Nurturing Youth Conference 2013 Presenter Biographies
Lana Athey is the Coordinator for the Nurturing Parent Program and has worked in many capacities of the
family strengthening program as a facilitator to parents and children since 2009. She is a mother to four
year old Hagyn and 3 year old Loa. When she is not being a ranch wife or scrubbing marker off of the wall,
she enjoys being outside hiking, biking, snowboarding, snowmobiling, riding dirtbikes, hunting or fishing.
Kim Bemis is the mother of two grown boys and the Women Infant and Children Health Educator in
Gunnison Public Health and MVPA/Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity specialist. She has worked in
Public Health for nearly 20 years with various nutrition programs and as a Nurturing Parenting Program
Facilitator.
Erin Bennett, MA, LPC is a mother of two small children and a licensed therapist who works with children,
adolescents, adults, and families. She has recently started a private practice after working at The Center
for Mental Health in Gunnison, Colorado for 9 years. Prior to her experience at The Center, she worked
with youth-at-risk for 4 years a Wilderness Therapist in Georgetown, Colorado. Her pre-graduate work
included being a nanny, and a preschool teacher. She had also worked with adults with severe and chronic
mental health issues in both Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Denver, Colorado. Erin received her Master's in
Counseling in 2001 from Naropa University. She has a passion for working with children of all ages and
brings an authentic, mindful, and experiential approach to her work.
Kari Commerford is currently in her 8th year as a lecturer of Psychology at Western State Colorado
University. She has been presenting psychological information about adolescent growth and development
for GCSAPP for the last 6 years. She enjoys working with the community and providing educational
opportunities for students, parents, and organizations. She is the proud mother of three little girls, 3, 4,
and 6 - She loves working with and teaching about children.
Lynna Frymoyer, MA ECE is the director of Tenderfoot Child & Family Development Center, a non-profit
early childhood center on the campus of Western State Colorado University in Gunnison. Her career has
focused on children, with a degree in Special Education from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania she
taught children with autism before moving to Gunnison, Colorado in 2001. Gunnison introduced her to
early childhood education as she joined the Tenderfoot team in 2001 and later received her Masters in Early
Childhood Education from the University of Colorado Denver. Lynna is an active member of Gunnison's
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Pyramid Model Leadership Team and proudly advocates for the importance of social-emotional
development in young children Lynna, her husband, and three young children enjoy playing in all of the
area's beautiful places- from the parks to mountains!
Penny Harris, MA, LPC, is a Colorado native of the Western Slope. She graduated from Olathe High School
and earned her Bachelors of Arts from Western State College. Penny worked for 5 years as a case manager
in Residential Child Care Facilities that served ages 11 to 18 years. She earned her Masters of Arts in
psychology from Regis University. Penny has been a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of
Colorado since 2009.
Penny has been the Montrose County School District Early Childhood Center Mental Health
Coordinator/Consultant for 15 1/2 years. She has been a private practitioner for 20 years. She also
contracts with the 7th Judicial District Child Advocacy Center, Dolphin House, providing trauma
assessments and consultation.
Karen Hausdoerffer, teaches Adult English Language Learners with the CAFÉ (Center for Adult & Family
Education) program in Gunnison and also teaches writing at WSCU.
Senorita Rita Merrigan teaches English language learners from preschool to early elementary school at
Lake and Gunnison Elementary School. Together Rita and Karen teach teachers every summer how create
and use play, storytelling and active learning strategies across the curriculum for any subject.
Kimberley McNamamara, MLS, Gunnison Public Library Child Literacy Specialist
holds a masters in library science. Her focus is children’s and youth services, and she is also a certified
yoginos instructor.
Carie Mitchell, is a Pyramid Plus Coach for the Gunnison Valley and also a lead preschool teacher at
Stepping Stones Children Center. She has been working in early childhood for 10 years. She started
teaching preschool in Taipei, Taiwan. After three years, she returned back to the US and received her Post
BA and teaching license in Elementary Education from Western State Colorado University. After student
teaching and working as an Educational Assistant at the Crested Butte Community School, Carie found her
true passion in early childhood at Stepping Stones. She has been a part of the Pyramid Plus Leadership
Team and helped in implementing the model in the Gunnison Valley for the last 3 years.
Jane Moloney, MA, ECSE is the Child Find Coordinator and Early Childhood Special Education teacher with
the Gunnison School District. She is a certified Pyramid Plus trainer as well. Originally from the Washington
DC area, Jane & her family have lived in Gunnison for 20 years. Her career in Early Childhood Special
Education has spanned more than 30 years.
J. Steven Patrick is the Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial District. He handles civil, criminal, domestic,
juvenile delinquency and dependency and neglect cases. He has been a district Judge since 1993; prior to
this he was a municipal and county judge for two years and once had a private practice. He is a graduate of
Simpson College and Yale Law School. He has lived in Gunnison for 34 years.
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Brenda Ryan, RN, has over 25 years in Pediatric Nursing experience. The past 4 years, she has been
employed by Gunnison County Public Health. Her primary responsibilities are with the Immunization
Program, she also works in Child Care Consulting and Health care Coordination for children with special
health care needs.
Misty Schulze brings over 18 years of coalition building, project development, prevention, intervention
experience, and juvenile justice knowledge and policy implementation skills to her role at OMNI. Misty has
worked extensively in matters of community collaboration, juvenile delinquency, restorative justice,
mediation, suicide prevention, domestic violence, and Victims’ Rights Amendment cases. Prior to OMNI,
Misty worked as a Juvenile Diversion Officer and Crisis Intervention Team Member. She also worked as a
Grant Coordinator where she wrote and oversaw underage drinking law enforcement grants and
subsequent programs. Misty earned her Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from
Colorado State University and has been with OMNI in her role as a Regional Prevention Consultant for six
years.
Nancy Santarella MA, is a full-time music educator at Gunnison Elementary School with Bachelor of Music
and Master of Music Education degrees from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, training as a Music
Together teacher, teaching musicians of all ages since 1981, educating teachers since 1995, and singing and
playing piano professionally. It is a joy and privilege to be a part of the Nurturing Youth Conference for the
second year.
Dr. Linda Williams is the parent of 4 successful children ranging in ages from 27 to 37. She has been
married for 40 years and resides in the mountain community of Gunnison, Colorado. Dr. Williams is an
academic and behavioral interventionist in the Gunnison School District. She has extensive training in child
development, parenting, parent/teacher partnerships and teacher training. Presenter and consultant, Dr.
Williams can be heard locally on “Families of Faith” (KJJ 98.3) and viewed on Paragon Television (Channel
12.2) ‘Family Moments’.
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