Our workshop leaders are women with varied professional backgrounds that include some type of experience as an adult educator. They are graduates of our entire curriculum and are passionate about women having the benefit of the information we provide. They’ve demonstrated this passion through years of courageous growth, commitment to others and consistent effort in fulfilling PAX’s mission.
PAX’s workshop leaders are dedicated to promoting peace between women and men, and to supporting fun, nurturing and satisfying relationships in all contexts. They have used, tested and validated what they teach in their own lives, making them able to provide real, often poignant, examples of the benefits of understanding men.
Creator of the Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® workshop series and author of Keys to the Kingdom and Making Sense of Men ~ A Woman's Guide to a Lifetime of Love, Care and Attention from All Men. Her third book, Transforming the Frog Farmer will be published in 2012. Leads: Understanding Women: Unlock the Mystery™, the PAX Mastery & Leadership Program, Embracing the Queen (the advanced Queen course), Core Partnership and Core Leadership (the Colorado “Horse Courses”), Partnership By Design, and an occasional Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® workshop and introductory Making Sense of Men™ seminar.
Since 1982, Alison has been leading transformational programs at various organizations including: The Hunger Project, The Education Network and Landmark Education Corporation. She has been training others to facilitate growth, healing and transformation since 1989. PAX's programs are based on her passion for transformation and nearly two decades of studying men and women. Read more about PAX's co-founder.
Leads: Making Sense of Men™, Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®.
Shadee Ardalan has been leading the Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® workshop since 2007. Besides leading programs for PAX, Shadee also champions self-expression as it relates to beauty, both as a make-up artist and an assistant to a celebrity clothing stylist. From working in finance to film to fashion, Shadee brings a unique experience to her workshops that graduates praise as easy to understand, fun, empathetic and inspirational. Her unique name comes from her Persian heritage and means “happy” in Farsi. Shadee lives in Marina Del Rey, CA.
Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®.
ML has always been fascinated by learning. She graduated with a degree in Religious Studies from Brown University in her hometown of Providence, Rhode Island. Then she discovered songwriting and performing and took classes in pastel portraiture, developing a unique artistic flair. She studied French, German, Spanish, Latin, and Greek so she would always feel connected wherever she went.
ML’s commitment to teaching is equally strong. After taking the Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women workshop in California in 2007, ML knew this valuable information needed to be offered in her home state of Texas. She eagerly finished the curriculum and threw herself wholeheartedly into the PAX Mastery & Leadership Program, commuting from Texas all the while.
She is proud to lead for PAX because it offers ”the best adult-education out there.“ She sees PAX’s curriculum as filling a void in our childhood education which never touched on partnership (except in square-dancing class). She is committed to bringing relief and hope to women and men. Her passionate delivery and unique sense of humor always make the workshops she leads fun and memorable.
Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®.
Young at heart and wise in spirit, when you first meet Rachelle you will realize that she is a natural when it comes to creating partnerships that really work. Born and raised in Southern California, she currently resides in San Diego with her husband, Dennis. As graduate of higher education, transformational work and seminars since 1999, she has spent thousands of hours in this field volunteering, inspiring and championing the dreams of others.
Her journey to PAX started in 2005 when her frustration with the men in her workplace, her father, brother and more specifically, her then boyfriend, Dennis led her to the Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® workshop. Immediately after attending her first course she fell in love with the information, was happy with the ease of applying what she learned and had better results with the men in her life.
As one of the first to complete the arduous PAX Leadership Training program, she has become a significant member to the PAX body as a workshop leader, and San Diego's community leader. Armed with her experience and knowledge of the work, she looks to expand her dream by someday bringing PAX Programs to the Philippines.
With the love and passion of the PAX information, and the difference it has made in her own life, Rachelle brings a sense of grace, enthusiasm, and fun to every workshop she leads. It is easy to see that Rachelle “walks the talk” everyday as evidenced by her amazing partnerships with the men around her, creating an uncommon harmony in her life, her business, and her communities.
Co-leads: A Hero's Challenge: Being An Extraordinary Man™.
Pete Farmer, M.D. has always enjoyed collaborating with men to produce extraordinary results including leading a trauma team and working with SEAL TEAM in Vietnam, being a volunteer policeman and practicing and teaching Emergency Medicine for over 25 years. He has been involved in personal and professional development for over 30 years and credits what he has learned from Alison Armstrong and PAX over the last 6 years as having made more of a difference for him personally than anything he had ever done. He is very excited about the opportunity to share this difference-making information with all men because of the freedom they will experience to be extraordinary in fulfilling whatever is most important to them.
