One of the key ingredients to the continued success of the Hamilton County Educational Service
Center is the employment of highly qualified and experienced staff members. To help you better know and more easily contact the people working in-house at the HCESC, we would like to present you with the following background information and direct ways of contacting each of them:

Angus, Lynn – 513.674.4561
Lynn currently serves as a high school literacy coach and district school improvement coach. Prior to joining HCESC, Lynn taught English/language arts for ten years. She also worked as a literacy coach and has given state and national literacy presentations. Lynn holds degrees from Miami University and the University of Cincinnati.

Austin, Karen – 513.377.5902
Karen serves as a school improvement coach for the secondary schools and as a member of the State Support Team in several of our local school districts.   Prior to joining HCESC, Karen taught Mathematics at the high school level for 20 years..

Bitsko, Sue – 513.674.4261
Sue provides consultation to district leadership teams to assist with data-based decision-making and district-wide implementation of evidence-based practices for school improvement. Her professional responsibilities include leading regional training in requirements related to alternate assessment and secondary transition. Sue serves on the state work group developing technical assistance and guidance on secondary transition. She also coordinates a regional effort to provide consistent and appropriate training for parents and family members, of students with disabilities, as a requirement of IDEIA 2004 and NCLB. Sue has previous professional experience as a certified international quality systems assessor and has produced revolutionary training materials for GM, Ford and Chrysler. Sue has most recently served as a regional consultant in the Southwestern Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. Sue received her bachelor's and master’s degrees in organizational management from the University of Dayton.

Blizniak, Diann – 513.674.4268
Diann serves as a coordinator of gifted services with HCESC. In this position she provides professional development for both teachers and administrators on topics pertinent to gifted issues, such as differentiation and curriculum and she assists districts in the implementation of gifted services. Diann has a bachelor’s from the University of Dayton in elementary education and a M.B.A. from the University of Cincinnati in management and marketing. In addition, she has endorsement in gifted education and licensure in curriculum, instruction and professional development from Miami University. Diann has experience teaching in both a heterogeneous classroom and in a gifted pullout setting and has coordinated gifted services.

Bogdan, William – 513.674.4240
Bill is HCESC Assistant Superintendent and serves on the senior leadership team that oversees the design, planning and delivery of services for HCESC. In addition, he assists with the coordination of the Regional Advisory Council of the Educational Regional Service System which integrates the regional educational service providers in Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren counties. Bill’s education experience has included teaching in special education at the elementary and middle school levels. Bill has served many of the area school districts as a special education supervisor/consultant and has served as a program coordinator at HCESC. Bill has also served as director of special education services. Additionally, Bill has served as president for the Council for Exceptional Children at both the state and international levels. Bill’s education includes undergraduate degrees in general and special education, a master’s degree in special education and administration and a doctorate in administration and educational leadership.

Boroff, Holly – 513.674.4265
Holly provides consultation to district leadership teams to assist with data-based decision making and district-wide implementation of evidence- based practices for school improvement. Her professional responsibilities also include leading the regional and statewide coordination and development of training for secondary transition. She works closely with the leads on alternate assessment and community schools. Holly has served as a special education teacher, supervisor and director in public schools and has most recently served as a regional consultant in the Southwestern Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. Holly received her bachelor’s degree in special education from Miami University, and her master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Brown, Lauren - 513.674.4310
Lauren is the HCESC School Nursing Supervisor and is responsible for delivering quality school nursing services to public and non-public school customers. She supervises the clinical practice of the school nursing staff, directs the development, implementation, and evaluation of nursing policies and procedures, and provides professional development. Lauren worked as an operating room nurse prior to beginning her work in the school setting in 1997. Lauren is a Nationally Certified School Nurse. She is a past-president of the Southwestern Ohio School Nurses Association. Lauren received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Cedarville University and a Master of Science, emphasis in School Nursing, from Wright State University.

Burns, Susan – 513.674.4266
Susan provides consultation to district leadership teams to assist with data-based decision making and district-wide implementation of evidence-based practices for school improvement. Her professional responsibilities also include the coordination and development of training, tools and resources for secondary literacy and the development, coordination and delivery of a yearly regional conference. Susan has been an educator for students with learning disabilities, ranging in ages from kindergarten through high school, for 15 years and has taught preschoolers with disabilities for 5 years. She has most recently served as a regional consultant in the Southwestern Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. Susan received her bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Wittenberg University, her master’s in special education from Xavier University, and her doctorate in early childhood special education from the University of Cincinnati.

Campbell, Lisa – 513.674.4291
Lisa provides consultation in literacy, assessment, and is also involved in the organization’s Assessment For Learning initiative. In addition to serving as an AFL coach, Lisa is on the design team for planning the Assessment For Learning consortium events. Before coming to HCESC, Lisa spent 15 years in a variety of school and district roles, including classroom teacher, lead teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum development. Lisa’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, K-12 reading certification, a master’s degree in special education and a doctorate in literacy education with an emphasis in educational leadership.

Clemons, Vikki – 513.674.4212
Vikki is the Executive Director of Instructional Services and has primary responsibility for overseeing the work of the Center for Instructional Services at HCESC. She also serves as the Single Point of Contact for the State Support Team Region 13 serving the four county region of Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties. In her role as State Support Team Region 13 Single Point of Contact, she leads and coordinates the activities of the State Support Team in providing professional development and technical assistance services to identified school districts and schools in the region in the areas of school improvement, special education compliance, literacy and early learning and school readiness. She works closely with ODE in aligning services to meet the needs of the region. Vikki has been a Kentucky Distinguished Educator, district associate superintendent, elementary curriculum director, supervisor, building principal and classroom teacher.

Collins, Thomas - 513.674.4264
Tom is a member of the Leadership Council and has primary responsibility at HCESC for a variety of internal projects in finance, data collection, data analysis and survey research. He is also responsible for AESOP (Greater Cincinnati Substitute Solution Service) and our Greater Cincinnati School Application System. Tom has served as the Director of the Southwest Regional Professional Development Center, been a district assistant superintendent, high school principal and teacher. He is an adjunct professor at Miami University. Collins received his master’s from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his doctorate from Miami University.

Collopy, Jack – 513.589.3702
Jack oversees the Early Learning Program that administers the federal Head Start and Early Head Start programs along with Ohio’s new Early Learning Initiative. Approximately 1500 children, ages 0-5, are served in 12 public school districts in Hamilton County. Jack’s educational experience has included teaching special education and adult education at the secondary school level. He formerly served as Director of Special Education and Special Services for HCESC. Jack has been appointed by the Governor to represent Head Start on Ohio’s Reading First Advisory Council and has been involved with the Ohio Department of Education on various work groups to design the state’s new Early Learning Initiative pre-K program. Jack’s education includes undergraduate degree in secondary education from Xavier University and master’s in special education and administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Crist, Barbara – 513.674.4273
Barb works with Entry Year Principals, the ISLLC Principal Leadership Course, the Principal Assessment Center, the 21st Century School Administrator Skills Program, Pathwise and Mentor Training, Entry Year Teacher Preparation for Praxis, and has provided consulting in the areas of walk-throughs, curriculum management systems and teacher and administrator evaluation. She has previously served as a regular and special education teacher, a building administrator, a director of curriculum, an assistant superintendent and an adjunct professor. Barb is a PRAXIS assessor and attended the Harvard Institute for School Leadership. She received her bachelor’s from Ohio Northern University and her master’s and doctorate from Miami University.

