Patrick Hesselmann , Chair

Patrick Hesselmann spent a successful career as a manufacturing engineer in the computer and avionics industries in Phoenix, Arizona, where, apart from working with the development and implementation of electronics assembly processes, he became best known for helping people work together. During the last fifteen years of his career, he studied homeopathy as an avocation, focusing on Hahnemann’s Organon, developing a good feel for its depth, wisdom and importance in the understanding and practice of homeopathy. He has lectured at the Desert Institute School of Classical Homeopathy on philosophy and history for all classes except the one in which he was a student. After graduating from the Desert Institute School in 2006, he has started a part-time practice of homeopathy at the American Medical College of Homeopathy. He served on the board of the Phoenix Homeopathy Study Group for many years, as President, Treasurer or Secretary. Other significant interests include listening to classical music and learning T’ai Chi.

Patrick emigrated from South Africa to the United States, via England, where he met and married Lesley. They have two grown children, Andrew and Flower.

Return to Top

Sonny Cave, Vice-Chair

Sonny Cave’s professional career spans 20 years of broad legal and business experience, including working for more than 10 years within the semiconductor industry.  Mr. Cave currently serves as the Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer of ON Semiconductor Corporation headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ:ONNN) is a leading global supplier of advanced semiconductors for sophisticated electronics application within the portable, wireless, computing, consumer, networking, automotive, and industrial end-product markets.  It has major sales and operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.  Mr. Cave earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Colorado Law School in 1985. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Botany from Arizona State University (1982) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany, cum laude, from Duke University (1979).

Return to Top

Lesley Hesselmann, DHM - Secretary

Lesley Hesselmann spent the first half of her career as a secretary at Honeywell ending with five years as Executive Secretary to the CEO.  She then took a series of supervisory assignments within the organization.  For the last six years, she has worked as a technical writer, writing technical user manuals for our proprietary computer systems.  She became interested in homeopathy in 1991 when the National Center for Homeopathy started an affiliated Study Group, the Phoenix Homeopathy Study Group (PHSG). She joined the PHSG board as secretary, and served in that position for many years.  She became the National Center for Homeopathy (NCH) Regional Coordinator for the southwest region in about 1995 and held that position until this year. She has served on the  advisory boards of both the Desert Institute and the Desert Institute School of Classical Homeopathy.  She is the past president of the Desert Institute Development Group.

Return to Top

Harry F. Swope, MBA, ND, DHANP, CCH - Treasurer

Dr. Swope graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 1989. In 2005, he was one of the initial group to receive a Naturopathic Doctor's license in California. Prior to that, he held an Arizona license as a naturopathic physician. For over fifteen years he participated in efforts to license ND’s in California, serving for several years during the final phase as a board member and Treasurer of the California Naturopathic Doctors Association. With the invaluable support of Durr Elmore, DC, ND, DHANP and others, he founded the Council for Homeopathic Certification in 1991. He has remained on that board to support the organization’s goal of creating a unified and respected homeopathic profession based on shared standards of training, competency, and ethical behavior. In 2005 he was recognized by the National Center for Homeopathy with the Henry Williams Professional Service Award, in large part for the contribution that the Council for Homeopathic Certification has made. He is a past board member and Vice President of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. He was one of the founders of the Institute for Natural Medicine. He is a past board member and Vice President of the National Center for Homeopathy. He has recently accepted an invitation to be a member of the advisory board and the Treasurer for the American Medical College of Homeopathy which is being established in Arizona. Prior to entering the health-care field, Dr. Swope had a sixteen-year career in corporate finance and computer systems. At the height of that career he was Director of Corporate Systems in two "Fortune 500" companies. His career in New York City included work for two major pharmaceutical companies and a partnership in a company providing specialized financial consulting to most of the major hospitals in the US. He holds an MBA from the Darden School of the University of Virginia and a BA, “with distinction”, in economics from the University of Virginia. As opportunities arose, he has sought to apply his business and organizational skills to strengthening the infrastructure of the homeopathic and naturopathic professions. He continues to envision a world where safe and cost-effective forms of natural medicine become the first choice of the public and healthcare providers alike.

Return to Top

Darlene K. Atteberry, MS Ed

Ms. Atteberry began her professional studies at Ohio State University and continued her Master’s work at Seattle University. She taught in public schools and universities for 16 years, specializing in the development and creation of new and innovative learning environments. Darlene has spent the last twenty-five years as a partner in a multimedia business, designing computer software, creating innovative educational programs, teaching graduate educational technology courses, designing software for museum kiosks and companies such as Cartoon Network. Four years ago, Darlene began moving back to her roots of hands-on art instead of computer-generated art. As a partner in Winberry Gourds, Darlene’s creative gourd pieces are based on her love of color and texture while feeding her passion of recycling materials (she makes the paper for her “paper dolls” from gourd pulp and recylced printer paper, decorates pieces with recycled garage sale jewelry and constructs display stands from discarded golf club shafts.) Darlene is a sensitive and passionate artist who also blends a touch of humor in some of her works. She has recently begun showing her works at art fairs and galleries. Darlene is also writing an electronic text to help teachers with literacy instruction in a technically and visually rich world. Darlene is very active helping individuals understand the value and hope of homeopathic and traditional healthcare.

Return to Top

Beth Patton, RN

Beth Patton is currently the associate dean/director in the College of Health and Human Services at the University of Phoenix. Patton has been with the University for over 20 years and has served in a variety of administrative positions. She is also faculty for the University teaching nursing and health care related courses. Prior to coming to the University of Phoenix she taught in a variety of educational institutions. In addition, she has several years experience providing and developing continuing education programs for hospital based employees. Patton has a diploma in nursing from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and BS Ed from Temple University in Philadelphia. In addition, she has a master’s degree in Organizational Management as well as a Master of Nursing degree from the University of Phoenix. She has also completed doctoral coursework in adult education from Nova Southeastern University.

Return to Top

Joie Rowles PhD, HMA, CCH

Dr. Joie Rowles earned a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Dallas, Texas and has over 20 years experience in biomedical research. She has been involved with homeopathy since 1994 and graduated from the Desert Institute School of Classical Homeopathy in 2002. She is the director of homeopathic research for AMCH and serves on the AMCH Board of Directors. In addition to her teaching at DISCH, she is on faculty at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ.

Return to Top

Paul Sugar

Paul Sugar, a health care management professional, has founded and operated a number of highly successful service related businesses in the medical and dental fields. Beyond combining management, financial, and marketing skills to maximize the growth of these organizations, Paul has applied the principles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Peak Performance. After receiving his degree from Syracuse University in 1969, Paul began his pioneering exploration in the fields of stress reduction and performance enhancement. In his commitment to continually improve his skills, Paul has taught his programs in the health care, academic, corporate and private sectors for more than 35 years. Paul’s MBSR class offers physician CME, nursing CEU and learning codes for dietitians. Continuing education credits are accepted by a number of other professional organizations.

Past Board Members

AMCH would like to thank the following past Board Members for their service and support in achieving its mission:

• Jeff Baker ND, DHANP

• Iris Bell MD, MD(H), PhD

• Keith Dorson

• Gary Hunnel, MBA

• Sheri Zapp