2019 Presenters/Speakers

‪SPEAKERS AND PRESENTATIONS 2019

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

KATHY J. WRIGHT, BRIG. GEN. (RET.)
Brigadier General (Retired) Kathy (Alden) Wright was born in Sheridan and lived in Wyoming all her life. During her early years, she lived in many small towns like Afton, Kaycee, Moorcroft, etc. due to the fact that her father worked highway construction. She attended Rossman, Jessup, Old McCormick, and Old Central high schools in Cheyenne from her freshman to her junior year, but graduated from Guernsey Sunrise High School. After four years at the University of Wyoming where she majored in music and fun at the Tri Delta House, she married John Michael “Lefty” Wright of Wheatland. They had three sons: Justin, Hunter, and Blayne. After 40 years, 5 months, and 27 days of military service, Kathy retired from the Wyoming Army National Guard as a Brigadier General. The entire Wright Clan has committed time to military service—in all five branches. Kathy is active in a variety of community and service organizations, in addition to P.E.O. Some of her community involvement includes First United Methodist Church, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Beta Sigma Phi, American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, and Friends of Guernsey State Park. Her husband passed away in October 2012 from renal cancer. An eternal optimist and life-long learner, she fills her time with books, quilting and sewing, flute playing, time at the cabin, traveling, feeding dinosaurs/dragons/monsters, grandkids, and sons. Kathy loves fun, a good laugh, and efficiency in tasks.

SPEAKERS

TONI ELLIOT
Is a Laramie native. She proudly served in the United States Navy (1994-1998) and became a Russian and Arabic linguist. She was an aircrew member on the EP-3E Orion. Her hobbies include knitting, crocheting, cooking (mostly) healthy food and posting it to her Instagram feed (@tonialiani). She likes to make lists and stay organized and would remain a lifelong college student if she could. Toni lives in Butte with her husband and two adorable pit bulls and is a substitute teacher.

SESSION: Bullet journaling - clarifying your goals for a positive life

A bullet journal is a way to organize your life, but it can be so much more than that. It can serve as a calendar, personal journal, idea generator, menu planner—the possibilities are almost endless. Your journal can be plain, artistic, or something in-between, but it WILL be functional. This class will teach you the basics and help you get started on your own bullet journal.

PATTI ALLIOT, MSW, LCSW
Patti Alliot was born and raised in southern NJ (or South Jersey!). She completed her undergraduate studies in psychology while raising her small children and moving frequently to follow her husband’s career in the US Coast Guard. She attended graduate school at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she obtained her Masters in Social Work with a strong clinical focus. Patti has had a diverse career in Social Work to include working with Child Protective Services in Washington State and providing psychotherapy at a Rape Crisis Center in NC. When life paths shifted, she and her family moved to Wyoming where she began providing outpatient psychotherapy at the VA in Sheridan. Patti has been with the VA for 2 years now and currently works as the Social Worker for Primary Care Mental Health Integration as well as the facility LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator.

HEIDI MONTANO, MSW, LCSW
Heidi Montaño attended graduate school at the University of Southern California, where she obtained her Masters in Clinical Social Work with an emphasis in Mental Health Services. During her Master’s program, she applied and was accepted into the Military and Veteran Immersion Program which eventually took her to Washington D.C where she spent time at Andrews Air Force Base, the Pentagon, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to name a few. There, she was able to meet and interact with the National Director of Social Work and the Assistant Director of Mental Health for the Veterans Health Administration. Heidi has spent almost 10 years serving at some sort of capacity in the Mental Health Field, and currently works as the Intensive Outpatient Substance Use Disorder Coordinator at the VA in Sheridan Wyomin

Session: Positive Vibes

Health and wellbeing involves much more than just the absence of disease. True health and wellness involves many components of body, mind, and spirit. In this presentation, two components of wellbeing will be discussed; Working Your Body (energy & flexibility) and Surroundings(physical &emotional). This presentation will explore the physical and psychological benefits of taking a healthy approach to these two wellness components. Audience members will learn practical ways in which they can incorporate these components into their daily lives to proactively increase their personal health and wellness. This will be an open discussion with opportunity for questions and input from the audience.

SUSAN BULLARD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Susan was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where she attended Lake Superior State University and became a paralegal. Shortly after graduation, she moved to Washington State where she worked as an Immigration Paralegal for years before deciding to return to school to be Nurse.
After nursing school Susan worked in ICU, Medical Surgical and a Pulmonary Clinic. The Pulmonary Clinic is where her leadership management in nursing first began. Since that time, Susan worked in Leadership Management positions for the DoD at Madigan Army Medical Center, Ft. Lewis, WA and Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, NC to include Urology, Family Medicine Residency Clinic and the Interdisciplinary Pain Clinic for 8 years prior to moving to Wyoming in 2015 shortly after her husband retired from the Army.
Susan completed her BSN at Kaplan University and her MSN at Norwich University, a private military college. Susan is currently the Pain Clinic /SCI (D) Care Coordinator at the Sheridan VA where she also performs Battlefield Acupuncture and Alpha Stimulation for acute and chronic pain.

Session: Personal Development for a Positive Life

A lifelong process of understanding and developing yourself to reach your fullest potential. Maslow (1970) suggests that all individuals have a need for personal development, which occurs through a process called self-actualization, reaching full potential. Get to know who you really are; your values, beliefs and purpose. Invest in yourself, be proactive, make good things happen! Life is more enjoyable when you have a clear sense of direction and purpose. Personal development gives you meaning, purpose, direction and clarity to your relationships and life.

DR. VIVIANNE TRAN, PSY.D., LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST, SHERIDAN VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Dr. Tran attended graduate school in Tampa, Florida and obtained her Clinical Psychology degree in 2008. She worked full-time first as a psychology intern, then postdoctoral student, and later as a licensed psychologist in the Wyoming State Hospital from 2006-2011. She was hired at the Sheridan VAHCS in December of 2011. Her personal and professional interests are in mindfulness and meditation. She has attended two 10-day silent meditation retreats and multiple trainings in mindfulness, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Her additional interests are applying and continuing to learn ways to empower people to reach their full potentials

SESSION: MINDFULNESS TEA CEREMONY - HELPING YOU CHOOSE MINDFULNESS ON YOUR PATH

Dr. Tran will conduct a 60-minute mindfulness session in the afternoon. This session will encourage you to embrace and live in the present throughout your Path of Life! The session will consist of a 15-minute talk on mindfulness, followed by a 45-minute tea ceremony to help you experience awareness in the present moment. The tea ceremony is a 2,500 year-old technique that helps enhance the ability to experience the present moment. The goal is to develop awareness and gratitude, without judgment.

CATHY WILSON, FNP
Cathy is a Nurse Practitioner at the Sheridan VA and she is a 4th generation Sheridanite. She dabbled in and out of the practice of Yoga since 2010. However, in 2017, she was met with a personal challenge that that rocked her to the core and Yoga was the only thing that was able to help her. She sought out a teacher program to enhance her knowledge of the Practice, not necessarily to teach. She is currently in her second level, a 500-hour Teacher Training. Yoga has become her go to for both inner and outer strength. Cathy’s favorites styles of Yoga are Yin and Vinyasa flow