Board of Directors

President: Vivienne D’Avalon

Vivienne D’Avalon founded and runs Persephone’s Haven (http://www.persephoneshaven.com), a business that serves Goths, Pagans, and all others who walk between worlds and need a safe place to be themselves. Its ebay store is http://stores.ebay.com/Persephones-Haven; and its My Space page is http://www.myspace.com/persephoneshaven.

Vivienne is the author of On the Care and Feeding of Spirits and The Patriot’s Spell Book, the latter of which can be downloaded for free at www.croneseraphim.com in the literature section. In the fall of 2006 an article was published in the St. Petersburg Times about The Patriot’s Spell Book. Vivienne has also taught courses and workshops at the Florida Pagan Gathering, the Goddess Faire, the Sage Center, the Blue Lotus Center, Dragonspyre, All World Acres, Avalon, The Witching Hour (2005’s Harry Potter Symposium held in Salem, MA) and Phoenix Rising (2007’s Harry Potter Symposium held in New Orleans). The three papers she presented at these two symposia are published in their respective compendiums. She also has several articles and short stories published at www.gothicorlando.com. On March 7, 2007 Vivienne was a panelist on an ACLU-sponsored forum on religious freedom at Embry Riddle University.

In 2008 Vivienne co-founded Nephilim United Productions, Inc., with Lady Amethyst and Lord Mordred; they also co-founded a Sanford, FL meet up for vampires, vampiric otherkin, donors, and members of the Shadowlore Board. That same year Vivienne also began blogging with Nephilim United’s CIO, Magus Dethen, at www.croneseraphim.com. “Dark of the Moon Cronecast,” the site’s podcast, consists of a Liberal (Vivienne) and a Libertarian (Magus) discussing constitutional liberties.

Vivienne moved to Florida from New York City In 1999, and lived in Massachusetts and New Hampshire before that.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Music, Theatre and the Honors program from Hunter College, CUNY, (with a minor in Classical Studies) and a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from Rollins College as well.  In 2003 Vivienne was crowned Goth Princess of Orlando.  You can find out more about Vivienne from her various profiles online:

Live Journal and Live Journal Profile; Yahoo profile;  My Space.

Her emails are:

vivienne@nephilimunited.com
Vivienne@persephoneshaven.com
viviennedavalon@croneseraphim.com

Vice President: Lady Amethyst Ravenna

Raised in Virginia, Amethyst has been sewing for over 30 years, doing business under “Sew Bewitching” and specializing in gothic, renaissance, historic, and vintage styles. As a former Barbizon model and makeup consultant, Amethyst is a big fan of fashion, especially hats and vintage styles. As a former library assistant, she also has a vast collection of books on just about everything!

In High School Amethyst was a volunteer candy striper at the local hospital, and was always involved with the community.  She has three grown children living in Virginia and West Virginia, and is very close with her family and extended family.  This has given Wilma a great deal of compassion and skill in dealing with people!  Amethyst has been involved as a leader with both Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, and organized one of the Shawnee Council Cub Scout Day Camps and various family camping trips for both groups.

Prior to relocating to Florida, Amethyst spent two years in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, with her fiancé Mordred, working as a costume designer for the Greater Pittsburgh Area Renaissance Festival and as a key holder with Jo-Ann fabrics.  After visiting New Orleans several times and falling in love with it, she had plans to move there when Hurricane Katrina hit, causing her and Mordred to divert to Florida.

Amethyst worked on the Harry Potter Ball in 2007 as a costume designer and decorator, as well as acting for the event!  She is one of the founding members of both the Sanford, FL meet up and Nephilim United Productions, Inc., and is assisting in putting together both the October haunted attraction and Vampcon 2009.

Secretary: Lord Mordred D. Ravensword

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Mordred was an avid Eagle Scout and Civil War Reenactor in high school, who initially planned a career as a military officer.  When that plan fell through he entered college, pursuing a degree in Secondary Education with a focus on American History.  His reenacting experience and strong creative streak (inspired by his grandfather) led him to embrace the idea of “interactive” education, or teaching history by surrounding the student with recreations of historic events.  Feeling that this idea was at odds with the University-supported practice of “teaching by lecture,” and turned off by the idea of a “State-sponsored curriculum,” he left college for years, working several odd jobs, including heavy industry, until he found an outlet for his creativity – independent filmmaking.

