The Happehatchee Center is run by volunteers! If you would like to be part of this great team, please fill out our Volunteer Application.
Board of Directors
The Happehatchee Board of Directors was established in 2006 when the Happehatchee Center was incorporated. Board members are passionate, unpaid volunteers dedicated to the sustainability of the Center as a sanctuary for peace and healing.
Genelle G. Grant, President
Genelle G. Grant, Ed.D. taught in universities in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, New Hampshire, Boston and Florida. Her areas of expertise are: TV and radio production, health education, community art and murals painting, and educational methods and materials for teachers. Her textbook in Spanish on Educational Television Production was utilized in colleges from Panama to Cuba to the Dominican Republic. Genelle has produced dozens of television documentaries and public education campaigns in numerous countries and languages. Since 1992 Genelle has advocated for migrant farm worker families and for the Maya people who live in SW Florida.Genelle is the founder and director of the GRACE Project (Guatemalan Rural Adult and Children’s Education) of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers, and the 10,000 Teachers, Ten Million Children Project. GRACE organizes faculty development, reproductive health and justice workshops, and projects to prevent and identify human trafficking situations. She leads annual work-study trips to Guatemala and collaborates with the Guatemalan Ministry of Education and Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum. Dr. Grant is the president of Happehatchee Center, an eco-spiritual center in Estero, Florida. She has practiced yoga and meditation since 1972 and has been a joyful drummer in Ubaka Hill’s Drumsong Orchestra. www.thegraceproject.org www.leyesparalapaz.com www.lawsforpeace.com
Ruth Fotovat, Vice President
Ruth has worked in publishing, banking, has owned several companies and is now retired from the State of Florida. Ms. Fotovat has degrees from City College of New York and her B.A. from Florida International University. Ruth Fotovat was appointed by Ellen Peterson to the Happehatchee Board in 2008 and is our Secretary. She has been on the boards of several non-profits, but none were as much fun as Happehatchee. Ruth accompanied Ellen to many demonstrations and marches. The two women often drummed together, and you’ll very likely see her at our drumming circles.
Richard Shine, Secretary
Richard first met Ellen Peterson, the Happehatchee Center's founder, 25 years ago and has volunteered in various capacities at the Happehatchee Center since its inception. Richard's career in intergovernmental relations, project implementation, and program management spans 41 years at local, regional, state, national, and Caribbean levels involving the public and private sectors, including 25 years with the Florida Department of Transportation. His professional experience includes local government comprehensive planning; multi-modal, regional, and state strategic planning; bicycle and pedestrian planning, design, and integration; safety and systems management; environmental considerations, and livable/walkable community development and connectivity. Richard is the Happehatchee Center's delegate to the Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan development process for Estero and the Village of Estero's Local Government Comprehensive Plan.
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Richard first met Ellen Peterson, the Happehatchee Center's founder, 25 years ago and has volunteered in various capacities at the Happehatchee Center since its inception. Richard's career in intergovernmental relations, project implementation, and program management spans 41 years at local, regional, state, national, and Caribbean levels involving the public and private sectors, including 25 years with the Florida Department of Transportation. His professional experience includes local government comprehensive planning; multi-modal, regional, and state strategic planning; bicycle and pedestrian planning, design, and integration; safety and systems management; environmental considerations, and livable/walkable community development and connectivity. Richard is the Happehatchee Center's delegate to the Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan development process for Estero and the Village of Estero's Local Government Comprehensive Plan.
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Happehatchee Staff
Patty Hughes, Accountant
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Patty moved to Estero FL in October
2014 from Fayetteville, NY; a small village near Syracuse. After 30 + years in corporate accounting/finance, it was time to semi-retire and be near family. In addition to Happehatchee, Patty works part-time at Lowe’s Estero in the outside garden department as a cashier. Patty enjoys gardening, helping animals in need, volunteering at local animal shelters, spending time with family and friends, especially her newly born grandson. Patty is enjoying her work at the Happehatchee Center and being part of such a beautiful community dedicated to the preservation of and promoting peace. |
Holley Rauen, Librarian Archivist
Holley Rauen is a retired midwife and public health nurse, a seasoned social justice and environmental activist and community organizer. She is currently working on the Ellen Peterson Legacy Project, which will be permanently preserved in the FGCU Library of Special Digital Archives. Holley is the co-founder the SWFL Pachamama Alliance Community. Her mission is to build and nurture a community of enlightened evolutionary activists in SWFL. Holley guides Pachamama Awakening the Dreamer Symposia, Drawdown workshops, Om Circles for World Peace, and Sacred Water Ceremonies in the SW Florida community. Holley organized and taught women’s health, and human trafficking prevention with the Lee County Health Department and the GRACE project in SWFL and Guatemala. Holley is available for weddings, memorials, and other rites of passage, when she is not traveling.
