board Archives - Bowling Green International Festival

Meet our festival organizers: Skylar Wooden

International Festival — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 16:30:56 +0000

Skylar is the newest member of the festival Board and serves as the cochair of the Sponsorship Committee as well as the supervisor of the Merchandise Booth where she promotes our new festival T-shirt design each year.

By day Skylar is a professional technical writer. She is also a co-author and sole editor of Pare and Flourish a professional development blog.

A graduate of WKU Skylar’s interests include animal welfare, arts & culture, children, education, the environment and renovating her house. We will miss having Skylar at the Festival this year while she is teaching English conversation in France. Hannah Benward, one of our Community Planners will fill in for her at the Merchandise Booth.

You can become part of the Bowling Green International Festival by visiting the volunteer section of our website. The Festival takes place September 30 this year from 9am – 6pm. Stop by and say “hi” to our many volunteers in our festival booth areas! For more information visit: www.BGInternationalFest.com

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Meet our festival organizers: Dr. Gayle Mallinger

International Festival — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 15:19:16 +0000

Dr. Mallinger is generally our co-host at the Beer Garden. But, though she helped organize it this year, she will not be in attendance due to the Festival falling on a high holiday in the Jewish faith. She nonetheless has remained behind the scenes helping to organize the event as a member of the Board of Directors.

By day Dr. Mallinger is an associate professor in the WKU Social Work department.

Gayle also serves as President of Hope Harbor and has served as a Board member for the Community Farmer’s Market.

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Meet our festival organizers: Leyda Becker

International Festival — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 14:29:13 +0000

Leyda Becker has served as the BGIF Board of Director’s secretary since 2011. She also serves as a liaison to the international community, encouraging them to participate in the festival by hosting booths or performing and helping them organize their participation.

By day Leyda is the City of Bowling Green’s International Liaison. In that capacity she coordinates the City’s role in communicating and working effectively with the diverse international communities represented in Bowling Green. She is also the host of La Nuestra, a Spanish language radio show on WKCT.

Each year at the Festival Leyda hosts the City of Bowling Green’s booth and represents Venezuela, the country where she was born.

In her spare time Leyda loves traveling, cooking, camping, hiking and spending time with her family.

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BGIF Board Member Dr. Gayle Mallinger recognized for public service

International Festival — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 16:57:10 +0000

Western Kentucky University has announced their annual awards recognizing outstanding contributions by faculty members. Bowling Green International Festival Board of Directors member Dr. Gayle Mallinger is honored with the award for Public Service for the College of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Mallinger is an assistant professor in the Social Work department. In addition to serving on the Festival Board, she has served on the Hope Harbor board, where she is currently president having served in that position since 2012. She is also a Board member for the Community Farmers Market and a Reviewer for the Society for Social Work and Research. At WKU she serves in the University Senate and until recently on the Diversity Enhancement Committee and the Faculty Welfare Committee. For the College of Health and Human Services she serves in the Patient Navigator Working Group, the Advising Committee and the Homecoming Committee. And for the Social Work Department she is the Advisor, Curriculum Coordinator and on the BSW, Field, Departmental Advisory and Search committees.

From 1981 to 2000, before joining academia, Dr. Mallinger worked as a Clinical Social Worker in Virginia, Georgia, Arizona, California and Pennsylvania specializing in child and adolescent therapy, rape crisis and substance abuse. She completed her Ph.D in 2010 at the University of Pittsburgh and was hired by WKU in 2011. WKU previously awarded her the Faculty-Undergraduate Student Engagement (FUSE) award in 2012.

Dr. Mallinger has co-authored several grants involving sustainability studies including one to expand the Boys and Girls Club garden project to the Housing Authority of Bowling Green. She has also authored several reports concerning the effect of incarceration on children and families. Her dissertation centered on the placement of children in need with gay and lesbian couples. Her current research interests include: environmental justice and social work education, efficacy of diversity training in social work education and alternatives for permanent placement of children in foster care.

Since 2013 Dr. Gayle Mallinger has served the Bowling Green International Festival both as a board member and as the co-chair of the beer garden on festival day. So on September 30, stop by the beer garden and offer a congratulatory toast to our Board member Dr. Gayle Mallinger!

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