FEATURED INTERVIEWS

Each month the editors will choose one interview to feature.
This featured interview will be linked from our Home Page and mentioned throughout social media.
Click on photo for interview.

Ruth C. Browne, SD, (February 2019 Featured Interview) has been the president and chief executive officer of Ronald McDonald House New York since September 2016. Prior to assuming her role there, Ruth served for 12 years as Chief Executive Officer of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH). She is also an active member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Manhattan Chapter, advancing leadership opportunities for African-American women and girls.

Cindy Campbell (January 2019 Featured Interview) is co-founder of the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation (TLC Foundation), a nonprofit organization that funds innovative research and clinical trials specifically geared toward the treatment of the most aggressive childhood cancers. Cindy created the foundation in Ty’s honor to raise awareness for pediatric cancer through the story of his courageous battle. To this date, the TLC Foundation has raised 1.6 million dollars.

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Featured Interviews: 2018

Susan Hammond (December 2018 Featured Interview) is the executive director of the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), which was established in 1889 and is the oldest women's art organization in the U.S. She is also a contemporary photographer who has been published with Canon and Nikon, and her work is a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Art in Lakewood, TX. Susan is a member of 15 art organizations and is on the board of Studio Montclair in Montclair, NJ.

Photo Credit: Gordon Parks

Gloria Vanderbilt (November 2018 Featured Interview) who was born into the prominent Vanderbilt family of New York, is an artist, author, actress, and designer of textiles and fashion. She is known for her high-profile relationships, her myriad paintings and books and also for her designer blue jeans line which was all the rage in the 1970s. Since 1984, Gloria has devoted nearly all of her time to painting and pastel work. In 2001, she opened her art exhibition "Dream Boxes" at the Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) in Manchester to critical success. Gloria has written two books on art and home decor, four volumes of memoirs and three novels. She has received many awards, including The National Society of Arts & Letters Gold Medal of Merit, the Anti-Defamation League Woman of Achievement Award, and an Excellence in the Arts award from the National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW).  

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Mary Clementi (October 2018 Featured Interview) is the executive director and music director of Highbridge Voices, a nonprofit dedicated to helping at-risk youth through an eclectic music curriculum and an academic component focused on remediation, skill development and sustained achievement. As music director, Mary conducts the Chamber Choir which she has led in several high-profile performances, including a concert for the Justices of the United States Supreme Court and performances of the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden.

Photo Credit: Safe and Sound Schools

Alissa Parker (left) and Michele Gay (September 2018 Featured Interview) are the founders of Safe and Sound Schools, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing parents and school communities the tools and resources necessary to ensure school safety. Alissa and Michele were inspired to make a difference after losing their daughters in the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012. The mission of Safe and Sound Schools is to support school crisis prevention, response and recovery, and to protect every school and every student every day. "We have always - and only - focused on school safety. We are firm in our mission and firm in our resolve, and we will continue to provide research-based education, tools and resources to ensure the safest possible learning environment for the youth of our nation."

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Photo Credit: Phelan Marc

Major Jas Boothe (July 2018 Featured Interview) is a U.S. military veteran, cancer survivor, philanthropist and author. 
She deployed during the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom campaigns. In August 2005, she lost everything she owned due to Hurricane Katrina. Within a month, she received a devastating cancer diagnosis and was unable to deploy. She was facing discharge from the military and was directed to the Department of Veterans Affairs, but she was told there were no existing programs for female veterans with children and that she should explore welfare and social services as an option. After dedicating years of her life to the military, Jas found herself homeless. In 2010, she founded Final Salute Inc., a nonprofit organization designed to meet and understand the unique needs of homeless women veterans and their children. Jas is the recipient of numerous awards for leadership and community service, including the Standing O-vation Award (presented by Oprah Winfrey and Toyota).

Deepak Chopra, Kabir Sehgal & Paul Avgerinos (June 2018 Featured Interview: Celebrating the Men in Our Lives): Deepak Chopra, author of over 85 books, alternative medicine advocate, and prominent figure in the New Age movement, worked with Kabir Sehgal, composer, producer and military veteran, and Paul Avgerinos, Grammy-winning composer and performer of New Age music, on HOME, a collection of poems and songs which celebrate the extraordinary journeys of U.S. immigrants. From Yo-Yo Ma to Audrey Hepburn, Albert Einstein to Celia Cruz, HOME symbolizes the many roads that lead to America. Deepak, Kabir and Paul discuss working together, their unique family stories, the inspiration behind some of the poems and songs, and how the project has been received in the community.

