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Our Committees

Our committee members are volunteers who advise Yoga Alliance® as representatives of the yoga community. Annually, Yoga Alliance staff will reach out to the community to solicit and select members.

Interested in joining a committee? Fill out this quick survey and we'll let you know if and when we're seeking new committee members.

Advisory Council

Members of the Advisory Council may participate in an advisory capacity in board meetings or committee meetings at the request of the chairman of the board. They may also serve as representatives of Yoga Alliance in advocacy efforts, meetings with members or as otherwise specifically requested.

The members of the Advisory Council are:

  • Roger Rippy, E-RYT 500, Houston, TX

Education Committee

The Education Committee is a special committee that serves to advise Yoga Alliance staff and board of directors on education and outreach initiatives. The Committee shall serve as a sounding board for staff to vet ideas for new educational programming and will advise the board on strategic directions for programming efforts.

The Education Committee consists of:

  • Swami Asokananda, E-RYT 500, YACEP, New York, NY, committee chair, board member
  • Kellie Adkins, E-RYT 500, RPYT, RCYT, Fruitland Park, FL
  • Jason Campbell, E-RYT 500, Sun City West, AZ
  • Traci Cooley, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP, Dubuque, IA
  • Dawn Curtis, E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, Vienna, VA
  • Joan Dwyer, RYT 200, Providence, RI
  • Staffan Elgelid, RYT 500, Pittsford, NY, board member
  • Brandon Hartsell, E-RYT 500, Dallas, TX, ex officio board member
  • Julie Holman, RYT 200, Phoenix, AZ
  • Prashant Joshi, E-RYT 500, Austin, TX
  • Tyler Mongan, RYT 200, Honolulu, HI
  • Sherry Zak Morris, E-RYT 200, YACEP, Vista, CA
  • Dave Sims, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, Indianapolis, IN
  • Charlotte Raich, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP, staff liaison
  • Barbara Dobberthien, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

Governance Committee

The board-appointed Governance Committee will recruit new directors with the goal of ensuring that each director possesses the requisite qualifications and experience to carry out his or her responsibilities for Yoga Alliance. Additionally, the Governance Committee shall assess the board’s current composition and identify missing characteristics, draft a recruitment plan and continuously cultivate new prospects, develop job descriptions for directors, orient new directors and continue to educate all directors on their responsibilities, and ensure that the board regularly engages in self-assessment. 

The Governance Committee consists of:

  • Arun Tilak, E-RYT 500, Lawton, OK, committee chair, board member
  • Brandon Hartsell, E-RYT 500, Dallas, TX, board member
  • Marion "Mugs" McConnell, E-RYT 500, YACEP, British Columbia, Canada board member
  • Gyandev R. McCord, E-RYT 500, Nevada City, CA, board member
  • David Pryor Jr., Washington, D.C., board member
  • Andrew Tanner, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Boston, MA, Yoga Alliance Chief Ambassador

Member Benefits Committee

The Member Benefits Committee is a standing committee that supports Yoga Alliance by providing comprehensive and critical product and vendor review for associate vendor memberships, partnerships and endorsements. Part of the review process includes evaluating each company for socially conscious business practices. 

The Member Benefits Committee consists of:

  • Terri McDermott, E-RYT 200, Traverse City, MI, committee chair, board member
  • Blaine Carter, RYT 200, Enfield, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Brandon Hartsell, E-RYT 500, Dallas, TX, ex officio board member
  • Rachel Hirsch, RYT 200, Chicago, IL
  • David Pyror, Jr. Washington, DC, board member
  • Leslie Simionescu, RYT 200, Traverse City, MI
  • Erin Thomas, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP, Bloomington, IN
  • Rob Walker, E-RYT 500, Calgary, Alberta
  • Katrina Whelchel, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Weddington, NC
  • Charlotte Raich, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP, staff liaison
  • Barbara Dobberthien, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

Yoga Alliance Foundation Committee

The Yoga Alliance Foundation Committee serves to provide guidance to Yoga Alliance Registry (YAR) board of directors and staff on Foundation activities and initiatives. It shall serve as an advisory group for staff regarding ideas for new and existing Foundation programming, and strategic direction. The committee will also assist in the review and awarding of Foundation scholarships and grants, and will facilitate fundraising efforts and initiatives.