Crowell, Sandy – 513.674.4231
Sandy is a supervisor for HCESC Early Childhood Programs. She also provides consultation with contracting districts for early childhood services. Prior to being a supervisor, Sandy worked for HCESC as an early childhood itinerant teacher and as an early childhood special education teacher. Sandy received her bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Cincinnati and her post-master’s work in supervision from Xavier University.

Demmler, Sally – 513.674.4270
Sally is a supervisor for the speech/language pathologists. Sally provides supervision and professional development opportunities to HCESC SLP’s and affiliate districts. Prior to being a supervisor, she worked as an SLP for HCESC with students from ages pre-school through high school in both public and non-public school settings. Sally is also an adjunct faculty member of Ashland University to instruct professional development services workshops. Sally received her bachelor’s and master’s in speech/language pathology from Miami University with post-masters work in supervision from Xavier University. Sally maintains her speech and language board license, ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence, and her Ohio Department of Education licenses in speech pathology and supervision.

Dillard, Cynthia – 513.674.4562
Cynthia Dillard became a member of the HCESC family in August 2006 as a School Improvement Consultant. She currently serves as an external school improvement coach in the Cincinnati Public Schools. In this role she directly works with teachers and principals to build capacity in analyzing student performance data to plan instruction, design and implement intervention, improve school practices and district initiatives and refine school organization to raise student achievement on the Ohio Achievement Tests. Prior to joining HCESC, Cynthia worked as an elementary teacher and team leader in four major urban centers in Texas, Minnesota and Ohio. Cynthia became a Nationally Board Certified teacher in 1997. Cynthia received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Cincinnati.

Dirr, Ken – 513.674.4283
Ken is the Director of Customer Engagement. Ken handles all of the customer orders and contracts and contractual agreements with partner companies and organizations. He is the person in charge of the customer relations for HCESC. Ken is a member of the Leadership Council, co-leads the Products and Services/Customer Engagement Platform and serves on the Finance and Facilities teams. Ken has been a district superintendent, assistant superintendent, director of human resources, high school principal, assistant principal and math teacher. He currently serves as a member of Dr. Zelman’s Kitchen Cabinet Advisory Council and the Professional Development Committee of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. Dirr received his bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Cincinnati and his post-masters work at Xavier University and Miami University.

Distel, Dave – 513.674.4236
Dave Distel serves as the Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer of the Hamilton County Educational Service Center. As the superintendent, Dave serves as the chairman of the HCESC Leadership Council responsible for setting organizational direction, vision, strategy, and monitoring for results. He also serves as the chairman for the Executive Work team. Prior to becoming the superintendent at HCESC, Dave served as the assistant superintendent at HCESC. Dave came to the HCESC in 1991. He was a district superintendent, assistant superintendent, elementary principal and teacher. Dave received his bachelor’s from the University of Cincinnati, his master’s from Xavier University and he did his post-masters work at Miami University.

Dool, Eric – 513.396.5941
Eric is the supervisor of the HCESC Learning Center at North Norwood. He joined HCESC as the Program Supervisor for the Learning Center at North Norwood in August 2007 after serving as a school psychologist and Student Services Manager with the Cincinnati Public Schools. Eric earned his bachelor’s in psychology from Denison University in 1995, and master’s in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati and in educational leadership from Miami University. Eric has also completed doctoral coursework in school psychology with a focus on educational leadership and systems change. Eric’s strengths and interest include systems change for academic and behavioral supports, secondary transition services for students with disabilities, and assessment of students with disabilities. Eric also is a certified instructor with the Crisis Prevention Institute.

Echoles, Dorothy 513.674.4328
Dorothy is the Operations Director of the HCESC Early Learning Program and oversees recruitment, enrollment, marketing, monitoring and licensing, transportation, facilities and general operations of the Early Learning Program.  Prior to working for HCESC, Dorothy was a Social Worker, LSW for the United Way.   Other experiences in the field includes Director of Human Resources and  Professional Development at the Early Learning Program, Adjunct Professor at Wilmington College, Blue Ash in Human Resource Development and Labor Relations.  She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).  She earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice from University of Cincinnati and a master’s in Employment and Labor Relations (MALER) from the University of Cincinnati.

Estreicher, Gretchen – 513.674.4280
Gretchen provides consultation, technical assistance, and training, including Early Childhood State Approved Professional Development for state funded early childhood programs. She also provides support for district Pre-K programs, Early Learning Initiative programs, the Early Learning programs and partners in the Early Care Community. She collaborates and partners with community agencies in four counties, co-chairs the Regional ODE/OELSR Professional Development Providers, and is a lead member on the ODE/OELSR Leadership Team. Gretchen’s teaching career included teaching for Cincinnati Public Schools, providing demonstration classroom teaching for the University of Cincinnati and for the Cincinnati Public Schools, being an adjunct teacher for the University of Cincinnati and the College of Mt. St. Joseph. She has served with the ODE SERRC system in a variety of consulting, training, and ODE project work development. She served as the Early Childhood Services Coordinator at the SWO SERRC. Gretchen received her bachelor’s degree in music education/special education and her master’s degree in special education from the University of Cincinnati; she has completed post-master’s work in school administration.

Forcade, Michael – 513.674.4258
Mike is the Director of the Intervention and Support Services Center. In this role, he coordinates the Auxiliary Services Program which provides staff for non-public schools, supervises school psychologists and school counselors, oversees fiscal and personnel areas in student services, and supports supervisors working with a variety of staff groups. Mike began his career as a school psychologist in 1971 and joined the staff of HCESC in 1978 where he became an administrator in 1980. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois, Xavier University, and the University of Cincinnati.

Forcade, Penny – 513.674.4272
Penny is the Supervisor for the HCESC Program for Students with Visual Impairments, transition to work and a consultant to districts in special education for pre-school through high school. In her role as Supervisor for the VI Program, she does service intake for students with visual impairments for Hamilton, Butler, and Warren counties, provides supervision for HCESC teachers of the visually impaired, instructors of orientation and mobility, Braille paraeducators, and Braille production management. She provides consultation in special education in specifically contracted districts. Her previous experience consists of teaching students with multiple disabilities for HCESC. Penny held similar teaching positions with Kenton County Schools and the Cincinnati Public School District. She received her bachelor's and master's from the University of Cincinnati, and post-masters work at the University of Kentucky.