Happehatchee Faculty
Edric "Eddie" Brathwaite, Yoga Instructor
Eddie considers himself “a guy from the beach”. Eddie grew up in St.Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where he spent a lot of time at his grandparent’s place. As Eddie puts it,” I have always been a free spirit trying to find my way to improve or help our experience in this realm be more conscious.”Eddie started his journey off with martial arts and dance, ballet, modern jazz , stilt dancing, Ji-jitsu, Seibukan, Win- chun, and, Ninjitsu. “Movement has always been a big part of my life,” he says. Eddie is also a trained massage therapist, having studied deep tissue Reiki, Russian, hot stones and Shiatsu. Eddie’s own journey to yoga happened as a result of an injury. At some point, he realized his past life was no more. He attributes yoga and swimming to saving his life. His goals for his students are simple. “With Yoga, my main goal is to keep you out of your head and in the moment,” he states and adds, “I love yoga. It’s my calling, it’s my life.”
Mary Cline-Goblitz, Yoga Instructor
Mary is currently a mediator and a yoga teacher. She practiced law for over 25 years, with federal judges and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Most of her legal practice focused on domestic violence victims and families in crisis. Prior to her legal career, Mary worked as a social worker and for many community organizations. Mary lives with her husband Peter, two dogs, and occasionally one of their three wonderful adult sons. She enjoys hiking and being in nature, gardening, learning about medicinal herbs and making music. Mary is a member of the Maine Bar (inactive) and also the Yoga Alliance.
Denise Exler, Faculty
Denise is a Licensed Spiritual Healer who follows no organized religion but simply works through Spirit (God, Universe, Source) to empower people in all areas of their lives. She believes that we are all beautiful energetic light beings who came to this world to live life to its fullest. Once we remember Who We Are and what we are capable of, then magic begins to unfold in our lives. Denise creates a safe space where re-connection with our Spirit Helpers is enabled, and its through this connection that we experience powerful life changing energies. Join Denise at her Sacred Circles to experience an uplifting energy shift through guided meditation, essential oils, and rattle and drum work. In Denise's words, "When we pray, we tap into this beautiful loving energy that only wants for us to live abundant, joyful, fulfilling and healthy lives. That is the same Source of love and light that channels through my drum and my being to you." Denise is also a Certified Foot Reflexologist, a Certified Raindrop Technique Specialist, and has completed studies in Shamanic Healing, Body Regeneration and Essential Oils. She is also registered to gift the Munay-Ki Rites.
Katie Jenkins, Kids Yoga Instructor
Katie graduated from FGCU with a degree in Biology. Through her studies she developed a passion for the environment, health and well being. Discovering the Food Forest on campus, Katie took to the idea of permaculture, a sustainable way of gardening, and got her permaculture design certification in 2014. Having taken yoga classes outdoors at the food forest and in the Florida Keys while getting her permaculture design certification, Katie was always drawn and connected to the grounding experience of yoga. Since indulging in yoga on a daily routine, she has felt the benefits of mental clarity, experienced emotional growth and release, found the power in taking mindful action and most importantly discovered self love. As she would have benefited from having these tools at an early age, Katie decided to get her kids yoga certification through Kidding Around Yoga and loves teaching these practices to young hearts and minds.
