Six members of the association form the Executive Committee:
Stella Kassimati - Chair. Stella is from Amari. She is a bi-lingual storyteller specializing in Folktales, Greek Myths and storytelling workshops. Stella was brought up with the myths and legends of the Greek Gods and Heroes, but it wasn't until she studied Storytelling that she realized their full power. Now her work revolves around sharing her passion with adults and children in the UK and in Greece.
Jaki Harris - Secretary Jaki is a play therapist and parenting consultant. She created Vision4Kids which develops and runs workshops for parents and children, as well as individual sessions. From her first visit five years ago, she fell in love with Amari, and is now committed to bringing families here to share the dream.
Heleni Achilleos - Vice Chair is a professional bi-lingual storyteller. She runs storytelling workshops in schools, libraries, hospitals, and other organizations both in the UK and in Greece. She has a background in performing, teaching and facilitating workshops. She is a Master NLP Practitioner and runs a self- development storytelling and story-making project for women, "Women's Journeys", in Greece and the UK.
Kathleen van der Weerd - Member. "I am a storyteller who loves natural fibres and textile crafts. I love the ways in which handwork and storycraft inform and support each other.I am presently exploring shadow theatre and other ways we express story imagery with our hands, using paper and fibres, cloth of all kinds, and all the bright elements of nature. I love being one of the Friends of Amari, and hope to visit many times for connection, inspiration, reflection, and delight."
Deirdre C. Stiles - Member. Deirdre was born in Dallas, Texas where (almost) everyone is a born story teller. She loves to write, travel and take long walks. Actively involved on several not-for-profit organizations over the years, Deirdre has a special affinity for Amari and is delighted to be a part of the revitalization of this beautiful village. Her love of languages led Deirdre to complete a degree in French and live for a year in France. Currently, she divides her time between the US and England.
Geoff Mead is a graduate of the School of Storytelling and passionate about stories and storytelling. He regularly performs traditional stories and teaches storytelling at venues in UK and as far afield as Spain, Canada and Japan. He has also taken story-work into a wide variety of organisational settings and in 2007 he co-founded the Centre for Narrative Leadership, a not-for-profit organisation established to develop the field of storytelling and narrative leadership in organisations. Geoff has four grown up children, three grandchildren and an entirely unreasonable love of Morgan sports cars. He fell in love with Amari during his first visit there in 2006 with his partner Chris Seeley.
Members of Friends of Amari:
Artemis Apostolaki has studied Greek literature, specializing in linguistics, and is also a professional cello player. She is currently undertaking a PhD in the field of music psychology in the University of Hull, UK. Her bonds with Amari are particularly strong, having lived there the most amazing experiences of childhood, and this is the main reason for her being a member of Friends of Amari.
Annette Armstrong is a poet, storyteller, voice coach and counselling astrologer with a great love of Greek and Celtic mythology. She takes her storytelling programmes and drama workshops to communities all over the UK. She loves the thriving artistic and environmentally aware village of Forest Row where she lives. Inspired by Stella's passionate vision for Amari, she has become a member. After a Friends-of-Amari holiday in August '08 she said: "I am deeply moved by what I can only describe as the landscape intimacy of the immortals in this stunningly beautiful place. My highest point was travelling through the Gorge of Hermes, embraced by the god's wickedly divine presence as he showed us around His place!"
Ben Fairlight Edwards has been a healer & reflexologist since 1988, a medical herbalist since 1992, psychotherapist since 1996 and a teacher for over 20 years - and in all that time he has learned from his students. Brought up as a musician, he now also works as a storyteller and singer-songwriter passionate about human connection with planet Earth.
http://www.barefootherbalist.co.uk/
http://www.songstory.co.uk/
Roi Gal-Or, co-carrier of the School of Storytelling at Emerson College, UK as well as teaching storytelling at the University of Sussex in Brighton. He performs as a storyteller for various audiences and is a leader of international workshops dealing with group and personal development using stories, social games and biographical work.
Madeleine Grove has been working with healing for 30 years - as a nurse and homeopath and for many years made remedies by hand at Helios homeopathic pharmacy. She practices at clinics in Kent, Sussex and London. She is an award-winning storyteller and in all her work explores the power of story to heal and transform.
http://www.madeleinegrove.com/
Kitty Hagenbach was brought up in Ireland, she now lives in England, has two sons, is a psychotherapist and founder member of Friends of Amari and of Babiesknow. She fell in love with Amari on firstsight. "This is my spiritual home in the sun, a place where I can come to relax and reconnect through the beauty and simplicity of Amari and the natural surroundings. In a fast moving and unstable world, Amari offers me a haven where I can enjoy timeless days with good friends, amazing food and delicious wine, while connectingto the wisdom of the Gods."
http://www.babiesknow.com/ - transforming parenting
Suzanne Hillen. 'As I enjoy people who are true to their own; the story of Stella, her family and the village of Amari struck a chord with me. Any initiative that supports a community is close to my heart, as it is the only way, we human beings will make things work! I am a writer and organiser of a diverse range of local activities and look forward to spend some 'time off' in Crete with the ripe grapes getting picked, the sun shining and the sea glistening in the distance!'
Sue Hollingsworth is a storyteller who works with adults all over the UK, Europe, South Africa and the Middle East: "I perform, teach and run workshops and am particularly interested in working with story in the environment and with both men and women on the feminine. I also have a consultancy called Storymatters that works with story in business organisations. I live in the village of Forest Row along with other Friends of Amari and have taught storytelling at Emerson College since 1998. As well as story, my other passions are singing and walking."
Nikolaos and Angela Kassimatis are married since 2004 and live currently in Thessaloniki. Both work in the hotel industry, were they also met. Angela is originally from Athens with roots in Peloponese but after marriage with Nikolaos she has become part of the Amari family. Nikolaos who was born in South Africa, came to Athens when he was only 4 years old. Since that time he has grown into his Greek, Cretan roots, as both his parents originate from Amari. Even though Nikolaos and Angela currently are based far from Crete they always visit Amari at least once a year to enjoy the peace and quiet of the small village, relax with the traditions of the area and to refill their batteries for the next year. 
Ashley Ramsden is the founding Director of the School of Storytelling at Emerson College, the longest established centre of its kind in the United Kingdom. He is also co-founder of Storytelling in Organisations, a consultancy working with the transformational power of stories in the business world. He has toured with his remarkable storytelling programmes on all five continents, has appeared at major storytelling festivals in the UK, South Africa, Scandinavia and America. Ashley's unique methods of teaching voice and the skills of the storyteller have received international acclaim.
http://www.ashleyramsden.com/
Chris Seeley started life with drawing, painting, making - a childhood informed by creating - before studying graphic design, moving into a corporate identity and then industrial market research and new business development. I broadened my horizons at the turn of the century to encompass wider global issues and am reintegrating my expressive creative life into my work as a response to sustainability and the current world situation. I started storytelling in 2001 (when I first met Stella), and then clowning in 2002. I am part of the Nose to Nose clowning group as court jester and facilitator. I'm a member of the Friends of Amari following a fabulous week there in 2006.
