Judy Avrin
Judy is a graduate of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, earning her B.A. in History in 1976. She later returned to the Rutgers School of Communications, Information and Library Studies, earning her Master’s Degree in 2000. In addition to her role as an eating disorder awareness advocate and activist, she is the coordinator for a consortium of New Jersey academic libraries. She lives in Totowa, NJ.
Danna Markson, LCSW
Danna is a psychotherapist with over 18 years of clinical experience. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from NYU in 1994 and has a post-graduate certificate in Family Therapy. Danna is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – which teach concrete coping strategies to manage emotions, thoughts and situations. Danna has a private practice in Livingston, NJ, specializing in psychotherapy with children, adolescents, adults and families.
After her own battle with Anorexia and Bulimia in college, and with twenty years in recovery, Danna now specializes in the treatment of Eating Disorders. She is an Executive Producer of Someday Melissa; the story of an eating disorder, loss and hope and is on the Board of Directors of Someday Melissa, the non-profit organization.
Jeffrey Cobelli
Jeff graduated from Emerson College in 2006 with a major in Television and Film. He has worked in a variety of roles in the film and television industry, most notably as Producer and Director of his own company, Good For You Productions, which he founded in 2009. Good For You has completed three documentaries to date including The Making of a Mogul, ChiroMission and Someday Melissa; the story of an eating disorder, loss and hope. Jeff worked as both Director and Producer for Someday Melissa, helping to bring the film from idea to completion.
(L to R: Danna Markson, Jeffrey Cobelli, Judy Avrin)
Elizabeth Gough-Gordon
As a member of the Someday Melissa team, Elizabeth hopes to help break down the walls for greater awareness and education about eating disorders. Previously she worked for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and worked on educational initiatives for medical practitioners and the general public, including a documentary on college student suicide and depression. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (BS, Sociology and Anthropology) and the New School for Social Research (MA, Sociology) and is pursuing her doctorate in journalism and media studies at Rutgers University. She is also a part-time lecturer at Rutgers and teaches courses on new media.
Misty Layne
Misty has been in recovery from her eating disorder since 2007. A graduate of Jacksonville State University and former Southern belle, Misty moved to New Jersey two years ago. As a former blogger who wrote numerous posts about her struggles with ED, depression and more, Misty offers blog visitors a unique perspective into the world of ED and more importantly, is able to state with intention that it does indeed get better. Besides her work at Someday Melissa, Misty is also an online contributor for Notes on the State of New Jersey, a model, and has written two novels and has self-published a book of poetry.
(L to R: Danna Markson, Judy Avrin, Misty Layne, Elizabeth Gough-Gordon)
