CooperRiis Executive Director Virgil Stucker recently announced that Jeff Byrd has become managing director of the CooperRiis Healing Community at its Mill Spring center and Tryon locations.
“Jeff is now responsible for maintaining and supporting the therapeutic milieu of the CooperRiis Healing Community at its multiple sites throughout Polk County,” Stucker said. “We are excited that Jeff has joined our leadership team. His optimism, sense of mission and drive to develop and sustain meaningful relationships will make him an ideal managing director for CooperRiis.”
Jeff Byrd, who is the former owner and publisher of the Tryon Daily Bulletin, joined the CooperRiis Healing Community as development director on Dec. 1. He was the chairman of e-Polk for 10 years, the president of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce, the chairman of the first BBQ Festival and president elect of the N.C. Press Association.
“We remember that when CooperRiis announced its arrival in Polk County, the headline in the Tryon Daily Bulletin read, ‘Welcome CooperRiis!’ We now say, ‘Welcome Jeff Byrd to CooperRiis!’ We are so pleased that Jeff has joined us in this important new role,” Don and Lisbeth Cooper said.
“I am pleased to have this opportunity to help others,” Byrd said. “CooperRiis is one of fewer than a dozen facilities in the United States offering holistic, long-term care and recovery for those with mental illness. I am glad to join in the daily process of creating a kind, respectful and safe milieu for the vulnerable people who come to CooperRiis for evidence-based, cost effective treatment that helps recovery to occur.”
To date: CooperRiis has built two campuses, one in Mill Spring and one in Asheville, where Todd Weatherly serves as managing director. CooperRiis has served more than 475 residents and has operated each of the last eight years without any funding from the federal government or the state of North Carolina.
CooperRiis, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a mental health recovery program and provides within its therapeutic milieu the elements of psychiatry, psychotherapy, substance abuse counseling, nutritional counseling, complementary modalities and life skills and employment training. CooperRiis accommodates residents who are 18 years of age or above. Typical diagnoses include schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar, major depression or anxiety disorders. Some residents experience borderline personality disorder, and many suffer secondarily from substance abuse and addiction. Recovery outcomes are documented through rigorous measurement and indicate that approximately 80 percent of its graduates are able to successfully transition to ‘normal living.’
For additional information visit www.CooperRiis.org or email Byrd at Jeff.Byrd@CooperRiis.org.
– article submitted by
Virgil Stucker, CooperRiis executive director
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Classical Conversations, an educational service company for homeschooling families, is starting a new community in Inman, S.C. beginning this fall. This group is also open to families from all surrounding areas. Classical Conversations joins experienced homeschool tutors with families interested in using a Christian, classical model of education.
Classical Conversations offers a variety of services including a complete curriculum for students, K4-12, that includes weekly help from a tutor and activities with other students studying the same material.
Junior and senior high school students will participate in a variety of educational opportunities including mock trial, policy debate, science fairs and more. Parents may get help with college preparation, AP and SAT testing and seminars designed to train educators/parents in how to teach using the classical model.
For more information,visit www.classicalconversations.com or contact Pam Purdy at 864-457-7183 or purdymom@purdystableconnection.com.
– article submitted
by Pam Purdy
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Erin Alley, MPT from PRO Physical Therapy, recently attended a continuing education class sponsored by the North American Sports Medicine Institute called “Selective Functional Movement Assessment” (SFMA). The course instructed therapists on how to identify dysfunctional or painful movement patterns that often impair mobility and lead to dysfunction or injury.
The course provided the tools to treat faulty patterns of movement with corrective techniques so that clients can overcome these movement dysfunctions and restore mobility for normal daily activities and also for sports performance.
Alley is now instructing the rest of the PRO staff in what she learned with a series of weekly training sessions. For more information, call 828-894-0277.
– article submitted
by Tammy Warren,
Pro Physical Therapy
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Tryon Estates in Columbus will hold a Summer Kickoff event on Wednesday, May 25 from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Some of the activities offered will include:
• Tethered hot-air balloon rides
• Wii bowling demonstration
• Healthy cooking demonstration
• Chair massages
• Bocce 101
• Antique appraiser
• Decorating and staging tips
• Apartment home tours
• Woodshop tour
• Flower arranging classes
• Golf putting contest
• Picnic lunch by the lake (weather permitting).
For more information, call 800-633-2718.
– article submitted by
Colleen Wilson, Tryon Estates
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When you drive through downtown Landrum you will notice a newly constructed outside deck beside Foothills Amish Furniture. The deck is loaded with outdoor poly furniture made by the Amish. The deck is a new addition to serve customers with a better variety of quality outdoor furniture.
Poly furniture is a maintenance free furniture that can be left outside all year around. It is termite resistant and will not crack, splinter, warp or rot. The furniture is made out of recycled bottle waste such as milk containers and juice bottles and will not weather from the natural elements. The poly furniture is assembled with stainless steel hardware and reinforced with aluminum angle braces.
For more information, contact Foothills Amish Furniture at 864-457-2400.
– article submitted by
Beth Troyer, Foothills Amish