Gardella, Gary – 513.674.4313
Gary is a facilitator in a variety of professional development institutes with administrators and teaching staffs including The Leadership Academy, TESA, Understanding Poverty, Marzano Instructional Strategies, The Principal Assessment Center and Entry Year Mentoring. He has been a teacher, assistant principal, and middle school principal. Gary received his bachelor’s from Miami University and his master’s in educational administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Geresy, Steve – 513.674.4358
Steve serves as a science consultant for HCESC.  He has been a classroom teacher in science for more than twenty years and has spent the past twelve years in Lakota where he served as a science teacher and department chair at the middle school level.  He has been involved at the district level with science textbook adoption, curriculum alignment and professional development initiatives.  Steve has taught graduate courses for Miami University, the University of Cincinnati and currently facilitates an undergraduate biology course for the University of Phoenix - Cincinnati and Dayton Learning Center.  His specialties are science curriculum planning, course development and the integration of technology. Steve has a bachelor’s in education from Miami University, a master’s in educational administration from Xavier University and extensive graduate studies in science and school leadership. He currently holds a K-8 Permanent Certificate with HQT in science and a Professional Principal License.

Gillette, Ginnie – 513.674.4314
Ginnie is a consultant in the areas of state and federal accountability systems, value-added, data driven decision-making and instructional technology. In addition, she assists districts in gathering and analyzing data to improve instruction, creating a data-driven culture, and the implications of the Ohio and the federal accountability systems. As an Ohio Regional Value-Added Specialist (RVAS) she is responsible for training district representatives to understand and use value-added information to improve student progress. As an instructional technology consultant she provides technology coordination services and training on variety of software products. Ginnie is experienced in project management of large technology implementation projects. She sits on the D3A2 User Group and Mock-Up Committees. She consults with districts on the implementation of instructional/learning management systems. Previously she has been a classroom teacher, a district technology coordinator and a systems engineer for a major computer company. Ginnie received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and did post-graduate work at Xavier University.

Goode, Eileen – 513.674.4301
Eileen assists area schools to analyze data and develop effective teaching and learning strategies for improved student performance in all areas, but especially on the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) and the Ohio Achievement Tests and Ohio Proficiency Tests. She is also involved with providing programs in reading and writing in all content areas, designed to assist middle school and high school teachers who wish to develop a repertoire of strategies for teaching adolescent learners these two critical thinking skills. Eileen earned her bachelor’s in history from the College of Mt. St. Joseph, her master’s in guidance and counseling from Xavier University, and her doctorate in educational administration from Miami University. She has served in area school districts as a social studies teacher, guidance counselor, high school assistant principal, and principal and central office district curriculum and testing director.

Grant, Darlene – 513.674.4320
Darlene is currently the Education Field Supervisor for Region 3 at the Early Learning Program, which include 8 preschool classrooms and 16 staff.  Darlene’s most recent teaching experience includes 8 years as Head Teacher for a Head Start classroom with our agency.  Prior to working with HCESC Early Learning Program, Darlene’s educational experience included 2 years with Mason City Schools, (Early Childhood building) working in kindergarten and preschool classrooms as an Instructional Assistant.  Additionally, her very first classroom experience was teaching third grade in the Norwood City School district.  Darlene earned a bachelor’s in Elementary Education (K-8) from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Greenwood, Stacie – 513.675.6895
Stacie is a math coach for HCESC school improvement team.  She has taught grades 5-8 in Boone and Kenton County, in Kentucky, and was able to align the math curriculum at a previous school.  Stacie received her bachelor’s and master’s in elementary education and a middle school endorsement in language arts (grades 5-8) from Northern Kentucky University, as well as her master’s degree in educational administration from Xavier University.

Harrison-Fowler, Kym  – 513.674.4361
Kym became a member of the HCESC family in August 2008 as a School Improvement Consultant. She currently serves as an External School Improvement Coach for Science in the Cincinnati Public Schools. In this role she directly works with teachers and principals to build capacity in analyzing student performance data to plan instruction, design and implement intervention, improve school practices and district initiatives and refine school organization to raise student achievement on the Ohio Achievement Tests. Prior to joining HCESC, Kym worked as a Teacher Evaluator/Consulting Teacher and Intermediate Lead Teacher/Team Leader at Roberts Paideia Academy.  Kym received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Northern Kentucky University, a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Cincinnati and her Educational Administration License from Xavier University.

Hart, Katie – 513.674.4315
Katie Hart has been a Graphic Designer with the Hamilton County ESC since 2001. Her role entails designing logos, brochures, newsletters, catalogues, posters, etc. for HCESC and affiliates, school districts, and other non-profit organizations. She works together with HCESC’s Printing Department to produce high quality products. Katie came to HCESC first as a co-op student then was hired on full-time after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Mount Saint Joseph.

Heideman, Renita – 513.518.2036
Renita is an instructional technology consultant working in the area of technology and curriculum. She also provides technology leadership, planning, and professional development. She is currently serving as a district administrator supporting curriculum and professional development and supports another district in the role of its technology coordinator. Renita is certified to provide Apple Professional Development offerings. Renita has had a wide range of educational roles including teacher, athletic coach, technology coordinator, interim curriculum director, and technology supervisor. She has served as an adjunct professor for Wright State University. Areas of expertise include software review and selection, technology integration, cross-platform environments, and technical supervision. Renita completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Miami University.

Henson, Jeremiah – 513.674.4524
Jeremiah currently serves as a science content coach on one of the elementary school Instructional Support Teams in one of our area districts. Prior to joining HCESC, Jeremiah taught middle school Science with Lakota Local Schools. While at Lakota, he taught summer courses for Miami University in the Teaching Science with TOYS program. Jeremiah also served a term as President of the Cornerstone Leadership Team. He has presented at several local and state conferences on Making Cross-Curricular Connections via Interdisciplinary Units. Locally, he facilitated community leadership courses titled Maximizing Your Potential. Jeremiah earned his bachelor’s from Miami University and his master’s from the Nova Southeastern University.

Heyob, Karen - 513.674.4335
Karen is Education Coordinator for HCESC Early Learning Program.   Primary duties include managing the assessment and curriculum aspects for the Head Start and ELI programs.   She is the site administrator in charge of the online Creative Curriculum program used by all self-administered and child care partnership sites.   In addition, Karen actively serves on the state-wide OVL committee that promotes projects in the classroom as well as the Ohio Resource Centers’ Early Childhood Committee that is developing a website for EC professionals.  Karen’s education includes an undergraduate degree in Family & Child Development from Ohio State University, a master’s in education from the College of Mount St. Joseph and principal licensure from Xavier University.

Horvath, Melanie – 513.674.4281
Melanie provides consultation to district leadership teams to assist with data-based decision making and district-wide implementation of evidence-based practices for school improvement. Her professional responsibilities include serving as Regional Facilitator for the Ohio Improvement Process and providing professional development on Response to Intervention as well as other educational systems change topics.  Melanie has previous experience as a school psychologist and served as a regional consultant with the Southwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. She also serves as an adjunct professor for the Special Education Department at the University of Cincinnati. Melanie received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati.

