Meet Our Board

Lisa currently serves as the President of the A.I.M. to Empower board and has been a part of it’s efforts since she founded Evolution Power Yoga in 2001. The inspiration behind EPY and eventually A.I.M. to Empower, came from Lisa’s want for her community to be filled with people who are motivated to make a difference in their lives and live as their best selves each day. She realized that if everyone in the community had access to the kinds of life-altering tools that yoga provided her, the city would be a much better place to live. The organization still serves today as a fabric of the community as it supports each individual, regardless of circumstance, in living their best life. Lisa attributes much of where she is in life to Yoga and Meditation. These practices have freed her from limiting self-talk and given her a purpose, not only within herself, but also in supporting and inspiring others on their journey. A quote by Anais Nin serves as the basis of how she navigates life each day. The quote says, “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” It is a reminder to her that there is always a beginning, and that letting go of a limiting belief or habit can feel painful, but the letting go is what feels hard, not the new way of being.

Angie joined the A.I.M. to Empower board in 2019, and currently holds the Vice President position. She gained a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Science and is the Vice President of Business Development at Taylor Strategy Partners.

Yoga has provided focus and calm to Angie when the world has been fierce. It has taught her to look beyond herself and her desire to be perfect, and to know that everyday is a gift and a practice. Yoga has been life changing to Angie and her work with A.I.M. to Empower allows her to support others in experiencing all of the benefits she has found in the practice. Providing yoga to the people of the community that is so often overlooked and underserved is a gift that is personally meaningful to Angie. She says A.I.M. to Empower “gives the gift of getting curious, being intentional, and being up to something bigger than yourself.” Angie’s favorite quote is, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do/ with your one wild and precious life?” - Mary Oliver.

Ruth was invited to join the board in 2020. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Pennsylvania State University. Ruth is currently working as a contractor for The Hershey Company in the packaging department, but she’s had a variety of administrative experiences over the course of her career.

Ruth believes that yoga, combined with daily meditation is a wholesome, rewarding, and yet challenging way to enrich people’s daily lives. She says that, “Every day Yoga changes lives, from the guides who lead classes, to the people participating in the classes, and the people like me who are motivated to spread the message of A.I.M. to Empower in the community.” The personal growth skills that yoga provides her are assets in practicing patience in her daily life. It is vital to her that she honors the time for her own practice as yoga serves her body, and meditation serves her mind so that she may have a clear path for setting intentions. A favorite quote of hers is, “The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return,” -Nature Boy.

Roxanne became a board member in January of 2020 and currently holds the Treasurer’s position.

She earned her accounting degree from Elizabethtown College as an adult learner while working full time at Tait Towers. She has also taken continuing education courses through Drexel University to hone her skills in specific areas of interest. While at Tait, her career evolved into the Executive Administrator of Financial Accounting Management position. Throughout her 17 years with the company, she helped to grow the employee base from an initial 35 people, to over 350 employees at the time she left her position in 2014.

Yoga and meditation helped Roxanne shift her once negative perceptions of herself and rid herself of her perceived mental and physical limitations. The practice has helped her recognize that we all bring our own unique capabilities, talents, and curiosities to any situation. She is happy to be a part of spreading the message to the underserved people in our communities through A.I.M. to Empower!

She finds the following quote to be true to own life: “Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.”
Margaret J. Wheatley

Debbie has sat on the A.I.M. to Empower board since 2018. She has earned a Bachelor of Science from East Stroudsburg University, a Master's of Health Science from Penn State University, and a School Administration/Principal certification from Shippensburg University. Debbie worked for over 30 years in education as a teacher and a school administrator, but has since retired.

Yoga and meditation practices have impacted her life in the sense that they have created opportunities for her continued personal growth and her physical and mental well-being. She is always happy to get on her mat and to do community building through A.I.M. to Empower. Debbie says that the organization and the work that it does is important to her because, “the surrounding community benefits from the innumerable ways that practicing yoga can positively affect a person’s physical and mental state”. Yoga itself means “union” and to Debbie, yogis practice individually and collectively to be whole in the truest sense of the word. She holds a Maya Angelou quote very near to her: "I learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Charles Humphreville has been a board member since July 2019. He has a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering Technology and a background in Service Operations and Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment in Silicon Valley.

