Divertimenti Leaders

Donna Belber (Knit Wits) is a retired middle school teacher and financial assistant. She loves having more time for her friends and dog, golfing, supporting the Dumb Friends League, and enjoying classes with the Academy. She loves to travel, especially to Italy, but never during ski season.

Judy Boyles (5 Wishes), a Denver Financial Consultant, has been in this industry for over 16 years. She specializes in retirement planning and has a Masters Degree as well as numerous state designations and certifications. Judy is an active member of her Rotary, the business community and she volunteers with nonprofits benefiting children. Her gentle, thoughtful, and wise manner always make others feel at ease. She currently practices with Paragon Financial Group.

Diane Carrick (5 Wishes) taught junior high school art classes for eight years in Ohio. She has published poetry in Windows to the Soul, and her art work and articles about art have appeared in 5280 and elsewhere. She enjoys taking Academy classes and teaching art to small groups in her home. She’s currently in the process of writing her life story as she charges on to another adventure.

During the last five years, Priscilla Dunbar (Create Your Own Book) has been learning the joy of art in the studio of Diane Carrick. She began with watercolor, moved to pastels, and is now branching out to oil. During her free time, Priscilla enjoys Tai Chi, needlework, meditation, and taking Academy classes.

Iris Fontera (The End of Faith) has always been interested in different cultures and how they interact. Growing up in New York, living in France, England and India, as well as middle America and the West encouraged this interest. Although her degree was in Political Science and History, her life has taken her in many different directions. She started one of the first Victim Assistant programs in the U.S. and later created her own event and conference planning business in Colorado. With a thirst for learning and an interest in hearing other perspectives, she is pleased that “Now retired, I have the time to learn more about our world.”

Ellen L. Hughes (The Art of Self-Hypnosis) took a class on self-hypnosis over twenty years ago. The more she practiced, the more she noticed how powerful it was in changing her behavior. She then started teaching it. To learn more about how the brain worked, she studied to become a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. She currently has a practice in Denver and continues to teach others the power of their own minds and how to harness the mind through self-hypnosis. Ellen is a professional lecturer and published author.

Rose Kauffman (Get Healthy with Yoga ) has been a yoga practitioner for more than twelve years. She is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance and has been teaching for four years in various nonprofit organizations in Denver. She teaches beginning and intermediate students and works with specific therapeutic applications of yoga. She has studied and practiced various styles of yoga including Iyengar, Anusara, and Kripalu.

Bridge nut and art groupie Sally Kneser (Learn to Facilitate) (Intermediate Bridge Comparison) (Computer ABCs) is always ready to learn something new and help teach others. “I love to learn, and it’s so much more fun with friends around.” Sally is particularly proficient on the computer and in the last two years has learned how to create and maintain a website and use a complex database system. For years she has kept the files for various charitable organizations. Now she maintains the Academy’s database of 1,500 names.

Paul Oberbroeckling (What’s at Stake with that Steak?) has been a small animal veterinarian in the Denver area for almost 20 years. Although he wears many hats as sole owner, his favorites is that of a practicing veterinarian. He also enjoys developing long-term relationships with his clients and his clients' “people.” Paul received his B.S. in Zoology and D.V.M. from Iowa State University, but claims most of his real education occurred while growing up on a 167 acre dairy farm in northeastern Iowa. In addition to being an avid cross country skier, hiker, and reader, his love of biking takes him back to his Iowa roots as he rides RAGBRAI, Iowa's equivalent of “Ride the Rockies”.

All of Becky Orr's (What’s at Stake with that Steak?) academic and professional work reflect her fascination with how communications work. She received an MS in Journalism and Mass Communications from Iowa State University, then began a career with a small communications firm. She later worked for large corporations in cable, telecom, and consumer products industries. Through that, she became experienced in facilitating small groups. Becky is currently a member of the affiliate faculty at Regis University in Denver. She is an energetic individual who adds spark to every group that she joins.

Since early childhood, Darwin Rolens (Computer ABCs) has been a skeptic and freethinker. With degrees in the humanities, theology, and classical language, he spent ten years as a Baptist minister before his commitment to critical thinking led him to leave the ministry for a career as a computer programmer in physics research at DU. His discovery of the Unitarian Universalist Church gave him the opportunity to pursue his interests in humanism and critical thinking within a congenial religious environment. He has been conducting workshops there for seven years and is currently leader of its ministry to seniors.

Sharon Rouse (Watercolor Studio), newly retired from teaching art to K-12 students, is excited about branching out to new venues. She has taught adult watercolor and sketchbook classes and presented short workshops. Travel experiences to places such as Russia, Mongolia, Spain have been recorded in another art form she is exploring.....sketchbook journals. With travel, gardening, and so many other possibilities available, retirement is definitely the way to go.

Jeanenne Stepelton (Knit Wits) is a retired elementary teacher who is really enjoying retirement. Knitting is a relatively new endeavor, but she's attacking it with gusto. In addition to the Academy's knitting group, Jeanenne has been taking classes on knitting sweaters and ponchos. Her sweaters and scarves keep her warm on the ski slopes.

Bebe Telles (Beading 101: Easy and Beautiful) is a proud native Texan now living in Colorado because she loves the climate. Her husband’s career as a geophysicist for a major oil company gave them the opportunity to live in the Connecticut/NY area, Denver and Lima, Peru. Bebe has found various occupations and volunteer opportunities to satisfy her personally and professionally with every move. “I am a perpetual student and feel that I am a good and effective teacher in subjects and areas that I know.” Bebe creates gorgeous necklaces, earrings, and other items that will be an inspiration to the group.

Linda Van Dyke (Hearing Loss: Fixes, Cures, & Miracles) is a nationally certified audiologist with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech and Hearing from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Her Master of Arts Degree in Audiology was earned at the University of Northern Colorado in 1977. Linda has over twenty years of experience in educational, medical, and private practice settings. Arapahoe Hearing Associates, her private practice, focuses on the needs of hearing impaired adults and children. Linda’s newsletter, Hear Ye, Hear Ye, is available at no charge upon request.