Board of Directors

Lisa M. Christie, PhD
Chair

Lisa M. Christie, PhD, is a co-founder of the independent academic press Women’s Spirituality Studies Press (WSSP). As an adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) Women’s Spirituality Program, she has presented her work in ecofeminist philosophy in venues such as the American Academy of Religion, the Association for Women and Mythology, and Cherry Hill Seminary. As an academic administrator at the same institution, she produced the conference Women Rising! and a speaker series on social justice. She also has over ten years of cross-functional executive experience and has taught business and leadership courses at multiple undergraduate institutions. Lisa holds a PhD in philosophy and religion with a concentration in Women’s Spirituality from CIIS and an MBA with distinction from Santa Clara University. 

Joan Cichon, PhD
Secretary and Treasurer

Joan Cichon, PhD, is a retired history professor and reference librarian and holds a PhD in philosophy and religion with a concentration in Women’s Spirituality from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Her book Matriarchy in Bronze Age Crete: A Perspective from Archaeomythology and Modern Matriarchal Studies (Oxford: Archaeopress, 2023) reflects her on-going research interests in Bronze Age Crete, archaeomythology, and modern matriarchal studies.  

Charlotte Cressey, MA
Member

Charlotte Cressey, MA, is writer, teacher, transformative group leader, and lover of life. She earned her MA in Women's Spirituality at California Institute of Integral Studies. Cressey is the founder of Embody Love, where her work serves to embolden individuals to live their highest potential. She has presented at conferences, universities, and schools nationwide and is an active participant in the global movement to co-create a kinder world for all beings.

Phyllis Curott, JD, HPs
Member 

Phyllis Curott, JD, HPs, is a spiritual pioneer. As one of America’s first public Witches, teachers, and advocates, she has spent more than 40 years helping Witchcraft become the fastest growing spirituality in America and expanding its reach across the globe. Phyllis is an attorney whose groundbreaking cases secured the legal rights of Witches, including the right to form religious organizations, perform legally binding marriages, perform rituals in public places, have religious holidays off from work, retain custody of children, wear or display symbols of faith, and more.

Phyllis is also an internationally best-selling author and the most widely published Witch/Wiccan priestess in the world.

Kris Malone Grossman, MFA
Member

Kris Malone Grossman is a mother and writer. She earned a BA in English from UC Berkeley, an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College, and is currently researching how women artists in menopause engage creativity. Her work has appeared in academic, literary, and art publications, and has been anthologized in Dirt is Good for You and The Maternal is Political. As a doctoral candidate in Women's Spirituality at CIIS, Kris studied with Dr. Mara Lynn Keller, whose spirit and scholarship continue to guide and inspire her. 

Gina Messina, PhD
Member
Executive Director

Gina Messina, PhD, MBA, is the Executive Director of the independent, nonprofit academic press Women’s Spirituality Studies Press (WSSP) and is a co-founding member of their Board of Directors. She is also co-founder of FeminismandReligion.com and The FAR Press and brings more than twenty years of experience in academia, leadership, and publishing. As a recognized expert in feminist theology and Women’s Spirituality, Gina has spoken at the UN Commission on the Status of Women and has appeared on multiple media platforms including MSNBC, NPR, The Washington Post, and TEDx. Before joining WSSP, Gina served as Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Ursuline College where she also held the roles of Dean of the Graduate School and Executive Director of the Institute for Women. Gina holds a doctorate in religion with a concentration in women’s studies, ethics, and culture from Claremont Graduate University and an MBA from the University of Findlay in Ohio.  

Annette Williams, PhD
Member

Annette Williams, PhD, is associate professor and a former chair of the Women’s Spirituality Program in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She holds a doctorate in philosophy and religion with a concentration in Women’s Spirituality. She earned her MA from Regis University and her BA from the State University of New York at Brockport. Dr. William’s research interests have centered on soul healing from sexual trauma and the theme of women’s spiritual power and agency within the Yorùbá Ifá tradition, with specific reference to the primordial feminine authority of àjẹ́.