| We Thank Our Supporters!! |
| The Small Change Foundation |
| van Löben Sels / RembeRock Foundation |
| Many Individual Donors |
| Click Here to Join Them |
Sam Cheney (PA) President
Sam's ex came out to him in September of 2000, and he found SSN shortly thereafter. “The people I met,” he says, “saved my sanity, and as a result I'm resolved to give back.” Since becoming part of SSN, he has been involved on various steering committees, the Advisory Council, the Board, and is a group leader in the Philadelphia area. Sam also created and moderates the SSN Forum.
Lori Sand (GA) Vice-President
Lori Sand became involved with SSN in 2001 after her husband of 12 years came out. Now divorced with two children, she has been interviewed both locally and nationally about straight spouse issues. She and ex have worked to maintain a positive parenting relationship for their children. On the Board since July of 2005, Lori is a pediatric occupational therapist.
Carol Silverman (NY) Treasurer
After 27 years of marriage and parenting three now-grown children, Carol discovered that her husband was leading a double-life and gay. Founder of the Westchester NY F2F Group, she is an enthusiastic SSN Ambassador with "Building Bridges" Portfolio and Past-President of SSN. With an MBA in Economics from New York University, Carol is a travel agent and SSN's most avid skier.
Carolyn Sega Lowengart (MD) Secretary
Born in Germany when her father served in the US Foreign Service, Carolyn lived in Europe until she attended Middlebury College, where she earned a BA degree in Political Science. She worked for 33 years in management at the US Department of State, and was married to a closeted gay man for the same length of time.
Amity Pierce Buxton (CA) Founder - Non-voting Board Member
With a Ph.D. from Columbia University, Amity spent twenty years developing curricula and training teachers for urban schools and nationwide teachers' centers. After her husband came out in 1983, the San Francisco Gay Fathers asked her to write a book to help them understand why their wives were angry. Widening her research to include straight husbands and spouses of bisexual partners, she interviewed Jane Vennard, chair of PFLAG's Task Force for Straight Spouses. After The Other Side of the Closet was published, Jane turned over the Task Force to Amity, as did Sue Christensen, chair of the National Organization of Straight Spouses. Amity then transformed the combined organizations into the Straight Spouse Network. She served for six years on the board of the Family Pride Coalition, for three years on SSN's board, and was SSN Executive Director from 2002-2007.Mary Austin (MN) Board Member
In 1979, after 17 years of marriage, Mary's ex sought help for his deepening depression. It took four anguished years to break through denial and conclude he was gay. It was another closeted eight years before Mary found a straight spouse to share the story and really "get it". Knowing the destructiveness of such extended isolation and wanting to ease the burden for others, she has been a group leader and regional contact and is now a First Responder. She's had a few years experience in research and teaching sociology, some board chairmanships, and was a Founding Member of Duluth's PFLAG chapter. A camera, cross country skis, a potter's wheel, a kayak, and a bicycle refresh body and soul.
Corey Birkholz (ND) Board Member
Corey was born and raised in North Dakota, where he lived until he joined the Marines. Four years later he returned to ND, worked for a few years, and continued his education, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees in counseling. Since then he has worked with a variety of non-profits related to human rights, civil rights, independent living, and disabilities. Married for five years to a lesbian, Corey has remarried and now has a young daughter and two step-children. He has served for several years as an SSN group leader in Grand Forks.
Ellen Marks (MD) Board Member
Ellen is the proud mother of two boys, 13 and 17. She has more than 30 years of experience in applied research, focusing on studies that evaluate the effectiveness of services for vulnerable children and families. After 20 years of marriage, she discovered her husband's extramarital activities and, now without him, is committed to a life of integrity and happiness. She is taking Chinese, which is the hardest material she has ever tried to learn. Ellen is particularly interested in helping SSN achieve a secure financial base.
Mary (Mare) Schafer (PA) Board Member
After 13 years of marriage, Mary separated from her husband in 1998. Although living apart, she and her gay spouse continue to co-parent their two children amicably. In 2003, convinced that she could not be the only str8 spouse in southern NJ, she became an ambassador for SSN, and founded a local F2F group in 2004. Mary has been interviewed about straight spouse issues by The NY Times, “Good Morning America,” and a local TV show in Philadelphia. She strongly believes in SSN's mission of “reaching out, healing, and building bridges,” and does whatever she can to ensure no one ever has to deal with this issue in isolation again. With a 10-year background in international banking, she is also a professional musician and teacher.
Anna Marie Will (CA) Board Member
Anna Marie found SSN in 2001 after her husband of 12 years came out. Since the disclosure, she and her husband have remained married, and so she brings the perspective of the mixed-orientation marriage to the SSN Board. On the Board since July of 2006, she currently serves as the Chair of the Fundraising Committee. As outspoken advocates of the SSN mission, Anna Marie and her husband have shared their story in both local and national publications, including People Magazine (September 2004). An insurance industry professional, Anna Marie currently serves as the Workers' Compensation Program Administrator for NonProfits' United, a self-insurance program for California's nonprofit organizations.