Good To Go - Institute

Who's in the Good to Go Institute?

Joanne Richardson
Coroner of Summit County, Colorado
Joanne has been a certified paramedic since 1985, and involved in death investigation since 1993. She is Board Certified as a Fellow with the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, and a candidate for a Master's Degree in Forensic Science and Investigation through National University. She has been Coroner in Summit County since January 2003.
www.co.summit.co.us/Coroner/index.html

Greg DeMark
Antique, Vintage and Custom Jewelry
As a Jewelry Historian and Custom Jeweler with over 30 years in the field of Vintage Jewelry and Custom Design, Greg studied Gemology at the Gemological Institute of America during the 1970’s. With his many years of experience as a dealer in Antique and Vintage Jewelry and as a Custom Jeweler, Greg’s first passion is guiding individuals to make well informed decisions whether they are making a purchase to mark a milestone in their lives or as they are creating an important Jewelry Collection.
Greg can be reached through his company DeMark Jewelry at www.demarkjewelry.com.

Karen Paschal
Senior Minister, New Dawn Church, Aurora, Colorado
Rev. Karen Paschal has been a New Thought ordained minister since 2003. Her work as a minister offers many opportunities to work with individuals and families facing serious illness and end-of-life issues. Previous to becoming a minister, Rev. Karen worked for 25 years as a Registered Nurse in the areas of Intensive Care, Oncology and as a Director of a Home Health Care Agency.
www.scienceofmind.org

Parris Bradley
Retired Division Chief, Aurora, Colorado Police Department
Parris spent 32 years with the police department, rising through the ranks from Patrol Officer to Division Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division. He worked as an investigator in the CSI Section, was a court-certified forensic photographer and blood-spatter expert. Parris served as a Patrol Supervisor and was the Commander of the SWAT Division for over 10 years. Parris also served as the Captain of the Criminal Investigations Bureau. As Division Chief, he added the areas of Narcotics Investigations, and the Regional and Federal Drug and Gang Task Forces. He has investigated and supervised hundreds of death investigations. Parris is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He has retired to southern Arizona to escape the cold of Denver and the effect it has on all the years of abuse to his body!

Kate Torgler
Administrative Coordinator for the Colorado State Anatomical Board
University of Colorado Health Science Center
Kate has a Bachelors degree in history, 13 years experience in administrative work and a 6-year background in human anatomy. She has been with the University of Colorado Health Science Center since May 2002 and with the Colorado State Anatomical Board since March 2003.
www.uchsc.edu/sab

Rev. Ruth Pittenger, Kay Oppegaard, and Serendipity Class
Sunday School Class Ladies
Reverend Ruth Pittenger has a background in music as a vocal teacher in public schools and college. An ordained minister, she studied at Iliff Seminary in Denver and served on the staff at Littleton United Methodist Church in Colorado. Ruth has 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.
Kay Oppegaard has three children and four grandchildren. She has worked for many years with Alzheimer individuals, acting as a manager of a home where Alzheimer's patients live. Kay has dedicated her life to helping people of all ages and stages.
The Serendipity Sunday School class at Littleton United Methodist Church is comprised of 18 energetic and compassionate women committed to doing for others by feeding the homeless, sending packages to those in military service, furnishing school supplies for needy children, collecting funds for projects of need, and visiting families in mourning.

Mike Hawkins
Funeral Service Provider, Drinkwine Family Mortuary, Littleton, Colorado
Mike has worked in several death care professions for over twenty years as funeral director/embalmer, deputy medical examiner, and organ and tissue transplant coordinator. He has served as an instructor and board member with hospice. Mike is also a certified Mass Casualty Coordinator with FEMA.
Mike can be reached through his company at www.drinkwinefamilymortuary.com.

