CHERYL HOARD
Clinical Herbalist and Aromatherapist; Esteemed NAHA President
1957 - 2015
Cheryl Hoard was instrumental in the development of professional Aromatherapy and Herbal Medicine in the United States, serving for two terms as President of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), and through Cheryl’s Herbs, an international supplier of high-quality herbs and essential oils established in 1991 together with her husband Jeffrey Hoard and daughter Laurel Redmon. A student of Jeanne Rose - and with a diploma from Barbara von Grote Aromatherapy Hong Kong – Cheryl commenced her herbal studies in 1976.
Cheryl was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison Mead Witter School of Music, where is she met her future husband. She spent 11 years in Asia as principal French horn of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, performing with Jeff. It was here they discovered Chinese herbal remedies, inspiring them to study Euro-American as well as Oriental herbalism, and to establish an herbal supply business which, upon leaving Hong Kong, they re-established with Laurel to great success in St. Louis.
Cheryl was the Aromatherapy consultant for Time Life Books, and assisted in the preparation of a publication entitled The Drug and Natural Medicine Advisor. She also served as a member of the Complementary Health Committee for the BJC Health System, and lectured for St. Louis University Medical School, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis Community College, and Missouri Botanical Gardens. She had an active speaking schedule, wrote numerous articles, appeared in various national magazines and newspapers, and appeared extensively on radio and television. In April 1997 Cheryl and her husband were the subject of a full-page biographical story in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
I remain touched and grateful to Cheryl for kindly inviting me to speak at the 1998 NAHA Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, which was my first direct experience of American Aromatherapy. At that conference I also met her daughter, Clinical Herbalist, Aromatherapist and Acupuncturist Laurel Redmon. I am grateful to Laurel for providing me with most of the information shared with you.
Blessings to Cheryl and Jeff on their infinitely natural journey.
~ Gabriel Mojay, Nov 2023