Hunn, Diana – 513.674.4213
Diana. M. Hunn is a science consultant at HCESC. She has been a classroom teacher of biology and earth sciences in the middle and high school grades. Diana has also taught a variety of science and mathematics classes in adult night school and community college levels. She presently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in science education and educational research at the University of Dayton. For two years, she was the Associate Director of the Institute for Integrated Science at Miami University where grant awards funded collaborative science programs for science teachers at all levels. She is Executive Director Emeritus of the Science Education Council of Ohio and the current secretary of the Environmental Education Council of Ohio. Her specialties include grant proposal writing and aerospace education. Diana has a bachelor’s in education from Miami University, a master’s in curriculum from Miami University, and a doctorate in science and environmental education from Indiana University. She has also completed extensive graduate work in school administration, law, and public administration.

Jenner, Linda – 513.589.3708
Linda is the Education Director of the HCESC Early Learning Program and oversees curriculum, assessment, and program design for both the Head Start and Early Learning Initiative program options. Prior to working for HCESC, Linda was Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Care and Education at the University of Cincinnati. Other experiences in the field of early childhood include Director of Children’s Program at Arlitt Child and Family Research Center, University of Cincinnati and Public School Preschool Coordinator with Cincinnati Public Schools. She has also served as president of the Cincinnati and Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children. She earned a bachelor’s in speech pathology from Illinois State University and a master’s in child development from the University of Cincinnati.

Johnson, Everett – 513.674.4205
Everett is the Supervisor of Graphic Design/Printing and Facilities for HCESC. His primary responsibility is to supervise all printing and graphic design projects and budgets for HCESC staff, affiliates, school districts, and other non-profit organizations in Hamilton, Butler, and Clermont counties. Other duties include the management of all building maintenance, repairs, improvements, and budgets. Prior to HCESC Everett served as director of operations for Docustar INC, digital printing company.

Jorgensen, Gale – 513.470.2077
Gale works as a school improvement coach, math coach, and literacy coach providing support for one of our local school districts. Prior to coming to HCESC, Gale taught kindergarten and second grade in the Northwest Local School District. She has also taught remedial reading, gifted and talented, and grades five and six in Kentucky. Gale earned her bachelor’s in education from the University of Cincinnati, a master’s in education from Northern Kentucky University and a master’s from the University of Cincinnati in educational administration. She has also done post-graduate work through Miami, Wright State and Andrews University.

Kelly, Michael – 513.674.4530
Michael Kelly works as district coach, helping area schools improve their student performance especially on the Ohio Graduation Test. He is involved with high school staffs on analyzing data to make informed decisions about curriculum, instruction and assessment with an ultimate goal of increased student achievement. Michael received his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Wabash College and his master’s in educational administration from the University of Cincinnati. He has served in area districts as a high school biology, chemistry and math teacher, high school assistant principal and middle school principal.

Ketcham, Lee – 513.674.4284
Lee provides consultation to district leadership teams to assist with data-based decision making and evidence-based practices for school improvement. In addition, she provides technical assistance and consultation to school personnel, parents, agencies and other stakeholders serving children with disabilities. Lee coordinates and facilitates resource development, information dissemination, and technical assistance related to IDEIA compliance issues, complaints from ODE at the district level in the four-county region of southwestern Ohio. Prior to joining the Southwestern Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center, educational experiences included teaching special education at the elementary school level, special education supervisor/consultant serving area school districts, and Director of Curriculum at HCESC. Lee received her bachelor’s from the University of Cincinnati in elementary education, a master’s in special education and administration, with post-master’s work in administration at Xavier University.

Kettle, Katheryne – 513.674.4214
Kathy currently serves a district coach for several school districts. She has also served in the roles of Data Training Institute trainer, school improvement coach, Survey of Enacted Curriculum coach, and Regional Value Added Specialist. She has taught at the elementary and middle school levels in Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio. She has served as a student services coordinator, reading specialist, building assessment coordinator, test coordinator and lead teacher and has been a middle school principal. Prior to coming to HCESC, Kathy was an educational consultant specializing in data analysis, assessment, strategic planning, curriculum and instruction at the Summit County ESC in Ohio. Kathy earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees as reading specialist from Eastern Kentucky University. She completed her administrative licensure in education administration at University of Akron.

Koester, Kenneth – 513.728.7924
Ken is the Director of the Unified Purchasing Cooperative which serves over 225,000 students in southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana. As the Director, he oversees the issuance of numerous bids and performs contract administration on the resulting contracts. Ken is a Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.), Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO), and Accredited Purchasing Practitioner (A.P.P.). Ken is president of the Kentucky Public Procurement Association. In addition, he is on the board of directors of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing. Ken is a graduate of Owens Community College and the University of Cincinnati.

Lateer-Huhn, Alicia – 513.674.4289
Alicia provides consultation to district and building leadership teams to assist with data-based decision making and district-wide implementation of evidence-based practices for school improvement. Alicia has served as a school psychologist in public schools for 11 years, and served as a regional consultant in the Southwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center for the past 6 years. Alicia has presented at several state and national conferences to disseminate information regarding supporting districts and buildings to develop capacity to implement a tiered model of academic and behavior supports within a systems change framework. Alicia received her bachelor’s in psychology and Spanish from the University of Northern Iowa and her master’s in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati.

Maddin, Ellen – 513.674.4300
Dr. Ellen Maddin is a Director of Instructional Services at Hamilton County Educational Service Center. An educator since 1981, Ellen worked as a secondary teacher, and adjunct professor, and a curriculum administrator before joining the HCESC staff in 1998. Since then, she has served as state program manager for Ohio LIT, designed and delivered professional development for teachers and administrators, facilitated school improvement planning efforts and authored online courses for Ohio’s educators. Ellen completed her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan. She holds a master’s degree in education from the College of Mt. St. Joseph and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Cincinnati.

McGraw, Deborah – 513.674.4230
Deborah is an Assistant Technology Consultant and Supervisor. Deborah provides assistive technology services (i.e. consultation, problem solving, training) and supervision to Speech/Language Pathologists and the Pathways to Employment program. Prior to being a supervisor, she worked as an SLP for HCESC with students from ages pre-school through high school in both public and non-public school settings. Deborah received her bachelor’s and master’s in speech/language pathology from Miami University with post-masters work in supervision from University of Cincinnati. Deborah also maintains her Speech and Language board license, ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence, and her Ohio Department of Education licenses in Speech Pathology and Supervision.

McKinley, Michael – 513.703.7714
Mike McKinley is an HCESC special education consultant, working in a local school district. Mike received a bachelor’s from the University of Cincinnati in special education, with a teaching certificate in hearing impaired and a master's from the University of Cincinnati in special education, with teaching certificates in learning disabilities and emotionally disturbed. Mike also earned his special education administrative certificate through the University of Cincinnati. He has been with HCESC for 32 years, working as Coordinator at the Learning Center at North Norwood for 29 years, a special education consultant in Cincinnati Public Schools for three years, and is currently a special education consultant in the Winton Woods School District.  Mike also is the Home Education Consultant for HCESC.

