Board of Directors
Jennifer Pfotenhauer, President
Jane Lammers, Vice President Denise Kerr, Secretary Alison Brant, Treasurer |
Trudy Caswell-Ryan
Helen Hutchinson Geetika Narula Barb Potter Sarah Scafidi-McGuire (on leave of absence) |
The board meets as needed, usually once a month.
Consultants
Erica Norton: Financial Consultant
Ellie Beeler: Administrative/Program Consultant and Website Administrator
Erica Norton: Financial Consultant
Ellie Beeler: Administrative/Program Consultant and Website Administrator
Meet the Board of Directors
Jennifer Pfotenhauer, President, is a Canadian transplant to the North Country. She and her husband live with their 2 teenage children in Canton, NY. Jen is a registered dietitian and loves that yoga fits perfectly with her focus in community health and wellness. She started practicing yoga while pregnant with her daughter 18 years ago and has continued doing yoga with her children as they have grown. Her practice now keeps her mind well and body moving as she moves into a new phase of life. Gardening, teaching, reading, and cooking also keep Jen busy. So happy to be a part of the Yoga Loft!
Word: Enthusiastic
Word: Enthusiastic
Jane Lammers, Vice President, joined the Yoga Loft Board in September, 2022. Jane’s special interests are community outreach, innovative collaborative programs with local artists, local organizations & businesses, and yoga as a lifetime fitness activity for young people. During the first year of Jane’s tenure she has initiated a very successful program of special Friday night classes with live music, featuring local musicians, a “Pilot Program” for “Yoga in the Schools” at Canton Central, collaboration with TAUNY for a new summer series “Yoga & Art in the Park” and with the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce for a free community yoga class in the banks of the Raquette River in Garner Park during the 2023 Potsdam Summerfest! Jane asks Yoga Loft students & supporters to keep updated for more innovative special programs in the coming year! Special yoga classes which delight the mind, heart & senses & build community! We look forward to seeing you in a class or classes if your choice! And bring a friend new to yoga sometime in the coming year!
Denise Kerr, Secretary, has a varied history in fitness, having achieved her first Dan (black belt) in Shotokan Karate in 1994 and completed certification as a personal trainer and fitness instructor through the YMCA in 1997. At the Yoga Loft, Denise teaches several 50+ Yoga classes and beginner yoga workshops, as well as Community Yoga. She is committed to supporting the health of the Yoga Loft organization so it can continue to brings wellness to the North Country community.
Alison Brant, Treasurer has been involved with the Yoga Loft for many years, both as a yoga teacher and as financial consultant. She has now joined the board to help shape policy that will guide the Yoga Loft organization to serve our community even more than it has in the past. Alison's, who works as a nurse in the local hospital, focuses on a wholistic approach to health. In addition to being a certified hatha yoga teacher, she is a trained specialist in Ayurveda, a traditional Indian medical system that aims to promote balance between the mind, body, and spirit.
Helen Hutchinson: Fifteen years ago a friend and I agreed to do yoga together and I have been committed ever since. I am now retired from Planned Parenthood, from maple syrup production, and from volunteer work for Hospice. I live within the village of Canton with my husband Roger. In addition to yoga I also enjoy music, attend many concerts, and take piano lessons.
Geetika Narula moved to Canton, NY from India, the land of Ayurveda, after her wedding in 2013. She lives with her husband Rajiv and a toddler Rohan in Canton. She loves yoga and felt very supportive and content attending yoga loft classes during her pregnancy and postpartum. Cooking nourishing meals is her passion along with gardening and part time tutoring at SUNY Canton.She believes that nutrition involves our relationships with family, friends, community, the environment, and the world. We need to make decisions about what and how we eat that foster not only our health and well-being, but the health of those around us and our planet.
Barbara Potter is native of Morristown in St. Lawrence County, and has lived there her whole life. After leaving her law practice to become a judge, she sought a way to decompress after her day’s work and was introduced to the Yoga Loft in 2002. Except for a brief hiatus, she has been practicing yoga ever since. Since retiring in 2012 she also feeds her soul with spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, travel, playing in a band and part-time work as a Judge in the St Regis Mohawk Tribal Court.
Sarah Scafidi-McGuire (on leave of absence from the board) began teaching at the Yoga Loft in 2005. She currently teaches a variety of classes, including Vinyasa, Power Yoga, Kids Yoga classes, and she organizes the annual FREE outdoor Yoga in the Park. She likes the way practicing yoga leaves her feeling completely content. She lives with her family in an off-the-grid, energy efficient home in Canton NY and spends most days with her two sons. Sarah enjoys the outdoors, especially running, going to the beach, and rock and ice climbing.
Trudy Caswell-Ryan joined the Yoga Loft board after practicing yoga there as a student. After gaining confidence from her talented teachers, she decided to earn her own yoga teacher certification. Maybe one day you will see her at the studio teaching others! She believes yoga both empowers and inspires. As a board member, she is committed to establishing the mindset of “yoga is for everyone” in our community.
Meet the Consultants
Ellie Beeler volunteers as administrative/program consultant. She is responsible scheduling classes and workshops, for the monthly newsletter, for the website, and for keeping the day-to-day operations of the studio running smoothly. In addition to her administrative/program duties, Ellie teaches Chair Yoga and 50+ Yoga at the Canton Yoga Loft.
Erica Norton is the Yoga Loft financial consultant. She takes care of the annual budget, of paying the bills, paying the teachers, taxes, keeping the financial books, etc. Erica is also a certified yoga teacher whose focus includes Pranayama and Ashtanga Yoga.