Graphic designer and member of the New York Celebrating Men community. Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® with her husband, Michael.
Bette is a life-long New Yorker; she loves the East Coast buzz and frenetic energy available with or without coffee. To slow down, Bette loses herself in crafts such as rubber stamping, handmade paper, collage, and mosaics.
A graphic designer for almost three decades, she created Cowles Graphic Design in 1997. In 2004, Bette’s husband Michael (see below) left corporate America to join her, bringing web development, marketing and copywriting skills with him. Bette is proud to have PAX Programs as a client, having designed numerous book and CD covers and this website.
Bette and Michael’s relationship exemplifies the wonderful results the workshop offers its participants. As co-leaders of Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women, they display the partnership made possible by PAX.
“I’m always applying what I learned from PAX. Because Michael and I work side by side, we’re together almost twenty-four hours a day, and while challenges present themselves, none are insurmountable. After being married over a decade, we are happier and more in love than ever.”
Marketing and technology professional and member of the New York Celebrating Men community. Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® with his wife, Bette.
Michael is also a native New Yorker. He studied photography at Rochester Institute of Technology, served as a United States Marine during the Vietnam War, enjoyed multiple careers in fine jewelry manufacturing, custom software development, banking consulting and software sales. When he joined Bette in Cowles Graphic Design he added his marketing and technology skills to their offering.
Though he doesn’t do either as often as he’d like, Michael’s lifelong passions for SCUBA diving and race car driving are unabated. The two environments are polar opposites but both provide their own kind of beauty, joy and excitement. Michael also runs marathons, bicycles and spends hours persuading computers to do his bidding.
“Leading Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women with Bette may be the single most satisfying and important thing I’ve ever done” says Michael. “Our partnership as PAX workshop leaders is an expression of our love and partnership within our marriage.”
Artist and senior team member of the New York Celebrating Men community. Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® and Celebrating Women: Regarding Ecstasy & Power™.
Kathryn is a professional artist whose passion for PAX and sharing her vision with other women is a calling that takes her out of the studio and off her mountain retreat in upstate New York. Kathryn’s love of green, open spaces began in Wisconsin while growing up on her family’s golf course.
In 1978, while attending the University of Wisconsin, Kathryn married the love of her life, Michael Jaliman. In 1986 she created her greatest masterpiece, her son, David Gabriel. Since then she has lived on the east and west coasts of the U.S., and in other countries around the world. Her favorite home was a cave in the foothills of the Himalayas in Northern India. The past 30 years have also been a journey on a different plane for Kathryn, who has studied with masters from many of the world’s different religious traditions.
Kathryn holds a degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a MA in Fine Arts from Lesley College in Cambridge, MA. She has worked for the late inventor and visionary R. Buckminster Fuller, led graduate courses on relationships for LTL Education Corporation, and taught art appreciation at the Fogg Museum at Harvard College.
In 2001, an email from a friend prompted Kathryn’s participation in her first PAX workshop. Merely reading the title Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women was sufficient motivation for Kathryn to immediately enroll. “When I stepped into that hotel room and the world of PAX, I knew that I was home!”
As an artist and as a PAX Workshop Leader, Kathryn invests her creativity, generosity, spirit and fun. Anyone who has attended a workshop led by Kathryn knows how deeply committed she is to this work, and how compassionately and graciously she shares herself with everyone in the room.
Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®.
Susan, although born in Ohio, considers herself a native Californian where she's lived since she was 3 months old. She has lived up and down the coast of California, Honolulu, Boston, and Hong Kong. Susan currently resides in Northern California with her best friend, life partner, and husband Mort and their two daughters, Ella and Amelie. Susan loves being a “stay-at-home” mom and treasures all the silliness children provide.
As the youngest of five children, Susan grew up being the peacemaker. She's always had a passion for helping people more peaceful and loving lives. She received a degree in Psychology from San Francisco State and went on to obtain a Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology from San Jose State University. She enjoyed working in Human Resources where she found her true passion of healing relationships, or “peacemaking.”
When she took the Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® workshop in 2003, she knew she wanted to work for PAX someday. In 2006 while living in Hong Kong, Susan joined the very first PAX Mastery and Leadership program. With the opportunity to teach people from over 10 different countries, she realized the PAX information transcends cultural boundaries. With this, she was even more excited about the possibilities that this body of work provides. Leading for PAX gives her the opportunity to create peace between men and women, and allow for more love in their lives.
Participants in Susan's workshops are comforted by her humility and love her authenticity, compassion, and vibrancy for life.
