About Us
Mari Lynch Dehmler is the owner and founder of Fine Wordworking, established in Monterey, California in 1981. The business first received national acclaim for book editing, earning it a listing in the industry directory Literary Market Place annually since 1987. Outside the world of book publishing, Mari's work is also highly regarded in many other fields of written communication.
Prior to establishing Fine Wordworking, Mari was employed as a writer, editor, and production coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Santa Cruz County, California, and ETR Associates of Scotts Valley, California, and as a writer and projects assistant for the Elvirita Lewis Foundation for Geriatric Health and Nutrition of Soquel, California. Earlier, she was an editorial assistant for the original Well-Being magazine, through its transition from Santa Cruz to New York City following sale of the magazine to Vegetarian Times.
A resident of the Monterey Bay area since 1976, Mari is a native of Illinois and an alumna of Southern Illinois University.
Advisors and Consultants
When questions arise outside our own areas of expertise, we are fortunate to be able to call upon a group of extraordinary professionals in their respective fields. These include the following:
Gerri Dayharsh. Gerri was a technical writer for Apple, Cisco Systems, and other corporations from 1981-2001. Since 2004, she has been an English instructor at De Anza College, Cupertino, California; Mission College, Santa Clara; and Cabrillo College, Aptos. She is an alumna of San Jose State University, where she earned a Master’s degree in English, and of the University of California at Santa Cruz, where she received a Bachelor’s in Literature.
Jay Bartow. Jay is Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, where he has served since 1974. Ordained in 1970, he was pastor from 1970-74 at First Presbyterian Church, Lakewood, California. He is an alumnae of the University of California, Los Angeles; Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena; and San Francisco Theological Seminary, where he received his Doctor of Ministry degree. His dissertation explored the novels of Walker Percy and Frederick Buechner, and his continuing interest in literature led to founding a Faith and Fiction group. http://www.fpcmonterey.org/sermons.htm
Jordan Daniels. Jordan is Director of Business Development for BuildingWise and has been a LEED Accredited Professional since 2005. He has over eight years experience in the building environment, most recently as Project Manager for Daniels & House Construction Company. Jordan is co-chair of the Monterey Bay branch of the U.S. Green Building Council; a member of the Sustainability Coalition, City of Monterey; and a member of the Green Building Committee, a C2 Competitive Cluster of the Monterey County Business Council. Prior to returning to his native Monterey County in 2004, Jordan worked for PowerLight Corporation (now SunPower), the largest installer of solar electric systems in the United States. Jordan is an alumnae of the University of California at Davis, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. http://www.buildingwise.net/
Kathi Lares. Kathi is Business Manager for Calvary Christian High School, handling finance, admissions, and college guidance. From 1996-2006, she was Business Manager for the Monterey Bay Charter School, a Waldorf-inspired elementary school, and from 1983-1995, she was Operations Manager at the Carmel branch of Kidder Peabody & Co., Inc., a national stock brokerage firm. Kathi received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with an emphasis in Public Service, from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Her community involvement includes serving on the Finance Committee for the Monterey Bay Charter School, along with being an active member of her church and of PEO International, which supports educational opportunities for women.
Laurel Thomsen. Laurel is a professional violinist/violist, experienced in both classical and alternative string styles, including Celtic, folk, and pop-rock. She has been a teacher in private studio and orchestral settings since 1996. Her interest in the healing ability of sound, and in the biomechanics necessary to facilitate natural, tension-free playing, led her to pursue certifications in massage therapy, clinical hypnotherapy, and Acutonics sound therapy, which she has combined in practice since 2004. http://www.laurelthomsen.com and http://www.mindbodyalchemy.com
Margaret Wolf. Margaret was a K-12 teacher from 1992-2004, and a mental health counselor from 1990-92. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois and a Master of Science degree in Counselor Education from Illinois State University, Normal.
Sandra O. Laney. Sandra has been a registered dietitian specializing in children with special health care needs since 1989. She is an alumna of Central Washington University, Ellensburg, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Nutrition.
Sandy Larson. Sandy was a resource librarian for Hospice of the Central Coast from 1982-2008. She is an alumna of the University of Washington at Seattle, where she earned a Master of Library Science degree.
Selwa Said. Selwa has been a teacher of Effective Communication and Relationship Building since 1978. She is also an accredited instructor in Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) and Youth Effectiveness Training (YET), having completed over 300 hours of training, and has also completed 150 hours of training in Harville Hendrix’s Imago Relationship Therapy.