Staff
Executive Director
Hellene Gronda, Ph.D, PW. Dipl, MA, BSc/BA(Hons)
Dr. Gronda is an experienced leader, manager and administrator with over 15 years experience in academic and nonprofit administration and public sector management. She led PWI’s successful application for national accreditation with ACICS (awarded August 2016) and served as Dean of PWI’s academic programs since 2015, providing oversight and management of the academic program including faculty assignments, accountability and performance evaluation; program logistics and administrative control and standards compliance.
Previously Dr. Gronda served on the executive leadership team of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). She established and led the AHURI Research Synthesis Service, their national research consultancy business unit (2008-2012). Publications include: What makes Case Management Work and What makes a difference? Building a foundation for nationally consistent outcome measures. Other roles include policy development leader for the Victorian State Government, and research coordinator for a large nonprofit.
Dr. Gronda uses her mastery of innovative change facilitation methodologies for individuals and groups. She brings her proven ability in leadership, teaching, research, policy, partnerships and business development, along with a strong project delivery and publication record, to deliver sound management and leadership of the Institute.
Hellene is a Processwork Diplomate and member of PWI Faculty since 2015, with a PhD in Cultural Studies from Monash University (Aust.) and a BSc/BA(Hons) from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She graduated from the Process Work Institute’s Masters in Process Work (MAPW) program in February 2013. Her doctoral research, Dance with the body you have (2006), focused on the meaning and implications of body awareness practices, while her first degree was in Physics.
Administrative Office
Librarian
Jennifer has over ten years of working in libraries, including academic, corporate, archives and public libraries, and even a brief stint as a bookmobile driver. In addition to helping library users connect with information, she has direct experience with the research process through assisting design companies with product and service development. Jennifer has called Portland home since 1994 and enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest, gardening and solving puzzles.
Portland Processwork Clinic Director
Education:
Sonja Straub studied psychology first at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and then received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The Union Graduate School in Ohio, USA. She has been involved in Process Work since the early 80s.
Special Interests:
Currently Sonja works in private practice, teaches in diverse settings and has had lots of supervisory experience with Process Work students as well as with outside organizations. In addition to her extensive worldwork experiences inside the Process Work community, she has worked in various organizational and community settings. These include the
Massachusetts Transportation Authority, a multicultural counseling agency, and community groups in the border counties of Northern Ireland.
Personal Statement:
The richness that comes from living with diversity is important to Sonja in a very personal way. In her spare time she loves to cook, toot her saxophone and run with her dog, Juneau, through the forest.