| Bev
Ingram
Bev Ingram has 30 years experience in Alaska providing services
as an occupational therapist primarily in the field of early intervention.
She was the program director for the REACH Infant Learning Program
for seven years and managed multiple grant projects. She also
coordinated the Alaska Transition Training Initiative (ATTI) for
7 years and is an experienced trainer and facilitator. Bev is
an effective leader and has excellent communication, team building,
and consensus building skills.
Bev has served on many statewide and local planning teams. She
was a member of the Early Intervention Committee of the Governor’s
Council for Disabilities and Special Education for six years,
past president of the Alaska Infant Learning Program Association,
and served on the Key Coalition, a statewide advocacy group supporting
persons with developmental disabilities. She has been an active
member of the Juneau Transition Team- Partnerships for Families
and Children since its inception in 1999. |
| Kathryn
Cardarelle
Kathryn Cardarelle has been an early childhood educator for more
than 30 years. She moved to Alaska in 1991 and has taught in seven
different school districts, in preschool special education and
elementary grades. In 1997, she completed a master's degree in
education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Special Education
from Anchorage University. Currently, she is a kindergarten teacher
in Fairbanks. Kat joined the ATTI training team in the winter
of 2006.
Kat and her husband have enjoyed exploring the rural and urban
areas of Alaska and making new friends along the way. Kat joined
the ATTI team in the winter of 2006. |
| Ann
Brantmeier
Ann Brantmeier has lived in Alaska Native villages for 30 years.
Originally coming from a large family in rural Wisconsin, she
brought with her a great love for people and the land. In 1992,
Ann made Kaltag her permanent home. She is a member of the Kaltag
Wellness Team and supports local families and agencies to build
a healthy community. She also serves on the local school board
and regional health board, and volunteers at a variety of community
events.
Ann began working for Head Start in 1995 as a nutritionist/educator
and then as a prenatal home visitor for three families. Her love
of children and desire to help them develop to their greatest
potential prompted her to obtain her master's degree in early
childhood education through the University of Alaska Southeast
distance education program in May of 2006. Currently Ann is working
as the Special Needs Coordinator for the Tanana Chiefs Conference
(TCC) Head Start. She coordinates services for children with special
needs in the nine villages served by TCC. She joined ATTI in 2006. |
Heather
Wheeler
Heather Wheeler joined the ATTI team in the fall of 2007. She
has been an educator in the state for more than 20 years. She
has taught preschool to 12th grade in the Northwest Arctic, Fairbanks,
and Kodiak. She has also served as a principal and Director of
Special Services for the Kodiak Island Borough School District.
Heather was a statewide mentor to new teachers for several years.
Heather recently retired and she currently mentors new special
education directors in Alaska.
Heather has also served on several state committees such as the
Retention and Recruitment Committee, the K-2 Grade Level Equivalency/Early
Learning Guidelines Committee, and the State Determination Setting
Stakeholder Group. |
Charlie
Johanson Adams
Charlie Johanson Adams has been an ATTI trainer for 10 years.
Charlie is the owner/sole-consultant of Leading EDGE Consulting,
a Chugiak-based private company specializing in leadership mentoring,
systems development, strategic planning, program development/implementation,
program evaluation, and group facilitation.
A 38-year veteran leader in the early childhood, leadership,
disabilities, and family services field, Charlie has served on
various statewide, regional, and national committees/boards and
has written and published articles, curricula, and manuals promoting
leadership within the field. Of the 38 years, 15 were spent as
Executive Director of FOCUS, Inc. and Chugiak Children’s
Services (CCS), serving the Eagle River, Chugiak, and Mat-Su Valley
communities. She is currently the coordinator of the Alaska TACSEI
Pyramid Partnership/Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Young
Children. |
Lucy
Hannigan-Ewing
Lucy Hannigan-Ewing’s first involvement
with ATTI was in 1998 when she received training as the parent representative
for Juneau’s community transition team. In 1999, Bobby Figdor
invited her to be an ATTI trainer, and she has been fortunate to
travel across Alaska in that role.
With a master's degree in education from the University of Washington,
Lucy taught special education preschool in the Olympia school
district until moving her family to Anchorage in 1985. She is
the mother of four sons. Her youngest, Sam, was born in 1995 with
Down Syndrome, and Lucy is an active member of her local family
support group for Down Syndrome. She has spent 10 years on planning
committees for the annual Buddy Walks for Down Syndrome, and is
also a swim coach for Special Olympics. |
Amanda
Faulkner
Amanda Faulkner joined the ATTI team in 2010. She graduated in 1998
with a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Whitworth
College in Spokane, Washington. In 2005, she completed a master's
degree in education with an emphasis in early childhood special
education from Anchorage University. For the past 10 years she has
worked as a developmental specialist
and coordinator at Frontier Community Services in the Infant Learning
Program.
