Demo Organization, Administration, and Personnel
Our Administrative Board is comprised of the Livingston County School District Superintendents and the Regional Superintendent of Schools:
Jim Davis, Superintendent of Cornell Grade #426 and Cornell High School #70, Board President
Dale Adams, Dwight District #230 and #232
Jerry Farris, Flanagan #4
Steve Graham, Pontiac #429
Leo Johnson, Pontiac #90
Dr. John Capasso, Prairie Central #8
G. Lawrence Daghe, Regional Office of Education
Julie Schmitt, Saunemin #438
Jeff Fritchtnitch, Tri-Point #6J
Doug Foster, Woodland #5
James Davis, Cornell #426
Ty Wolf, Superintendent Odell #435
Director
Dawn Conway is the Director of Livingston County Special Services Unit. Prior to coming to LCSSU, Dawn served as a building principal of a therapeutic day program for students with severe behavior and emotional concerns. She has a B.S. and an M.S. in Education and is certified in the areas of Cognitive Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Behavior Disorders K-12, Elementary K-9, and Language Arts. She also holds an administrative certificate with Director of Special Education approval. Dawn serves as an instructor in Conflict Prevention Intervention training, and as a member of the Regional Autism Team, and the Heart of Illinois Low Incidence Association (HILIA) Professional Development Committee plus the Executive Board. She represents LCSSU as a member of the Youth Commission and Mental Health Board. She is a regional representative on the Executive Board of Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education. She is also a member of CEC, ICEC, CASE, and Delta Kappa Gamma.
Assistant Director
Rose Smith is the Assistant Director of LCSSU. Her professional experiences include 20 years as a classroom teacher in both regular and special education in private, public, and residential school settings. Rose holds teaching certificates in both elementary and special education in the area of Cognitive Disabilities, as well as an Administrative certificate. Rose is a member of the Assistive Technology Coalition and the Truancy Advisory Consultant. She is also the Coordinator for the LCSSU school programs, and Chairs the LCSSU Summer Institute Committee. Rose also serves as a Program Supervisor for several public school programs within Livingston County.
Program Supervisors
Julia Cotter is the Program Supervisor for related services, speech and language, and the early childhood education programs. and Related Services. She is the Coordinator of the Regional Autism Team, Chairs the Local Interagency Council, and Preschool Screening Teams. Julie is currently Co-Chair of the GEM3 Registration conference committee for early childhood educators and providers. She has a B.S. in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, an M.S. in Speech and Language Impaired, and holds certification in Elementary Education, Learning Disabilities, Speech and Language Disorders, Supervision, and an Early Childhood Special Education endorsement. She coordinates the LCSSU web site, sits on the state-wide Transition from 0-3 to School programs committee and on the Board of the local CCRRN.
Thomas Proctor is a Program Supervisor. Thom is a certified Crisis Prevention Institute instructor and a member of the Regional Autism Team. He also assists with the LCSSU website and with professional development. Thom earned a B.S. in Special Education and an M.S. in Educational Administration. He holds certification in the areas of Elementary and Secondary Education with endorsements in Learning Disabilities, Behavior Disorders, and Cognitive Disabilities. He also holds an Administrative certificate. His experience includes 10 years as a special education teacher in public, non-public, and residential type settings, and two years as a special education administrator. Thom is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, the Illinois Principal Association, and the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education.
Larry Brown is the Principal for the S.A.I.L.S., Livingston County Academy, and Crossroads School programs. In addition, Larry serves as a Program Supervisor in several of the local public schools. Larry is a certified Crisis Prevention Intervention instructor and teaches classes to school staff throughout the county. He is also a member of the Livingston County Truancy Committee. Larry holds a B.S. degree in Physical Education, an M.S. in Special Education, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership. He is a member of the Illinois Principals Association, and Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education.
Caryl McCoy is a Program Supervisor for the Transition from School to Work Project for all students aged 14 to 21 years. Caryl works throughout all of the junior high and senior high school programs in the LCSSU co-operative. Caryl is the STEP grant coordinator and Co-chair of the Livingston County Transition Planning Committee. Caryl is a member of the Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education. She holds both a B.A. and M.S. degree in Elementary Education and an M.S. in Special Education with an administrative endorsement. Caryl has taught in both the general education and special education classroom environment.
Christina Butterbrodt joins LCSSU as a Program Supervisor this year. She has had 11 years as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher in the Dwight District. Tina will be supervising several schools with in the Co-op. She is a Work Sampling System-Illinois trainer for the State and this year is Chairperson of the GEM conference. Her education includes a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and an M.S. in Educational Administration. Tina is part of the Summer Institute committee, and will offer consultation in the areas of screening and early childhood special education.
Kristin Elliott is a Program Supervisor. She has 12 years of classroom teaching and administrative experience. She holds a B.A. in Elementary Education, with LBS I certification. She has a M.S. in Educational Administration. Kristin will be in several area schools providing supervision and is a consultant to programs serving students with Cognitive Disabilities. She will be the Alternate Assessment Coordinator and ISBE liaison as she is a member of the statewide task force in this area. Kristin assists in trainings and has evaluated the IAA portfolios in the past. She will assist the summer Institute offered at LCSSU to area teachers. She is a member of Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education.