Debo Kumi, Drummer
Debo plays West African Drums and Duns and the Hammered Dulcimer. She has been playing and studying West African and some Cuban drumming for over ten years in Oregon and in Guinea, West Africa with Master drummers. She has been part of a Drum Troupe and has worked with several facilitators at universities, elementary schools, corporate businesses and community drum circles. She has been a professional Hammered Dulcimer player for over 25 years. She is also a Health Coach, Herbalist, Flower Essence practitioner and Vibrational Healer. She strongly believes in the healing power of drumming and Nature. She own and managed a vegetarian restaurant, Nearly Normal's Gonzo Cuisine for over 30 years and worked as a Chef at a farm to table restaurant at Gathering Together Farm (Organic Farm). She moved here from Oregon this in the summer of 2015 to help take care of my mother with Alzheimer's.
Marta Matias, Faculty
Marta Matias is owner of Maya Arts and Jewelry and a translator in the Lee and Collier County Court systems for the Maya Qanjobal and Maya Acateco languages. She is a teacher for the GRACE Project in SW Florida and Guatemala and founder of and performer in the folkloric Grupo Espiritu Maya. Marta’s beautiful handmade jewelry, beadwork and bamboo drums (Tuns) are often on sale at Happehatchee events.
Lenka Spiska, Reiki Master
Lenka was born and raised in (then) communist Czech Republic. Organized religion was prohibited, but the human spirit is by nature a seeker, so she spent time with her family learning about the mysteries of tarot cards, intuitive readings, energy healing, and herbal remedies. Lenka has traveled the world extensively and speaks 4 languages. Lenka studied nutrition both in Europe and the U.S. After her daughters were born, her intuitive gifts and passion for spiritual knowledge were reawakened; they gave her a fresh outlook on the importance of life.Lenka serves as a spiritual guide and health intuitive, and has been formally trained as a Master/Teacher in Reiki. As an intuitive, Lenka tunes into a person’s emotional and mental energy, provides them with a different perspective and helps them recognize how the discomfort or pain in their body is a reflection of their quiet subconscious mind. As a Reiki Master/Teacher, she periodically offers courses of study for Reiki 1, Reiki 2 and Reiki Master. Lenka believes in empowering others by teaching them to listen to their inner voice and their own truth. If you would like to get more information, please visit a website: www.lenkaspiska.com.
Tara A Mina, Yoga Teacher
Tara A Mina RYT, CPED is a Certified Yoga Teacher and Pedorthist specializing in Youth Yoga, Hatha, Iyengar Yoga & Board Member of Mindful Life Academy. She began teaching yoga in 2006 when she introduced to her preschool class to Yoga. This quickly grew into her little Yogi program, spanning from 3 yrs to 15-year-olds. Since then, many have referred to her as Yoga Mama. As a hobby, she makes handcrafted Shungite Soap. (Yoga Mama Soap Shop) Tara often uses essential oil aromatherapy and crystal bowls in her gentle yoga classes. Her classes are challenging yet relaxing.
Erika Cooper, Yoga Teacher
Erika returns to Happehatchee! Ms Cooper has been practicing yoga for over half of her life, to much benefit. Over ten years ago, she made the decision to devote herself to a life of yoga servitude and has been in service since then. Erika has trained with many of the great and wondrous teachers since then and serves up a practice that aims toward the needs of those who show up on their mats, incorporating all the modalities of yoga that she has absorbed over the years to best serve her students. If you show up with any expectations, you can expect fun, laughter, anatomical education (Erika is a learning nerd, if nothing less!), and the understanding that you can do serious yoga without being so serious about it. Erika's inviting and welcoming nature makes it possible for the neophyte and the advanced yogi to leave her classes feeling loved, appreciated, and ready for the next class. Feedback is always welcome and Erika is just happy you showed up for yourself, to be in your sacred space.
Erika returns to Happehatchee! Ms Cooper has been practicing yoga for over half of her life, to much benefit. Over ten years ago, she made the decision to devote herself to a life of yoga servitude and has been in service since then. Erika has trained with many of the great and wondrous teachers since then and serves up a practice that aims toward the needs of those who show up on their mats, incorporating all the modalities of yoga that she has absorbed over the years to best serve her students. If you show up with any expectations, you can expect fun, laughter, anatomical education (Erika is a learning nerd, if nothing less!), and the understanding that you can do serious yoga without being so serious about it. Erika's inviting and welcoming nature makes it possible for the neophyte and the advanced yogi to leave her classes feeling loved, appreciated, and ready for the next class. Feedback is always welcome and Erika is just happy you showed up for yourself, to be in your sacred space.