About the educators and artist behind asklisaanne.com

About Lisa-Anne
Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a native of the beautiful island of Bermuda. She immigrated to the United States after completing her Bachelor of Science degree in Communicative Disorders from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She has worked in education and special education for over two decades with children of all ages. She has a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Multicultural Education from the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, New York. She has also completed additional graduate coursework at the College of New Rochelle for certification in educational administration. She is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist and is currently employed in a local public school district. In addition to her duties as a speech-language pathologist, the author also writes a weekly question and answer column in four local newspapers entitled Ask Lisa-Anne. Her column covers topics in education, education law, special education, and related issues. She was recently appointed as the education editor for the Community Journal Newspaper in Baldwin, New York. The column Ask Lisa-Anne also appears on the ChatAfrikArticles.com website and The New England Informer online newsmagazine. Her first children's book is published and two other children's books are currently in the publishing process. She resides in New York with her husband and their four children. Sign up for her monthly e-newsletter! You can contact her at speechlrb@yahoo.com.

Natalie Marino-Artist

Natalie graduated from New York University and completed two years of graduate work at the New School for Social Research before receiving her Master of Academic Art from the Academe of Bedriacense in Calvatone, Italy. She is an award winning fine artist who has exhibited widely and has illustrated several children's storybooks. She resides in New Jersey with her husband and children. Natalie illustrated my book entitled, They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks! Thoughts From Nicholas. She also created some of my clip art. Drkiana@aol.com

Bette-Jean Ray-Bertram Educational/Literacy Consultant

BJ serves as the educational and literacy consultant for my website and as you may have guessed is also my sister. She, too hails from the beautiful island of Bermuda although she currently resides in Florida. She has been teaching elementary age children for over 25 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and language arts from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She also holds a Master of Science degree in education with an emphasis in reading and literacy from Walden University. She is currently teaching 2nd grade at a private school in her town. She is a well sought after teacher and many returning parents request her to teach their children just entering the program. She is known for her multi-modality approach to teaching and her ability to make learning fun. These skills allow her students to gain significant academic performance in her classroom and on state exams as well as allows struggling students to 'catch up' in their areas of weakness. BJ also tutors in her thriving private practice. BJ lives in Florida with her husband, three children and Oliver the dog! You may contact her at BJFaith@embarqmail.com

Gretchen Raisch-Baskin--Artist

Gretchen grew up on a farm in the plains of Iowa in the 1960's. A time when macrame, tie-dye, and beading were even more popular in rural Iowa. She admits that all her life she’s been doodling, painting, and doing other kinds of dabbling. This obsession with playing in paint and making stuff began when she put her first crayon to paper and began embellishing church hymnals or decorating otherwise white walls in her farm home. Her lifelong artistic passion led to a Fine Arts degree from Iowa State University, where she won several awards for her artwork and learned a host of techniques for printmaking, drawing, and painting. Upon completion of that degree, she began her own hand made block-printed clothing business in the early 1990’s. It was a blast! It’s been a fantastic ride ever since. For over 10 years, she’s been creating illustrations for coloring posters and other children's products as well as greeting cards and websites. Her artwork is distributed worldwide from her studio in Desert Hills, Arizona. I am sorry to report that Gretchen passed away on February 15, 2010. Her sweet spirit and beautiful art work will be greatly missed.

Be Pool Safe This Summer!

Paul Edward Davis- Artist

As far back as he can remember,

Eddie has always enjoyed drawing

and painting. It was something he

could not put down, sort of like an

addiction. He sometimes jokingly

refers to his gift as a compulsive

disorder. That is the distinction he

draws when he thinks about what

a true artist is. He feels that

artists don't do it for the money,

nor for the acclaim, but because

they have to. He further enhanced

his skills by picking up various

books on painting, taking design

classes at Milwaukee Area

Technical College, and through many

years of creating portraits and

caricatures at local festivals and

block parties. He loves painting and

always looks forward to his next

project. He works with any medium

and enjoys exploring what he can do

with the digital world. Eddie is

illustrating my next book! He

resides in Wisconson with his family.
You can contact him at

www.eddiedavis.com

Are You Ready?

Bilingual Translator/Consultant
An educator of many years, Norka
Blackman-Richards has taught K-8
Spanish and English, in Panama,
Costa Rica, and the USA. She
currently teaches Freshman
Composition and Literature for the
City University of New York at
Queens College. Norka is
multilingual, and attributes her
profound respect for cultural
diversity to her childhood
experiences. Her parents were
missionaries and she and her sister
where schooled in the Dutch
Caribbean, North American, and
Latin American school systems.
Norka is also a member of the
National Association of Women
Writers. She writes the monthly
"Family Matters" column for the US
Immigration News newspaper, and
her many articles on women issues
have been featured in online and
printed magazines for women. A
sought-after empowerment speaker
for women, Norka is the
founder and president of
4 Real Women.com, Para Mujeres
Reales.com, and the not-for-profit
organization 4 Real Women
International, Inc. She currently
resides in New York with her
husband Warner.
www.4realwomen.com
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