Donna Nowak stepped in as Executive Director and CEO of the American Holistic Medical Association in February, 2008. She has 20+ years of business management experience, with a specialization in start-ups and the transformation/turnaround of organizations in need of change. She has assisted many corporations in organizational restructuring and revitalization and is known for her collaborative spirit.

Previously, Donna served as Executive Director/CEO of MBSC (Mind-Body-Spirit Connection), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit she founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2002. MBSC successfully brought together the holistic community in northeastern Ohio, increasing awareness of complementary and alternative medicine and an integrative approach to healthcare. In September 2008, MBSC legally merged into the AHMA.

Her 30+ years of nonprofit volunteer service ranges from founding board member of the Lake County Sexual Assault Center to Account Executive for United Way, and founding president of the Ohio Turnaround Management Association. She is a life member of the Association for Research & Enlightenment and International Association for Regression Research & Therapies. She is also a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists, and American Association of Professional Hypnotists (AAPH).

Donna’s business experience and passion for a holistic approach to life come together in her leadership role for the AHMA.

Kathleen has extensive executive management experience and a wonderful way with people. Her business expertise includes a focus on development, event planning, and public relations.

Kathleen has filled the roles of Director of Development, Interim Executive Director and Executive Director. Before relocating to Cleveland from New Orleans, she was the CEO of French Quarter Festivals, Inc. She has also served on many boards such as the Indiana State Festival Association and the French Quarter Business Women’s Association. She is a founding member of the Fort Wayne, IN Chapter of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals.

Kathleen is one of those multi-taskers who can juggle many priorities with keen attention to detail, creative problem-solving skills, and strong follow through. She is responsible for developing and managing the AHMA’s fundraising and sponsorship activities and serves as the staff lead on the annual convention and exhibition.

Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Joseph’s College. She joined AHMA in January of 2009 and is very excited about applying her professional skills to an industry about which she is personally very passionate.

Shakirra provides clerical and member administrative support for the AHMA. With extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations, and her passion to assist in the foundation of our organization, she is an excellent team player in support of our mission.

Her education and background includes 10 years of office administration; Outstanding student award, Warrensville Sr. High 1988; Dean’s List, Cuyahoga Community College 1992; Creative Leadership Training 2006; 2006-2007 Excellence in Excel Training; and ongoing continuing education and personal development.

Hal Blatman is serving the second year of his term as AHMA Board President. He is the founder and medical director of the Blatman Pain Clinic, and a globally recognized specialist in myofascial pain. He is board certified in Pain Management and Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

After receiving his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1980, Dr. Blatman completed two years of training in orthopedic surgery. He later studied ergonomics during his residency in Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Cincinnati Hospital. For several years, he practiced family medicine while managing a chain of urgent care facilities.

During his tenure in general medicine, Dr. Blatman recognized western medicine’s difficulty treating and managing chronic and myofascial pain. Consequently, he studied with the late Janet Travell, M.D., then recognized as the world’s leading expert in treating myofascial pain disorders.

In 1988, Dr. Blatman established Cincinnati’s first clinic specifically dedicated to providing traditional and holistic pain treatment solutions. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors of the American Academy of Pain Management, and is also Chairman of the Committee on Technology and Integrative Medicine.

David Forbes is the President-Elect of the AHMA. He is the founder and director of Nashville Integrated Medicine and has been a member of the AHMA for over 15 years. He attended medical school at the University of Tennessee, is board certified in Internal Medicine from Bowman Gray/Wake Forest, has 10 years full-time experience in emergency medicine, and is a Founding Diplomate of the American Board of Holistic Medicine.

His current practice focuses on combining standard western medicine with gentler and more natural approaches to healing, with a particular passion and emphasis on PEER therapy (Primary Emotional Energy Recovery), a process that provides a completely safe and unconditionally loving environment for the healing of deeper emotional wounds. He has trained in PEER for the past 13 years under the tutelage of its founders, Dan Jones and John Lee.

Dr. Forbes' work also encompasses energy work and meditation training, development of intuitive skills, and cultivation of our internal spiritual energy as a guide in the healing process. Nashville Integrated Medicine also provides massage, chiropractic and acupuncture services.

Dr. Forbes regularly writes, lectures and leads workshops on PEER therapy and other aspects of holistic medicine.

www.Nashvilleintegratedmedicine.com

David Riley received his undergraduate degree in Music and Psychology from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1976. Prior to attending medical school he worked as a musician and chef in Europe and the United States. He has worked and traveled extensively in North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

He graduated from the University of Utah medical school, is board certified in Internal Medicine, and has received post-graduate training in a variety of complementary therapies including homeopathy, yoga, cranial osteopathy, nutrition, and herbal medicine. He is a clinical associate professor at the University of New Mexico medical school, has written chapters for a variety of medical textbooks, worked as an editor for the WHO from 2003-07, and been the editor-in-chief of two leading indexed medical journals in Integrative Medicine, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine and EXPLORE-The Journal of Science and Healing from 1995 through 2007.

His primary interest throughout his career in medicine has been to improve patient care through the implementation of Integrative Medicine-combining the best of conventional and complementary medicine.

