Patrick Hanaway, MD
Chairperson for the Board of Directors
At his core, Patrick is a healer and teacher. His passion and extensive knowledge of western and traditional practices makes him a generous resource. Patrick brings his experience as a leader, compassion as a doctor, and empathy as a community Firekeeper to his position as Board Chair, implementing Blue Deer’s vision and mission.
As an initiated Mara’akame (healer in the Huichol tradition) and Firekeeper, he leads ceremonies and offers healing sessions to promote balance in people’s lives. For over 20 years, Patrick has served as a functional medicine family physician, along with his wife Lisa, in Asheville NC. Dr. Hanaway works to transform medical practice through awareness, education, research and clinical care.
Patrick started the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and was honored with the Linus Pauling Award for his pioneering work in the field of functional medicine. Patrick received his doctorate of medicine from Washington University. He surrounds himself with nature, his community, his sons Wilkin and Devin, and his wife Lisa.
Amanda Kerner
Acting Executive Director and Board Member
Amanda’s leadership and business background allows her to manage the many moving parts of the present to serve the long-term goals of Blue Deer Center. Through Amanda’s enthusiasm, spirituality, work-ethic, and passion for learning, she works to build community. Volunteering her time is an important practice in her life. As an initiated Firekeeper, she hosts gatherings and builds ritual space to support connection.
Amanda holds a Business Administration and Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. For over 15 years, she led and developed the family transportation business into a successful company in partnership with her husband, Alan. A mother, wife and grandmother, her home is always open and buzzing with visitors and the aroma and taste of good food.
Safia Johnson
Board Member
Safia’s dedication has been unwavering and consistent for Blue Deer. Her financial and retreat management skills have facilitated the creation, opening and growth of the center. She is one of the original co-executive directors and therefore has deep knowledge of the center's inner workings.
She keeps the center in good standing in all legal and financial perspectives.
Safia is a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer. It brings her great joy to develop her own spiritual growth and support that of others through the mission of Blue Deer.
Patrick Hanaway, MD
Chairperson for the Board of Directors
At his core, Patrick is a healer and teacher. His passion and extensive knowledge of western and traditional practices makes him a generous resource. Patrick brings his experience as a leader, compassion as a doctor, and empathy as a community Firekeeper to his position as Board Chair, implementing Blue Deer’s vision and mission.
As an initiated Mara’akame (healer in the Huichol tradition) and Firekeeper, he leads ceremonies and offers healing sessions to promote balance in people’s lives. For over 20 years, Patrick has served as a functional medicine family physician, along with his wife Lisa, in Asheville NC. Dr. Hanaway works to transform medical practice through awareness, education, research and clinical care.
Patrick started the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and was honored with the Linus Pauling Award for his pioneering work in the field of functional medicine. Patrick received his doctorate of medicine from Washington University. He surrounds himself with nature, his community, his sons Wilkin and Devin, and his wife Lisa.
Amanda Kerner
Acting Executive Director and Board Member
Amanda’s leadership and business background allows her to manage the many moving parts of the present to serve the long-term goals of Blue Deer Center. Through Amanda’s enthusiasm, spirituality, work-ethic, and passion for learning, she works to build community. Volunteering her time is an important practice in her life. As an initiated Firekeeper, she hosts gatherings and builds ritual space to support connection.
Amanda holds a Business Administration and Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. For over 15 years, she led and developed the family transportation business into a successful company in partnership with her husband, Alan. A mother, wife and grandmother, her home is always open and buzzing with visitors and the aroma and taste of good food.
Safia Johnson
Board Member
Safia’s dedication has been unwavering and consistent for Blue Deer. Her financial and retreat management skills have facilitated the creation, opening and growth of the center. She is one of the original co-executive directors and therefore has deep knowledge of the center's inner workings.
She keeps the center in good standing in all legal and financial perspectives.
Safia is a Plant Spirit Medicine Healer. It brings her great joy to develop her own spiritual growth and support that of others through the mission of Blue Deer.
We are listening: Do you have a question or feedback? Would you like to volunteer your time or make a donation? Let us know.
Thimo Wittich
Center Director
Growing up in the densely wooded Central Uplands in the heart of Germany — a region where the Brothers Grimm once collected and recorded their fairy tales — Thimo felt a deep connection to nature from early childhood. After many years of living and working internationally, he eventually found his home with his family in the town of Andes, in New York’s Catskill Mountains, where his relationship with land, contemplative practice, and community has continued to deepen.
Thimo brings many years of international experience in business, leadership, marketing, and organizational development, including building and leading organizations and teams. He holds a law degree from the University of Cologne and a Master in European Business from ESCP Business School. Alongside this professional background, he brings nearly two decades of contemplative practice and teaching. Over time, his work has increasingly focused on the relationship between contemplative and land-based practice, ecology, and the more-than-human world. He developed 4 Elements — A Contemplative Ecology of Practice and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Arts in Ecological Psychology.
At Blue Deer, Thimo sees these different strands coming together: leadership and stewardship, contemplative practice, community, and a deep care for land and place. As Center Director, he is dedicated to caring for Blue Deer as a place where people can experience connection, healing, growth, and transformation.
Linda Felch
Administrative Director
Linda is a long-time staff member of Blue Deer Center.
Linda Felch is a Mara’akame in the tradition of the Wixárika people of Mexico. She offers traditional shamanic healing to bring healing and balance to people. As an initiated Firekeeper, she holds monthly Fire Circles, where people can connect with one another and the transformative effect of the fire.
Linda’s love of nature and plants led her to begin her healing work as a Plant Spirit Medicine practitioner over 25 years ago. She is an avid gardener of vegetables, flowers, and native plants. Along with her husband, Randy, she stewards a beautiful and ecologically diverse farmette.
