Officers

• Chris Beach: President; Archives chair
• Richard Jonas: Vice President; Communications chair
• Pat Musburger: Secretary, Bylaws chair
• Kathleen Quinn: Treasurer

Members at Large

• Patrina Dobish: Events chair, Nominating chair
• Leslie Freyberg: Regional Support chair, Scholarship chair
• Elizabeth Hynes: Membership chair
• Suzie Muchnick: Ethics chair, Certification liaison
• Chris Nounou: Systems & Technology chair

Board Bios

CHRIS BEACH (President; Archives chair) has been practicing Iyengar Yoga for 24 years and teaching for 12. Certified at the Junior Intermediate II level, he has been to Pune three times to study with the Iyengars, most recently in October 2007. He has also studied with a wide range of teachers including Patricia Walden, Manouso Manos, Faeq Biria, Karin O'Bannon, Gloria Goldberg and Carolyn Belko.

Chris served for four years on the Board of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Southern California (Los Angeles chapter), and was president for three years.

Chris has published several books on American poetry and film, and his most recent book, on film director Hal Ashby, has just been published. Chris lives in Irvine, California with his wife Carrie and daughter Francesca; his son Julian is attending Pomona College.


PATRINA DOBISH (Events chair, Nominating chair), certified at the Junior Intermediate I level, began her Iyengar yoga studies in 1991 after B.K.S. Iyengar made a life-changing presentation in her hometown, Chicago. She has studied in Pune three times and has participated in all IYNAUS conventions since 2001. She studies regularly with Chris Saudek and Lois Steinberg, along with several other senior teachers to whom she expresses gratitude.

Patrina served as production coordinator of the IYNAUS convention magazines, Yatra (2007) and Sadhana (2001). She is vice president of the ad hoc board of the Iyengar Yoga Association of the Midwest Bioregions (IYAMB), a region in transition. She is managing director of Yoga Tree, the Iyengar Yoga studio she helped establish in Evanston, IL.

In daily life, "I transpose my understanding of composing poses and find time to hone my artisanship through various media, whispering to animals, researching sustainable urban ecological techniques and staying apprised of current events." A retired union carpenter, she left behind chinks of glass to be found in the foundations and behind the panels of Chicago skyscrapers.


LESLIE DILLINGHAM FREYBERG (Regional Support chair, Scholarship chair, Communications Committee) achieved Intermediate Junior I certification in 2006 having began her Iyengar Yoga studies with Mary Dunn in 1990. In 1993 she attended her first convention in Ann Arbor, and has attended every U.S. convention since. She travelled to Pune, India, to study with the Iyengar family in 2000. She has been teaching in her home town of Redding, CT, since 1995, and also teaches in Stamford.

An enthusiastic student of Sanskrit, Leslie has also become certified in the teaching of Sanskrit and serves on the faculty of the American Sanskrit Institute, whose senior teacher is Vyaas Houston. (For more about Leslie's Sanskrit studies, click on www.chantwithleslie.com) She serves on the faculties of the New York Institute and of Patricia Walden's teachers' training program. Leslie lives in Redding, CT with her husband, Tony Freyberg who is an antiquarian book dealer.


ELIZABETH HYNES (Membership chair) has been practicing Iyengar Yoga since 1992. Elizabeth passed her Introductory Certification in 2005 and taught for eight years at Chris Saudek's studio in La Crosse, WI. She has also studied with Francie Ricks and Rose Richardson, and has attended workshops with other senior Iyengar Yoga teachers, as well as the 1993 and 2007 national conventions. In 2009, Elizabeth moved to Fayetteville, NC, and is establishing classes in her hew home.

Elizabeth is married and has two sons both of whom live in Brooklyn, NY. Her daughter, son in law and grandson, Grant (the apple of her eye) live in Washington, DC. Elizabeth's stepdaughter, son in law and granddaughter, Macy, live in Chadron, NE. She also has a very demanding cat named Mr. Kitty. A lifelong fitness and nutrition devotee, Elizabeth is a former aerobics instructor who received a brown belt in American-style karate before she was introduced to yoga. She has run one marathon, and anticipates running the Connamarathon with her daughter in 2010.


