ADULT PROGRAMS - Needham Public Schools

INSTRUCTOR BIOS
JANE BRALEY, a Needham resident, is the owner
of J. Grant Braley Interiors, a full service interior
design firm serving both residential and commercial
customers. The firm handles a wide variety of design
projects, from kitchen and bath renovations, to paint
color consultations, to re-design of existing spaces and
whole house renovations. Their firm believes that each
client, as well as each project, is unique and should be
treated as such. Jane has an associate’s degree in
Interior Design from Endicott College, and a bachelor’s
degree in Interior Design from Michigan State University,
and has been working as a designer for over 30
years. For more information about her firm, go to www.
jgbraleyinteriors.com
J. SCOTT BRUMIT has been studying various forms
of martial arts since 1983. He has studied and taught
Kung-Fu, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and numerous weapon
forms. He has performed as a martial artist in Sarah
Caldwell’s production of Puccini’s Turandot for the Opera
Company of Boston. Scott also has been performing,
directing and producing opera throughout the U.S.
for over 30 years, and currently serves as the General
Director of Needham’s Longwood Opera.
SCOTT CAHALY graduated from the University of
Vermont with a degree in fine arts in the late 90s. Upon
graduation, he moved into the carving community in
Central Vermont and worked as the resident sculptor at
the Vermont Marble Exhibit. In 2000, Scott relocated
to the Boston area where he started exhibiting his
work in many local galleries and universities. He is a
member of The New England Sculptors Association
and has been teaching stone sculpture for over ten
years at several major sculptural institutions, including
the deCordova Museum School.
HSIU-HUI CHEN is a certified Nia instructor who
teaches in several area programs. She was born in
Taipei, Taiwan, and holds a BA in English from Fu-
Jen University in Taiwan. She is trained in classical
ballet, ballroom dance, and Chinese dance. Hsiu-Hui
discovered NIA classes 10 years ago and has been
dancing NIA ever since, and enjoys sharing NIA and
other dance forms with students in several community
education programs.
MARILYN CRUICKSHANK, a Needham resident, is
the owner of Creative Simplicity Professional Organizing,
LLC, which provides an array of organizing
services to individuals, families, and businesses in the
Metrowest area. Marilyn is a member of the National
Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).
DEBORAH DROSNIN AND ALISA JONAS are both
estate-planning attorneys. Alisa received her JD from
Harvard Law School and her BA in Economics and
German Literature from Brandeis University. She
practiced tax law at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge
and did estate-planning work for the law firm of Wade
and Horowitz prior to establishing her own practice.
Deborah received her JD from Northeastern University
School of Law, and her BA in Psychology from
Clark University. Prior to establishing her own estate
planning practice, she worked as an attorney at Foley,
Hoag & Eliot, a major Boston law firm.
DAN ENG started Barleycorn’s in 1998. He has been
instructing novices as well as experienced beer lovers
in the art of craft beer brewing for more than 13 years.
He also serves as a beer judge at the annual Great
International Beer Festival in Providence, R.I.
ERIC FRERE was born in Ottawa, Canada and French
is his native tongue. He has traveled extensively
throughout the world, including France and French
Polynesia. He has taught French in the Needham
schools for over 10 years, and taught Traveler’s French
and Conversational French adult classes for Needham
Community Ed. He is a member of the Massachusetts
Foreign Language Association, and the American Association
of Teachers of French.
MICHAEL GALPERIN has achieved the title of SAM-
BO Grandmaster from the World Martial Arts Alliance,
and was inducted into the Hall of Fame by AAU-USA.
He studied with one of the founders of SAMBO in
Russia, and has taught self-defense Combat SAMBO
both in Europe and the U.S. for various law enforcement,
military, and community organizations for over
60 years. He is the founder and President of the U.S.
Combat SAMBO Association.
CATHERINE GENTILE is a graduate of the School of
the Museum of Fine Arts and the owner of the Button
Box, a quilt shop and sewing center specializing in
contemporary and oriental fabrics. Catherine has been
teaching sewing classes for over 25 years. For more
information on the Button Box, go to www.buttonboxsewing.com
34
NEEDHAM COMMUNITY EDUCATION