Dewey miss you already!

Lisa Dewey (Photo: Lunch)

Local sweetheart Lisa Dewey is leaving us … for now.

The 2001 MHS graduate, currently the manager at Stellar Brew, is moving down to San Diego to take a job as Co-Director of Business Development at Shakti Rising (www.shaktirising.org).

Shakti Rising is a group that helps women coming out of “high trauma” situations such as substance abuse and/or sexual abuse.

As a double major in Social Sciences and Women’s Studies from Point Loma

Nazarene University, it appears Dewey will be one of those rare birds whose college degree will actually be

relevant to her profession.

Dewey said she discovered Shakti Rising last summer when the organization’s founder and director, Shannon Thompson, was up in Mammoth Lakes working on a book and would often stop into Stellar Brew.

Thompson made such an impression on Dewey that she decided to volunteer at Shakti for six weeks last fall.

Fifteen women are currently enrolled in Shakti’s live-in program.

Shakti also works with more than 800 women in the San Diego area either through local schools or via continuing education classes.

Dewey’s primary job will be to broaden Shakti’s base of financial support.

The organization is reliant now on donations and grants.

While most organizational mission statements make the eyes glaze over, Shakti’s speaks to Dewey. It reads, in part: “Shakti Rising is a social change organization transforming the lives of women, girls, and the larger community. We cultivate health and emerging leadership in women and girls, ultimately empowering them to utilize their personal transformation as a catalyst for positive change in their families and communities. This creates gradual cultural change that supports sustainable, cooperative, healthy societies.”

Dewey, who has endured her share of stress in the past year, said that her coping mechanism has traditionally been alcohol. “I found that I drank more in stressful situations … and I knew I needed to find different outlets.”

One of her outlets was nutrition-based therapy, in which she sought out consultation from Sabrina Nioche, who works with Julia Ross (author of The Mood Cure), based in Marin County.

Her other main outlet was her vast support network in town, although she has come to recognize that Mammoth can sometimes be too supportive.

How is that? “Well, if you want to get drunk for a week, people don’t tell you to stop,” she said.

Dewey said her dream is to ultimately bring a Shakti-type program back to Mammoth.

Sheet: So you’re not leaving forever?

Dewey’s reaction indicated that the question was monumentally stupid.

Sheet: What’ll you miss most?

Dewey: Oh, God. Seriously? The amazing people … and the golf.

If you’d like to bid Ms. Dewey farewell, she will be at the Westin on Friday, July 1 at 7 p.m.