Marketing and PR Manager: Making of Sense of Men™ seminars, PAX Affiliate Program, Strategic Partnerships. Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®
Originally from the mid-west and east coast, Patrice moved to California in 1984 and attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, graduating with a BS in Business Administration. After 15 years in the corporate world with companies such as Pepsi-Co and HBO, she decided to shed her suits and dive into world of transformational education. "It was a calling that I was compelled to answer. In fact, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made." She adds, "PAX Programs has helped me to become a happy, satisfied woman and I am eternally grateful for my transformation. I am a strong, powerful woman who loves and respects men. And the icing on the cake is that I am adored, respected and cherished by men wherever I go!"
Family is Patrice's top priority and she is very close with her immediate and extended family. An animal rights advocate, Patrice is the proud owner of Princess, a feisty pound kitty, and an "aunt" to her sister's dog, Bailey. "It's funny. People come over and see Bailey, the 75lb Labrador and ask, "does he bite?" We laugh and say, "no, but the cat does!" Patrice is also passionate about swimming, music, dancing and knitting.
Only July 23, 2010, Patrice married Victor Raimi who hails from Lagos, Nigeria. "We met in January and wed in July. It was as if God finally put us in front of each other and said, "walk the rest of this life together." They are happily married and thanks to PAX Programs, have the tools to develop a peaceful partnership that they celebrate every day.
Source of the San Francisco and Portland Celebrating Men communities. Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®, Celebrating Men & Marriage™, Celebrating Women: Regarding Ecstasy & Power™, and Co-Leads the PAX Mastery & Leadership Program with Alison Armstrong.
Born in Utah, Jaime grew up in many parts of the United States including Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Illinois and California. As a history major at San Francisco State University, Jaime spent two semesters abroad in Africa and Australia, where she discovered her true passion for learning was in meeting and experiencing people and places.
Jaime has been involved in transformational work since 1994 including being a Staff Member for Landmark Education Corporation. In 1999, Jaime participated in her first PAX workshop on the recommendation of a friend. Quickly seeing the impact on her life, Jaime became dedicated to women having the information available at PAX and saw that leading the courses would be a way of fulfilling her vision of peace.
Jaime is married to her best friend and partner in life, Seth. Together they have two sons, Cole and Max. They also have a Chocolate Lab named Abbie, who is not human but don’t tell them that!
Jaime has been a leading workshops for PAX since 2002. Pronounced “Jamie,” she was named for the French words that mean “I love.” Graduates concur how fitting is her name and also appreciate the warmth, humor and clarity Jaime provides.
Travel Industry Business Owner, Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® and Celebrating Men & Sex™.
Wendy resides in Oakland, California where she owns and operates Stay Sonoma, a regionally-based travel company in California Wine Country.
Wendy has been involved in transformational work since 1991. She participated in the Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® workshop in 2002, and immediately knew PAX was a match for her. She joined the PAX team as a Workshop Manager, and soon realized she was inspired to lead PAX courses.
Wendy is passionate about people feeling uninhibited and free in their lives - gaining freedom from the pressures of our culture, from the compulsion to conform, and from the limitations we place on ourselves. As a PAX leader, she feels honored to be able to make a difference in this area.
Graduates of workshops led by Wendy find her to be clear, compassionate, humorous and unafraid to be herself. Her style translates into fun events where people feel safe to learn new things and to express themselves.
Real Estate Developer and Investor, Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®.
Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Arizona has been Karen’s home base for the past 30 years. The rest of the time she’s spent traveling the US & Canada, Europe, Mexico and recently Tokyo. Karen lives with her boyfriend, Rich, who is also part of the PAX Mastery & Leadership Program and business division. They live with Karen’s wolf and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
“I fell in love with PAX in January of 2006 and knew right then that every woman in the world should have an opportunity to hear this priceless information,” says Karen.
Her two daughters are graduates of Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women and the Queen workshop. According to Karen, “It’s made life amazing with all the men in our lives and especially, with each other.” Karen also uses the tools of PAX extensively with all the men in her business world.
PAX Chief Operating Officer. Leads: Understanding Women: Unlock the Mystery™.
A born and bred Californian, Leslie’s artistic muse, propensity for the stage, and passion for transformational training, have taken her from one end of the state to the other, with many stops in between.
Raised in Thousand Oaks, Leslie must have been fond of trees as she chose proximity to the redwoods and Humboldt State University for her higher education studies. Though she initially focused on art and graphic design, Leslie changed course and her degree in international relations was awarded by San Francisco State. Along the journey from the North Coast to the Bay Area, Leslie found ample opportunity to express her creative talents employed as a graphic designer and appearing on-stage as a dancer. San Francisco was where Leslie discovered Landmark Education, ultimately joining the headquarters staff and also volunteering as a course supervisor.