Dr. Riley has conducted or managed more than 50 clinical trials since 1992 ranging from international practice-based research networks to randomized controlled clinical trials to homeopathic drug provings. He has been a member of the CONSORT group and worked on systematic reviews with the Chalmer’s Research Group in Ottawa, Canada. In 1998 Dr. Riley founded Southwest Health Options, an independent practice association (IPA) managing the delivery of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for insured patients where he developed credentialing standards, managed peer review and coordinated service utilization. He has also worked on the development of coding solutions for Integrative Medicine.

Dr. Riley has consulted with regulatory agencies and international agencies in the United States and Europe including the FDA and the BfArM, ECHAMP, the WHO, and DHCC. He is a board member of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, a technical advisory body to the FDA. Dr. Riley is a member of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Advisory Council for Dubai Healthcare City and led a steering committee that developed guidelines for licensure of twelve groups of complementary and alternative medicine providers. He has been on the scientific advisory boards of numerous academic centers, healthcare agencies and corporations.

Dr. Riley lectures and consults internationally on a range of healthcare issues including healthcare policy and regulation, education and research, and issues surrounding integrative medicine. He is married and currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

John Neely earned his medical degree from The Pennsylvania State University in 1973, followed by a Pediatric Residency at the University of Minnesota. He currently serves as Interim Chair of the Department of Humanities at The Penn State College of Medicine. He is a researcher and pediatric oncologist, currently developing an integrative medicine center at PSCM in the Family Medicine Department.

Dr. Neely previously held academic appointments as a professor at the University of Cincinnati and also served as Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. His certifications include American Board of Pediatrics (1977), Sub-Board of Hematology/Oncology (1978), and American Board of Holistic Medicine (2007). He is actively involved in numerous professional societies and affiliations with the American Society of Hematology, Children’s Oncology Group, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Dauphin County Medical Society, Pennsylvania Medical Society, The Best Doctors in America, Kienle Center for Humanistic Medicine at Penn State College of Medicine. He is a member of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine, and Founder/Director of the State College of Medicine Integral Medicine Interest Group.

Dr. Neely is very active in community service, including participation as a board member of the Leukemia Society of Central PA; The Greater Harrisburg Foundation, Committee on Early Childhood Risks and Intervention; Open Stage of Harrisburg; Leadership Harrisburg Area; and Community Checkup Center.

Patrick Belisle is a Holistic Fundraiser who joined the AHMA Board in July of 2008.  He has worked as the Development Director for Edgar Cayce's Association for Research & Enlightenment (A.R.E.) since January of 2007.  Prior to that, Pat raised money for the University of Virginia Health System, including pediatrics, family medicine, and psychiatry's Division of Perceptual Studies which was founded by Dr. Ian Stevenson and continues to research near-death experiences, children who remember past lives, mediumship, and other phenomena leading to a better understanding of human consciousness.  Before leaving UVA, he was instrumental in obtaining a $1 million grant from the Templeton Foundation on behalf of a physician group looking to start an integrative health practice at the University.

Patrick has a long-standing interest in Holistic Medicine.  On his first visit with his own physician--a D.O.--he was prescribed breathwork, massage, and chiropractic adjustments.  These wellness practices and others like meditation, the Cayce diet, and a positive attitude continue to serve him well in his healthy, vigorous life.  In 1999, Patrick was trained as a hypnotherapist so that he can help others heal and find more love and meaning in their lives.

Pat graduated from St. John's University, Collegeville, MN in 1986 and has raised money professionally for United Way, the Evergreen State College, and the March of Dimes, among others.  In addition to his fundraising and holistic interests, Pat loves working with youth and has run a teen center, taught sexuality education, and has been an ARE Camp counselor for 13 years running.  He and his wife Jane traveled around the world for one year in order to get new perspective on life in America, and then traveled around the U.S. for three more years before settling in Charlottesville, VA in 1997.

www.edgarcayce.org

After graduation cum laude from Duke University, Dr. Benda received his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Following his residency in Emergency Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, he remained as director of Emergency Medical Services and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA. He also served as flight surgeon for the County of Los Angeles Fire Department. Dr. Benda has been actively involved in the instruction of medical students and residents and has lectured at numerous professional conferences. He maintains memberships in the American Academy of Emergency Medicine as well as various organizations promoting human rights and medical care in developing countries. In 1994 he served as the sole physician in Eastern Rwanda during the genocide and subsequent cholera epidemic.

Upon his return Dr. Benda served as Medical Director of the Big Sur Health Center while continuing to staff local emergency departments. Continual personal inquiry and a desire for the return of health to his own profession led to a two-year fellowship in the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona under Dr. Andrew Weil. During his tenure he presented this new concept of health care delivery extensively at various academic and corporate symposia. His research and clinical work focused on patients with breast cancer, animal-assisted therapy, and physician health and well-being. He has served as a principle investigator through the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the NIH. Dr. Benda also co-created a nonprofit organization, the National Integrative Medicine Council, and served as Director of Medical and Public Affairs.

