Mission and Board of Directors

Mission

Our mission is to provide pro-active health and wellness day-long retreats that offer education and planning for self-care for family caregivers of Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Our vision is three fold: Self-awareness, Wellness Education and Community Support with those in similar caregiving circumstances. In addition to the single day event, we provide on-going support, education, and resources for families living with Alzheimer's and other dementias.

We seek to support and partner with organizations such as Memory Care Alliance of Northern New Mexico, The Alzheimer’s Association, and Alzheimer’s Society of Calgary to educate and raise community-wide awareness for issues concerning caregivers, caregiver burnout and the health and wellness for caregivers.

Our organization provides the requisite support for this growing need through community volunteers and professionals in the health and wellness fields and seeks to improve the physical and mental well-being of caregivers by providing empathy, compassionate offerings, and support.

Board of Directors

Jennifer Plessner, President JD, 200-RYT, Elm Flats Ranch: Retreats and Workshops, Director Breakfast Yoga Club Houston, Closing specialist for a renewable energy group	Elizabeth B. Reese, Secretary Ph.D., E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, Independent Museum and Wellness Educator, and Freelance Writer, Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®, Founder & Executive Director, The OHMazing® Way Podcast Creator, Producer and Host, yoginos.com
Elizabeth Chirdon, Treasurer CPA and former corporate auditor for Ernst and Young; corporate finance and commercial real estate acquisition GE Capital; contracting officer for the U.S. Air Force.	Melissa Smith-Wilkinson, Founder Yoga Alliance ERYT® 500 in Yoga Therapeutics. Restorative, Gentle and Sustainable Yoga Teacher Trainer. International retreats, Alzheimer's and other Dementias Caregiver Advocate, and Mindfulness in Schools Educator. A native Texan, Melissa lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her son Drew and offers workshops and classes in their Santa Fe Pranava Yoga Studio with her husband, Richard.

Jennifer Plessner, President

JD, 200-RYT, Elm Flats Ranch: Retreats and Workshops, Director Breakfast Yoga Club Houston, Closing specialist for a renewable energy group

Elizabeth B. Reese, Secretary

Ph.D., E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, Independent Museum and Wellness Educator, and Freelance Writer, Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®, Founder & Executive Director, The OHMazing® Way Podcast Creator, Producer and Host, yoginos.com

Elizabeth Chirdon, Treasurer

CPA and former corporate auditor for Ernst and Young; corporate finance and commercial real estate acquisition GE Capital; contracting officer for the U.S. Air Force.

Melissa Smith-Wilkinson, Founder

Yoga Alliance ERYT® 500 in Yoga Therapeutics. Restorative, Gentle and Sustainable Yoga Teacher Trainer. International retreats, Alzheimer's and other Dementias Caregiver Advocate, and Mindfulness in Schools Educator. A native Texan, Melissa lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her son Drew and offers workshops and classes in their Santa Fe Pranava Yoga Studio with her husband, Richard.

Registered 501(c)(3)

CAREGIVER WELLNESS RETREAT is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico and serving cities in the United States and Alberta, Canada. We currently offer one-day wellness retreats in: Houston, Calgary, Park City, and Santa Fe. We are open to collaboration with local cities in order to mentor and offer this experience in other cities. For more information on how to start your own Caregiver Wellness Retreat, contact Melissa.