2016 Annual Conference
Marriott Hotel at Laurel Park Place Livonia, Michigan April 28-29, 2016
KEYNOTE PRESENTERSTeri Chapman Teri Chapman is the Director of the Office of Special Education, Michigan Department of Education (MDE). She holds an Ed. S. in Special Education Administration from Saginaw Valley State University, and both an undergraduate and Master’s Degree in Special Education from Eastern Michigan University.
Prior to joining The Michigan Department of Education five years ago, Ms. Chapman was the Director of Special Education for Lapeer County Intermediate School District where she had also served as the Monitor of Programs and Accountability. Ms. Chapman has presented at several state and national conferences and workshops. During her tenure with the ISD, Teri served as president of The Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education (MAASE) and represented the organization as a member of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC).
Before becoming an administrator, Teri was a teacher of students with disabilities for nearly 20 years working predominately at the middle school level. She has a commitment to supporting strong educational systems that are effective in meeting the needs of all children.
Teri enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and balances her life with biking, running and reading.
Robert Fried, A Fortune 500 marketing strategist and author, Robert Michael Fried strikes a refreshing balance between making money and making meaning. Fried has spent most of his career directing or repositioning the marketing and sales strategies for blue chip companies such as Motorola, bebe eyewear, Marantz Stereo, Hansen’s Natural, Nautilus Fitness, and Starcraft recreational vehicles. He is currently serving on the marketing advisory board for engajer.com, an emerging Silicon Valley firm.
Robert Fried’s most recent Amazon Best Seller is entitled Igniting Your True Purpose and Passion: A businesslike guide to fulfilling your professional goals and personal dreams. The book is critically acclaimed by best-selling author and former chief evangelist of Apple, Guy Kawasaki, Cynthia Kersey, best-selling author of Unstoppable, and Marci Shimoff, best known for her co-authoring of six Chicken Soup For The Soul books and her prominent role in “The Secret” video. Fried's book was recently published in Chinese, where it sold out its first printing.
In 2005, his New York Times critically-acclaimed book, A Marketing Plan for Life, soared to #1 on the Amazon Best Seller list, in three separate categories: Success, Self-Help and Personal Transformation. The book has been utilized as a textbook in the marketing and entrepreneurial departments of Central Michigan University, Tufts University and Providence College.
He is a co-founder of Planet Products, the first biodegradable “green” household cleaner product line sold in major supermarket chains including Vons, Ralphs, Gelson’s, Albertson’s and Safeway.
Fried is the co-founder of BrandMark, Inc., a marketing consulting firm focusing on emerging Silicon Valley companies and other high-profile international clients. His brand-building expertise was a major factor in the creation of licensing partnerships with the following companies:
· Bebe
· Motorola
· Coach
· Nautilus
· Starcraft
· Nicole Miller
· Eddie Bauer
· Oakley
· Hart Schaffner Marx
· Revlon
· Laura Ashley
· Wimbledon
He codified the 12-Point Marketing Plan process that offers companies of all sizes step-by-step brand marketing solutions. Later, he created a work/life seminar series called “A Marketing Plan for Life” utilizing the same marketing planning process. These seminars have been conducted around the world, including a gathering of 100 C.E.O.’s at the Enterprise Conference in Pebble Beach, California and at the Canyon Ranch Resort’s Life Enhancement Center in Tucson, Arizona. He has also given seminars at Wells Fargo Advisors and Medtronic Inc. Additionally at Medtronic, he helped establish a highly successful sales collaboration program, further unifying the customer service and sales departments to exceed aggressive sales goals.
Fried is the co-founder of the ThirdWind Company, dedicated to empowering people to realize their professional goals and personal dreams.
A dean’s list student at Providence College, Fried holds a Masters of Marketing/ Communication from Boston University where he graduated at the top of his class. He has been a frequent guest lecturer to many major college and alumni groups including New York University Stern School of Business, UCLA Anderson School of Business and USC Marshall School of Business, Providence College School of Business and the Naval Post Graduate School. He has been a contributing writer to the Columbia School of Business Alumni Newsletter.
Living above the Pacific Ocean in Carmel, California, Fried does charitable work with the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Carmel Bach Festival of classical music. He also serves on the Providence College Vision Board.
