Board of Directors

Libby Eason - ChairFacultybodfaculty2rep
Kayla Ann McGowan - Treasurer
Western USAbodwesternrep
Jörg Ahrend-Löns - Secretary
Internationalbodinternationalrep
Cosper ScafidiEastern USAbodeasternrep
Juan David VelezFacultybodfaculty1rep
Florian ThomasEuropebodeuropeanrep
Jenny RockAt-Largebodatlarge1
Jim PascucciAt-Largebodatlarge2
Lisa BranicCentral & Mountain USAbodcentralrep
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Libby Eason, Chair

Certified Advanced Rolfer
DIRI Board Faculty Representative, Board Chair

Libby Eason first experienced the transformative effects of Rolfing® Structural Integration in 1975. She trained as a massage therapist in 1986. In March 1992, Libby graduated from the Rolf Institute®, completed her Rolf Movement® certification in 1994, and advanced training in 1997. She became an assistant instructor in 1998, and lead instructor and faculty member in 2005. Libby also graduated from the Feldenkrais Training of Baltimore in 2016 and maintains a full-time Rolfing® and movement practice in Atlanta, GA.

Libby continues to explore the continuum of Structure - Function - Energy as it applies to the art of Structural and Movement Integration. She served for 10 years on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Structural Integrators® as law and legislation chair, and 2.5 years as board president. Libby has served as president of the Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation since March 2012, and was instrumental in producing the Fascia Research Congress in 2015 and 2018.

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Kayla Ann McGowan

Certified Advanced Rolfer
DIRI Board Western Representative, Board Treasurer

Kayla Ann McGowan is in Burlington VT and has been a member of The Dr. Ida Rolf Institute® in Boulder, Colorado since 2016, and a Rolf Movement® practitioner since 2021.

She worked as a Rolfer in private practice in Denver for five years. She married a Vermont native and moved to Vermont. Currently lives and practices Rolfing® SI, Reflexology, and Reiki in Burlington VT with her husband and cat Hobbs.

Kayla Ann teaches events and training in fascial anatomy, yoga teacher training, and anatomy physiology education online. Her passion lies in the framework as a teacher and mover of this world. She strives in the world of imagery and sensation with clients and students. Holding space for the subtle, and true movements of an organism. Allowing the language of life’s sensations and anatomy to be more fluid.

Jörg Ahrend-Löns

Certified Advanced Rolfer®
DIRI Board International Representative, Board Secretary

Jörg is a Certified Advanced Rolfer® and Rolf Movement® Practitioner in Germany and a member of ERA and DIRI since 1991.

Jörg served as a member of DIRI Europe faculty. He believes that even though he is European, he feels connected to the ABR due to his time spent as an assistant in Brazil and the bonds he formed.

Jörg has served on several committees within DIRI, such as the FDRB and ERA (Chair of European faculty, EEEC, RFOC).

Jörg hopes his experience will be of use to our global Rolfing® community.


Cosper Scafidi

Certified Advanced Rolfer
DIRI Board Eastern Representative

Cosper Scafidi has been practicing Rolfing® Structural-Integration in Northern Virginia since 1980. He has studied numerous body-work modalities and techniques including studying with all of Dr. Rolf's original teachers. He completed his Rolfing® Training in 1980, Advanced training in 1995, and again in 2009. He has completed many specialized workshops and advanced training to further his understanding of the integration of structure and function.

Cosper has and continues to serve in a number of leadership capacities. He was the regional Clinical Director in the Washington, DC area for American Whole Health as well as being on their Health Care Policy Council. He is a past President of the Rolf Institute and has worked with the Federation of Massage Therapy, Bodywork, and Somatic Practice as well as serving on the Board of Directors of the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage Therapy and Bodywork (NCBTMB). He was also a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation.

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Juan David Velez

Certified Advanced Rolfer
DIRI Board Faculty Representative

Juan David Vélez has been practicing as a Rolfer and Rolf Movement® Practitioner since 1995, first in his native Colombia, and for the last 15 years in Portland, Oregon. Juan David is guided by the belief that mastery is the place where logic, knowledge, and intuition converge.

As a practitioner, he combines a rigorous scientific understanding of the discipline with an open-minded, intuitive approach.

