BETHEL – John A. Kerney has been named director of admissions and external affairs at Gould Academy.

He will be responsible for overseeing the school’s departments of admission, communications and development.

Kerney most recently served as president and chief operating officer of Security Source, Inc. in Peabody, Mass. He also has served as chief operating officer of Gordon Brothers Group in Boston; was founder and president of SmartBargains.com in Boston and vice president of State Street Bank and Trust Co. in Boston. He is a resident of Bethel.

Kerney, a native of Tuxedo Park, N.Y., is a graduate of The Taft School in Watertown, Conn., and Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt.

Gould Academy provides a traditional and innovative college preparatory education to about 220 students in grades 9-12.

Auburn woman to lead seminar

AUBURN – Sonja Christiansen, a Karuna Reiki master teacher and director of Healing Focus, has been requested by St. Theresa’s Church in Summerville, S.C., to run the first in a series of seminars based on her recently published book, “Clear Vision.”

Christiansen is the director of Healing Focus Therapies and Seminars. She teaches and conducts seminars in stress management, Reiki energy and focused healing. She also has a private practice in holistic therapies and education.

“In today’s troubled world, finding peace and contentment is more difficult then ever,” she said.

“But we need to find inner peace and contentment to have some respite from all the pressure that surround us 24 hours a day. My work guides people to finding clear vision and inner peace.”

For information about “Clear Vision” or Clear Vision seminars, people can contact her at [email protected] or 786-2632.