Affiliates, Institute, and Membership Committee

Martushka Karchnakova A former English & Italian teacher turned into a linguist and now turning into a mental health professional using the Satir Growth Model. She also incorporates breathwork, dance, and movement in her work. Born in Slovakia and having lived in Italy and the USA, she now spends most of her time in Egypt where she holds movement workshops that carry and introduce the message of Virginia Satir.

Satir entered my life in the 80s by way of a Problem Solving Workshop. Based on Satir methods it helped me to understand people systems for my IT job at the time. After experiencing the magic I pursued more Satir and was able to meet her at a workshop in Boston. I was hooked- professionally-personally- spiritually.
Since then I’ve had the privilege to attend many experiential Satir-based conferences, workshops and gatherings. I’ve tried to incorporate my learnings in a variety of professional efforts from retail to art and especially at home. In retirement my hope is to help pass it on and for that reason I am a volunteer in the AIM Committee and a member of the Virginia Satir Global Network

Loveness Makonese obtained her PhD from Rhodes University’s Department of Sociology. Her thesis focused on how people cope with HIV and AIDS in marginalized settlements. Loveness holds an MPhil from University of Western Cape in South Africa and a Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Sociology from University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe. She specializes in development specifically in Livelihoods, Gender and HIV and AIDS and has experience in working in the public and development sector. She has worked for Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health in Zimbabwe, CARE International, Goal International, and Plan International and is currently working for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

H. Lea Wells Satir Board member, facilitator, manager, consultant, educator, trainer, librarian, leader, volunteer, library staffer, tax preparer, fashion model, tractor driver, wife, mother & grandmother.

Lea is retired from a career in librarianship, and lives in Chapel Hill, NC.
Her career focused on facilitation, communication, strategic planning, human resources, and faculty and staff development.
Most recently she co-partnered in Jordan Wells Associates, which conducted workshops with library staffs in Turkey, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, and St. Petersburg, Russia and consulted with a number of university libraries including those at New York University, Duke University, East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Koç University in Istanbul, and participated in trainings in Cairo and at Zayed University in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.