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Photo Credit: Little Stones

Sophia Kruz (May 2018 Featured Interview) is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and co-founder of the nonprofit organization Driftseed, which seeks to empower women and girls in the U.S. and around the world through the art of documentary storytelling. Her award-winning film Little Stones (2017) unites the personal narratives of four women around the world using art to create positive change in their communities. Formerly a producer in PBS Detroit's National Documentary Unit, Sophia produced Ride the Tiger (2016), a documentary on neuroscience and bipolar disorder, and Beyond the Lightswitch, Hour 3 (2015) for national PBS broadcast. Kruz's documentary work is supported by the following organizations: National Endowment for the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, Marian Chace Foundation, International Expressive Arts Therapy Association and Womanity Foundation.

Photo Credit: Rex Sanchez

Temple Grandin, Ph.D. (April 2018 Featured Interview) is a world-renowned advocate for those on the autism spectrum, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and an animal behavior consultant to the livestock industry. As a highly sought-after speaker who shares insights about her personal journey, she has championed the idea that “thinking differently” should not be perceived as having an inferior intellect. She is inventor of the “squeeze machine” (or “hug box”), a device to calm those on the spectrum and the “double rail (center track) conveyor restrainer system,” a humane, cattle handling system. She has been interviewed by numerous national media outlets and is the author of several acclaimed books on autism. Her numerous accolades include an international award from World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and her 2017 induction into the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. Temple Grandin, a 2010 Emmy-award winning motion picture, was based on her life.

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Diana Freedman-Shea (March 2018 Featured Interview) is the current president of the New York Society of Women Artists (NYSWA) which was founded in 1925. NYSWA maintains a clear focus on art itself and, more specifically, on making public the fine works of talented women, in galleries, cultural spaces, museums, embassies and other quality venues. Diana received a BFA in art education from Pratt Institute and an MFA from Brooklyn College. She taught in New York City high schools for 34 years and was an art reviewer for a decade. She has exhibited at the Bronx Zoo, the Wisconsin Primate Center, the Prince Street Gallery, Noho Gallery, Kennedy Gallery, NYC, The Minnesota Museum, The Hammond Museum, The Katonah Gallery, The Flinn Gallery, and many other venues.

Michelle P. Maidenberg, Ph.D., MPH, LCSW-R (February 2018 Featured Interview) is president and clinical director of Westchester Group Works, a Center for Group Therapy in Harrison, NY. She is also co-founder and clinical director of “Thru My Eyes,” a nonprofit 501c3 organization that offers free, clinically-guided videotaping services to medically ill individuals who want to leave video legacies for their children and loved ones. Michelle is adjunct faculty at New York University's (NYU) graduate program in the Silver School of Social Work and also maintains a private practice.  She is the author of Free Your Child From Overeating: 53 Mind-Body Strategies For Lifelong Health and is a Huffington Post blogger. She has been quoted in The New York Times, the Daily News, Fitness, Woman’s Day, Parents, and many other publications.

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Photo Credit: Kofa Boyah

Brittney Castro (January 2018 Featured Interview) is the founder and CEO of Financially Wise Women, a Los Angeles-based financial planning firm whose mission is to teach women and couples the art of managing their money in a fun and simple way. She has become a well-known financial expert featured on CNN, CNBC, and CBS as well as in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Glamour, Woman's World, Investment News and Entrepreneur magazine. Brittney is a Certified Financial Planner™, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, Accredited Asset Management Specialist, entrepreneur and speaker who loves sharing her wisdom about finance, entrepreneurship and smart investing.

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Featured Interviews: 2017

Photo credit: Jordan Sabolick

Blythe Hill (December 2017 Featured Interview) is CEO and founder of the Dressember Foundation, a non-profit organization which raises awareness and holds an annual worldwide campaign to aid in the fight against human sex trafficking. Dressember is a grantmaking foundation which collaborates with other organizations to educate the public and to help rescued victims reclaim their lives. The organization has raised over three million dollars since 2013.

Barbara Slaine (right) & Sue Broudy (left) (November 2017 Featured Interview): Barbara founded the Liphe Balance Center to present health and wellness workshops to the community. Her mission at the center includes offering spiritual guidance and sharing cultural traditions and customs, varied therapies (such as Reiki) as well as to provide safe space for enlightened conversations about death and end-of-life transition. Her website, Conscious Dying Matters (CDM), provides resources to help individuals and families navigate through meaningful end-of-life transitions. Sue Broudy is an end-of-life doula, Reiki master and singer-songwriter. She is musical director for Conscious Dying Matters (CDM).

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Virginia Franklin Campbell (October 2017 Featured Interview) is the current national president of the National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW). She has been a proud member for twenty years. The NLAPW is a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1897. The mission of the league is to encourage, recognize, and promote the production of creative work of professional standard in the arts, letters, and music, and, through outreach activities, provide educational, creative and professional support to members and non-members in these disciplines. Many well-known women who have been members or are current members of the NLAPW include Pearl S. Buck, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelo, and Hillary Clinton, to name a few.