Throughout the 90’s, Mordred worked on several independent films for various Directors (most of which were never released), applying his creative abilities behind the scenes in the effects and construction departments, and acting now and then.  He met up with Ed Wood veteran Conrad Brooks and became Cinematographer, effects artist, and main character in Brooks’ no-budget feature “Son of Jen-Gal.”  He also volunteered as a stage manager and set construction assistant for Gettysburg (PA) Stage’s production of “You Can’t Take it With You,” adding theater craft skills to his abilities.  He began seriously considering a career behind the scenes in film, and went off to Pittsburgh to attend horror legend Tom Savini’s Special Effects Makeup Program.  While in school, Mordred assisted in set construction for Tom’s “Chill Factor,” was an actor at Savini’s “Terrormania” haunted attraction, and worked as a set designer, makeup artist, and actor for the Greater Pittsburgh Area Renaissance Festival.

After graduation, with an Associate’s Degree in Specialized Business Technology – Special Effects, his first professional job was again for Tom Savini’s Terrormania.  Operations head Gary Mandarino offered Mordred the position of Demolition – Reconstruction Manager.  Working with crews of mostly part-time student labor, Mordred managed the disassembly, trucking, and reassembly in a shopping mall of the large haunted attraction.  He served in all capacities – carpentry, technical and animatronics installation, public relations, and set design and construction – in addition to his management duties, which called for him to put in 20-plus hour days, sleeping in 30 minute breaks in his office!

In September 2005, Mordred and his fiancée Amethyst loaded up a U-Haul in front of their Pittsburgh rental house, destined for New Orleans, where Mordred had job prospects building Mardi Gras floats and leading Vampire tours.  Minutes before they pulled away from the curb, a last-minute phone call confirmed the worst – Hurricane Katrina had hit, washing away their planned rental property.  In the ensuing half-day delay, a plan B offered by a friend had them turn instead to the Orlando area, where they both currently reside.

In Orlando, Mordred found work as the Head Makeup artist at the now-defunct Skull Kingdom haunted attraction on International Drive.  The company broke up around May 2006, and in August of that year, Mordred and Amethyst moved to Casselberry, FL., in between weekend trips as Mordred worked as the Head of Practical Effects on the independent short “Phobia” which was shot in Tampa.  Returning from the shoot, Mordred found work in retail at Old Time Pottery in Casselberry, and later Amethyst would work for the same company.

The 2-odd years so far in Casselberry have been a flurry of activity for Mordred.  Working almost full time in retail left little personal time, but he still managed to set up his creative studio in their rental and turn out several projects.  A meeting with Vivienne D’Avalon in 2007 involved both Mordred and Amethyst in the Harry Potter Ball of October 2007, where Mordred designed and created many of the props necessary to turn the venue into a “book correct” rendering of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.  The experiences of that Ball led to Mordred becoming a founding member of both the Sanford, FL meet up and Nephilim United Productions, Inc.  Currently, he is at work with the creative design of Nephilim United’s proposed October 2008 haunted attraction.

Treasurer: Willa Heideman

Willa Heideman founded Witch and Wizard with her husband, Carl German, in 1995.  This business, serving the magickal, Wiccan and Pagan community, started out life as a booth at Flea World in Sanford, FL, and became so successful it was moved to its own storefront in Casselberry, where it was a landmark in the community for several years.  Nowadays Witch and Wizard makes seasonal appearances as a favorite merchant at the Florida Pagan Gathering.  The rest of Willa’s retail time is spent as a buyer for an eBay power seller and for Persephone’s Haven, and she always has her eyes out for a bargain. She is a founding member of Nephilim United Productions, Inc.

Willa has lived in Florida for 25 years, and lived in North Carolina for 20 years before that.  She has an Associate degree in Applied Science of Nursing from Davidson College in North Carolina, and has worked as a registered nurse for the last 31 years.

Her emails are:
witchandwizard@nephilimunited.com
witchandwizard@hotmail.com

Chief Information Officer: Magus Dethen

Magus’ bio is still a work in progress.  He is a founding member of Nephilim United Productions, Inc.

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