Michigan Yoga Association Officers

President: Howard Dembs
Howard took his first yoga class at Western Michigan University as an elective physical education credit in 1976 and has been practicing ever since. He is currently taking a Yoga Teacher Training program in Saugatuck and is scheduled to graduate in June 2025. He recently retired from a local industrial contractor as their Chief Financial Officer.
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 ‘I held this position since 2002 and have worked on a variety of corporate tasks including strategy, financial analysis, insight and system integration. The Michigan Yoga Association is undergoing some dramatic changes, and I am excited about leading the team to reshape the direction of the organization.’
​Vice President: Julie Klick
Julie joined the MYA board in 2025, motivated by a deep commitment to the organization’s mission of education, outreach, and community engagement. Her journey with Yoga began in high school in 2001, when she was first introduced to vinyasa yoga. In 2011, she earned her 200-hour Ashtanga-based RYT certification with Michele Fife, deepening her personal practice and expanding her understanding of the tradition. 

Since relocating to Kalamazoo, Julie has been inspired by the area’s vibrant Yoga and Ayurveda community.  She is a lifelong student of Yoga, dedicated to embodying its principles both on and off the mat—as a practitioner, a teacher, and a parent.
For Julie, Yoga is a path to self-awareness and a tool for raising collective consciousness.

She is particularly passionate about the healing power of deep rest practices such as meditation and yoga nidra. In today’s world, where stress, anxiety, and suicide are increasingly prevalent—Julie believes these practices are more essential than ever.
Secretary: Mary Beth Thomas
Mary Beth has been providing meeting minutes as secretary for the last several years and was a member-at-large before that. Her years as a project manager in the Healthcare industry have given her ample opportunity for honing her skills in taking meeting minutes and she welcomes the chance to put that skill to use in the service of her true passion, yoga. Mary Beth would like to work with someone willing to take over the secretary position. Please let us know if you are interested.
Treasurer: Susan Freeman
Susan has been a student of yoga since the early 2000s and joined the MYA board in 2025. She completed a 200-hour teacher training with Mona Ceniceros in Minnesota, and since moving to Michigan has been a regular yoga student, occasional substitute yoga teacher, and eager participant in yoga workshops and retreats. A commitment to self-awareness, community, and liberation guides her yoga and meditation practice as well as her work as a gender and women’s studies professor.

Standing Committee Chairs

Programs: Véronique Jewell
Véronique, RYT500, has attended workshops with MYA for many years. Born in France, she practiced nursing for 10 years before moving to the US in 1991 with her daughter.  She has practiced yoga on and off since the age of 17 and was excited when studios and teachers become accessible.  She completed her teacher training with Melissa Spamer and now owns her own studio, Sanctuary Yoga, in Kalamazoo, MI.  Veronique looks forward to making great teachers accessible to you!

Members-at-Large

Ann Ross

Ann first learned about yoga when visiting her “weird Aunt Virginia“ in San Francisco in 1973. Ann has practiced yoga on and off since then, but became a more serious student when Sanctuary Yoga was built next door to her home! Ann finds that yoga helps her reach places both physically and spiritually, that other practices or therapies cannot. Ann enjoys the MYA retreats, and looks forward to working with the MYA board.
John Brady

John volunteers his time to assist the board with technical concerns and creations. He first experienced Hatha Yoga in 1985 in upstate NY after college and has taken classes ever since. In Kalamazoo, he has landed at Sanctuary Yoga where he also volunteers behind the scenes.  John is a runner (5K's to short ultra-marathons), has attended lots of MYA workshops and considers his yoga practice, teacher and community to be at the core of his well being.