David H. Friedli
Pastor, Highland Park Church in Nashville, Tennessee
David has been an Associate Pastor of Highland Park Church in Nashville, Tennessee since 2005. He has dealt with death on a professional level as well as on a personal level. Having buried his mother, father, sister, and youngest daughter, David knows the importance of being good to go. His mother said it best, "I'm not afraid of dying, but the wait is killing me." http://www.highlandparkchurch.org

Vickie Kearney, MA, LPC
Therapist
Vickie Kearney has been a licensed professional counselor since 1993. She has worked in the profession since 1970. She is licensed in the state of Colorado as a counselor. She is a member of the National Board of Certified Counselors. Vickie is currently in private practice and is working with adults and children. She works individually, with couples and families and specializes in working with grief and loss issues.
Her contact information is as follows: 3801 East Florida Ave., Suite 700, Denver, CO, 80210.
Phone: 303-730-2956

John Wilkerson
Steward of Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve (Florida's first and the nation's second green cemetery).
John describes himself as “a farmer who quit stirring the dirt, and started planting people as an answer to the concerns of how to preserve the family farm while being of service to humanity."
www.glendalenaturepreserve.org

Joe Sehee
Executive Director of the Green Burial Council
Joe has worked in green burial for five years and in the cemetery/funeral industry for eight years. He is the founder of the Green Burial Council—an independent, nonprofit organization that encourages ethical and environmentally sustainable death care practices. He has been a consultant on several conservation burial ground projects, and is regarded as a leading national authority on using burial as a strategy for acquiring, restoring, and stewarding natural areas. Joe has spoken at the national conventions of the Land Trust Alliance, the Selected Independent Funeral Home Association, and the Funeral Consumer Alliance. A former Jesuit lay minister and Peabody Award-winning journalist; Joe is a Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program, the Property Environment Research Center, and Leadership Santa Fe. For more information, go online to www.greenburialcouncil.com.

Jean M. Marso, RN, BSN
Jean has been a registered nurse since 1977, licensed in Colorado and South Dakota, where she completed her nursing training and began her career in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. She is the Trauma Coordinator for the University of Colorado Hospital, her employer for 22 years. Also, Jean is currently enrolled in a nursing Master’s Program. Familiar with end-of-life issues on both a professional and a personal level, Jean says, “Being good to go is a good thing.”

Dr. Brenda McClelland
Veterinarian, Reiki/Healing Touch practitioner, Animal Communication After graduating from CSU Veterinary School in 1997, Dr. Brenda began her own complementary therapy practice in Fort Collins, CO. She co-owns The Pet Wellness Clinic, LLC and practices energy work on both pets and people. Her animal communication skills are featured in the book The Angel By My Side. For more information, visit www.energyworkdoctor.com.

Valerie Dusablon
Pet Funeral Director
Providing a loving and professional environment for pets' families to celebrate and mourn the life and loss of their loved ones, Valerie has recently launched "Pets To Heaven." Valerie's company specializes in pick up, cremation (and return of remains), memorial services, memorial website, customization and personalized items. www.petstoheaven.com

Jennifer McBride, MA
Director of Grief Support & Community Education
Jennifer has served the Denver metro area for 12 years through her work as Director of Grief Support & Community Education for Horan & McConaty Funeral Service. She gives direct care and support to families after a death has occurred and along through the journey of grief. She presents 150+ educational programs each year to professional and lay caregivers in the community. Her passion for helping others “grow through grief” led to the creation of HeartLight Center, a non-profit center for grief support & education, which has been operating since January of 2004. www.heartlightcenter.org

Jan Kiernan, Editor of American Funeral Director magazine
American Funeral Director, the leading independent trade magazine for funeral directors and other funeral service professionals, is in its 130th year of publication, continuously featuring content pertaining to cremation, preneed, funeral business topics, professional vehicles, computers/software, insurance, funeral service history, business tips/tools and other content of specific interest to those working inside and allied to the profession. American Funeral Director is part of Kates-Boylston's stable of publications, which also includes, among others, American Cemetery, Funeral Service Insider and Funerals of the Famous. Visit www.kates-boylston.com for more information.
(Note from Jo: American Funeral Director is not just interesting for those in the funeral business. An article in the January 2008 "state of the industry" issue, Where are the Boomers? by William "B.T." Hathaway is fascinating and provides much for all people to consider.)

Joan Therese (Joni) Seivert, Resource Specialist
Founder of Connections Unlimited
Nineteen years ago, Joan Therese created a network called Connections Unlimited, LLC to help people when caring for their aging/special needs loved ones. She helps families focus, narrow down options and then, guides them through the maze of possibilities. Joan Therese Seivert's areas of expertise include: empowering families, finding solutions, providing placement services and referral to the best providers of in-home care and aging-in-place products, housing options and professionals in the Denver Metro community.
www.jonisconnections.com or 303-232-3359