CONCURRENT SESSION PRESENTERS
Dawn Anderson PhD, COMS, is an assistant professor at Western Michigan University. She co-coordinates the Teacher of Children with Visual Impairment and Orientation & Mobility with Children Master of Art's Programs and the Teacher of the Visually Impaired Consortium. In addition to teaching graduate students, Dawn's work includes assessment development in O&M, research in reliability and validity of assessment tools and image description for Math.
, 269-387-5944
Karen M.L. Barsy is a registered Dance Movement Therapist, practicing in the Detroit area since 1987. She has worked with a wide variety of different populations including 25 years at Penrickton Center for Blind Children.
Marcy Brink-Chaney is a CVRT and was a CRC. She received an undergraduate degree in social work and two M.A. degrees from Western Michigan University and has been working in the field of vision rehabilitation since 2003. She currently works for the Detroit Medical Center in the Visually Impaired Services department as a communications instructor teaching adaptive computer software. Instruction includes using IPhones and IPads if students own them or if they have difficulty using a computer because of multiple disabilities. Marcie was previously employed at the Michigan Commission for the Blind as a vocational rehabilitation counselor/vision rehabilitation therapist.
Taylor Brush is the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) Coordinator for the Michigan Department of Education – Low Incidence Outreach (MDE-LIO). She has coordinated the APH Product Request for four years.
Kim Canzoneri is a graduate of EMU and a VI classroom teacher for 25 plus years, and a TCVI for 3 years. She has a Master’s Degree in Special Education.
Elyse Connors, PhD, CVRT, COMS, is an assistant professor in the Blindness and Low Vision Department at Western Michigan University, and serves on the MAER board.
269-387-3450
Jody Conradi Stark, Ph.D.,MT-BC Jody is a board-certified Music Therapist, and has over 30 years of clinical experience with various populations. She is on faculty at EMU, MSU Community Music School Detroit, and Creative Arts Therapies, Inc. has over 30 years of clinical experience with various populations. She is on faculty at EMU, MSU Community Music School Detroit, and Creative Arts Therapies, Inc.
Ashley DeLaFranier Ashley DeLaFranier is a Board Certified Music Therapist, Certified Neurological Music Therapist and currently obtaining a Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy. Ashley practices Music Therapy at a variety of locations including Penrickton.
Rory Goodine is an Instructional Materials Specialist working for the Michigan Department of Education-Low Incidence Outreach (MDE-LIO). He coordinates the Book Request system and has worked closely with the Center for Educational Networking o the redesign of the MDE-LIO Request system.
Carrie Harleton is a graduate of EMU VI classroom teacher for 14 years. She has a Master’s Degree - Inclusion Specialist, and was awarded District Teacher of the Year 2015
Amy Harrison is the Intervener Coordinator for Gratiot-Isabella RESD. She is the second person in Michigan to achieve the National Credential for Interveners through the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals (NRCPara).
Judy Holmes, COMS, is in her 35th year of teaching Orientation & Mobility skills to students ranging in age from 0-26. Judy loves teaching and tailoring O&M lesson to give students full access to their world-through meaningful and relevant instruction- and to have fun learning in the process.
John Jaquith is the Assessment Consultant for Students with Disabilities at the MDE. He has worked more than 20 years in a variety of special education and general education instructional, management, consultative, and administrative positions.
231-932-8625
Beth Kennedy is the Project Director for DeafBlind Central: Michigan's Training & Resource Project. She provides consultation and training across the State for teams serving students who are deafblind. Beth helped to develop four Open Hands, Open Access (OHOA) intervener training modules.
989-774-2726
Rikilynn Layher COMS, CVRT has been in the field of vision impairment for 24 years. She was a Senior Instructor in Orientation & Mobility at Helen Keller National Center in New York, worked as a private contractor for 12 years with students and adults in Texas, and is currently employed by Saginaw Intermediate School District.
Julie Lutz is a co-collaborator on the MDE-LIO’S AT Guidelines. Being an educator, trainer, and consultant for 44 years, she is dedicated to the success of all teachers and students in the utilization of the twenty-first century technology tools.
