Speakers
Stathis Avramidis, DipEd, BEd, MSc, MPH, PhD (Greece), is an internationally acknowledged award-winning water safety authority. He teaches Lifeguarding and Lifesaving Sport at the School of Sport Science and Physical Education (University of Athens), works on aquatic accident prevention at the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and as a Lifesaving Sport Director at the Hellenic Federation of Underwater Activity. He was a Lecturer of Aquatics/Visiting Research Fellow (Leeds Metropolitan University, UK) and Advisor of Accident Prevention (Hellenic Ministry of Health). With about 300 publications/conference presentations including 16 books, he is considered one of the most prolific water safety authors in the world. For his contributions he was honored twice by the International Swimming Hall of Fame and twice by the Royal Life Saving Society Commonwealth whose patron is Queen Elizabeth II. In 2015 he was enlisted among the “50 Greatest Watermen of Open Water Swimming History” (World Open Water Swimming Association). After he co-authored with Prof. Jan Holden the book “Near-Death Experiences while Drowning”, he concluded that what mostly counts are our acts of love and learning. elagreece@gmail.com
Ms. Audrey Dalton is a drowning survivor who will share her near death experience while drowning.
After Audrey’s drowning episode when she was just five years old, doctors cautioned her parents she might never
awaken from her coma. Miraculously she fully recovered and recalled in detail
the events that took place. Her experience will assist conference attendees with personal
insights such as the physiological responses, family struggles, and her
spiritual connection to life during and after the event, and how this traumatic experience shaped her
life and future goals. Many drowning survivors never fully recover from
injuries they sustain during a drowning incident. Survivor stories open
pathways for understanding the roles and functions of response and recovery
concerns for both professionals and survivors. Bio: In 1973 Audrey founded Daltart
LLC, creating unique and custom art and design projects for select clients. Ms. Dalton
has enjoyed a lengthy career as a renowned artist and muralist. In 2011 Ms.
Dalton began working with nonprofit organizations where she fulfilled a variety
of roles: Marketing and Membership Director, Fundraising Consultant, and
operating as CEO and Executive Director. She holds a Certificate of Excellence
in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Michigan State University.
Currently, Ms. Dalton is a business partner at K38 LLC, an international
educational service provider for water safety specializing in the use of
Personal Water Craft. She is the administrator of the international Rescue
Water Craft Association. Happily married for over 22 years, Audrey resides in
Florida with her husband, John Pennington, and their dog, “Wulfie”. daltart@yahoo.com 
John R. Spannuth became interested in aquatics more
than 70 years ago when he nearly drowned and subsequently learned to swim,
joined a swim team, and enjoyed teaching swimming. He has worked as a
lifeguard, camp waterfront director, and pool manager before becoming an
aquatics director, a collegiate swim coach, and a swimming coach. John has made
presentations for over 50 years on physical education, recreation, and
aquatics, and as President of the American Swimming Coaches Association, he
formed the committee for “Swimming for Older Ages”. In 1970, he organized and
directed The First Annual National Masters Swimming Meet which included less
than 55 men and women, and he was instrumental in getting the National AAU to
officially accept Masters swimming as a recognized and official national
program in 1971. Since 1971, John has held important positions including AAU
National Aquatics Administrator and International Executive Director for the
Special Olympics and has organized and directed various aquatics events
including: The National Aquatics Summit, The National Aquatics Directors
Conferences, The National Adapted Aquatics Summit, the 1969 World Swimming
Coaches Clinic, the First National YMCA Masters Aquatic Championships, the
First National Masters Synchronized Swimming Championship, and Who’s Who in
Aquatics. For his contributions, he has been honored 3 times by the
International Swimming Hall of Fame. john@uswfa.org
Since
1988, Dr. Janice Minor Holden has been
on faculty at the University of
North Texas (UNT), Denton where she now is Professor of
Counseling and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Higher
Education. Her primary specialization is the
transpersonal perspective in counseling, addressing the counseling
implications of experiences that transcend the usual limits of space,
time and/or identity, and their associated developmental potential. In
particular, she has researched near-death experiences (NDEs), with over 30
journal articles and chapters as well as numerous presentations on
the topic. Beginning in 2000, Jan served six years on the Board of
Directors of the International
Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), three of them as
President. She was the primary editor of The Handbook
of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation (2009, Praeger/ABC-CLIO).
At UNT, she developed and teaches a course on the Transpersonal
Perspective in Counseling. Areas of teaching are Counseling Theory, Transpersonal Counseling, Dreamwork in Counseling, and Supervised Practice of Counseling. Honors and Awards: 2013 Assn. for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counselings Research Award; 2014-19 Fulbright Specialist Roster Candidate; 2015 American Counseling Assn. Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Humanitarian and Caring Person Award. Jan is a Texas Licensed Professional
Counselor-Supervisor, Texas Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist,
National Certified Counselor, and ACISTE (American
Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences)
Certified Mental Health Professional.
Jan.Holden@unt.edu 
