Many of us recognize Judy Hoerr as the petite and energetic president of the Jung Society, who introduces our guest speakers, and who has conducted workshops on topics from Honoring Dreams and The Heroic Quest to The Re-emergence of the Lost Feminine. Judy comes to Sarasota from Peoria, Ill., where she practiced as a psychotherapist in Individual, Marriage and Family Counseling, and taught courses at Illinois Central College, and conducted workshops in the community on Family Stories, Grief and Loss, Women and Self-esteem, and Siblings and Self-empowerment.

Family interactions are a lifelong interest for Judy. As the younger of two daughters, she says she had many opportunities to observe the roles within the family, what behaviors are required and what are to be avoided, and she began paying attention to these dynamics at an early age. She enjoyed a close relationship with her father, an attorney, whom she describes as a lovely eclectic and spiritual man, with a love of books and history, which Judy has clearly inherited. In the course of her own study and spiritual quest, Judy found in Jung's writings a grounding place for her own observations and ideas.

But some things, she says, can't be learned from books. Judy's life has also been shaped by the loss of her daughter Roxie, who died at age 22 in an automobile accident, and in her own struggle to understand that tragedy. She feels that the hard-won wisdom she's gained from this experience has come most often in brief glimpses, from her observation of others faced with the same situation, and in odd bits of comfort from unexpected sources. She calls these gems "gifts of grace" and takes care to pay attention to them and incorporate them into the "working hypothesis" which is her life's myth. Judy agrees with Dr. James Hollis that living one's myth is a delicate struggle, a life long process of recognition. She appreciates the feeling of relief she finds as she relaxes into each new aspect of what she calls "living the life that's authentically me".

Judy and her husband Ed retired and moved to Sarasota in 1994. Summers are spent at a lake house in Wisconsin, where they are joined by their daughter Gwen, son Jeff, and 5 grandchildren. In Sarasota, Judy continues to work on a volunteer basis with victims of domestic violence, and Ed volunteers as a court-appointed "Guardian Ad Litem", an advocate for the best interest of children who are alleged to be abused, neglected or abandoned and who are involved in court proceedings. Judy enjoys playing golf and tennis, traveling and has begun to study the Tarot. She says she feels an affinity for The Fool in Tarot, and with Hermes the messenger.

As its president, Judy's message for the Jung Society is one of great hope, as she sees more people stepping into leadership roles and sharing their creative juices. She predicts the new endowment will allow for more expansive programming and that the library in its new home at Argus University will allow the Society to become more effective in the community.

~Mary Riemenschneider