Currently his focus is his ongoing research in the realm of equine-assisted therapy as applied to children with physical and emotional disabilities, his consulting work with academic and clinical institutions, and his publications. He serves as editor, contributor, and medical advisory board member for several conventional and alternative journals. Dr. Benda's concept of integration moves beyond clinical therapies to the realm of academic and political collaboration among all healthcare professions. He is the first medical doctor to be elected to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

Tanya Edwards is Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's Center for Integrative Medicine, where she provides integrative medicine consultations focusing on mind, body and spirit needs of patients. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Michigan State University in 1982 and her medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1987. She has been practicing holistic medicine for more than 10 years, is a national speaker on many topics related to health and wellness, has been Associate Professor, Family Medicine, at Case Western Reserve University and served as Board President of an Ohio nonprofit call Mind-Body-Spirit Connection (MBSC). Dr. Edwards helped guide the strategic merger of MBSC into the AHMA.

John Laird received his medical degree from Dartmouth in 1976. For 25 years he provided complementary medical care to over 12,000 families, with specialization in nutritional and natural therapies, mind/body medicine, and spiritual healing. In the early 1990’s Dr. Laird led a landmark campaign in North Carolina by lobbying successfully for the rights of physicians to practice alternative medicine without risk of license revocation. He serves on Dr. Dan Benor’s Council for Healing and is a founder of the Great Smokies Medical Center Diagnostic Lab, an out-of-hospital birthing center, and the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism.

Currently, Dr. Laird directs the Institute’s Healing School which guides 300 students through a very challenging three-year program of deep spiritual transformation and healing. The curriculum is based on classical Sufism and modern energetic understandings of health and disease. Dr. Laird actively investigates how love, faith, and spiritual healing contribute to optimal well-being.

Paul Mittman is the President and CEO of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. He is the first naturopathic physician to hold a seat on the AHMA’s Board of Trustees.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. He completed his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, in 1978.

Dr. Mittman’s clinical experience includes residency and serving as a staff physician at the Portland Naturopathic Clinic, followed by seven years in private practice. In 1997 he joined Southwest Naturopathic Medical in Scottsdale, AZ, as supervision physician, and in 1998 he also became the Chief of Staff.

In addition to conducting numerous research studies, Dr. Mittman has diverse professional experience, ranging from serving as Director of Research and Instructor of Neurology for the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, to Editor of the New England Journal of Homeopathy, to his current role as President of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges.

Molly Roberts is the Co-Director of LightHearted Medicine in Tucson, Arizona and also works as a holistic physician at Canyon Ranch Health Resort. Her specialty is Mind/Body/Spirit Medicine and her interests have been wide-ranging, reflecting a passion for learning along with the recognition that "it is all connected". She is triply Board Certified in Family Medicine, Holistic Medicine, and Nutritional Medicine. Dr. Roberts is also a psychotherapist and an ordained Shamanic Minister. Women's health, nutritional/herbal medicine, family/organizational conflict resolution, couple/sexuality counseling, and spiritual counseling are other portions of her practice. She is on the National Board of Advisors for both Kaplan Higher Education and the Venus Rising Institute for Shamanic Healing Arts.

Dr. Roberts has been dedicated to medical education for many years by doing talks, attending student retreats, running med school courses on mind/body skills, and mentoring medical students and residents. She has published two books, one on CAM techniques (Blackwell Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fast Facts for Medical Practice) and the other on the interpretation of Nutritional testing (The ION Handbook). She is the AHMA's Forum Moderator.

Henri Roca is a practicing physician whose philosophy of healing combines the best of both allopathic and complementary traditions. He is a Diplomate of both the American Academy of Family Practice and the American Board of Holistic Medicine. He serves on the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners Complementary and Alternative Medicine Advisory Board. He founded and was first Section Chief for the Section of Integrated Medicine at LSU. Currently, Dr. Roca is the Medical Director for the Greenwich Hospital Center for Integrated Medicine in Greenwich, Connecticut.

He began his training as a healer in 1982 in botanical medicine and mind/body medicine. Later he received training in massage therapy, energy healing, acupuncture, and somatoemotional release. Dr. Roca completed his medical education at LSU, New Orleans, LA and his residency at Marshall University, WV.

Dr. Roca is the Founder of the Wholistic Wellness Network, a national nonprofit designed to empower communities toward wellness. He has served the AHMA as coordinator of local community activities for more than three years and is Chair of an ad hoc task force to explore a “chapter” system for expansion of the AHMA’s local activities.

Robert Wickiewicz is a diagnostic radiologist with over 30 years of clinical experience. He is a graduate of Cornell Medical College and did his internship and residency at UCLA and New York Hospital. He is the Chair of the Ethics Committee at Columbia Memorial Hospital where he was, until recently, an attending physician. He is a PhD candidate in philosophy and religious studies with the University for Integrative Learning. His interest is the evolution of consciousness and systems of knowledge.

“Wick” is a published author and has lectured on philosophy and religion and is a consultant at Sanctuary in Albany, NY. He resides in Stuyvesant, NY, a small town 20 miles south of Albany and is employed by Valatie Medical Imaging. He grew up in the New York City area.