Valerie Mapstone Ackerman grew up in a working class town near Pittsburgh PA. Married young and divorced quickly Valerie has intimately known the social welfare system from the client's side. She graduated with honors from The University of Pittsburgh and holds master's degrees from the University of Michigan and Meadville/Lombard Theological School. Valerie has worked with adjudicated and emotionally impaired youth, in reproductive health care, and as an advocate for children without homes and residents of public housing. She has been a community organizer, a politician, a therapist and an adjunct faculty member of the School of Social Work at U-Michigan. Valerie has served UU congregations in Portage and Detroit MI, Park Forest IL, Tulsa OK, and Lancaster PA. Her ministry now includes itinerant preaching, consulting with UU boards and congregations, advocacy for peace and justice, hosting spiritual retreats and discussion groups and writing (for which she recently won an award). Valerie and her spouse Bill have two grown children who can't understand why their parents live in Oklahoma by choice. The Ackermans enjoy the great privilege of providing the summer residence for their brilliant and talented granddaughter on their small farm near Tulsa. Rev. Valerie Mapstone Ackerman, MSW, MDiv Red Dog Farm and Retreat Center 18679 South 221st East Avenue Haskell, OK 74436 valmapack@valornet.com (918) 482-3278 home (918) 231-2188 cell