Current Board Members
Marilyn Carpenter
OMA Secretary
Marilyn is excited to work with OMA with interests to support personal development and education for all ages and youth STEM programs. She is a teaching member of Alexander Technique International, a Reiki practitioner, a Seimei practitioner, and has studied T’ai Chi Ch’un since 1996. Her long-term interests in holistic wellness, healing, and personal development have led down a variety of paths, some by foot and others through self-exploration and learning from others.
Marilyn has been in service with Westinghouse and Emerson Power & Water Solutions in Pittsburgh since 1979. Starting as a Field Engineer with a BSEE from The Ohio State University, she began commissioning data acquisition and control systems in the USA. Whether a troubleshooting assignment or project execution with time and budget constraints in the USA or at International sites, these assignments present opportunities to learn and meet people from different backgrounds.
Gail Hunter, LCSW, BCD
OMA President of the Board, and Founding Member
Gail has been in Private Practice as a psychotherapist in the Pittsburgh area since 1979 and is a holistic practitioner using EMDR, Brainspotting, Reiki, Source Point Therapy, ‘Bars’, Theta Healing, TFT, EFT and other Energy Techniques. Gail is a Founding Member and the President of the Board of Directors for OMA. She is a holistic practitioner and has always believed in everyone’s inner capacity to heal into life, to remember the ‘truth’ of who we are innately and the abundance of possibilities we can create. She loves to spend time with her family,friends and pets, and she enjoys Swing/Lindy hop dancing, gardening, and fitness.
LaVerne Baker Hotep
LaVerne Baker Hotep is an Intuitive Numerologist, human potential expert, and founder of Numerology for Enlightened Living™, a consultancy specializing in helping women world-wide align with their personal and universal soul purpose and reclaim their innate, natural gifts and talents though the ancient art and science of Numerology.
With over thirty years of research and practice, Numerology is LaVerne’s passion, and sharing Numerology is her purpose. Her goal is to contribute to the creation of a better world for all by using Numerology to illuminate the path of anyone who seeks to live a more enlightened life
LaVerne is the founder and CEO of WELLWoman Retreat™, which she hosts locally and in Belize, Central America; producer and host of the podcast, Black Girl Back Talk™: Conversations on Racial Bias from Girlhood to Womanhood, and a featured author in the Amazon best seller, Women Connected in Wisdom: Stories and Resources Rooted in the 8 Dimensions of Wellness.
LaVerne Baker Hotep is also a Program Coordinator for the Traumatic Stress Institute of the Klingberg Family Centers, located in New Britain, Connecticut. She provides virtual and in-person training, consultation and coaching related to trauma-informed care, managing a portfolio of national client agencies implementing TSI’s Whole Systems Change Model to Trauma-Informed Care.
John Maletta
OMA Webmaster
John is a retired computer software engineer, however remains productive with web design and development and various volunteer activities including business consulting and marketing for nonprofit groups. John has eclectic interests including music, swing dancing, drumming, drawing and hiking to name a few, and for several years cared for his elderly Mom who lived with him until reaching 102 years of age. John has joined in OMA’s journey, which stems from his long-time interests in holistic health and well-being, as well as his love for nature and inner-connectedness to the Earth and environment, including all living things. John enjoys helping out OMA, particularly with its lecture series and outreach activities.
Mai Nguyen
Mai Nguyen was born and raised in Hanoi Vietnam. With a Masters degree in Healthcare Management at Chatham University in Pittsburgh in 2013, she has directed her career toward social work and mental health. She worked in these areas in Vietnam for two years to realize how crucial it is to have a comprehensive mental health approach that focuses on community, education and prevention. Since 2017 her passion and commitment for mental health grew stronger and deeper when she began studying trauma and working in crisis counseling. She has done profound research on trauma, particularly the approach Compassionate Inquiry which is developed and taught by Dr. Gabor Mate. For Mai, this approach has opened up a pathway to a better critical understanding on mental health problems and hence the significance of trauma-informed care. She desires to create educational programs for parents and families with the goal of raising awareness of trauma in parenting and supporting children through a traumatized stressful culture. Mai Nguyen is now living in Pittsburgh with her husband and is the mother of two boys.
Anita Russell
Anita D Russell was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Her fluid life spans multiple disciplines, including academic research, pharmaceutical R&D, learning and development, web design, e-learning design, and youth and community leadership. Now working independently, Anita is the founder and creator of The Place to SOAR LLC, a social enterprise that includes the SOAR Coaching Academy. As a John Maxwell Certified Life Coach, Anita’s coaching practice focuses on four key areas of personal development – living intentionally, inspiring growth, fostering connection, and nurturing leadership. In addition, she is developing SOAR Travel Ministry, a membership-based approach to introducing teens to the concept of voluntourism. Anita is also a published author. She was first published as a contributing author in Motherhood Dreams and Success: You can Have It All, an anthology filled with inspiration and wisdom by a diverse group of women from around the world. She is currently working on a second anthology on empowerment and a spiritual memoir chronicling her journey of spiritual development.
Anna Smith
Anna Smith is the Healing Arts Director at Mind Dojo, Reiki Master Practitioner and Teacher, Sound Healing Practitioner, Certified Sound Reiki Practitioner, Death Doula, Womb Keeper, Founder of GreenWitch Village, and Co-Author of The Art of Healing. As Healing Arts Director, she helps individuals connect the mind, body, and spirit by offering holistic modalities to clinical clients who attend IOPs as well as individual sessions. Providing understanding, accessibility and experiences to some who may have not had the opportunity to be empowered to assist in their own healing, is her passion.
Anna attained the Third Degree Master Practitioner Level Certification and the Master Teacher Level in the Usui System of Natural Healing, and practices and teaches Trauma Informed Reiki. The healing of trauma through holistic modalities has been the life changing shift that has motivated her to share it with others, especially those who have experienced trauma.
Amit Tiwary
OMA Treasurer
Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Pittsburgh since 5 ½ years old, Amit attended Fox Chapel area schools, competing nationally in speech and debate and attending Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Health Care. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree from Emory University in Asian Studies and Religion.
Progress in meditation completely changed his life in 2003. Different ways of healing from trauma have become a lifelong passion and goal for him. He became a Reiki master in Intuitive Reiki in 2008.
Amit has interests in Poetry, Writing, Chanting, Energy Work, Intuitive Work, Healing, Prayer, Meditation, Gardening, Cooking, and Languages.
Who am I?
But a reflection of your image
Words don’t define me
My love for you and feeling your presence
That defines me.
May I fully heal
May I fully be me
May I present to the world who I truly am
And be fully free.
Leza Vivio
Events Manager & Marketing Consultant
Leza Vivio is known widely as an inspirational speaker, a Practical Mystic, and the owner of Sacred Center You, and the co-founder of Sacred Soul Mystery School of Divine Wisdom. She is perhaps best known as a certified vibrational sound healer and has performed sound healing ceremonies from salt caves to sacred sites. Leza is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Professional. In addition to degrees in Philosophy and Counseling Psychology, Leza holds honorary doctorates in both Divinity and Sacred Music. She has a passion for both the scientific and intuitive, the practical and the mystical… She enjoys finding the bridges between these worlds and making them accessible to the seeker. For the last two decades, her mission has been assisting individuals find their path to personal growth and wellness by improving their awareness, understanding, and adaptability to change.