Breanne Marcum has worked for Oakland Schools as a Teacher Consultant for the Visually Impaired for the past 14 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education K-6 and Visually Impaired K-12 from Eastern Michigan University and a Master's Degree in Orientation and Mobility from Western Michigan University. Breanne has trained under Dorothy Goldie Addision in the area of Functional Low Vision Evaluations since 2011.
Meri McGregor is a TCVI and COMS with 30 years of teaching experiences. The Macomb ISD has been her work home for the last 25 years. Her love of organizing and creating professional workshops and additional opportunities for students beyond their school day makes her job even more meaningful and exciting.
Ann McKay-Bacon has been a TCVI at the MISD with over 38 years’ experience. Ann is a MDE-LIO technology team member and co-collaborator on the Assistive Technology Guidelines. She has a passion for supporting individuals with special needs in the area of Assistive Technology.
Priscilla Miley received a B.S. degree in Physiology from Michigan State University in 1990. A few years later she obtained a Nursing degree and became licensed as an RN. She began working as a nurse and started to lose her vision shortly thereafter. Ms. Miley later earned a M.A. degree in Rehabilitation Teaching of the Adult Blind from Western Michigan University. She has experience working in Rehab teaching at the federal, state and non-profit level. Ms. Miley has worked in the field of blindness for 7 years and is presently working as a CVRT at Visually Impaired Services.
Elizabeth Mulligan currently works for Oakland Schools as a Teacher Specialist for the Visually Impaired. She has been a Special Educator in Oakland County for nine years, spending five years as an Elementary Resource Room Teacher. Liz holds a B.S.in Business Administration and M.A. in Teaching degrees, both from Wayne State University.
Colleen O’Donnell is an occupational therapist and certified low vision therapist with over 35 years experiencing working with older adults and adults with neurological impairments. During eighteen of those years, Colleen has worked in vision rehabilitation. Currently Colleen works at the Henry Ford Health System’s Center for Vision Rehabilitation in Detroit. Colleen has published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, OT Practice and AER Report. Colleen is an author for the AFB e-learning curriculum. She has also contributed to the AFB Senior Site and the Macular Degeneration Support Group online presentations. Colleen has presented at AER International and AOTA national conferences
Jennifer Paul has worked in the Assessment office at the MDE for 6 years. Her passion for English Learners, linguistics, and accessibility grew during her time as a classroom teacher. As a current doctoral student at Michigan State University, she hopes to continue her interests in these areas and work toward ensuring equitable access to state assessments for all students.
Craig L. Phillips is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist and licensed Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired. He is a Past-President of Kansas AER and has served AER as a member of the Environmental Access Committee and the Don Blasch Scholarship Committee. His teaching experience has been in the public and residential school setting, with adults through state rehabilitation services, and as an adjunct instructor for Missouri State University’s program to train Orientation and Mobility Specialists and Teachers of the Visually Impaired. His article "Getting from Here to There and Knowing Where: Teaching Global Positioning Systems to Students with Visual Impairments" was published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness in November 2011.
Priscilla Rogers, Ph.D., is the manager of VisionAware.org. She has also been AFB’s eLearning Director, the Senior Site Program Manager, and also a consultant in vision and aging with AFB. Her background includes a B.A. from Eckerd College, an M.A. in gerontology from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. in special education with an emphasis in vision and aging from Florida State University. Ms. Rogers has authored several articles on vision and aging, co-authored several books, and spoken at conferences across the country. Her areas of expertise are aging and vision loss.
Jessica Russell is the Occupational Therapist at Penrickton Center for Blind Children - a private, non-profit residential and daycare agency serving blind, multi-disabled children ages 1-12 years. She received her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Grand Valley State University and is a member of the developmental programming team of experts at Penrickton Center. Since 2012 Ms. Russell has provided education and training to parents, teachers, therapists and other professionals on understanding and implementing Active Leaning concepts into daily programming and activities.
Sherry Rye received her B.S degree in Teaching Visually Impaired students from Eastern Michigan University and her M.S. degree from Florida State University. She taught for nine years in rural south Georgia. She was one of the first teachers to be trained through the Ga. PINES program, which provided support to visually impaired children ages 0-3 and their families in the home. She returned to Michigan to be near family. She has been a teacher for the visually impaired for 25 years. She is currently a TCVI with Oakland Schools.