Amanda and her husband Glen were raised in the Kenai/Soldotna
area and have enjoyed raising their three children in their hometown. |
Margaret
Kavanaugh
Margaret Kavanaugh is a lifelong Alaskan
who worked for the Kodiak Island Borough School District for 23
years as an early childhood educator. In 2005, Margaret received
her master’s degree in early childhood special education
(birth to age 5) from University of Alaska Anchorage. In July
2010, Margaret retired from KIBSD and now works as a developmental
specialist with the Infant Learning Program in Kodiak.
Margaret joined the ATTI team in the fall of 2010. She was a
member of the Early Intervention Committee of the Governor’s
Council for Disabilities and Special Education for three years.
Margaret has participated in the Key Coalition Campaign and has
volunteered with Special Olympics in her community.
Margaret feels her journey has come full circle as her oldest
son (age 19), who experiences a developmental disability, received
services from Kodiak ILP when he was 1 year old. |
| Karin
McCullough
Karin McCullough has worked professionally
in the early childhood education field for 32 years, with Child
Care and Head Start. Karin was the lead Head Start Teacher for
the CCTHITA Petersburg Center Base Head Start program for 15 years.
In 2001, Karin moved into administration and is a site supervisor
and staff development coordinator for the Central Council Tlingit
and Haida Head Start Program. In the summer, Karin is a Southeast
Alaska gillnetter. |
Robin
Evans
Robin Evans began her career as a speech-language pathologist in
1979 in Colorado. In 1986, she earned an endorsement in early childhood
special education. In 1995, Robin accepted a position with the Kenai
Peninsula Borough School District as a speech-language pathologist.
She worked primarily with special needs preschoolers and assisted
with Child Find. In 2000, Robin took over the position as Child
Find Coordinator for KPBSD.
Since 2000, Robin has had integral involvement with families
whose children are transitioning from ILP programs to school district
services. As a new ATTI trainer, Robin is excited to help communities
improve their transitions for families and children throughout
Alaska as well as on the Kenai Peninsula. |
Laurie
Thomas
Laurie Thomas is a lifelong Alaskan and has 18 years experience
as an infant learning provider. Laurie has spent a majority of
her career at Community Connections in Ketchikan and is currently
the director of the Early Learning Program. She earned a master's
degree in early childhood/special education from the University
of Alaska Anchorage in 2001.
Laurie enjoy working on teams and believes that one of her strengths
is bringing people together. During Laurie’s ILP careers
she has participated in six ATTI trainings.
Laurie was awarded the Alaska Infant Learning Program Association
Provider Award of Excellence in 2001. She currently chairs Ketchikan’s
Early Childhood Leadership Coalition. |
Shannon
Parker
Shannon Parker has worked for 13 years in a variety of early childhood
positions across the state, from disability coordinator for RurAL
CAP Head Start, Parents as Teachers, and currently as development
specialist for FOCUS Infant Learning Program in Eagle River. She
strongly believes in building partnerships with families and their
communities. |
Sarah
Kuenzli
Sarah Kuenzli lives in Fairbanks and has 29 years of experience
working with Head Start and Early Head Start in rural and remote
Alaska. She has been providing training, facilitation, and technical
assistance to Head Start programs for the last seven years.
Sarah brings a wealth of experience in working in cross-cultural
settings, and believes in the process of bringing partners together
and building collaboration around services for young children
with disabilities and their families. |
Amber
Lathrop
Amber Lathrop is a parent navigator with Stone Soup Group in Kenai.
She is a parent of four amazing children who all received infant
learning program services; two children now receive special education
services. She has a wealth of experience in accessing services from
a variety of agencies and bringing people together to create smooth
transitions. Amber has also been a classroom teacher, which gives
her a unique perspective: the ability to see issues as both a teacher
and a parent. |
Carmen
Mastronardo Katasse
Carmen has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of
education as a former principal, special educator, and teacher.
She is retired from the Juneau School District. She is an excellent
staff developer and presenter and has led many innovative school-wide
projects to improve student learning, including positive behavior
intervention supports (PBIS), and she trained all staff on a “Framework
for Understanding Poverty” and “Culturally Responsive
Curriculum.” Carmen is an outstanding leader who naturally
connects with people and has the ability to create strong collaborative
working environments. |