RICHARD JONAS (Vice President; Communications chair) is on the faculty of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York, where he studies with Brooke Myers. He was also a longtime student of Mary Dunn. Certified at the Introductory level, he has studied twice in Pune with the Iyengars. On the IYNAUS board since 2006, he has also served on the board and executive committee of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York.

Before teaching yoga fulltime, Richard was a professional writer for 20 years, as a journalist and a film and music reviewer, and writing TV commercials. He is co-founder of Children of Nowhere, a nonprofit which funds healthcare for Romanian children with HIV+ / AIDS (childrenofnowhere.com). He lives in New York City's Greenwich Village.


SUZIE MUCHNICK (Ethics chair, Certification liaison) joined the Board in June 2009. She earned Introductory certification in 1985 and Junior Intermediate III certification in 1997. As director of Postures, her studio in Naples, Florida, she has offered IYNAUS-approved Teacher Training since 2002 and has assisted more than 10 students in earning their Introductory certification. An Assessor since 2001, Suzie recently completed a four-year term on the Assessment Committee.

She spearheaded the formation of the regional association IYASE (Iyengar Yoga Association of the South East) and formerly served the national Board for more than five years as Membership chair. She was also chair and co-chair of the IYNAUS Store at national conventions in 2001 and 2004, and will be Store co-chair of the 2010 convention in Portland.

Suzie studies regularly with the Iyengars, Joan White; Manouso Manos, Patricia Walden, Lois Steinberg and other Senior Iyengar teachers.

Suzie has been married to Michael Spencer for 28 years; they share their home (and sometimes the yoga studio) with Yoga, Roller, Romulus, Remes and YinYang, their "feline companions".


PAT MUSBURGER (Secretary, Bylaws chair) is certified at the Intermediate Junior I level and owns Tree House Iyengar Yoga in Shoreline, WA. She moved from Houston to Seattle in 2003 when her husband Robert retired. They are now closer to family as well as the mountains that they love nearly as much. Pat helped to re-establish the Northwest region and completed her tenure as President of the Iyengar Yoga Association of the Northwest in 2008 but continues on the IYNAUS board until 2010.

Prior to fulltime yoga teaching Pat taught theater, worked in TV and film; she continues to do freelance writing. One of her passions is raising funds for breast cancer research as she is a 18 year survivor.


CHRIS NOUNOU (Systems & Technology chair) is Director of Professional Development and Administration for the Financial Services practice at McKinsey & Co, a global consulting firm. Drawing on her experience there, Chris led the strategic planning initiative of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York as part of her IYAGNY board service from 2002 - 2004. Evaluating the results of interviews with dozens of community members, the plan led to a clear mission statement, the development of new business and governance models, and the establishment of more creative programming at the New York Institute.

Chris began Iyengar Yoga nine years ago at a neighborhood health club, when an injury had prevented her from working. Her enthusiasm continued, and she has recently completed the New York Institute teachers' training program and plans to take her first trip in Pune in June 2011. Married and the mother of two adult daughters, Chris lives on Manhattan's Upper West Side. She looks forward to retirement from the corporate world so that she can teach Iyengar Yoga full-time.


KATHLEEN QUINN (Treasurer) joined the Board in March 2009. She has been practicing Iyengar Yoga since 1999. She completed the three-year teachers' training in La Mesa, CA, studying under Manouso Manos, Gloria Goldberg and Carolyn Belko and is certified at the Introductory level. She has organized many practice/study groups for herself and other certification candidates in her area. She plans to apply for Junior Intermediate I certification in 2010.

Kathleen received the Karin O'Bannon Scholarship from IYNAUS for dedication to teaching and service to her community. She completed her sabbatical study at R.I.M.Y.I. in Pune in January 2009.

Kathleen is a full-time teacher and the only Iyengar Yoga teacher in her local area of Inland-North San Diego County. Previously, Kathleen was a house painter. She and her husband, Gary Baker, have operated RB Painting for 25 years. She also manages property the couple owns.