Howie Shareff
Founder and Executive Director
Howie Shareff founded You Call This Yoga in 2007 as an organization to share yoga that was adaptable for people with physical ailments. As a 52-year-old practicing dentist and recreational athlete, he was managing his own severe arthritis for many years with gentle yoga – using the practice to prepare and recover from surgery. Through these positive experiences, he found that the practice of yoga to enhance healing and comfort could be accessible to anybody willing to breathe, focus and move mindfully.
Howie’s goal for the organization was to serve the community in an effort to improve social, emotional and physical health. He believed that yoga should be accessible for all people, delivered by skilled, passionate and professionally supported teachers. In 2010, Howie succeeded, with help from the NC Center for Nonprofits, in having You Call This Yoga recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 non-profit organization.
He has grown in the role as Executive Director with advice from the Small Business Center at Wake Tech, the Board of Directors of You Call This Yoga, and many coaches in our region. Howie enjoys engaging prospective yoga teachers, host partners, team members for YCTY, sponsors and students. He welcomes your contact to learn more about your interests. You can find him regularly playing disc golf to stay active and laughing at Raleigh’s Cedar Hills Park.
Board of Directors
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President – Marc Gracieux
Marc Gracieux is deeply committed to fostering innovation and community engagement. At Innovate Raleigh, Marc facilitated key discussions among startup leaders, focusing on the intersections of business development, innovation, and public policy. His work emphasizes the importance of collaboration between startups, mid-size companies, and public sector stakeholders to navigate challenges like regulatory approvals, public policy reform, and strategic partnerships. Marc’s dedication to empowering communities and driving impactful change is a hallmark of his commitment to make a positive difference in the world.
Marc is a dedicated yogi who has served on the YCTY Board of Directors, and as Vice President from 2016 to 2021. He led the development of the Ambassador Onboarding process and YCTY Manual. Marc is excited to be interim President of the Board of Directors as YCTY has successfully navigated challenges of the COVID pandemic and returned to in person classes across North Carolina.
Treasurer – Max Lanning, CPA
Max Lanning is a CPA in a local Raleigh CPA firm, Norton Collar Lund Lilley, PLLC. Max brings his experience with financial reporting to YCTY. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and 2014 with a Master of Accounting. He has practiced public accounting with the firm since 2014 and obtained his CPA license in 2016. Max’s role at his firm is managing financial statement audits, reviews, compilations, and preparations. He also is the lead auditor on many audit and review engagements with the firm in many industries, focusing in not-for-profit organizations. Max has many years of experience with nonprofit tax and payroll/contractor tax compliance.
Max joined the YCTY Board in 2020, acting as treasurer. He oversees the monthly accounting, facilitates tax compliance, and helps guide organizational finance decisions. He is in charge of ensuring the monthly financial statements are sound, annual 1099s are filed, the annual 990 is prepared, and the NC solicitation license is renewed annually.
In 2015, Max began his journey to become a healthier individual with a weight loss and exercise regimen. He has seen the emotional and physical benefits of exercise and a healthier lifestyle. Max is excited to be a part of a local organization that ensures individuals, who would not otherwise have the opportunity, have access to an exercise practice.
Secretary – Cassandra Cureton
Cassandra Cureton
Board Member - Amma Fandiño
Amma Fandiño
Board Member - Carol Beehler
Carol Beehler is a registered nurse with over 40 years of experience in a variety of healthcare positions for hospital operations and consulting, and has served as a board member for many non-profit organizations affiliated with her healthcare career. She coordinates and does mentoring for the South Carolina Healthcare Executives, the Association of Perioperative Nurses and the University of Notre Dame Compass program.
Carol’s passions include personal health using a variety of avenues including exercise, functional fitness, and yoga as well as being a pet owner of two retrievers (Lab and Golden). She is originally from northern Indiana and relocated to the Carolinas 16 years ago and has a son/family in Greenville, SC, and daughter/family in Columbus, Ohio. Carol resides in the Lake Wylie area with her husband Lance. She eagerly joins You Call This Yoga with an eye for advancing yoga in the Charlotte area and governance within the organization.
President Emeritus – Barbara Vosk, Ph.D., RYT500
Barbara is a founding member of YCTY, having served on the Board as Secretary since 2014 and as President for the first part of 2020. She has been a yoga practitioner for over 15 years, and completed her 500-hour yoga teacher training at blue lotus yoga in 2015. Barbara is a licensed practicing psychologist in Raleigh, and integrates many aspects of yoga into her clinical practice. Barbara offers training to yoga teachers and mental health professionals on ways to integrate yoga to assist those coping with anxiety, trauma recovery, and other emotional issues. She believes strongly in the healing power of yoga, and is passionate about bringing these practices to others-beyond the bounds of yoga studios. Barbara looks forward to continuing her participation in the organization as it moves into its second decade of providing accessible yoga to the Triangle community.