The Yoga Alliance Foundation Committee consists of:

  • David Pryor Jr., Washington D.C., committee chair, board member
  • Brandon Hartsell, E-RYT 500, Dallas, TX, ex officio board member
  • Arun Tilak, E-RYT 500, Oklahoma City, OK, board member
  • Hilary Mughloo, staff liaison
  • Barbara Dobberthien, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

Standards Committee

The Standards Committee is a standing committee that provides ongoing recommendations and counsel regarding the development, evolution and clarity of Standards for Yoga Alliance’s credentialing process. Members are selected for two-year terms and are expected to represent the broader community’s interest and not one particular school or area of yoga teaching or standards. They are:

  • Gyandev R. McCord, E-RYT 500, Nevada City, CA, committee chair, board member
  • Deborah T. Bennett, E-RYT 200, RCYT, Bowling Green, VA
  • Melissa Cooper, RYT 200, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Mark Drost, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Brandon Hartsell, E-RYT 500, Dallas, TX, ex officio board member
  • Kerry Maiorca, E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, Chicago, IL, board member
  • Jacinta McBurney, E-RYT 500,  Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  • Marion (Mugs) McConnell, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Scotch Creek, British Columbia, Canada, board member
  • Amani Murray, E-RYT 500; RPYT, Charlotte, NC
  • Roger Rippy, E-RYT 500, Houston, TX
  • Cindy Jeffers, E-RYT 500, staff liaison
  • Barbara Dobberthien, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

Standards Specialty Subcommittee

  • Charlotte Raich, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP, subcommittee chair and staff liaison
  • Deborah T. Bennett, E-RYT 200, RCYT, Bowling Green, VA
  • Melissa Cooper, RYT 200, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Kerry Maiorca, E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, Chicago, IL, board member
  • Jacinta McBurney, E-RYT 500, Edinburg, United Kingdom
  • Amani Murray, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, RPYT, Charlotte, NC


Advisory Group to the Standards Committee

The Advisory Group includes a broad cross-section of YA’s registrants, in addition to members of the yoga community who may not be eligible for YA registration at this time, from whom the Standards Committee and subcommittees solicit feedback on Standards issues. Intended to represent the diversity of experience and interests from across the extensive spectrum of yoga traditions, the Advisory Group consists of: 