Miller, Lisa – 513.674.4269
Lisa is an early childhood teacher and consultant whose responsibilities include providing itinerant services to young children with disabilities in their homes, schools, and community preschools. Her responsibilities also include research and development for the HCESC Early Childhood and Literacy Center website, consultative support for school districts with various professional development initiatives including team development and intervention design for young children. Lisa’s professional experience includes speech therapy in the public schools, and teaching and consulting in early childhood classrooms. She has earned a bachelor’s in hearing and speech sciences from Ohio University, a master’s in special education from the University of Cincinnati and an Educational Administration license from Xavier University.

Mitter, Monica – 513.674.4238
Monica’s primary work is coaching districts that have schools that did not meet their AYP goals and are in school improvement status. Additionally, Monica facilitates the ‘Aspiring Leaders’ program. Previously Monica was an instructional specialist for Northwest Local Schools; high school principal, assistant principal and social studies teacher at Fairfield Senior High School and still teaches master’s level courses in the Teacher Education Department at the University of Dayton. Monica received her bachelor’s in secondary education from the
University of Dayton, her master’s in supervision and curriculum from Xavier University and has completed post-master’s work at Miami University in educational administration.

Moeller, Jenny – 513.674.4222
Jenny works with schools to implement school improvement initiatives. In this role she works with teachers and principals to build capacity in analyzing student performance data as they create assessments, plan instruction, and design interventions to improve school practices. She also consults/coaches schools in the areas of curriculum mapping, Assessment FOR Learning and best practices. Prior to joining HCESC, Jenny worked as an elementary teacher, Title I teacher, HOSTS coordinator and building technology coordinator. She received her bachelor’s in elementary education and her master’s in educational administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Monroe, Karen – 513.674.4243
Karen serves as the Coordinator of the Human Resources Department. In this role she provides leadership and on-going support to employees and the administration in all areas of human resource management. Her other responsibility at HCESC is to serve as the EMIS Coordinator. Her previous experience consists of Accounts Receivable/Payable Specialist for an insurance company. Karen has received her certification in human resource management from the University of Cincinnati Raymond Walters College. She is also a Notary Public for the State of Ohio.

Mossor, Dana – 513.674.4218
Dana works as a mathematics consultant in our Instructional Service Center. Prior to joining Hamilton County in August 2005, she spent sixteen years working as a middle school math teacher, department chair, mentor and member of curriculum committees in both urban and suburban school districts. Along with earning her Bachelor of Science in Education from The Ohio State University and her Master of Art in Education, Dana has done post-graduate work through Ohio University, Wright State and Penn State University.

Muse, Karen – 513.674.4224
Karen serves as the President/CEO of the Hamilton County Education Foundation. She supports the HCESC programs by organizing, planning, leading and evaluating overall development of partnerships with the business and community organizations. She is an active member of the Cincinnati Rotary and participates in various Chamber of Commerce programs. Karen also serves on the Community Advisory Council for the Freedom Center as well as coordinating the Munich Teacher Exchange Program. Karen’s previous experience included administrative and counseling positions as well as teaching counseling classes for the University of Dayton. She received her bachelor’s from Ohio University, master’s from the University of Dayton, and doctorate from Ohio University.

Myers, Deb – 513.674.4226
Deb serves as the Executive Director for HR and Organizational Learning. In this role, she provides leadership for all personnel-related support and for the design and coordination of professional learning to support organizational direction. A member of Leadership Council, Deb facilitates our organizational strategic planning and organizational design work and provides leadership for the Knowledge Bank Team and the Support Staff Team. Deb’s previous experience includes classroom, administrative and consultation positions. She earned her bachelor’s from Ohio University and her master’s in educational administration from the University of Dayton.

Nail, Barbara – 513.708.2623
Barb currently works as a district literacy coach. During her 30 year career in Michigan, she has worked as a literacy coach and taught kindergarten, 1st grade, as well as special education. Barb received her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in elementary education and special education for the cognitively impaired. She received her master's in special education for students with learning disabilities from Western Michigan University.

Ochs, Lynn – 513.674.4276
Lynn serves as an instructional services consultant, specializing in both instructional technology and data-driven decision-making. She conducts product research, facilitates software evaluation processes and conducts workshops on designing and managing learning centers, visual tools for thinking, learning styles and building data-driven cultures. She is a nationally certified DataNotGuesswork trainer and is currently leading the development and rollout of professional learning materials to accompany the state’s D3A2 data tool. Lynn also consults in the area of professional development planning, online learning, Internet safety and electronic data tools. She has worked in the field of educational technology for the last 25 years and has presented at numerous regional, state and national conferences including SOITA, eTech Ohio, KETC, NSDC and NECC. Lynn holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Houston – Clear Lake. She also serves as an adjunct professor for Xavier University and teaches both undergrad and graduate level instructional technology courses.

O’Dell, Peggy – 513.674.4296
Peggy provides resources and information to area districts on computer-related products, adaptive devices and accessibility standards. Her professional responsibilities include identifying learning needs around assistive technology and providing professional development to address these needs. She facilities the purchase and use of computer-related equipment and the use of the computer lab for staff and in-services. She maintains the SST Region 13 website and facilitates uploading of current information and resources. Other responsibilities
include providing information on technology for adult learning, including use of web based surveys, audience response systems, podcasting, voice over PowerPoints and use of interactive video distance learning for meetings and professional development. After teaching in Texas, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, Peggy served as a consultant working in professional development at the Southwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. Peggy received her bachelor’s in applied arts from the Texas Technological University and a master’s in art education from the Pennsylvania State University. Her special education, supervisory and high school principal certifications were earned at Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati.

Onnen, Julie – 513.674.4220
Julie has been with HCESC since August of 1999 serving as the attendance officer/court liaison for several school districts. Prior to working for HCESC Julie was a probation officer for five years at the Hamilton County Juvenile Court and also a social worker for five years with the City of Reading Youth Services Bureau. She has sixteen years of experience working in the juvenile justice system. Julie is a graduate of Miami University (Ohio).

Phillips, Georgia – 513.674.4260
Georgia is the Supervisor of HCESC School Occupational and Physical Therapists. She provides professional development opportunities as well as on-site consultation and supervision of the staff in their assigned schools. Georgia serves as a consultant to districts regarding special education and related service delivery initiatives. Previous experience includes teaching physical therapy at the University of Michigan and Scranton University and adjunct professor at Xavier University. Phillip’s received her bachelor’s from St. Louis University and master’s from The University of Kentucky. She has completed post-graduate work in supervision and instruction at Xavier University. Georgia is licensed as a supervisor and as a physical therapist.