Her passion for transformation brought Leslie to a Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® workshop in 2002. Leslie knew immediately that she was destined to lead workshops for PAX, and joined the company as a Workshop Manager, a role which clearly suited Leslie as she earned the title of National Production Manager only nine months later. In 2006 Leslie fulfilled her destiny and began leading PAX workshops. When she’s not in front of a room full of adoring women, Leslie channels her energies into PAX’s growth as its Chief Operating Officer.
Senior team member of the New York Celebrating Men community. Leads: Making Sense of Men™, Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®, Celebrating Men & Sex™, and Understanding Women: Unlock the Mystery™.
Paulette is a native New Yorker who spends weekdays on Wall Street among the New York financial community. Paulette’s weekends are dedicated to inspiring women involved in inner child work. She “found” PAX in 2002 and, in her first workshop, realized that the information provided a new understanding of her male-dominated work environment.
As Paulette attended more workshops she saw an astonishing impact on her life, and became passionate about getting the information out to her friends, family and other women so they could benefit and heal as well. Paulette became a PAX Event Leader July 2005. Participants remark on her unique style, love and fun as they connect with her energy.
Paulette creates balance in her personal life with travel, meditation and long nature walks. The special man in Paulette’s life supports her purpose, and provides inspiration for this work about which, she is so passionate.
Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®, Co-leads: A Hero's Challenge: Being An Extraordinary Man™.
A California native, Kevin has been involved with personal transformation and self-improvement modalities for 40 years. While Kevin’s business career is the investment industry, his life’s passion is being a catalyst for social change.
Since 1979, Kevin and his wife Louisa, have been happily married with two grown daughters, Michelle and Christine. Prior to involvement with PAX, he and Louisa led workshops in how to be, and stay, happily married.
The amazing PAX relationship tools dramatically transformed Kevin and Louisa’s relationship from a really good one to one that is ”off the charts“. Living in true partnership while still being passionate, authentic and spiritually connected is a dream come true for them.
Kevin has been a participant and leader in men’s work for over 20 years, including the ManKind Project where he was recently honored to receive the Ron Hering award for living his life’s mission in the world, which is to help men and women have happy relationships.
Leads: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®.
Born and raised in Texas, Connie now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and playmate, Craig and their children, Natalia and Zane.
Connie was originally trained in Computer Information Systems with an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and contributed her technical expertise in the field of Aerospace Engineering. Then, in 1999, she discovered transformation and her life took a different path. She initially pursued her passion to empower individuals, families and organizations as a Staff Member for Landmark Education Corporation. Then, in 2002, she participated in her first PAX workshop on the recommendation of a friend. Quickly seeing the profound impact on her life, Connie became dedicated to women having the information available at PAX and leads PAX workshops as a way of fulfilling her vision of peace, love and inspiration.
Connie is dedicated to living a life that inspires others to fulfill on their dreams. She credits PAX with enabling her to create the relationship and family of her dreams and sees PAX as a direct access for women to fulfill their visions. Her passion for bringing peace and partnership to women and families is balanced with warmth, clarity, and humor.
In Memoriam, 1950-2010
Former PAX Programs board member and source of the Spanish Celebrating Men project. In her time with PAX, Gilda led: Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women® and Celebrating Women: Regarding Ecstasy & Power™.
Gilda was an island girl born of the enchanted tropical paradise that is Puerto Rico. The Navy provided her father plenty of opportunity to see the world, so Gilda took advantage of the frequent travel to expand her own universe. She loved meeting new people and experiencing different countries and cultures.
In fact, Gilda loved the world’s diversity so much that she attained her master’s degree in social work and her doctorate in clinical psychology to facilitate deeper study into the human experience. She worked with clients from all walks of life in both her private practice and in public service.
“Dreams actually do come true, and I stand as living proof” Gilda declared. She immediately recognized the value of the work at PAX and saw how it was aligned with her life’s vision. Living her life purposefully as a leader for PAX was an answered prayer for Gilda.
Gilda’s realized dream? Her husband, Donald Anderson. Gilda stated she may never have seen him as “a dream come true” had it not been for what she learned in PAX workshops. Gilda loved to dance and take long walks on Southern California beaches. She surrounded herself with friends and family who shared her passion and enthusiasm for life.
We were blessed by being a part of Gilda's life and self expression. She is missed every day.