Danny L. Thomas, Executive Director
is professionally trained in conflict management skills. His primary focus is reconciliation and bridge building around the issues of racial, economic, and educational disparity. He is also a pastor in the United Methodist Church. The congregations he has served have become active change agents and advocates in their communities.
While in seminary, Danny served as chaplain to the regional hospital in Jinja, Uganda, developing a partnership between caregivers and hospital staff to assure proper food and medical access. He has served in ministry in Trenton, and Salem, NJ. He has had the opportunity to experience the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while traveling with a team from the Delaware Valley chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution. That experience caused him to continually review, expand, and reshape his thoughts, techniques, and practices on peace-building.
Danny holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Virginia Tech. He is trained in Inhalation Toxicology, Developmental Behavior/Ethology, as well as Pastoral Care/Counseling and Grief and Bereavement.
Kate Whitman, Director of Educational Programming &
Bullying Prevention Resource Center
holds an MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Arcadia University. Ms. Whitman is a certified mediator in the state of Pennsylvania, and is trained in restorative practices, Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities (a trauma healing program), and Alternatives to Violence Project. She has studied issues of youth, education and peacebuilding in Northern Ireland and West Africa. Ms. Whitman coordinates The Peace Center’s Bullying Prevention Program Respecting Me, Respecting You, our diversity and inclusion program Celebrating Me, Celebrating You, Peer Mediation, and SPEAK, a leadership and peacebuilding training for high school students.
Karin Kasdin, Director and Founder of Girls Unlimited
holds a BS in communications from Northwestern University and a MA in Education from Harvard with a concentration on the media and its impact on children and adolescents. She has worked with young people for more than three decades in varied environments, first in the classroom, and later as the owner/director of The Kasdin School of Dramatic Arts, and as a founding director of The Friendship Circle of Bucks County, an organization that pairs teenage volunteers with children who have special needs. She is also a published author of five books on various subjects related to parenting and currently writes a blog for baby-boomers on The Huffington Post.
Gayle Evans, Director of Community Programming
is a peace educator for Respecting Me, Respecting You and the Girls Unlimited program. She brings to The Peace Center Board a rich and varied background working in both the for-profit and non-profit world. Gayle has managed programs and grants, (doing amazing work in the Bristol community in a leadership capacity with United Way) and was an adjunct teacher with Bucks County Community College. She also led the Diversity office of BCCC. Gayle is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Holy Family University. She lives in Newtown with her husband and is the mother of six daughters, and has just become a grandmother.
Laura Lazar, Director of Relationship Development
Laura brings over 20 years of Communications, Advertising and Marketing experience to The Peace Center. Laura has worked with organizations including Grey/New York, J. Walter Thompson and Burger King Corp., shaping brand positioning and multi-media communications strategy and content for national and regional brands, including Burger King, Pepsi-Cola, Red Lobster, Rita’s Italian Ice, Rentokil, NA and more. In her roles, Laura drove brand growth through product innovation, breakthrough creative content, marketing investment models and strong client relationships and partnerships. Laura has collaborated on many successful new product introductions and marketing campaigns, many of which you may have tasted or observed if you enjoy “Candy-flavored” Italian Ice, or love “Cheddar Cheese biscuits” with your seafood dinner.Laura holds a BA from Penn State University. She resides in Holland, Bucks County, PA, with her husband, daughter and Yellow Lab. She loves to spend time with family, travel, read, play tennis and explore new restaurants.
Bernard G. Hoffman, Educational Consultant
Bernard Hoffman is joining The Peace Center in the role of educational consultant relating to risk assessment for schools.
In his nearly 40 years with Neshaminy School District, Bernie Hoffman served in various capacities including teacher, principal and superintendent, where he worked not only with students, staff and administration to direct the daily operations of the district, but also with various agencies, law enforcement, media, and the community.
Mr. Hoffman has directed a mental health consultation service for the US Army, chaired the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, and served on numerous county and state committees dealing with alcohol, drugs and anti-violence. He has served on several local boards, Rotary, and as vice chair of the board of the National Conference of Communities for Justice. Mr. Hoffman held a leadership position on the Bucks County Violence Prevention Task Force, served on the Attorney General’s Task Force on Family Violence, and as a member of the Governor’s Community Partnership for Safe Children.
Currently, Mr. Hoffman serves as the chief consultant for the Partners for Solutions Corporation which specializes in realistic solutions for educational issues. He also consults with the PA Dept. of Education involving at-risk issues, student assistance, and administrative affairs. Throughout his career, Mr. Hoffman has done consulting work for universities, public and parochial schools, business organizations, corporations, and federal and state governments. He is a published author on people problems, student assistance, safe and violence-free schools, at-risk issues, and time and stress management. Mr. Hoffman has received several local, state and national awards; in 2014, he received the “Advocate of the Year” award from the PA State Counselors Assoc., and in 2015, he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the PA Assoc. of Student Assistance Professionals.
Barbara Simmons, Executive Director Emeritus
has been with The Peace Center since 1987. She is founding director of PeaceTalks radio, producing radio documentaries from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Rwanda, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Canada and the United States. Ms. Simmons is also an adjunct professor for the International Peace and Conflict Resolution Masters Program at Arcadia University where she teaches Facilitation for Conflict Transformation and Advanced Mediation. Simmons is certified in Family & Divorce Mediation, Conflict Transformation, Compassionate Listening, Healing and Rebuilding our Communities, Crisis Management, Trauma Healing and Alternatives to Violence.
Supportive Alliance for Family Empowerment (S.A.F.E.)
providing trauma-sensitive and resilience-focused personal growth and
violence intervention services in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
John 
Anthony Bochnowicz, M.A.
Founder and Director of S.A.F.E.
holds an M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling, from the University of South Florida. He specializes in working with perpetrators and victims of violence – self-referred or court-mandated. Since 1982 John Anthony Bochnowicz has developed and ran programs in South Lake Tahoe, California, Reno, Nevada and Bel Air, Maryland to empower men and women to take responsibility for their behavior and to stop the violence in their lives. In 1994 John Anthony Bochnowicz launched the SAFE Counseling Program Inc., a domestic violence intervention program for men and women at The Peace Center, Langhorne, PA.
Vera T. Tzenova-Bochnowicz, M.A.
Co-director and Group facilitator of S.A.F.E.
holds a B.A. Degree in Political Science and M.A. Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Arcadia University, Glenside. Vera is certified in Traumatic Stress Studies, in Teaching Yoga within the Criminal Justice System, and in Domestic Violence Risk Assessment. In addition, she finds great joy in working as a certified practitioner of Reiki Levels I and II and in teaching special workshops on emotional intelligence and mindfulness. Vera takes pride in being an insightful and committed professional, an avid learner and an attuned parent. She works toward her vision of safe, connected and resilient families and communities by facilitating personal transformation and growth in her clients and welcoming partnerships with community stakeholders.
Program Peace Educators