Porter, Joe – 513.674.4566
Joe Porter serves as an external coach for the Instructional Support Team in the content area of Social Studies.  His focus is working with 7-12 grades in Cincinnati Public Schools.  Joe has 35 years of teaching experience and served for many years as Social Studies Department Chairman at Anderson High School in the Forest Hills School District.  He helped to establish the Close Up Foundation program for Cincinnati area schools, took the lead in introducing several A.P. Social Studies courses for Forest Hills, and wrote an OGT Social Studies practice test for a private educational company.  Joe earned  B.A. and M.A degrees in History from Eastern Kentucky University and completed course work on a Ph.D. program at the University of Tennessee.

Quattrone, Tracy – 513.674.4233
Tracy serves as a gifted coordinator at Hamilton County ESC providing full coordination and consultation for district gifted programs. She often presents on topics including; gifted and talented students, differentiated instructional strategies, twice exceptional students, and at parent meetings. She began her career in education as a teacher of students with learning disabilities, developmental handicaps, and severe behavior handicaps. She has also taught middle school English and sixth grade. Before becoming a consultant for gifted services she taught gifted students. Tracy received her undergraduate degrees from Bowling Green State University and her master’s degree from Miami University. She currently teaches for Ashland University in the Gifted Licensure Series at the Cincinnati Site. Tracy has served on the SWOCoG and COCG governing boards, and is currently the OAGC Coordinator Division Chair.

Rabe, Donald – 513.674.4237
Donald Rabe serves as Chief Financial Officer and advisor for the Board to assure continuation of sound financial support for the Hamilton County Educational Service Center. He communicates with the board, superintendent and administrators on the status of financial matters. He works cooperatively with the superintendent and administrators in providing financial data to help support management decisions. Donald is also the Director of the Business Center. He oversees the operation of Athletic Services, Graphic Design and Printing Services. Donald received his bachelor’s from the University of Cincinnati and has served as Treasurer with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center since 1984.

Reed, Cathy – 513.674.4262
Cathy is a coordinator of gifted with the Hamilton County ESC. In this capacity, she provides professional development to K-12 teachers and administrators in the areas of differentiation, gifted programming, curriculum, and gifted issues. She works directly with gifted teachers and provides materials for their classrooms. Cathy earned her bachelor’s from Wilmington College and received certification in gifted, LD/BD, and general education. She earned a major in psychology and a minor in literature. Cathy received a master’s in educational leadership and principal licensure from Antioch University McGregor School. Cathy taught gifted for the Clinton, Fayette, Highland Educational Service Center and the Loveland City School District.

Reyes-Rau, Connie – 513.674.4298
Connie is the coordinator of the Title III Consortium which assists districts in Hamilton, Clermont, Warren and Highland counties manage funding for English Language Learners, develop policy/procedures and consult with best practice in instruction. Connie is a SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) instructor which is a methodology in instructing English Language Learners. She also provides consultation to district leadership teams to assist with data-based decision making as well as facilitating and training districts on tools and resources for implementation of research and evidence-based positive behavior supports, literacy, and culturally responsive practices. Connie has served as a school psychologist in public and non-public schools for 15 years, and has served as a regional consultant in the Southwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. Connie received her bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Xavier University, and her master’s and post-degree study in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati.

Rider, Barbara – 513.674.4235
As supervisor for auxiliary services instructional specialists, Barb supports enrichment and remedial reading/math teachers who are placed in private and parochial schools with state auxiliary money. Barb has previously worked as a district superintendent, assistant superintendent for instruction, curriculum director, adult education coordinator/instructor, and high school foreign language teacher. She received her bachelor’s from Grove City (PA) College and her master’s in educational administration from Xavier University. In addition, she has participated in school leadership institutes in Columbus and at Harvard.

Rieke, Sharon – 513.674.4234
Sharon has two primary areas of responsibility at HCESC. She is a Region 13 State Support Team consultant in the area of compliance for special education. Sharon also is the Supervisor of School Psychologists and provides on-site consultation and supervision to the school psychology staff in their schools. Sharon has served as a school psychologist in both public and non-public schools and was an adjunct instructor in the school psychology program at the University of Cincinnati. She received her master’s and doctorate from the University of Cincinnati.

Riley, Tara – 513.674.4543
Tara assists a number of schools in their school improvement efforts. Before joining HCESC, Tara worked as an elementary teacher in third, preschool, and kindergarten for nine years. She received her bachelor’s in elementary education, focusing on Montessori from Xavier University. She also received a master’s in special education from Xavier University and a master’s in educational administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Sampson, Holly – 513.674.4563
Holly currently serves has a member of the State Support Team for Region 13 assisting school districts in implementing the Ohio Improvement Process. She also serves as an educational consultant through the Instructional Services Center. She has experience coaching teachers and principals in the areas of data analysis, state standards, assessments and instructional practices. In addition, she has been involved as a coach and trainer in the organization’s Assessment FOR Learning initiative. Holly received her bachelor’s in elementary education from Eastern Kentucky University and a master’s in educational administration from the University of Cincinnati. Additionally, she has completed post graduate science coursework from Miami University.

Scarlato, Julie – 513.674.4232
Julie is serving as a literacy consultant. In this role, she informs, prescribes and coordinates deployment of Ohio literacy initiatives through needs assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring activities and instruments. She also collects data and provides feedback to the ODE Office of Literacy regarding the design, development and coordination of Ohio literacy initiatives and statewide literacy professional development system. Julie has also been involved as a coach in the organization’s Assessment FOR Learning and Focused Instruction initiatives. Julie holds a bachelor’s in education from Miami University and a master’s in elementary education with a concentration in reading and a reading endorsement K-12. She has completed additional graduate work at University of Cincinnati and Miami University.

Schmidt, Don – 513.674.4304
Don Schmidt coordinates educational leadership programs and is responsible for the Educational Leadership Academies, the Principal Assessment Center, the 21st Century School Administrators Program, the Administrative Alternate Licensure Program as well as the facilitation of two online courses and the application and interpretation of the Group Dynamics Questionnaire. In addition, Don does work in program auditing, consulting, mentoring and individually designed leadership work for schools and districts. Don has served as a superintendent, assistant superintendent for instruction and personnel, high school and elementary school principal, program evaluator and teacher in grades 4 through 8. Don holds a bachelor’s in political science from Muskingum College, a master’s and doctorate in curriculum and supervision from Miami University. He has also taken course work in public administration and curriculum from The Ohio State University.

Schneider, Don – 513.674.4248
Don serves as the coordinator of athletic services for 17 high schools and 57 middle schools. He manages the recruiting, hiring, training, assigning and evaluating of sports officials for grades 7-12 interscholastic athletic events. Don also coordinates the development of scheduling, award programs and media communications for conferences and leagues. Don maintains liaison services with the National Federation of State High School Associations, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) and the Southwest Ohio District Athletic Board. He has been a licensed athletic official of the OHSAA for 40 years and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Valley Basketball Officials Association. His previous experience is as a human resources manager, systems programming consultant and customer service supervisor in the life insurance industry. Don is a graduate of the College of Education at the University of Cincinnati.
Don was inducted into the OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame in July, 2006.

