Ivory Garden non-profit corporation board directors

Board of Directors

Patricia Goodwin, MA – President	Ivory Garden non-profit corporation board directors introductions Ivory Garden non-profit corporation board directors member Patricia is from Seattle, WA. She has earned an MA from Pacific Lutheran University. She graduated Cum laude with majors in Psychology, English with Writing Emphasis and minor in Sociology. She is Certified in State of WA as a Special Education Teacher, specializing also in K-8, and K-12 English, Language Arts, and Psychology. Patricia retired from teaching and then, in 2007, founded and still operates a message board called Ivory Garden DID Support Group – http://www.igdid.com/. It is the most active DID community message board today and has well over 2000 members. Patricia is also president and founder of Ivory Garden, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide support to survivors and those who support survivors, as well as raising public and professional awareness of the effects of childhood trauma. She enjoys researching, doing crafts, writing poetry both nonfiction and fiction, and web-design. Patricia has spent some 45 years actively supporting survivors of child abuse and continues today by speaking in the public arena, becoming involved with other supporters and survivors, and organizing the “2015 Trauma and Dissociation” conference being held in Seattle – http://igdid.org/.
Beverly Martin, MA – Vice President	Ivory Garden non-profit corporation board directors member Beverly Martin grew up in southeastern Michigan. She earned her BA at Adrian College, her MA at Eastern Michigan University and her special education endorsement at Pacific Lutheran University. She moved to Alaska for a teaching job after she graduated from college and has lived there for 33 years. She is an elementary school teacher who has taught both general education and special education resource students. She loves working with elementary age students and with military families.
KarenKolasa – Treasurer	Ivory Garden non-profit corporation board directors member Karen grew up in sunny California and continues to live there and enjoy the beauty California has to offer. Karen worked in the Automotive Industry for 29 years and retired as CFO of a multi-million dollar for profit corporation. She has been happily married for 29 years and has four sons, ages 28, 25, 22, and 15. Her youngest son joined the family at age five and had been in foster care from age two and a half until age five. He had thirteen placements and has many special needs. Karen is very involved with her family. She is also very passionate in raising awareness on the effects of early child hood trauma, neglect, and all forms of abuse. For the past seven years Karen has used her firsthand experience with Reactive Attachment Disorder to help educate Interns on this disorder prior to them becoming Doctors. Karen has dedicated herself to helping others while raising awareness for survivors and all who attend to survivors needs. In the process of raising her youngest son, she has educated her school district about Reactive Attachment Disorder and helped implement protocols for helping children, parents, and educators with this and many other disorders.
Susan Ratner, Ph.D. – Secretary	Ivory Garden non-profit corporation board directors member Sue Ratner grew up in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. She earned a B.A. in Statistics from Princeton University, an M.A. in Biology from City College of the City University of New York, and a Ph.D. from University of California at San Diego.
Lora Denton, MA – Director	Ivory Garden non-profit corporation board directors member Lora currently lives in Austin, Texas and has her Master’s Degree from Hope International University in Fullerton, California. She has worked as a Social Worker for most of her career life helping children and families struggling with abuse. Lora has made her life’s goal helping people who struggle with mental illness as well as trauma and dissociation. Lora is also a strong supporter in the Deaf community and is culturally competent in Deaf culture and American Sign Language.
Kathryn M Woods, BA – Director	Ivory Garden non-profit corporation board directors member Kathryn studied Music Theory, receiving a bachelor’s in 1979, worked in a group home for developmentally delayed adults for 11 years and while doing that attended a program for Registered Occupational therapists, achieving a bachelors and beginning a masters in that program. She retired in 2013 and now, also volunteers as an administrator on Ivory Garden Trauma and Dissociation Community and Owner of Trauma Survivor Support Group, both online support communities.
Amy A. Soto – Director	My education is in nursing and finances though my passion has always advocating for more education, awareness and ending the stigma for those who have experienced past childhood trauma. I first became aware of a problem within the mental and medical health community when I was working as a nurse. Many adult survivors of abuse were not receiving appropriate care and respect. That’s when I began researching and speaking on the topic at colleges and other agencies. I am now a facilitator of the California Creative Progress Group, member of Each Mind Matters and Peer Recovery Art Project. As a professional artist, poet and public speaker I enjoy sharing my work with others and spending time with my family. I’ve been a member of Ivory Garden for ten years.