma, abuse, and mental illness. I feel quite strongly that my actions do reflect my words and intentions in trying to help others and raise awareness and help create change. Through my expertise and connections with the many friends and contacts that involve all of the issues close to the heart of Azalea Blossom, I feel I can help strengthen the outreach and networking capabilities to aid in the mission of bringing prevention, awareness, and education of domestic violence and child abuse to the greater public through the use of music, multi-media and the Arts."

Nelta Miller received her credential in Certified Family Development from Cornell University and earned an Associate degree with honors from the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology in Cobleskill, New York. She is currently a facilitator for the Schoharie County Community Action Program (SCCAP) where she has recruited participants for the Career Readiness Workshops, developed curriculum for the Six-week program, and taught and facilitated self-esteem and goal setting workshops. She has previously worked for the Gilboa- Conesville Central School as a licensed certified teacher assistant and as a Community Resource Specialist for Berkshire Farm Service and Center for Youth where she assisted with fund- raisers and taught living skills to students in prevention programs. Her studies have included course work in Conflict Resolution, Sociology of the Family, and Aspects of Family Health.

"My desire in becoming a Board Member and strong team player for Azalea Blossom Inc. was for the simple reason of being I believe in the SAFE through the Arts program. The material is much the same as what I incorporate in my curriculum as a Community Resource Specialist. I bring to the table fifteen years of work in Human Services as well as a personal passion for my work. I am a full time student with the career goal of obtaining a degree in Art and Play Therapy. Being a single parent for twenty-five years and over coming many obstacles along the way has given the love and passion to take this path in life. As a life- long resident of Schoharie County, I enjoy spending time in nature when not volunteering or working with or for youth."

EdS, PhD University of Colorado - Deborah Young began her career life as a juvenile probation officer with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department. Understanding the challenges and limitations of the justice system, she moved into the educational system hoping to give a stronger voice to children. Her teaching career started at Boulder High School in the arts department where she was drawn into a lifelong commitment to early childhood education and the needs of the poor. She trained with Dr. Caspari in Montessori’s work for children and peace and with Dr. Glenn Doman in brain development at the Philadelphia Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential. She continues her passion of researching the special needs of single mothers and the impact of poverty on families and children. Deborah has set up programs to serve these needs of poor families focusing on women and young children locally and internationally. She has volunteered for more than twenty-six years in many programs serving women from impoverished countries. She has combined her academics with service work in the Sanctuary movement of the 1980’s sheltering refugee women and in providing educational avenues of empowerment for women and children. Deborah has founded many schools during the past twenty-seven years including a middle school based on service learning and several schools internationally. Her current passion, using training in early childhood care, development, and education as a way to empower women and transform community, she shares with students at Naropa through a nonprofit initiative called The Americas Association for the Care of Children (AACC). AACC designs and directs community development programs serving women and children in rural villages and impoverished urban areas (those living in the landfill) of Central America. Deborah’s classes involve an in-depth service learning commitment and many times international travel. She also brings delegations to work in solidarity to Central America several times a year.

"What I bring to the table is a contemplative social emotional approach working with women and families who suffer from the impact of poverty, which many times involve frequent episodes of domestic violence.  I have developed a training program, home visit program and several small group workshops, which help share skills and knowledge with women and other members in the family to increase awareness around the issues of domestic violence and other available choices. These programs have offered women a deeper understanding and created an expanded world view supporting informed decisions.  We typically see positive results in the relationships between parents and children and have had somewhat successful results between men and women. We often use the arts, play therapy, and other contemplative practices such as yoga and deep listening as tools to share and develop people’s social emotional literacy. My skills lie in the knowledge and experience of social emotional capacity building through a contemplative approach."