Seta, Theresa – 513.674.4355
Theresa currently is an Education Field Supervisor for seven Head Start and  Early Learning Initiative classrooms in seven different school districts. She has experience working with childcare centers county-wide and collaborating with Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services. Theresa has taught for eleven years and has volunteered for ProKids, Autism Speaks and the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Xavier University. 

Sherman, Christina – 513.674.4216
Christina is a mathematics consultant and provides assistance to districts in implementing the Ohio Academic Content Standards, preparation for the Ohio achievement tests, curriculum alignment, data-driven decision making, effective instructional and assessment strategies, instructional coaching and various other aspects of mathematics education. She currently participates on the Ohio Resource Center Mathematics Review Board, Numeracy/Literacy Task Force, Math and Science Supervisors, OCTM Planning, and OGT Content Advisory committees. Christina’s prior experience includes instructional coaching at a variety of grade levels and teaching high school mathematics. She received her bachelor’s from Westminster College and Masters from Miami University.

Shessler, Tom – 513.674.4317
Tom provides consultation and workshops for social studies teachers in support of standards-based instruction. He is the project director of “Freedom’s Currents”, a U.S. Department of Education Teaching American History grant project, serving area history teachers. He is a lead trainer for the Social Studies Institute of Ohio (SSIO) and serves on the Social Studies OGT Content Committee, as well as the Social Studies 8th Grade OAT Range-Finder Committee. He facilitates assessment, measurement, analysis and planning of instructional technology programs for schools and conducts workshops on assessing student digital products. Tom also consults and conducts workshops in information literacy and 21st Century Skills. Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary social studies from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in instructional technology leadership from Antioch University.

Shroder, Jaymi – 513.674.4302
Jaymi provides consultation to district leadership teams to assist with data-based decision and district-wide implementation of evidence-based practices for school improvement. Her professional responsibilities also include participating in the coordination and development of training, tools and resources for implementation of research and evidence-based positive behavior interventions and supports, and leading the use of the Implementation Evaluation Tool. Jaymi has served as a school psychologist in public schools for 9 years and joined the Southwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center as a regional consultant in 2007. Jaymi received her bachelor’s in psychology from Miami University, her master’s in school psychology from Bowling Green State University, and her doctorate in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati.

Skelton, Seena – 513.674.4303
Seena provides consultation to district leadership teams to assist districts with the implementation of the Ohio Improvement Framework and in creating and sustaining a multi-tiered prevention and intervention approach to promote behavior and academic achievement for all students. Seena is also a quadrant lead consultant for statewide implementation of activities supported by the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG). As a quadrant lead, Seena supports State Support Team members involved in the SPDG from four State Support Team regions and functions as a liaison to the Ohio Department of Education. Her professional responsibilities also include increasing regional capacity for promoting culturally responsive practices. This involves the development of training, tools and resources for implementing evidence-based practices to support educators in effectively addressing issues related to the education of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Seena has served as a school psychologist in early childhood programs for 3 years, and has served as a regional consultant in the Southwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. Seena is an adjunct professor at the College of Mount Saint Joseph in the Teacher Education Apprenticeship Master’s Multicultural Special Education Program. She received her bachelor’s in psychology, family life, and human sexuality from Central Michigan University, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati.

Slone, Ann – 513.674.4255
Ann is a Supervisor for the speech/language pathologists and provides supervision and professional development opportunities to HCESC SLP’s and affiliate districts. Prior to being a supervisor, she worked as an SLP for Warren County MRDD, Winton Woods City Schools, and for HCESC with students from ages pre-school through high school in both public and non-public school settings. Ann received her bachelor’s and master’s in speech/language pathology from Miami University with post- master’s work in Supervision from Xavier University. Ann maintains her speech and language board license, ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence, and her Ohio Department of Education licenses in speech pathology and supervision.

Spikes, Helena – 513.674.4286
Helena is the Diversionary Court Referee in the Alternative Education Center and a liaison with Hamilton County Juvenile Court. She hears charges of school-related offenses for eleven school districts. Helena also provides some case coordination for families in collaboration with community-based agencies and school districts. In addition she assists with overseeing some conflict resolution groups with the Alternative Education Grant. Helena’s previous experience has been as the Unofficial Hearing Officer of Hamilton County Juvenile Court and has been diverting first time offenders from the Official Court System for 13 years as well as the JTPA Youth Coordinator. She completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati in Criminal Justice and her master’s from Northern Kentucky University in public administration.

Stamper, Rusty – 513.674.4287
Rusty has been the Technology Administrator with HCESC since 2000 and is responsible for the network and any computer- related technologies at HCESC. The network consists of over 200 PC’s and MAC’s in the central office and with HCESC colleagues in various districts. In addition to workstations, there are 10 servers that run various applications crucial to the day to day operations at HCESC. These applications include: email, collaboration, document management, file storage, printing, database, web server and remote access. He has been working with computers since the early ‘90’s and has been a full time “computer geek” since 1997. Before coming to HCESC Rusty spent two years as a network technician with a public school district in Hamilton County.

Stidham, Joan – 513.674.4211
Joan serves as a Director of the Instructional Services Center and member of the State Support Team for Region 13. Joan’s responsibilities involve coordinating the planning, development and implementation of services in the areas of curriculum, instruction, data, assessment, and leadership. She also supports the design and integration of the State Support Team work as members build districts’ capacity for school improvement efforts AROUND THE Ohio Improvement Process. She has experience as a teacher and instructional specialist at both the elementary and secondary levels. Joan received her bachelor’s in chemistry education and her master’s in science education from Miami University, as well as additional graduate coursework for her administrative specialist license in curriculum, instruction and professional development.

Stine, Karen – 513.674.4308
Karen is a Region 13 State Support Team consultant assisting school districts in implementing the Ohio Improvement Process. Her professional responsibilities also include leading the coordination and development of training, tools and resources for implementation of research and evidence-based positive behavior interventions and supports. Karen has served as a school psychologist in public and non-public schools for 21 years, and has served as a regional consultant in the Southwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. She is completing her term as President of the Southwestern Ohio School Psychologists Association. Karen received her bachelor’s in elementary and special education from Miami University, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati.

Strickler, Wendy – 513.674.4311
Wendy provides consultation to district and building leadership teams to assist with data-based decision making and in district-wide implementation of evidence-based practices for school improvement. Her professional responsibilities also include participation on the Positive Behavior Support, Literacy, and Coach/Continuing Teams Training committees to support work and professional development in these areas. She provides support for English Language Learners in the region. Wendy has served as a school psychologist and intervention consultant. Wendy received her bachelor’s degree in Honors Psychology from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati.

Sturges, Kathy – 513.674.4322
Kathy is a member of the State Support Team for Region 13 working with school districts to build their leadership capacity through the implementation and monitoring of the Ohio Improvement Process and the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council’s leadership framework.  She also designs and presents professional development in the area of assessment and facilitates professional development around the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC). Kathy’s previous experience includes 20 years of classroom teaching, curriculum facilitation and college administration. She received her bachelor’s degree from Wheelock College, her master’s degree from Northeastern University, and her administrative license from Xavier University.