Charles has used yoga to optimize his physical health with the strength, aerobics, and flexibility training that the practice provides. He also sees how the mental relaxation he experiences while practicing has positively impacted his life. His position on the A.I.M. to Empower board is of great importance to him, as he enjoys using his specified skills to support the underserved populations of the community. A favorite quote of his is the following: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks," -William Shakespeare (Act 3, Scene 2 of the play, Hamlet).

Sandra joined the A.I.M. to Empower team in January of 2019. Sandra has a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in information systems/project management. After earning her degree, she went on to work as a Management Consultant with Ernst and Young, then worked as a Project Manager at Armstrong World Industries. Sandra is also a Professional Life Coach and Leadership Coach.

As Sandra delved into yoga and meditation she realized that she had for years believed that having a high pain tolerance was a badge of honor. Through her practice she was able to let go of that belief and see that it had been keeping her “tuned out” from her body. Once she “tuned in to” her body and breath she found a new sense of empowerment, stillness of mind, and calmness of heart. The gift of yoga has brought clarity and wisdom into her life and she wishes to share this gift with others. Sandra sees how breath connects all of our experiences and how with breath, we can become whole within ourselves and in relation to others. A favorite quote of hers is one from Anodea Judith, which says, “We have power when we live authentically, when we reach inside ourselves and tell the naked truth.”

Cindy has been an A.I.M. to Empower board member since January of 2020. She graduated from Franklin & Marshall College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1996. Cindy received her Juris Doctor degree in 1999 from the American University Washington College of Law. She has since worked as a Civil Litigation Attorney for the last 21 years.

Cindy’s profession demands constant conflict and divisiveness but yoga and meditation have provided her with the balance needed to center her mind and body. The practice of yoga has given her the ability to see and have access to mindful, cooperative efforts that better the community at large. A.I.M. to Empower is important to Cindy because the organization is helping to get rid of the misconception that yoga is only meant for a certain subset of people. Cindy says that A.I.M. to Empower, “breaks the mold and embraces the fact that yoga, meditation, and self inquiry can benefit anyone who is open to growth and discovering their potential”. Cindy holds a quote by Charles Swindol in high esteem: it says, "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

Renie joined the A.I.M. to Empower board in 2020. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College and a Masters degree in Education from Lehigh University. Renie is a community volunteer, former educator, and the owner and designer of RenieB Jewelry Designs.

Renie has watched how A.I.M. to Empower’s efforts have shown people how beneficial yoga can be to their overall wellbeing and she looks forward to helping reach more of the underserved people in her community. Renie says that yoga has transformed her way of being. She has used the practice as a tool to increase her flexibility, strength, energy levels, creativity, and mindfulness; all while reducing stress. A favorite quote of Renie’s states, “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched- they must be felt with the heart.”

Reuban has been a board member since 2019. He works as a Business/Financial Services Manager at Lancaster Toyota and has a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Business Administration.

A.I.M. to Empower is important to Reuban because it introduces the practice of Yoga to people that cannot afford the luxury of going to a traditional yoga studio. He values the fact that through the organization, all people can enjoy the benefits of practicing yoga despite any financial, physical, or legal limitations they might have. He has seen that yoga has made his body more flexible and has benefitted from the physical aspects of the practice. But he believes that the inner peace he’s found in yoga has made him a better person. He is now a person that smiles more, one that strives to be a better community member, one that wants to serve other people, and one that sees how Yoga can ignite this change in everyone. A favorite quote of his is one from Carl Bard: “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”

Jennifer became a member of the A.I.M. to Empower board in 2020. She has received a bachelor’s degree and a certificate of Key Executive Leadership in Government. Jennifer served as the Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Currently, she is the Senior Director of Operations at a health insurance company.

Like so many others, yoga and meditation have transformed Jennifer’s life as she knew it. Her practice has increased her strength, flexibility, and reduced her stress. Jennifer’s believes, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” - Gandhi