| Speaker Biography's | |
Jaime Hansen, Financial Advisor | Morgan Stanley |
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| Since beginning her career in the financial services industry in 1997, Jaime has created a relationship based financial planning practice that incorporates each individual's personal values, beliefs, and desired lifestyle. She is dedicated to serving the women’s market, focusing on women in transition, and providing education as a tool for empowerment. Jaime serves as Vice Chair on the Foundation Board for Lyngblomsten and is the Chair of the Women in Business Committee at The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis. Jaime is a runner and fitness enthusiast, teaching group fitness classes at clubs around the Twin Cities for the past 14 years. She lives with her husband and two children in their historic St. Paul home. |  |
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Anne E. Tressler - Principal Attorney | Tressler Law |
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Anne E. Tressler has been practicing law since 1998 and founded Tressler Law in 2001. Exclusively focused on family law, Anne has extensive experience in divorce, child custody, child support, parenting time and post decree matters. Her highly effective approach of personalized service results in the ability to adapt to each client’s unique circumstances, assisting them in effective decision making during a stressful and emotional phase of their lives. Leveraging deep experience in analysis and litigation of complex family law issues, she works toward amicable resolutions whenever possible, and when necessary, has consistently proven to be an exceptionally strong and successful advocate in the courtroom. In addition to her work as an attorney, she has also completed training for Civil and Family Mediation and qualifies as a Family Mediator Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. |
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Cathy Gorlin, Esq. | Best & Flanagan Family Law |
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| Cathy Gorlin is a member of Best & Flanagan’s Family Law practice area. She represents parties in a range of family law matters, including custody matters and marriage dissolution cases with complex financial estates and business valuations. She has more than 32 years of experience litigating and negotiating family law disputes, including marriage dissolutions, post-decree disputes, parentage and custody disputes, prenuptial agreements, living together agreements, appeals to the Minnesota Appellate Courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution. She is also a mediator. Ms. Gorlin has extensive experience providing aggressive and effective advocacy for clients. She combines this with her knowledge of the most up-to-date settlement techniques and her creativity helps clients reach the best resolution of their disputes. Cathy is the Editor of the Minnesota Family Law Practice Manual, used by Judges, Referees and Family Law attorneys, and she has been the Chair of both the Hennepin County Bar and State Bar Family Law Sections. In addition, she is a frequent lecturer and author on family law-related topics. Her work has earned her wide distinction. Cathy has been named four times each in Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who in American Law, twice in Who's Who in the World, and in Who's Who-Emerging Leaders in America. She has been named a Super Lawyer (1995-present) by Minnesota Law & Politics and a Leading Minnesota Attorney (1997-present). |  |
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Carol provides pro bono services to the Volunteer Lawyers Network. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Fund for the Legal Aid Society.. Carol R. Devitt is a Senior Manager with the Forensics, Valuation, and Litigation Services Group of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP in the Family Law Practice. She has been with the firm since 2003. In the Family Law Practice, she works with attorneys and their clients on various financial aspects of a divorce including property settlements, non-marital tracing of assets, income and cash flow analysis, and income tax planning. In many cases, she is retained by both parties as a neutral financial expert to assist with these issues. Ms. Devitt is a certified public accountant, certified financial planner, and certified in financial forensics. She earned her B.A. degree in accounting from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and her MBA degree in Finance from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management in Minneapolis. Ms. Devitt is a member of the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Financial Planning Association of Minnesota. In 2010, she was recognized as one of Finance & Commerce’s Top Women in Finance. |
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Christine K. Clifford, CSP | CEO/Founder of Divorcing Divas |
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| We’ve all heard stories about people who turn lemons into lemonade—though it isn’t often we meet someone who builds the lemonade stand. Christine successfully cracked the corporate "glass ceiling" while working for The SPAR Group in New York where she signed the largest contract in the history of her industry, doubling the size of her company overnight. Diagnosed with breast cancer that same year, Christine went on to write eight award-winning portrayals of her story in her books including her best-sellers Not Now...I’m Having a No Hair Day! and YOU, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself. Her newest book is The Clue Phone's Ringing... It's for You! Healing Humor for Women Divorcing. During one of her 2,000 media appearances, Christine appeared on CNN Live as "one of the world’s leading authorities on the use of therapeutic humor." Hosting her own celebrity golf tournaments, Christine raised over $1 million for breast cancer research. She speaks worldwide about sales, marketing and using humor to get through life’s adversities. Her advice? Don’t forget to laugh!™ Twice divorced, Christine lives in Minneapolis, has two adult sons and is grandma to a Siberian Husky named Skylar. |  |
Kimbra Ness | Keller Williams Premier Realty |
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| Kimbra Ness is a writer, motivational speaker, philanthropist and owner of Kimbra Ness Global Real Estate, Keller Williams Premier Realty. She was living what looked like the perfect life to the world, yet she suffered to great extent on the inside. Death, divorce and another life threatening disease were just a few of her struggles. Kimbra is honored to be one of 50 women from across the nation highlighted in the National Best Seller, Fearless Women – Visions of a New World. These life changing experiences only bring more devotion to her passions and the mission to leave the world a little changed because she was here. As a real estate agent, she is dedicated to helping people find a place call to call home. As a way of giving back, she launched a business campaign titled Impact Investing, which is a real estate referral program. For any referral that ends in a closed sale, she will donate 3% of her professional fee to the non-profit of your choice in your name. Kimbra helps to leave the world a little changed and helps you leave a financial legacy. By far, her greatest accomplishment is as mom and doting Gig to the most beautiful grandson ever! (at least in her heart). |  |