Wendy Core
Fundraising Director
Wendy brings her past production experience into every step of the process for our program development. She creates budgets, sets up procedures, coordinates effective communication, and provides local coordinator support for off-site programs. Her abilities ensure a smooth and effective healing experience for the participants, providers, staff, and volunteers.
She received her B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California. For over 15 years, Wendy worked in Television Commercial Production.
She is an initiated weather worker in the Nahua tradition. She lives and works from her lovely home in Santa Cruz, with her teenage son Sequoia and enjoys taking daily long walks.
Anna-Lena Hilton
Huichol Art Project Director
Anna-Lena brings care and commitment to all of her work. As the director of the Huichol Art Project for almost 10 years, she has led and worked closely with the Huichol Art Council to make Huichol Art available to many markets. She has infused the project with efficiency, success, and an abundance of volunteers. She makes sure that the artwork is presented beautifully at the Huichol Art Boutique at Blue Deer.
She is a practicing Mara’akame, a traditional Huichol healer. She also serves her community as a Firekeeper in the Catskill Mountains. She has co-owned and managed a spiritual gift shop for over 30 years with her husband, Krishna.
Anna-Lena is a stepmother and a grandmother to two beautiful granddaughters. You will often find Anna-Lena in her garden or taking care of her two dogs.
Mace Fleeger
Firekeeper
Between 2005 and 2022 Mace Fleeger engaged a sacred pilgrimage under the guidance of his teacher and friend, Eliot Cowan. During that time Mace discovered that his sense of well-being and his learning was profoundly supported by regular attendance at Sacred Fire community fires and has been an enthusiastic and dedicated member of various fire communities for about 15 years. In 2023 Mace enrolled in a firekeeping training program so that he could offer this special opportunity for people to engage in the ancient and magical alchemy of community and sacred fire.
Mace was born and raised in Florida where he developed a love for the great outdoors. By trade, he is a Creative Director and Graphic Designer. By avocation he is a fireside singer of cowboy songs and a born storyteller.
Thimo Wittich
Center Director
Growing up in the densely wooded Central Uplands in the heart of Germany — a region where the Brothers Grimm once collected and recorded their fairy tales — Thimo felt a deep connection to nature from early childhood. After many years of living and working internationally, he eventually found his home with his family in the town of Andes, in New York’s Catskill Mountains, where his relationship with land, contemplative practice, and community has continued to deepen.
Thimo brings many years of international experience in business, leadership, marketing, and organizational development, including building and leading organizations and teams. He holds a law degree from the University of Cologne and a Master in European Business from ESCP Business School. Alongside this professional background, he brings nearly two decades of contemplative practice and teaching. Over time, his work has increasingly focused on the relationship between contemplative and land-based practice, ecology, and the more-than-human world. He developed 4 Elements — A Contemplative Ecology of Practice and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Arts in Ecological Psychology.
At Blue Deer, Thimo sees these different strands coming together: leadership and stewardship, contemplative practice, community, and a deep care for land and place. As Center Director, he is dedicated to caring for Blue Deer as a place where people can experience connection, healing, growth, and transformation.
Linda Felch
Administrative Director
Linda is a long-time staff member of Blue Deer Center.
Linda Felch is a Mara’akame in the tradition of the Wixárika people of Mexico. She offers traditional shamanic healing to bring healing and balance to people. As an initiated Firekeeper, she holds monthly Fire Circles, where people can connect with one another and the transformative effect of the fire.
Linda’s love of nature and plants led her to begin her healing work as a Plant Spirit Medicine practitioner over 25 years ago. She is an avid gardener of vegetables, flowers, and native plants. Along with her husband, Randy, she stewards a beautiful and ecologically diverse farmette.
Wendy Core
Fundraising Director
Wendy brings her past production experience into every step of the process for our program development. She creates budgets, sets up procedures, coordinates effective communication, and provides local coordinator support for off-site programs. Her abilities ensure a smooth and effective healing experience for the participants, providers, staff, and volunteers.
She received her B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California. For over 15 years, Wendy worked in Television Commercial Production.
She is an initiated weather worker in the Nahua tradition. She lives and works from her lovely home in Santa Cruz, with her teenage son Sequoia and enjoys taking daily long walks.
Anna-Lena Hilton
Huichol Art Project Director
Anna-Lena brings care and commitment to all of her work. As the director of the Huichol Art Project for almost 10 years, she has led and worked closely with the Huichol Art Council to make Huichol Art available to many markets. She has infused the project with efficiency, success, and an abundance of volunteers. She makes sure that the artwork is presented beautifully at the Huichol Art Boutique at Blue Deer.
She is a practicing Mara’akame, a traditional Huichol healer. She also serves her community as a Firekeeper in the Catskill Mountains. She has co-owned and managed a spiritual gift shop for over 30 years with her husband, Krishna.
Anna-Lena is a stepmother and a grandmother to two beautiful granddaughters. You will often find Anna-Lena in her garden or taking care of her two dogs.
Mace Fleeger
Firekeeper
Between 2005 and 2022 Mace Fleeger engaged a sacred pilgrimage under the guidance of his teacher and friend, Eliot Cowan. During that time Mace discovered that his sense of well-being and his learning was profoundly supported by regular attendance at Sacred Fire community fires and has been an enthusiastic and dedicated member of various fire communities for about 15 years. In 2023 Mace enrolled in a firekeeping training program so that he could offer this special opportunity for people to engage in the ancient and magical alchemy of community and sacred fire.
Mace was born and raised in Florida where he developed a love for the great outdoors. By trade, he is a Creative Director and Graphic Designer. By avocation he is a fireside singer of cowboy songs and a born storyteller.
Meet the Blue Deer Team
Our team brings together people from all paths of life, who give of their time, talent and effort, to make Blue Deer Center available to the world.
