The Sparoughs specialize in creative, fun, and enriching programs. A professional storyteller and juggler, Tom has a MA in psychology. A veteran teacher and fiber artist, Geralyn has a MA in counseling. Together they founded Creative Retreat, LLC, an organization helping people and organizations to recognize and utilize their strengths. They have been married for 28 years and have raised two children.
Utilizing their own strengths, the Sparoughs help others to reflect, recharge, and renew.
Bio for Geralyn Sparough, M.A.
Ms. Sparough is an organizational facilitator and fiber artist. A former university administrator turned elementary school handwork teacher, she taught knitting, crochet, felting and other fiber arts for 15 years for first to eighth grades. Chairing the faculty governing body of her school using the consensus model, she was instrumental in creating the faculty handbook, and the school’s mediation process. Holding a masters degree in counseling, she helped champion a social inclusion process at her school. She is a co-founder of Creative Retreat. She is an avid reader, and traveler. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband, and she is the mother of two adult children.
Bio for Tom Sparough, M.A.
Mr. Sparough is an inspirational speaker and facilitator specializing in the use of metaphor. He is an advocate of kinesthetic learning. He is a master storyteller and juggler and uses these skills to animate his work. He has a masters degree in psychology. He has been a keynote speaker for dozens of events including the National Resource and Referral Conference, the National Probation and Parole Officers Conference, and the California Teen Conference. Companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Management Recruiters, and Kraft have brought him into enliven their meetings. He is a keen listener and reporter, holding a bachelor’s degree in journalism. The author of five books, he is the 2014 Salesian Guild Distinguished Catholic Communicator of the Year. A natural leader, he is former chair and current board member of the special interest group, Storytelling In Organizations, of the National Storytelling Network. He is communications director of the HELP Program of Cincinnati. Co-founder of Creative Retreat, he is an experiential designer. Tom lives in Cincinnati with his wife, and has two adult children.