Why Do We Love Our Advisory Board? Let’s Count the Ways…

By Peggy Brick MA, CSE, Consortium Founder & President
The continuing growth and impact of the Sexuality and Aging Consortium at Widener University has been possible through not only the commitment and efforts of its members but also from the wise counsel and support we have received from our prestigious Advisory Board. We are extremely grateful to them for helping to make our shared vision a reality that changes lives.
Without remuneration, our Advisory Board members have contributed in diverse and important ways, like this:

1. Lonnie Barbach – Lonnie was the keynote speaker for our fall professional development conference. After flying across the country at her own expense, she presented an inspiring program on “Sex After 50,” participated in our Consortium Visioning session, and delivered a valuable follow-up report.
2. Carol Cassell – Carol wrote personalized financial appeal letters to every Advisory Board member. It’s not easy to ask for contributions, and we welcomed her help.
3. Carol Cobb-Nettleton –  Carol delivered a very effective workshop at the fall Conference titled, “Intimacy and Chronic Disease.”
4. Eli Coleman – Eli traveled to Pennsylvania to attend a sexuality education retreat and explain the role of the World Association of Sexuality. He also offers quick responses to my many questions as we venture forward on our mission-driven Consortium projects.
5. Robin Dessel – Robin was the primary presenter at our first Training of Trainers. She provided a birds-eye view of how the Hebrew Home for the Aged created and implemented the country’s first sexual rights policy for an assisted living facility.
6. Gayle Doll – Gayle is a wonder resource for me and the Consortium members regarding long-term car issues. She has shared her research and her Powerpoints, and she has made herself available to present a full-day workshop. She has also written a ground-breaking book, Sexuality & Long-Term Care: Understanding and Supporting the Needs of Older Adults, for which I was honored to write the foreword.
7. Beryl Goldman – Beryl, through Kendal Outreach, has co-sponsored the Consortium’s Training of Trainers and conference. She also presented a conference workshop on long-term care and attending our Consortium Visioning session.
8. Patricia Barthalow Koch – Pat conducted the first-ever research on impact of sexuality education for older adults, interviewing me and my Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter students.  She presented some of her research findings in a Consortium conference workshop titled, “What We Can Learn about Sex from Older People.”
9. Peter Lichtenberg – Peter regularly provides resources and advice regarding issues of sexual consent and aging.
10. Bill Stayton — Bill is helping with the important work of identifying possible contributors.
11. Leonore Tiefer – Leonore is our primary resource on issues related to impact of pharmaceuticals on older women; she is also a resource for issues related to the potentially dangerous trend in costmetic labiaplasty.
12. Beverly Whipple – Beverly provides frequent advice regarding female sexuality, based on her unparalleled experimental research.

We will continue reporting the contributions of these Advisory Board members and others in future posts.
We are eternally grateful for all of the support we have received and continue to receive from our Advisory Board.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
Peggy