Answer - TISHE Core Staff

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

2009 TISHE Core Staff

Julie Walton Shaver Photography

Nora Gelperin, M.Ed., Nora Gelperin, M.Ed., oversees Answer’s Sexuality Education Training Initiative. She is also founder of the organization’s annual Training Institute in Sexual Health Education (TISHE), and a sexuality expert for the weekly live chats on the Sex, Etc. Web site, Sexetc.org. Ms. Gelperin develops, markets and conducts training workshops for teachers and community agency staff in New Jersey and nationwide. Previously, Ms. Gelperin was an adjunct instructor of Human Sexuality at Temple University and Montclair State University, and a community educator with the Planned Parenthoods of Western Washington and Greater Northern New Jersey. She earned her Master of Education in School Health Education degree from Temple University. Ms. Gelperin has written curricula for the Teen PEP manual, Discussion Guides for Sex, Etc. and numerous articles on adolescent sexual health.

Julie Walton Shaver Photography

Eva Goldfarb, Ph.D., is a professor at Montclair State University in the program of Health Professions. She has spent the past fifteen years helping to prepare current and future sexuality educators, teaching courses, leading workshops, consulting on media projects, conducting seminars, working with parents, and developing curricula in the areas of human sexuality and sexual health. Dr. Goldfarb is co-author of Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Grades 10 - 12 and Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Grades 4-6. She is also co-author of Filling the Gaps, a book on hard-to-teach topics in human sexuality. Dr. Goldfarb holds a Ph.D. in human sexuality education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mark Huffman, M.T.S., is the vice president for organizational development, education and training at Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee (PPMET). Mark has been with PPMET since 1987, when he helped establish the peer education theatre troupe the PG-13 Players. Since then, he has educated thousands of teens on a variety of sexuality-related topics. He has trained thousands of professionals throughout Tennessee, and the United States, on sexuality education skills. He is a Trainer of Facilitators for Our Whole Lives, a comprehensive curriculum developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Churches of Christ. He has also appeared on numerous radio and television programs discussing teen sexuality and sexuality education. Mark is currently Chair of the Association of Planned Parenthood Leaders in Education (APPLE), the affinity group representing the education and training field within the PP family. From 1982 to 1986, Mark lived in Nagoya, Japan, teaching English at a junior high school and in kindergarten.

Julie Walton Shaver Photography

Kenya S. Masala is a national corporate development trainer and human development consultant, and co-director of Source Consulting Group. Kenya is a dose of core invigorations for organizations and communities. He ushers groups through the hard work of growth and expanding excellence, utilizing cutting edge kinesthetic modules...and inspires them to celebration! Kenya facilitates trainings, leadership development programs, outdoor adventure excursions, and phenomenal percussion programs. He also designs and develops multimedia curricula and interactive presentions on a national level. He is a REMO endorsed recreational rhythm facilitator and one of six North American Drum Cafe facilitators. His first book,"Rhythm Play!T" has been widely distributed worldwide and he recently released his second full-length album, "Spacious Time." Kenya enthusiastically creates a highly effectively learning context, authentically motivating individuals and groups towards excellence.

Julie Walton Shaver Photography

Monica Rodriguez is the vice president for education and training at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). Ms. Rodriguez works closely with the SIECUS' President and Board on issues relating to overall organizational management, vision and programmatic direction. Ms. Rodriguez is also the agency's primary spokesperson on sexuality education issues. Over the course of her fifteen years at SIECUS, Ms. Rodriguez has provided speeches, workshops, resource development, and technical assistance related to HIV prevention and sexuality education. Prior to joining SIECUS, Ms. Rodriguez was a sexuality educator at the Center for Family Life Education, Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey. She received a Masters of Science degree in non-profit management from New School University in New York City.

Trena P. Saunders is a professional trainer with extensive experience in developing and facilitating trainings dealing about sexuality for youth and adults. In 1998, Ms. Saunders joined the staff of the Hetrick-Martin Institute as a Sexuality Educator and Trainer and then joined the staff of Planned Parenthood of NYC as a Sexuality Educator/Trainer and School Initiatives Coordinator in 2000. While there, Ms. Saunders facilitated sexuality trainings and workshops in schools and community based organizations in conjunction with the PPNYC professional training institute. Ms. Saunders then launched Saunders Consulting Services in the spring of 2002 to meet the complex needs of both the private and public sector with training, curricula development and mentoring and is currently the Bronx Health Education Coordinator for The Children’s Aid Society. Ms. Saunders is a graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz, and has attained a degree in Black Studies and minored in Social Work.

Julie Walton Shaver Photography

Todd Slawsky, M.Ed., coordinates the logistics of Answer’s Sexuality Education Training Initiative, which trains more than 3,000 participants per year. He has been a resident director for Rutgers Cook College, where he promoted a secure environment for college residents and conducted a series of educational programs to teach residents about topics relating to sexuality education, safety, study habits and communication. Mr. Slawsky has also worked as the assistant director of the Rutgers Student Legal Information Center, where he managed a staff to aid Rutgers students and employees with legally related issues and developed programs to educate students about the most common types of legal problems. He holds a Master of Education in Learning and Teaching degree from Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Education.