top of page

Meet Your Thriving Marriage Coaches

ABOUT US

VERDUN

​

Verdun Woods is an ordained Christian minister and certified marriage and relationship educator & coach, with a passion for helping couples find deep fulfillment in marriage. A devoted husband of over 43 years, father of 7 and grandfather of 17, he models time-tested principles for building a thriving marriage.

​

Since early childhood, marriage and family have been important priorities, having experienced both the joys of family unity and trauma of his parents’ divorce. The deep wounds and emotional scars took years to overcome but inspired his commitment to marriage and fueled his passion to help stem the tide of divorce.

​

As founder and lead coach of ThrivingMarriage.Us, he developed the T.H.R.I.V.E.S. framework, created the Thriving Marriage Self-Assessment, and designed an 8-week virtual coaching course: A Marriage that THRIVES. Verdun is also the author of many short publications, including Resist the Drift and Pardon Our Dust.

​

He administers and interprets strengths-based assessments supported by evidence-based skills and insights and certifies other coaches through Prepare-Enrich, a global training organization committed to equip marriage champions. He is a certified facilitator of Dynamic Marriage, an 8-week transformational learning experience developed by Marriage Dynamics Institute. He is also certified to administer the SYMBIS assessment created by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrot in support of his work with premarital coaching.

​

Verdun has designed and led small group courses, workshops, and conferences for dating, engaged, and married couples and helped hundreds discover their relationship strengths and weaknesses. He has provided one-on-one coaching to scores of couples and officiated over 100 weddings. He devotes countless hours sharing insights as a relationship expert to educate, encourage, and inspire couples to achieve success so they can enjoy a thriving marriage that leaves a lasting legacy.

​

VANESSA

​

Vanessa Woods is the live events director for ThrivingMarriage.Us. A devoted wife, mother of 7, and “Nana” to 18 grandchildren, Vanessa possesses a unique combination of warmth, compassion, and nurturing. These personal attributes are supported by disciplined organizational skills, creative lesson planning, strong administrative management skills, solid business acumen, and timely execution of programs, activities, and events.

 

She holds a BS in Early Childhood Education and earned certificates in Business Management and Business Operations. She is past founder and director of Nessa Bee’s Hive Childcare & Learning Center and recently established Nessa Bee’s Hive Event Childcare, Inc., a mobile service that provides onsite programs to children during major events such as weddings, conferences, and business meetings. 

 

As a professional educator licensed by the State of Florida, Vanessa is a passionate teacher, mentor, and servant-leader, experienced in formal and informal instruction in a variety of early childhood and adult learning venues. She also serves as a role model and informal coach to mothers of young children in both 1-on-1 and small group settings. Vanessa is certified to facilitate the Dynamic Marriage course and to administer the SYMBIS assessment for premarital couples. She was founder and facilitator of the Virtuous Women’s Ministry, a women’s bible study, and served as a featured soloist and worship leader at several women’s conferences.

​

In July 1996, she and her husband were recognized by the National Parents’ Day Foundation as Florida Parents of the Year and attended a special Congressional reception in their honor, receiving additional recognition as National Parents of the Year. They were featured on NBC’s Today Show highlighting their accomplishments. 

​

_TAW1580.jpg
bottom of page