  • Kellie Adkins, E-RYT 500, RPYT, RCYT, Fruitland Park, FL
  • Nancy P. Alder, E-RYT 200, RYT 500,YACEP, Mansfield, CT
  • Barbara D. Altshuler-Pacheco, E-RYT 500, RPYT, RCYT, YACEP, Addison, TX
  • Bea Ammidown, E-RYT 500 Santa Monica, CA
  • Monica Angelucci, E-RYT 200, Prague, Czech Republic
  • Lisa J. Babiuk, E-RYT 500, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
  • Lara Benusis, E-RYT 500, RCYT, Long Island, NY
  • Kitty Blincoe, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP, Mahwah, NJ
  • Chase Bossart, E-RYT 500, YACEP, San Francisco, CA
  • Carol S. Bowman, E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP, Pomona, NY
  • Ashley K. Brennan, E-RYT 200, Raleigh, NC
  • J. Brown, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Brooklyn, NY
  • Courtney Butler, E-RYT 500, RPYT, RCYT, YACEP, Hot Springs, AR
  • Patricia Callahan, E-RYT 500, RPYT, RCYT, YACEP, Fuquay Varina, NC
  • Giselle Campagna, Denver, CO
  • Francesca Cervero, E-RYT 200, Brooklyn, NY
  • Jasmine Chehrazi, E-RYT 500, Washington, DC
  • Ilene M. Cohen, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, New York, NY
  • Justine Cohen, Newton, MA
  • Pierre Couvillion, E-RYT 500, Indianapolis, IN 
  • Dawn Curtis, E-RYT 500,  RPYT, YACEP,Vienna, VA
  • Hari-kirtana Das, E-RYT 500, Washington, DC
  • Nicole DeAvilla, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP, Kentfield, CA
  • Leslie J. Denny, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Oceanside, CA
  • Arun Deva, E-RYT 500, Los Angeles, CA
  • Ganga Devi, E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, London, England
  • Jean Di Carlo-Wagner, E-RYT 500, San Diego, CA
  • Joanna M. Dunn, E-RYT 500, RPYT, Leavenworth, WA
  • Deni Ehrenberg, RYT 200, Columbus, OH
  • Gyl Elliott, Arcadia, CA
  • Tara Engeran, E-RYT 500, New Orleans, LA
  • Aly Faber, E-RYT 200, Charlotte, NC
  • Irene Flores, E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, Chicago, IL
  • Ally L. Ford, E-RYT 200, YACEP, Clearwater, FL
  • Suzanne Garacochea, Charleston, SC
  • Lori Gaspar, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Glen Ellyn, IL
  • Cathy Geier, Seattle, WA
  • Leslie M. Glickman, E-RYT 500, YACEP, South Boca Raton, FL
  • Jasmine Grace, E-RYT 500, Columbus, OH
  • Sharon Greenspan, RYT 200, Virginia Beach, VA
  • Kim Grether Salloux, RYT 200, Livingston, MT
  • Britty L. Hamby, Austin, TX
  • Becca Hewes, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Norman, OK
  • Marianne Hritz, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP, Canfield, OH
  • Angela L. Hubbs, New York, NY
  • Jessica Jennings, Los Angeles, CA
  • Nicole Cyrille Joseph, E-RYT 500, Nashville, TN
  • Alan M. Kaye, Woodland Hills, CA
  • Katherine King, RYT 200, Burlington, MA
  • Christopher J. Kourtinatos, E-RYT 500, Tubingen, Germany
  • Amy Kraft, E-RYT 500, Scottsdale, AZ
  • Carol Krucoff, E-RYT 500, Chapel Hill, NC
  • Eduardo Krumholz, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, Monument, CO
  • James A. Kulackoski, E-RYT 500, YACEP Chicago, IL
  • Claudine LaRochelle, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
  • Suzanne E. Leitner-Wise, Alexandria, VA
  • Darren Main, E-RYT 500, San Francisco, CA
  • Elizabeth K. Mayotte, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, Clarksville, MD
  • Catherine (Cassie) A. McClellan,  Amelia Island, FL
  • John (JP) P. McClellan, E-RYT 200, YACEP, Amelia Island, FL
  • Victoria McColm, Savannah, GA
  • Terri McDermott, E-RYT 200, Traverse City, MI
  • Linda S. McGrath, E-RYT 500, Los Gatos, CA
  • Lisa M. McQuade, E-RYT 500, Charleston, SC
  • Hali D.J. McQuillan, E-RYT 200, YACEP, Okotoks, Alberta, Canada
  • Surendra Mehta, Diamond Bar, CA 
  • Barbara Metzdorff, E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP, Santa Fe, NM
  • Jennifer Kaya Mindlin, E-RYT 500, RPYT, Sacramento, CA
  • Tejvinder S. Monga, E-RYT 500, RCYT, Dallas, TX
  • Stuart F. Moody, RYT 200, San Rafael, CA
  • Sherry Zak Morris, E-RYT 200, YACEP, Vista, CA
  • Karen K. Moss, E-RYT 500, Memphis, TN
  • Barbara A. Murray, RYT 500, Cardiff, CA
  • Arielle Nash, E-RYT 500, RPYT, Glenburnie, Ontario
  • David Nelson, E-RYT 200, San Francisco, CA
  • Gwen M. O'Hanlon, E-RYT 200, West New York, NJ
  • Jennifer L. O'Sullivan, Alexandria, VA
  • Annie Okerlin, Tampa, FL
  • Darryl Olive, E-RYT 500, Kansas City, MO
  • Gene Ore, RYT 200, Miami, FL
  • Kymber Owens, Asheville, NC
  • Anne Phyfe Palmer, RPYT, Seattle, WA
  • Michael Plasha, E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, Erie, PA
  • Maureen Priest, E-RYT 200, Skippack, PA
  • Jennifer S. Prugh, E-RYT 500, San Jose, CA
  • Annie Quagliaroli, E-RYT 500, South Windsor, CT
  • Mimi Ray, E-RYT 500, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Marisa Robinson, RYT 200, Elgin, IL
  • Susanne J. Robinson, East Longmeadow, MA
  • Kathleen G. Santor, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Henderson, NV
  • Linda K. Schlesinger-Gessner, Folsom, CA
  • Lillah A. Schwartz, E-RYT 500, Asheville, NC
  • Natalie Seagraves, Santa Rosa, CA
  • Kim Shand, E-RYT 500, Mountain Lakes, NJ
  • Sanjeeta K. Sharma, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, La Puente, CA
  • Dave Sims, E-RYT 500, Indianapolis, IN
  • Jessica S. Tague, Chicago, IL
  • Kaye Temples Yarbrough, E-RYT 500, RPYT, RCYT, Raleigh, NC
  • Erin Thomas, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP, Bloomington, IN
  • Laura K. Thompson, Ogden, UT
  • Therese Tibbits, Irvine, CA
  • Antoine Tinawi, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada
  • Thalia Tooke, San Francisco, CA
  • Kenneth W. Toy, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Hampton, NH
  • Dawn Trapp, Boise, ID
  • Carrie Tyler, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Newburyport, MA
  • Noeleen Tyrrell, E-RYT 200, YACEP, Co. Leitrim, Ireland
  • Rob Walker, E-RYT 500, Calgary, AB
  • Karen Walsh, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP, Flemington, NJ
  • Judy Weaver, E-RYT 500, Lighthouse Point, FL
  • MaryLou Webb, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Springfield, MO
  • Cora Wen, E-RYT 500, YACEP, San Jose, CA
  • Katrina W. Whelchel, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Weddington, NC
  • Julie M. Whitbeck-Lewinski, Cranberry Township, PA
  • Sue Woodd, E-RYT 200, YACEP, Surrey, United Kingdom
  • Debbie L. Woods, E-RYT 200, YACEP, Glenview, IL




Copyright 2016 by Yoga Alliance