Jeanne Demers (September 2017 Featured Interview) is the founder of Realize Arts & Education, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to utilizing the arts to enhance education. She worked with several school districts in New York to facilitate programs and courses that would enable students to realize their gifts and use their creativity to learn story-telling techniques, goal-setting, collaborative writing skills, how to nurture a positive self-esteem, and how to learn from mistakes. Jeanne created The Ruby Books series, which empowers girls to find their unique voice and special goals. She is also co-author and illustrator of FLAWD: How To Stop Hating On Yourself, Others and the Things That Make You Who You Are (TarcherPerigee).

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Rachel Kelly (July 2017 Featured Interview) is an international bestselling author and well-known advocate for the mental health industry. Rac­hel speaks pub­lic­ly about her journey with severe depression and her road to re­cove­ry to help educate her local and global community. She is vice president of United Response and an of­fici­al am­bassador for Re­think Ment­al Il­l­ness, Young Minds, SANE and The Co­un­sell­ing Foun­da­tion. Her mem­oir Black Rain­bow: How Words Healed Me – My Journey Through Depression  (UK: Hodder & Stoughton, New York, London: Quercus) was a Sun­day Times be­stsell­er in 2014, and her second book on well-be­ing, Walk­ing on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Hap­pi­ness (Short Books Ltd.), became an in­ter­nation­al be­stsell­er.

DeLores Pressley (June 2017 Featured Interview) is an international keynote motivational speaker, author, and CEO of DeLores Pressley Worldwide. DeLores is the author of several books, including Clean Out the Closets of Your Life which is excerpted in this issue. She is the founder of She Elevates, a not-for-profit organization that provides young girls with mentorship and educational information about entrepreneurship. She is also the spokesperson for Humanitarian Hands Charities. DeLores is the recipient of many business and community service awards, including The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award presented to her by President Obama.

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Christina Hibbert, Psy.D. (May 2017 Featured Interview) is a clinical psychologist, founder and host of Motherhood Radio/TV, award-winning author and mother of six. She is also the founder and president of the Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition (part of Postpartum Support International), which offers support for moms and families who seek resource information concerning women who are at risk of or are experiencing distress, anxiety, trauma, and other difficulties during pregnancy or postpartum.

Marta Wilson, Ph.D. (April 2017 Featured Interview) is an industrial-organizational psychologist and the CEO of Transformation Systems Inc. (TSI). Marta is also a dedicated philanthropist. To give back to the community, Marta created and steers TSI's award-winning Feed to Lead Program, which provides funding and critical volunteer hours to select charities. She is also Board Chairman of Easter Seals serving DC|MD|VA and a member of the American Red Cross Tiffany Circle. She has received numerous awards for her charitable efforts.

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Leslie Erway Wright (March 2017 Featured Interview) is the UN Committee Chair for Zonta International. She coordinates the organization's volunteer teams active with UN Headquarters in New York, UN offices in Geneva and Vienna, and Unesco in Paris. Leslie advises the Advocacy Chair and International President about activities that Zonta International should engage in. Before assuming this position, Leslie was a representative of the UN for the World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and the NGO Committee on the Status of Women as well as other leadership roles in the UN.

Diane Fried (left) and Kathy Coe (February 2017 Featured Interview) share art journaling with their communities. Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA and has been a teacher and choreographer for the past 25 years.  She is presently volunteering as the movement instructor at New Beginnings Family Academy which is a charter school in Bridgeport, CT.  In addition to her dance pursuits, she has lead art journaling workshops for local charities, libraries, and senior living facilities.

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Kathy Coe (left) and Diane Fried (February 2017 Featured Interview) share art journaling with their communities. Kathy studied at DuCret School of Art in New Jersey, Pratt Institute and The National Academy of Fine Art and Design in New York, where she worked closely with Dr. Furman Finck, Ronald Sherr, Harvey Dinnerstein and Marybeth Mckenzie. She challenges the traditions of classical portraiture with a unique ability to portray her subjects’ personalities. Her work has captured the eyes of many collectors, including Joan Rivers, Gene Wilder and Charles, Prince of Wales.

Deborah Gilboa, M.D. (a.k.a. Dr. G) (January '17 Featured Interview) is a respected parenting expert, author, speaker and founder of AskDrG.com. Deborah is a board certified, attending family physician at Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill Health Center. She is also the author of Get the Behavior You Want, Without Being the Parent You Hate! (Demos Health, 2014). Deborah is fluent in American Sign Language and has lectured nationally on improving health care for deaf and hearing impaired patients. She worked to extend health care education and access to Pittsburgh’s deaf community. Her work with the deaf community has received national recognition and was the focus of her service as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow.

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