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|  About Ray Hemachandra I am privileged to be a part of the New Age and mind/body/spirit communities. I was an editor for New Age Retailer trade magazine for 10 years, including several as editor in chief. I remain part of the board of directors and the board of trustees of New Age Retailer's parent company, Continuity Publishing Inc.
Since 2002 I have been a judge of editorial content and design for the the Benjamin Franklin Awards of the Independent Book Publishers Association (formerly Publishers Marketing Association). I also have served as a contributing judge for the Coalition of Visionary Resources' awards program. As editor in chief of New Age Retailer, I founded and participated in judging the New Age-industry's Narcissus Awards. I serve as president of the board of directors of North Carolina's FIRST — Families' Information, Resources, Support, and Training. FIRST is a source of education, training, and support for people with disabilities and their families. I previously served on the board of directors of the Pacific Northwest Poets and Writers Association and the advisory board of The Parent Advocacy Group, a nonprofit organization devoted to improving public education in the United States. I was a sports reporter and editor for The Bellingham Herald newspaper and, subsequently, a community contributor to that paper. I have served as an alumni admissions interviewer for Georgetown University since 2002. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, I have since lived, by turn, in the District of Columbia, Chicago, and Bellingham, Washington. With my wife and partner, Loree Hemachandra, and our son, Nicholas Thurman Jackson Hemachandra, we have called beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, home since fall 2006. For three years I worked as a senior editor for Lark Crafts, a wonderful publisher located in Asheville, and recently I moved into the role of Content Team Leader for our new Jewelry/Beading team, leading a six-person group of talented, dedicated publishing professionals. You can see a few of the books I've worked on here.
I am grateful to the many spiritual authors, musicians, retailers, and healers who have shared their thoughts and reflections with me and my audiences. These teachers include, to name a few: Ted Andrews Peter Block Vine Deloria, Jr. Wayne Dyer, Ph.D. Masaru Emoto Dean Evenson and Dudley Evenson Jonathan Goldman Steven Halpern Mark Victor Hansen
Louise Hay Byron Katie Stan Madson Sakyong Mipham Thomas Moore R. Carlos Nakai Lisa Nichols Kimberly Perkins Jamie Sams Eckhart Tolle Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. Marianne Williamson George Winston Rabbi David Zeller
"Ray Hemachandra's talk WOWS the audience to understanding retailing, fun, and profitability. He shows the illuminating future that retailing offers, from marketing excellence to consumer acceptance. Ray's deep knowledge about and passion for both the book industry and the inspirational and spiritual-living marketplaces make him an intelligent, compassionate, and vibrant asset to both communities. I've been very pleased to work with him."
— Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series
Below: leading educational programs at the International New Age Trade Show
 
About Loree Hemachandra
Author, artist, and interviewer Loree Hemachandra
I
recently have had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with my
brilliant, heart-centered wife, Loree Hemachandra, on several
projects. Loree is magnificently multitalented: She's the author (then
as Loree Boyd) of Spirit Moves: The Story of Six Generations of Native
American Women, a New World Library book that was in print for 10 years
and recommended by Library Journal for women's and Native American
studies collections, and she has several new book and deck titles in
the works; she's a passionate documentary filmmaker whose work includes
the award-winning The Eagle and the Raven: A Purification by
Banishment, which she wrote and coproduced; she's a wonderfully
creative craft artist; and she's a spiritual seeker and teacher who
tries to approach her path with depth, commitment, honesty, and
humanity. In her spare time, she's even a certified fitness
trainer. We recently interviewed both Louise Hay and Dr. Wayne W. Dyer together. I'm blessed to have been married to Loree for the past 12
years and to be raising our beautiful son, Nicholas, with my best
friend.
Loree Hemachandra (blue) and Louise Hay (green) compare nail polish
in Tampa, Florida, in October 2008
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