S.A.I.L.S. (Strategies for Achieving Independent Lives for Students) Program
Amber Jordan teaches in the S.A.I.L.S. program classroom. She received her B.S. in Special Education from Northern Illinois University. She is currently working on her Masters degree in Educational Administration. Amber is a member of the Regional Autism Team and is the Treasurer for the GEM conference.
Sharon Schneider is the Paraprofessional for the S.A.I.L.S. program at LCSSU. She has a Bachelor's degree in Education and specialized training in the areas of Autism, Pervasive Development Disorders and Communication Disorders.
Academy/Crossroads School Programs
Debbie Clardy is a paraprofessional in the Crossroads program.
Diane Cotter is a teacher at the Crossroads program in the junior high classroom.
Joshua Creek is a teacher at the Crossroads program. He holds both a B.S. and M.S. degree.
Dan Erwin is the Physical Education/Health/Driver's Education teacher for the Academy and the Crossroads program. He holds a B.S. degree in Adapted Physical Education, and Health. He also holds certification in Driver's Education assisting students at Pontiac High School with behind the wheel practice. Dan also holds licensure for driving the LCSSU School Bus.
Tammy Fairley teaches the primary classroom students at Livingston County Academy. She received a B.S. in Special Education and is certified to teach Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders, grades K-12.
Heidi Kelly serves the Crossroads program as a teacher’s assistant in the junior high classroom. She holds an Associate Degree.
Jo Lindsay serves as a Behavior Interventionist and Therapist at Crossroads. She provides behavioral/crisis intervention and counseling services to junior high and high school students. She has a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology. She also holds certifications as an alcohol/drug counselor and dual-diagnosis (mental illness/substance abuse) counselor.
Kyra Manigold is a teacher at Crossroads. She holds a B.S. as a Learning Behavioral Specialist I and is currently working on a Master's degree. Kyra serves as the Crossroads liaison to LCSSU.
Jessica Melvin is a paraprofessional in the Livingston County Academy.
Travis Simmons is a paraprofessional at Crossroads. He holds a B.A. degree in Fine Arts and holds a substitute teaching certificate.
Louann Shuler is a paraprofessional at Crossroads.
April Triplett is the teacher in the upper primary class at Livingston County Academy. April holds a B.S. in Special Education and is certified to teach Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disorders, grades K-12.
Judy Townsend is a paraprofessional in the primary classroom at Livingston County Academy.
School Social Workers
Linda Anderson provides individual and group counseling, teaches social skills, and is part of a multi-disciplinary team who assesses children and provides interventions. She is active in encouraging parental involvement and provides consultation to school staff. She has an M.S. in Social Work.
Tanya Bell is a School Social Worker and provides individual and group counseling, teaches social skills, assesses children and provides interventions. She has a background in child welfare. Tanya holds a B.S. in Public Health Education and a M.S.W. in School Social Work.
Kate Fagan-Nelson conducts assessments for students, provides individual counseling, group therapy, and consultation. She is a licensed clinical social worker with a background in mental health issues and psychotropic medications. She holds an M.S. in Social Work.
Maureen Hopkins conducts assessments and provides individual counseling and consultations. She holds a B.A. degree and a M.S.W. in School Social Work. Maureen is a member of the Illinois Association of School Social Workers.
Kathy Kelly is a School Social Worker with a M.S. in School Social Work. She holds licensure in this area and is certified by the State of Illinois. Kathy assists in assessments, and future planning for junior high and high school students in LCSSU school districts.
Jody Norman has 18 years of experience as a School Social Worker. She participates on problem-solving teams, conducts assessments, and provides counseling to students in need. She has earned a B.S.W. and an M.S.W. and holds an A.A.S. in Criminal Justice. Jodi has had experience in the areas of truancy prevention, corrections, violence prevention and substance abuse prevention.
Becky Spencer participates on building-based teams, assessment, and direct services to students. Becky holds an M.S.W. degree in School Social Work and is a licensed by the State of Illinois in School Social Work.
School Psychologists
Edward Bockman is a School Psychologist for LCSSU. He holds a Specialist Degree in School Psychology. Ed will be providing services and be involved with problem-solving teams in several schools this year.
Melissa Kerber-Long earned a B.A. in Psychology and a Specialist degree in School Psychology. She is engaged in collaborative consultation with parents, teachers, and staff. She is also involved in ongoing problem-solving, data collection, norm development, individualized assessment, counseling and social skills training. She is a member of the Illinois School Psychologist Association and the National Association of School Psychologists.
Tanya Milanowski is involved in consulting and maintaining a working relationship with teachers, principals, parents/guardians, students, and other school personnel. She serves on a building-based problem solving teams and provides counseling and in-service training to school personnel. She is a member of the National Association of School Psychologists and has a B.S. in Sociology/Psychology, and an M.S. in School Psychology. She just recently completed the administration program and is now certified in educational administration.
