Advisory Board

Audrey Borden – Founder, My Gifted Girl

Audrey has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's of Public Administration from Georgia Southern University.   Audrey taught high school political science and government courses, realizing a need to develop the students' ability to think, solve problems, and discover their own political beliefs.

Audrey was a gifted student, though never actually placed in gifted programs.  Her tenacious thirst for knowledge has blossomed through parenthood.  Understanding the benefits and challenges growing up gifted and female has motivated her quest for educational opportunities for her children.  After talking to students, educators, mothers and other women, she realized a need for a clearinghouse of information and resources for Gifted and Talented girls and women, and those that love and support them.

Audrey has worked Dale Carnegie Training as a business consultant and trainer.  She has a background in manufacturing and process improvement for a major chemical company.  She was responsible for training, policy and procedure development, facilitation, government relations and employee relations. These experiences brought understanding of the drastic differences in numbers of female engineers and women in science.

Erin Coley

Erin Coley has been teaching theatre for over 8 years.  She is a certified teacher with experience managing tutoring centers.  She has been performing since she was 12 and is passionate about arts education.  Erin firmly believes that every child can develop needed life-skills such as self-confidence and effective communication skills through the performing arts.

Erin founded Standing Ovation Performing Arts & ACTademics and teaches many classes at Standing Ovation and other locations.   She is a former drama teacher and is currently a Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Consultant.  Erin is actively involved in arts education groups and the local school system.  She judges local theatre competitions and helps other women entrepreneurs in her community.

Erin specializes in directing, acting, improvisation, vocal and auditioning.

Amy Price

Amy Price is the Executive Director of SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted).  A marketing and public relations specialist, she consulted on the account management teams of major NYC advertising agencies before becoming President of her own marketing network.  Prior to joining the SENG team, she was Executive Director of a public school education foundation.  Her passion for serving the needs of gifted and twice-exceptional children and adults is a personal and professional commitment.

Amy is the proud mother of two gifted sons.  Amy is also serving on the Parent Advisory Committee of the National Association for Gifted Children.

Kim Genovese

Kim Genovese is a teacher in Palm Beach County, Florida.  After teaching 5th grade students for six years, two years ago, she began teaching fourth grade reading in a departmentalized program.   This year, Kim received her National Board Certification.  She has taught inclusion classes for most of her career and has taught many gifted children.  Kim has successfully identified several economically disadvantaged students who were gifted but had been previously unidentified by the system.  She believes strongly that gifted and talented students deserve the expanded educational horizons gifted education opens for them.

Kim received her Master’s of Arts in Early Childhood Education at Piedmont College in 1999 and completed her undergraduate degree in Middle Grades Education the year before.  She has successfully taught in Georgia and Florida. 

Kim’s other interests include singing and art.  Kim is an accomplished soprano first trained in New York City and later in Georgia.  She has many solo performance credits in classical, operatic, and musical theatre.  She has sold many painted pieces to design stores and antique shops in North Georgia, Savannah, and Florida.

Dr. Vidisha Patel

Dr. Vidisha Patel has a doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology and practices as a therapist in Sarasota, Florida, where much of her work is with gifted children and their families, with a focus on stress and anxiety.  She is licensed to teach stress management techniques.  Dr. Patel is active in her local community and regularly speaks at conferences, schools, and parenting groups throughout the community and the state.  As a consultant for Florida State University she trains primary caregivers on infant mental health.  Dr. Patel’s professional affiliations include The American Counseling Association, The World Association of Infant Mental Health, The Zero to Three Society, Sarasota County Medical Society Alliance, and the Pine View School Board of Directors.

Dr. Patel holds an MBA from Columbia University and worked in finance on Wall Street and overseas before obtaining her doctorate in psychology.  Dr. Patel is the mother of two gifted children.

Susan Mabe

Susan has Bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Finance from Princeton University. She served 8 years in the Air Force, and after her discharged, she returned to school and received her master’s degree in nursing from Seton Hall University. In the 1990’s she was a partner in a woman owned firm, Storage & Office Solutions. Their clients included AT&T, Kean University, Ford Motor Company and New Jersey Institute of Technology. Susan has held financial positions with Globe Footwear, Dynamic Decisions, Bibby Financial Services and Delphi Petroleum. She is currently self-employed as a legal assistant and hopes to attend law school.

Susan was herself a gifted girl, both academically and musically. She plays the flute, piano and violin. She is the parent of a now grown gifted girl. Susan is politically active and worked on the 2008 presidential campaign. She recently signed up to act as a mentor and job coach for Vita Nova, a not for profit organization serving young men and women who have been discharged from Florida’s foster-care system at age 18, or who have become homeless.  She is also a member of P.E.A.C.E. (People Engaged in Active Community Efforts) in Palm Beach County.

Kenneth has a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Montclair State University as well as Computer Science degree from the Chubb Institute of Technology.   Kenneth has worked with corporate and start-up businesses to help them develop a social networking presence on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. .

Kenneth Lang and Isabelle Lanini formed NJPING (New Jersey Parents Interactive Network for Gifted) as a means to disseminate information and resources to a targeted audience. In 2008, NJPING was re-launched with an even greater goal – reach out to educators and other specialists through different social networks. Kenneth feels clear and direct communication is important. That way users (parents, educators and students who advocate compared to other non-gifted contacts) understand common goals and concerns.

Kenneth was a newspaper editor and communications specialist before a career change to Information Technology where he’s been a consultant and programmer/analyst for different Fortune 500 companies. Kenneth’s most recent project is creating an Email etiquette training module for corporate and non-corporate audiences.

Brittany Mancuso

Brittany Mancuso is a South Florida native and graduated from a private high school in 2007. She is currently a junior at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.  Brittany is pursuing a major in English-Creative writing and a minor in Communications.  Brittany plans to attend graduate school to obtain her Master’s Degree in Creative Writing.

Brittany was one of only 39 students accepted into the Social Justice Living and Learning Community her freshman year. While in her sophomore year, she served as a mentor for incoming freshmen in the Living and Learning Community. During the summers she works for the Breaker's Resort on Palm Beach as a Recreational Specialist. Brittany participates in various acts of community service throughout the year, and is a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority.

- Lillian Weis