Thomas, Jim – 513.674.4254
Jim provides support to several district leadership teams. He also serves as a Regional Value-Added Specialist training and supporting District Value-Added Specialists and the principals. Jim is involved in the Battelle for Kids T-CAP (Teachers – Connecting Achievement and Progress) initiative. Jim’s professional work experiences include superintendent, assistant superintendent, elementary principal, counselor, and teacher in grades 6-12. Jim holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University, a master’s degree from Ball State University, a master’s degree from Indiana University, and has taken additional coursework in educational leadership from Xavier and Miami universities.

Thornton, Kathleen – 513.674.4219
Kathy Thornton serves as a consultant on special projects for HCESC and member districts. Kathy’s areas of expertise include system design and planning, team building and facilitation, professional development, and K-12 general education and instructional design. Previous experiences include teaching and counseling at the secondary level and supervisory and leadership roles at HCESC. She has served on numerous state and national committees through professional organizations and is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Xavier University.

Tirey, Kathleen – 513.674.4203
Kathy serves as the Director of the Early Childhood and Literacy Center. Kathy provides early childhood special education itinerant and center-based programming for Hamilton County school districts. She consults with district personnel regarding all aspects of early childhood. She plans and develops professional development in the area of early literacy, special education and Early Learning Standards. Kathy’s educational career includes early childhood education, special education and literacy instruction. She earned her bachelor’s in special education and a master’s in supervision.

Turnbow, Gloria – 513.674.4359
Gloria is a supervisor for the speech/language pathologists.  She proves supervision and professional development opportunities to HCESC SLP’s and affiliate districts.  She worked as an SLP for HCESC with students from ages pre-school through high school in public settings.  Gloria received her bachelor’s from the University of California at Santa Barbara in speech and hearing and African American studies, and her master’s from the University of Cincinnati in Speech Pathology. Gloria completed post-graduate work in supervision and instruction at Xavier University.  She is licensed as a supervisor and as a speech-language pathologist and has been with HCESC over 31 years.

Vanover, Robin – 513.674.4547
Robin Vanover currently serves as a State Support Team Member for Region 13 assisting school districts in implementing the Ohio Improvement Process.  She works to build capacity for effective instruction, standards implementation, and the use of assessment results for instructional decision making.  Robin also serves in the Instructional Services Center as an educational consultant.  She is trained as an Assessment for Leaning Coach and has served as a School Improvement Consultant focused primarily in the areas of Literacy and Mathematics for grades K-8.  Robin has served as a reading intervention specialist and classroom teacher.  She has worked as an associate instructor for Miami University with Project Dragonfly online science courses and Ohio Writing Project workshops as well as an adjunct instructor for The College of Mount Saint Joseph in the College of Education.  Vanover holds master’s degrees from Miami University in the areas of language arts education and educational leadership.

Wagner, Dotti – 513.674.4210
Dotti is the Supervisor/Consultant for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program. As the supervisor for the Hearing Impaired Program, Dotti offers guidance and leadership to a staff of deaf education teachers working in both resource and itinerant positions as well as to a staff of educational interpreters. She also provides consultation to area school districts on deaf and hard of hearing students and their needs. Dotti received her bachelor’s in speech pathology and her master’s in audiology from the University of Cincinnati with post-master’s work in supervision from Xavier University. She is also an adjunct professor at Xavier University in the special education department. The Ohio Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology licensed her as a speech language pathologist and an educational audiologist. Her state certification and licensing is in the areas of speech language pathology, educational audiology, and supervision.

Way, Mary – 513.674.4556
Mary serves as a school improvement coach. She has been a 7th and 8th grade teacher in both urban and suburban schools and was science department chair and science teacher for 17 years at a large high school. She has done extensive curriculum work and lesson design in science curriculum and standards based science education. She was most recently an Assistant Principal at a small suburban junior/high school. Mary received her bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Edgecliff College and a master’s degree in emotionally disturbed children from Xavier University. She has additional certification in guidance and counseling and has licensure as an elementary, secondary principal and assistant superintendent from Xavier University.

Williams, Cedric – 513.674.4305
Cedric currently serves as the ELI/Family and Community Partnership Coordinator for the Early Learning Program. He is responsible for managing enrollment, recruitment and marketing. He also works as the parent advocate and liaison with the Community Action Agency. He is a Licensed Social Worker and has been in the field of children and family services for more than 22 years. He is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in criminal  justice. He has served as an attendance officer and Diversionary Court Referee. He also worked as the coordinator of the alternative education program.

Wong, Patrick – 513.368.7649
Patrick is the Secondary Education Transition Specialist for the State Support Team Region 13 serving the four county region of Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties. His role is to provide technical assistance to the region and districts to increase the quality of secondary transition services and post-school results.  The mission is to coordinate secondary educational services through the course of study and to improve the educational achievement for students with disabilities. Previously, Patrick served a supervisor for special education services in the area of early childhood, multiple disabilities, and cross-categorical services in a district. He has been an adjunct professor at Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati.  Patrick served as a consultant to the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission and the Ohio Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.  He is a published author in the Early Childhood Journal and has co-authored a supported employment grant.  Patrick received his bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati.

The Field Staff
The Hamilton County Educational Service Center also employs a large staff who provide direct services to students, parents, schools, and school districts and an additional group of staff who provide a wide variety of support services. Space will not allow us to introduce each of these individuals to you, but the following list helps show the scope of our work being done at multiple locations throughout Hamilton County and elsewhere.
Type and Number
Administrative Assistants 23
Bi-Lingual Specialist 1
Braille Paraeducator IV 2
Early Childhood Assistant Teachers 41
Early Childhood Directors 4
Early Childhood Education Field Supervisors 5
Early Childhood Head Teachers 35
Early Childhood Intervention Specialist 11
Early Childhood Itinerant Teacher 3
Early Childhood Managers 5
Early Childhood Program Directors 6
Educational Interpreter 25
Instructional Specialist 31
Intervention Specialist - DH 3
Intervention Specialist - HH 3
Intervention Specialist - LD 2
Intervention Specialist - SBH 7
Maintenance/Custodian 3
Non-Administrative Support 15
Occupational Therapist 12
Occupational Therapist Assistant 4
Operations Manager 1
Physical Education Teacher 1
Physical Therapist 7
Physical Therapy Assistant 2
School Counselor 9
School Nurse 16
School Psychologist 48
Speech/Language Pathologist 84
Supplemental Service Teacher - HH 5
Supplemental Service Teacher - Pathways 1
Supplemental Service Teacher - VI 6
Teacher Assistant - Early Childhood 11
Teacher Assistant - HH 1
Teacher Assistant - Pathways 2
Teacher Assistant - SBH 10
Technology Support 2
Work Study Coordinator 2
Total 449