Lani Peterson, The Arnzen Group: coach & workshop leader

Lani is a psychologist, life coach, public speaker and professional storyteller. She has extensive experience working with individuals, groups and organizations in the application of narrative as a leadership tool and medium for personal growth, connection and change.  Working with both written and oral forms of communication, Lani specializes in leading clients through personal reflection that results in intentional, meaningful expression. Lani serves on the executive committee of the Healing Story Alliance and is a member of the National Speakers Association. Her CD, Stories from Within, won a 2004 honor from Storytelling World Magazine for her original story “Broken Glass.”  Lani lives in Westport, MA.

Pam and Rob Cooper, Verissima Productions: legacy video biographies

Pam and Rob Cooper own Verissima Productions in Cambridge MA, a company dedicated to preserving history with the highest standards of narrative integrity and visual quality. Rob has 30 years experience as a videographer, editor, and producer in major market broadcast, corporate, and documentary production. Pam is a seasoned family therapist and oral historian. Their films have won CINE Golden Eagle, Telly, Emmys, and Communicator Awards, and have appeared on PBS stations internationally. They are members of the Association for Personal Historians, the New England Historic and Genealogical Society, the Mass Historical Society, and the International Institute for Reminiscence and Life Review. When they are not preserving histories, Rob plays traditional Memphis soul and blues, and Pam serves as a volunteer tour guide for Boston by Foot.

Francie King: editor, personal and family histories

Francie is a seasoned writer whose work has appeared in many magazines and newspapers throughout New England. Over the years, she has conducted and taped hundreds of personal interviews, as a news and feature journalist and most recently as development communications officer for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and Boston University. She considers the personal interview a privilege not blithely granted, a shared experience that requires respect, keen observation, good listening, a sense of humor, and a reverence for both story and story-teller. Francie is a member of the Personal Historians Northeast Network, Boston Women Communicators, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and a contributing editor of the Marblehead Oral History Project.

David O’Neil, Story Trust: writer: personal, family and business histories

As the founder of Story Trust, David helps families, businesses, and organizations tell their remarkable stories in ways that create a lasting legacy. His projects have ranged from single-person oral histories to full-featured corporate histories for some of the nation’s largest firms. He specializes in broadcast-quality oral histories and custom crafted history books for families and businesses. Based in the Boston area, David has been a high-school English teacher, book editor, and publishing executive. He holds a BA in economics from American University and a master’s degree in theology from Harvard University.

David D’Apice, The Simon Group: graphic designer

David  is founder of The Simon Group in North Andover, MA. With over 20 years of continuous experience in the marketing and graphic design of collateral material, his firm has been successfully advancing the interests of firms and municipalities throughout New England. David is also an historian, and takes a personal interest in genealogical research, public exhibitions, the archival handling of ephemera, and the preservation of historic ancestral documents. His firm can provide graphic design expertise to clients of Personal Legacy Advisors, whether it be individuals wishing to format their work professionally or advisors who want to create an  invitation or other materials in advance of a presentation by Susan.