As a teacher, he builds a strong framework of the science, theory, and philosophy of Rolfing® Structural Integration, and encourages students to investigate and master these concepts through play and personal exploration. Juan David has a particular interest in neuroplasticity, the seemingly limitless ability of the brain to change the body and to respond to the body by changing itself.

In his spare time, Juan David enjoys painting and ecstatic dance, a good cup of tea, and a serious game of chess.

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Florian Thomas

Certified Advanced Rolfer®
DIRI Board European Representative

Florian Thomas trained in Rolfing® at the ERA in Munich and became a Certified Rolfer® in 2018. Immediately after graduating he started working from two private offices in London and in Oxford, UK where he currently lives with his wife.

Florian was born in Austria and studied law, musicology and singing. He became a professional opera singer and joined the chorus at the Vienna State Opera before becoming a freelance singer in 2016. Given his background, he is particularly interested in everything related to the human voice and he has attended several specialist workshops in different fields of manual therapy. 

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Jenny Rock

Certified Advanced Rolfer
DIRI Board At-Large Seat

Jenny Rock has always been passionate about helping people become the next best version of themselves.

Jenny has substantial experience in the massage and bodywork industry. In addition to 20 years of practical experience as a full-time Rolfer, she was an LMT for 13 years before attending the DIRI. She has practiced bodywork in four states and started practices in all of them, involving collaboration and teamwork.

Jenny served on the Oregon Board of Massage Practical Exam Task Force (2013-2014), where they recommended that the Board of Massage eliminate the practical exam for all licensees, which includes Rolfers and other SI practitioners.

Jenny received her BA in Psychology from the University of Central Florida, trained as a life coach, and taught personal development workshops.

Jim Pascucci

Certified Advanced Rolfer
DIRI Board At-Large Seat

Before I became a Rolfer, I was an Engineering Manager at Hewlett Packard. I left HP to pursue my passion of working with horses and dogs, which led me to becoming a Rolfer. It was during my first phase of Rolfing® Training in 1993 that I realized I also liked working with humans, there's a gratification in helping people who can give direct feedback on how you're helping them or not. My joke is that, I'm Jim, Advanced Rolfer, PHD (People, Horses, and Dogs).

I attended my Advanced Training in 1997, after which I wrote my first book on working with horses and produced a DVD for my work with dogs. I’ve also taught classes on both subjects internationally.

In 1999 I was asked to run for the Board of Directors, I was elected to two terms as well as being asked to guide the Institute as an interim Executive Director in 2000.

Since I left the BoD, my wife Susan and I started a CrossFit gym which we operated for 10 years—COVID and my health prompted our closing it in 2020. I also decided to limit my Rolfing® practice and enjoy life. I have a wonderful partner, Susan, who I enjoy traveling with.

In the last year, a number of colleagues have reached out to me to ask me to run for the Board again. When this At Large seat was vacated I decided to do it and was re-elected by the members of the entire DIRI to serve them, and I will be doing that. It provides me with a means to give something back to DIRI for the wonderful life I’ve been blessed to have as a Rolfer.

If you're interested in Rolfing®, working with animals, or weight lifting feel free to contact me.

placeholderLisa Branic

Certified Rolfer
DIRI Board Central and Mountain Representative

Lisa received her BS in Industrial Engineering and her MBA from Rutgers University.  After a decade of providing business and technology consulting services with Computer Sciences Corporation, she held leadership positions with Rosetta Stone as Director of the Global Project Management Office and thereafter with the University of Maryland Global Campus as Vice President of the Project Management Office.  In these roles, Lisa developed project management capabilities, aligned the vision and strategy of the organization to projects and operational initiatives, facilitated enterprise prioritization of these projects, and then provided delivery oversight. 

Lisa has deep experience working in commercial, non-profit, and educational sectors.  She has played pivotal roles in advancing organizational strategy and moving these organizations forward and is adept at navigating state and federal regulations.   All of this experience, combined with her experience as a Rolfer, make her an asset to the DIRI Board of Directors. 

As a certified coach with the International Coach Federation, Lisa still maintains a part-time consulting and corporate coaching business working with public health and Fortune 500 companies.  Lisa is also a certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists.  She practices Rolfing®, Rolf Movement®, Coaching and Consulting in Northern Virginia where she lives with her husband Mitch and her cat Shadow.