Sue Peters serves LCSSU as a School Psychologist. She is involved in problem-solving teams, case study evaluations, individual counseling, teacher and parent consultation, and group therapy. She has had involvement with the Illinois Alternative Assessment. She earned a B.S. in Psychology and Special Education. She also holds a Specialist Degree in School Psychology. She is a member of the Illinois School Psychologists Association and the National Association of School Psychologists.
Brent Sylvester serves LCSSU as a Clinical School Psychologist. Brent holds both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Psychology and has recently completed his Ph.D. in Psychology.
Angela Thomas is involved in academic and behavioral interventions, individual and group counseling, collaborative consultation, and cognitive assessment. Angela is a trainer for the ASPIRE grant and assists school staff in understanding and implementing the Response to Intervention model of services to students. She is a member of the Illinois and National School Psychologist Associations. She holds a B.A. degree and a Specialist Degree in School Psychology.
Melissa Bergan is our newest School Psychologist on staff. Her assignments include working with teams and students in the Tri-Point and Pontiac School Districts.
Support Staff
Mary Immke is our "front line" person at LCSSU. She manages the front desk and the multi line phone system. Mary can tell you where staff is as she also manages the sign-out sheet. She is a well practiced at keyboarding and has had enough practice with assessment reports, she could type them in her sleep...we hope not!
Melinda Eymann serves as the LCSSU bookkeeper. Melinda processes payroll and expense records, maintains the general ledger, and prepares quarterly expenditure reports for federal grants and Medicaid. Preparation of assessment billings to member districts, annual budgets, and federal grants are also part of Melinda's duties. She holds a B.S. in Business Finance.
Kathy Legner serves as Records Custodian which includes updating and maintaining files on all special education students in Livingston County. Kathy also organizes all reimbursement information and will be the librarian for the LCSSU resource center. Kathy’s weekly music class for the students at the Academy taps into her hidden talents as she holds both a B.A. and M.S. degrees in Music Education.
Lori Mecikalski has been the secretary of our day treatment junior/senior high program at Crossroads. She keeps track of attendance and reporting information to the state. Lori has a B.S. degree in Child Development and Family Life with a minor in Psychology and Art.
Sandy Pool assists the Director with all LCSSU Administrative Board meeting materials, correspondence, LCSSU personnel contracts, and newsletters. She also assists the Program Supervisors in the coordination of in-service activities and maintains special education records.
Kim Cox is the Preschool Screenings Coordinator for Livingston County. Kim works with local agencies, doctor offices, and churches to provide information to families on early childhood services. Kim works diligently with the Public Health Department and early intervention agencies in providing screenings for children ages birth through five. She is a member of the GEM conference committee as Co-Chair for registration. She sits on the Local Area Interagency Council and is a key member of the annual picnic for families.
Occupational Therapy
Sue Andresen is a Registered Occupational Therapist and holds a B.S. degree in Occupational Therapy. She is licensed in both Illinois and North Carolina. Sue is certified through the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists. She supervises the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants throughout the county.
Cheryle Hudelson is a certified and licensed Occupational Therapist Assistant who serves students in the Dwight, Prairie Central Schools, Saunemin, Odell, and Livingston County Academy.
Christine Stark is an occupational therapist who provides services in primarily Dwight, Odell, Saunemin and Tri-Point Schools, as well as the S.A.I.L.S program.
Tammy Walker is a certified Occupational Therapist Assistant who serves students in the Prairie Central and Tri-Point Schools. She is licensed through the State of Illinois. Faye Clark is a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant. She holds an Associates degree in this area. Faye works within the Prairie Central Schools.
Speech Language Therapy
Ellen Horton is a Speech/Language Pathologist. She provides a wide range of therapy services to students with communication needs. She holds a B.S. and M.C.D. in Speech/Language Pathology, has earned her Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA and is a member of the Special Interest Division #2: Augmentative Alternative Communication. Ellen works in the Woodland Schools, the S.A.I.L.S. program and in the Livingston County Academy.
Mary Kelso will be providing direct service/consultation in Speech Language therapy to students in the Saunemin and Pontiac Township High School districts. Mary also assists the Livingston County Academy. She holds a B.S. degree and full certification in Speech Language Impairments along with endorsements in Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Impairment. Mary is also approved by ISBE as a pre-vocational coordinator. She has had experience grading ISAT essays and in test development for the AGS/Pearson company.
Vocational Programming
Pam Posey provides job development, specialized training, and ongoing support for students with disabilities in Livingston County. Other duties include vocational evaluations and assisting with transition planning and services. She sits on the Livingston County Transition Planning Committee. Pam is a member of Illinois Association for Career and Technical Educators and the Workforce Investment Act local board. She holds a B.S. in Education and an M.S. in Special Education.
Please refer to Staff Assignments for further information on staff assignments within the LCSSU districts.