Cindi Cooperman , President & Executive Director , Neuro Assistance Foundation

Cindi spent 16 years in the airline and travel industry in customer service and management. She was instrumental in creating several new departments.

Cindi met Beverly Olson in 2007 and was profoundly changed by the friendship. She could see how Bev, and others with spinal cord injury, were faced with daily complications due to the absence of even basic equipment. Thus was born the Neuro Assistance Foundation.

When not otherwise volunteering in local classrooms or working with high school athletic programs, she spends time with her husband Jerry, and their four sons.   

Claudia Lynch , Documentation Services Manager, Computing and Information Technology Center, University of North Texas.

Claudia has been at UNT for 30 years. Her academic background in Sociology lends itself to helping students and faculty alike navigate an ever-changing digital landscape.

Del-Metri Williams , Founder/President, Mom Executive Officers

Moms are the executive officers of the home. Del-Metri provides resources and encouragement for moms to strive toward  success in health and wealth. She has written a book, "As a Mom Thinketh," and is a popular speaker.

Erik Wulfers, Founder/President, Exit Planning Alliance

Business owners have to retire someday, and it takes planning to turn even a successful business into retirement income. Erik brings his expertise and listening skills to this important market niche. He has worked around the world and with businesses large and small. Plus, he has a genuine interest in people.

Iris Pellino , Writer

Iris does not make her living at writing. What she's doing is creating a life. Writing was to be a tool guiding her to self-discovery. What she discovered was a natural talent for spinning thought-provoking tales of her life as a child, young mother, and middle-aged business woman. 

Her stories acquire even greater richness when told in her deep, South Carolinan, Low Country accent. 

Joan Harkenrider, Senior Business Analyst, Sabre Holdings

Joan has enjoyed a variety of roles within the air transportation industry. The work has afforded frequent opportunities to travel around the world. While many colleagues do their work and quickly return home, Joan takes an active interest in every culture she visits, getting to know the people and delving into the local community. The budding friendships that result from this interest facilitate communication and relationships within an otherwise faceless corporate environment.  

Julie Graber , Art Therapist

Julie has been participating in Positive Connections as an associate member since she spends much of her time in Chicago pursuing certification in Art Therapy. Throughout her training she has worked with underprivileged children. She uses art as a means of unlocking the subconscious to examine the effect of trauma on these children's lives.  

Kalee Kelley, Farmer's Insurance

Keith Bland, Farmer's Insurance Agent

Keith left a corporate career, handling insurance issues for major housing developers, to serve his local community. His family and community have benefitted greatly from that choice. Sure, he sells a quality product, but what makes him stand out is his willingness and ability to develop real relationships with his customers. And that extends to the community at large. He is on the Board of the Keller Chamber of Commerce, and actively supports many local activities.

Kweethai Neill , Clinical Hypnotherapist; Founder & President , iHealth Center for Integrated Wellness and iHealth Hypnotherapy School

Dr. Kweethai left a career as Health Promotion Professor to become a much more effective Health Educator. The Professor in her could see that information was having very little impact on healthy behaviors. What she practices today would amaze the Professor; but the results speak for themselves.

Having studied and become proficient at Clinical Hypnotherapy and Feng Shui, Dr. Kweethai's approach is evidence that if you can change your mind, you can change your life.

Marcelle LeBlanc , Owner; The Velvet Box

The Velvet Box is a unique retail concept. The merchandise promotes healthy sexuality without being sexually explicit.

Marcelle took a risk moving from her native California to establish her retail outlet in conservative Texas. But the strength of the model is evident in the store's early success. Customers arriving with curiosity leave with respect for the store's tastefulness and the staff's helpful information.

Mary Grace Thoennes, Event Planner

Ren Knight , Community Education , Central Market

Ren combined a background in marketing with a love of healthy eating to create the occupation of her dreams. Her Central Market tours are not just about the store; she helps people make educated food choices that contribute to good health.

Her efforts extend beyond the store as well. She takes her message throughout the community, and also coordinates Central Market's annual Health Fair and other special events.  

Sheila Jackson , Founder, Jackson Mock Code Readiness Training (JAMCRET)

Simply stated, Sheila saves lives. As the third shift Administrator in charge of all nursing staff at a major medical center, many people would term her work Crisis Management. But she sees her role simply as creating optimal conditions for lives to be saved, and to handle inevitable mortality with grace and compassion.

Part of her responsibility has been  ensuring that her nursing staff are as highly trained and prepared to deal with necessary procedures as is possible. Over time it occurred to her  that there are systematic weaknesses in hospital procedures related to emergency conditions (called 'codes'). She developed training specific to those weaknesses, JAMCRET, and is now making that training available to other medical centers.  

Steve Stork , Clinical Hypnotherapist ; Director of Programs for iHealth Center for Integrated Wellness; Faculty  member for iHealth Hypnotherapy School

Dr. Stork left a career as a Physical Education Pedagogist to join Dr. Kweethai Neill in iHealth Center. As a Certified Health Education Specialist, he shares Dr. Kweethai's passion for promoting wellness in a way that leads to real change toward health and happiness.

Dr. Stork was senior editor of a professional journal and enjoys writing. Which is good, since he is the iHealth webmaster and either composes or edits most of the materials coming out of iHealth Center.

Susan French , Attorney , Gibbs & French

Childhood in South America and an career as a flight attendant were important developmental experiences for Susan French. A strong advocate for children and families, Susan's work in wills and probate acknowledges the cycle of life, with one generation flowing into the next.

In practice for over 20 years, Susan participates in Collaborative Law, helping divorcing couples and their families make their own decisions instead of engaging in battles and entrusting their futures to the Court system.

Terri Schrobilgen, Founder/President , OurGreatCity.com

Terri turned corporate experience into an enterprise that greatly benefits the community. OurGreatCity.com is a local news outlet with sites specific to Keller, Southlake and Grapevine/Colleyville. The directory of local businesses and service providers supports the local economy. A new approach to journalism is evident in articles reporting local events and school happenings.   

Toni Lombardi, Psychologist , Step by Step

Toni experienced an education system that had yet to come to grips with dyslexia. Lead to believe she was simply stupid, she set her sights low; yet still became a successful, well-known fabric designer. A course in hypnotherapy convinced her she was teachable. Two masters degrees and a doctorate later, Dr. Toni uncovered her true intellect and entered a professional practice more in line with her true calling.