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| If you believe that you never truly know someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes, you will appreciate Amber’s “real” perspective on divorce and parenting. She has walked a similar path, shared similar frustrations, felt similar concerns and fears. After ten years of marriage Amber separated from her husband and began a divorce process which spanned 2½ years and cost a small fortune. When the dust from the legal battle settled, she and her ex-husband were incapable of cooperatively parenting their two children. Overtime, they transformed their parenting relationship into a low-conflict, cooperative, effective and even somewhat friendly partnership! Her belief that parents needed a better way to end a marriage compelled Amber to pursue a graduate degree in dispute resolution. Today, she is a MN Rule 114 Qualified Neutral and works as a mediator, early neutral evaluator, parenting specialist and divorce educator in the south metro. Her clientcentered process empowers individuals to create fair, workable and affordable agreements which satisfy their unique needs and circumstances. Amber lives in Savage, is “engaged-to-never-be-married” and her blended family includes 3 children, ages 13 to 16 years. |  |
Nancy Van Dyken | Lic. Psychologist; Lic. Independent Clinical Social Worker Healing Relationships |
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Nancy Van Dyken, Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, has been in private practice as a family therapist for over 30 years, practicing in Edina for fourteen years. She also taught a four-month program on “Healing Relationships” for a large HMO for thirteen years and developed and ran their ADHD Assessment Process program for five years. Nancy has been interviewed on local radio programs as well as TV and newspapers for her insights into relationships, depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Nancy is the author of Forgive Them...Are You Kidding? Preparing Your Heart to Forgive. Nancy speaks around the country, and her goal is to help people find peace and contentment in their lives. She does so through helping clients understand their difficulties, develop the skills and techniques to change them, and learn to forgive daily. Nancy has a twenty-six year old daughter, an 18 month old granddaughter, and spends many weekends at her Duluth home on Lake Superior with her dog Addie. |
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Sheila Bauer, M.Ed. | Circle Mind Body Medicine |
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Sheila Bauer is an educator who specializes in teaching meditation and self-care for stress relief and improved health. She also considers herself a Warrior Woman of Endurance who has survived the torment of child abuse and its subsequent symptoms: Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Throughout the years with the support of various professionals Sheila found relief, however; it wasn’t until she began practicing mind-body skills that the lingering after effects of child abuse began to fade in a profoundly meaningful way. Sheila found contentment and happiness with meditation and wants to share this joy and her silly sensibility with others. One of her goals is to shatter the stereotype behind the word “meditation” teaching people that you don’t have to be a Buddhist Monk in order to reap the calming health benefits of breath work. Sheila is the president and owner of Circle Mind Body Medicine. She holds a Master's of Education degree from the University of Minnesota and has facilitated groups for many years in various educational and professional settings. She has trained with expert clinicians at The Center for Mind Body Medicine and has a unique ability for creating intimate small group experiences that are artfully engaging and profoundly healing. Sheila loves fiercely, dances joyfully, and laughs easily. Please join her for a meaningful adventure in a Mind Body Medicine Circle. |
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Gina Schuchman, M.S.W; L.I.C.S.W. | Edina Counseling Center |
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Gina is a clinical social worker with 33 years specialized experience as a marriage & family therapist, individual and couples counselor, and relationship coach. Her wry sense of humor, profound empathy, and self-deprecating manner will melt the toughest veneers as she works with people to dig deep and make positive and permanent relationship and life choices.
With the backdrop of her own divorce as painful motivation, Gina spent nearly two decades researching the nuances of interpersonal relationship dynamics toward helping others find strategies to break the patterns of bad dating and relationship choices. The cornerstone principles of “I DateSmarter” are the culmination of Gina’s passion and insights into helping smart daters find what they really want from dating when they drill down to the common sense core, how to recognize legitimate “red flags” when dating, and how to take personal responsibility for our role in the “dating dance.” |
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| Annie Meehan | Professional Speaker and Coach | No More Excuses 4U | |
| Annie Meehan has been a Snap Fitness owner for the past seven years and has worked with hundreds of clients on setting Fitness goals. But fitness is just one piece of the puzzle. Fitness, Financial, Relational, Spiritual and Emotional encouragement will inspire you to live in balance and take care of yourself first. Divorce-- unlike death-- always leaves a crack in the floor for more pain to seep in. Professional Speaker and Coach at No More Excuses 4U Annie Meehan shares stories of real life struggles, and teaches others techniques to stay strong and become resilient during the process. It's time to get fired- up and start living your best life today! |  |
Mary Schmid, MS, MBA, CPCCProfessional Coach and Speaker, Clinical Nurse Specialist, BusinessCPR |
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Mary Schmid, a certified life, money and leadership coach, understands that one of the many challenges—perhaps the biggest—in the process of divorce is understanding yourself and how you make money decisions. Mary teaches women how to unlock what makes them tick when it comes to money; to understand their money profile and behaviors around money; and to give themselves permission to make empowered decisions. Mary is the CEO of BusinessCPR, a consulting and training company that helps women create a powerful alignment for a purpose driven and profitable business. Divorced and now living in Minneapolis, Mary has an adult daughter and family, and is the proud grandma to one year old Axel and his soon to arrive sibling! |
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