06/01/2026
This is absolutely wonderful. This lady Denise Cusack gives her all out to everyone. Did you know that she will sit for hours packing aromatherapy supplies to send out to the needy and we’re not talking about one or two items we’re talking about hundreds for HWB, there is nobody more deserving and qualified than her to be vice president of NAHA she definitely has the qualifications and I know she will do an excellent job.
I believe the organization needs new Blood and new ideas, having people on a board for more than 5 to 6 years you kinda get into a rut and fresh blood brings in more ideas and a different quality of people and this goes for any nonprofit organization to benefit the entire membership 
Denise Cusack
Vice Presidency Candidate Statement
(2027–2028 Term Candidate)
"I am honored to put my name forward as a candidate for Vice President of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy.
MY JOURNEY
My path to this candidacy winds through farm fields and free clinics, nonprofit boardrooms and herb gardens, disaster relief work and international plant medicine advocacy. Aromatics have been threaded through all of it—in the plants I steward, the formulations I craft, and the communities I’ve served. I bring to the Vice President’s role not only a love for this profession but the hard-won organizational experience to help NAHA become everything it’s capable of being.
QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
I’m the owner of Wholly Rooted LLC, a permaculture and regenerative living consultancy, and the steward of Wholly Rooted Farm—a United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary in south central Wisconsin where we grow nearly 500 varieties of medicinal and aromatic herbs, fruit, vegetables, native plants, and trees. I’m a NAHA Professional Level 2 aromatherapist. I serve as Executive Director of Herbalists Without Borders, a global nonprofit dedicated to
health justice and holistic health access worldwide—managing strategic planning, financial oversight, board relations, and membership communications at the executive level. I’ve served on the boards of the American Herbalists Guild and IM4US (Integrative Medicine for the Underserved), developing the skills that nonprofit board leadership demands: consensus-building, governance compliance, and holding organizations aligned with their values under real-world pressures. I also studied Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In 2021, I received the Daily Point of Light Award for my community health and service work. I know how strong nonprofits function, and I bring that knowledge directly to NAHA.
GOALS FOR THE POSITION
● Supporting Sound Governance: Working in close partnership with the full board and legal counsel, I’ll ensure NAHA’s practices are fully compliant with our 501(c)(3) obligations and genuinely reflective of our values—contributing to bylaw modernization, developing clear operational protocols, and helping build a board culture where accountability is a shared internal commitment.
● Championing Full Member Inclusion: Every NAHA member—regardless of certification level, specialty, or background—deserves a genuine voice, a genuine vote, and a genuine seat at the table. I’ll advocate actively for the bylaw reforms necessary to embed that principle in our governing documents and work to build an organizational culture where belonging is structural, not aspirational.
● Bringing Nonprofit Expertise to Organizational Development: The work
ahead—modernizing bylaws, deepening member engagement, strengthening financial oversight—is exactly the kind of organizational work I’ve done before. I’ll contribute to governance reform, support the development of documented procedures, and help build an institutional culture that delivers consistent value to everyone NAHA serves.
● Financial Accountability: Member dues are a collective investment entrusted to us in good faith. I’ll work closely with our Treasurer to ensure responsible budget development and that every major financial decision is made with full information and honest, plain-language communication to the membership.
● Bridging Community and Leadership: NAHA’s membership spans every corner of the aromatherapy world. I’ll listen actively, advocate for the full range of member perspectives, and help ensure that the board’s decisions genuinely reflect the community it represents—advancing our shared presence across research, education, and clinical settings.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Running alongside Jade Shutes for President, Bobbi Misiti for Public Relations, Bekki Fishelson Kuber for Treasurer, and Margo Hertzfeld for Secretary, I helped build this platform together. We stepped forward as a full slate because true clinical and professional evolution cannot be built by one person alone; it requires a harmonious circle of collaborative leadership. Our mission is to advance the clinical practice of aromatherapy by fostering an inclusive, vibrant, and member-driven community that bridges botanical science with integrative healthcare to inspire both the profession and the public. Our vision is a united aromatherapy community—diverse, empowered, and proud—leading the way in professional excellence, research, and the clinical recognition of aromatics as a healing art and science. What drives me in this candidacy is the conviction that good organizations grow from good people who care deeply and work carefully. Two pillars are central to this role: Integrity in Governance—the conviction that everything depends on a foundation members can trust—is what I’ve spent my career building in every organization I’ve served. And Every Member Belongs—the belief that full inclusion is structural, not aspirational—is a value I hold with complete conviction and will advocate for without reservation. It would be a profound honor to serve.
CONFERENCE AVAILABILITY
I confirm that I’m available and committed to attending the NAHA Biennial Conference.
VOLUNTEER TIME COMMITMENT
I’m prepared to commit 15 or more average hours per week to my duties as Vice President. It would be a true honor to serve this organization and this profession. I welcome every conversation."
With deep gratitude for this community and genuine excitement for what lies ahead,
Denise Cusack
Owner, Wholly Rooted LLC | Steward, Wholly Rooted Farm, United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary
NAHA Professional Level 2
Co-Executive Director, Herbalists Without Borders
Past Board Member, American Herbalists Guild & IM4US
Daily Point of Light Award Recipient, 2021
Candidate for Vice President, NAHA 2027–2028 Term
