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Staff Contacts - Office of Special Education
Assistance for Parents
Parents with questions or needing assistance can contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit.
Special Education
Questions about Special Education or needing assistance please contact the Office of Special Education at:
Phone: 720-926-1453
Email: Parents_ESSUquestions@cde.state.co.us
Young Children (Birth to age 5) or Preschool
Questions about young children (birth to age 5) or Preschool Special Education please contact the Preschool Team:
Phone: 303-501-0837
Email: White_H@cde.state.co.us
Preschool Special Education and Child Find Contacts
Gifted Education
For questions about Gifted Education, please contact Gifted Education Team:
Phone: 720-774-0908
Email: McKinney_R@cde.state.co.us
Jump to Section
This list provides the areas of responsibility for the Office of Special Education staff as well as the offices listed below as part of the Exceptional Student Services Unit. ESSU Responsibility List.
Staff contacts for other ESSU offices:
Executive Director & Administrative Assistant
Paul Foster, Ed.D., Assistant Commissioner, ESSU
Email Dr. Paul Foster
720-926-4033
Suzy Shotts, Administrative Assistant
Email Suzy Shotts
720-926-4033
Orla Bolger
Special Education Data Analyst
Email Orla Bolger
720-921-0524
Josh Fails
Online Project Coordinator (DMS) & Data Consultant
Email Josh Fails
720-618-0538
Sarah Tarus
Program Support
Email Sarah Tarus
720-765-0361
Vacant
Accountability Specialist
Kerry Whitmore
Supervisor, General Supervision and Monitoring
Email Kerry Whitmore
720-456-0397
Vacant
Fiscal Monitoring Specialist
Email the General Supervisor and Monitoring Team
Becky O’Malley
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email Becky O'Malley
303-895-5108
Erin Frank
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email Erin Frank
720-812-3207
Nick Smosna
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email Nick Smosna
303-548-5597
Hannah Prokop
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email Hannah Prokop
720-284-8144
Zack Van Sant
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email Zack Van Sant
720-668-2609
Vacant
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Vacant
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Access, Learning and Literacy (ALL) Team
Tanni Anthony, Director / Blind/Visually Impaired and Deaf-Blind Specialist
Email Tanni Anthony, 303-503-4647
Roberta Curtis
Program Support
Email Roberta Curtis
720-456-2601
Krista Berkey
Program Support
Email Krista Berkey
720-661-3013
Holly Jackson
Program Support
Email Holly Jackson
720-948-8141
Berta Schlachet
Program Support
Email Berta Schlachet
303-725-9245
Gina Hererra
Supervisor / SSN and Deaf-Blind Specialist
Email Gina Herrera
303-253-0451
Bill Brown
Affective Needs / Serious Emotional Disability Specialist
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000
Krista Klabo, Ed.S., NCSP
School Psychology and Special Education Evaluation Specialist
Email Krista Klabo
720-284-2524
Shani O'Brien
Speech Language Pathologist Specialist
Email Shani O'Brien
303-868-8351
Ellen Hunter
Supervisor / Literacy Specialist
Email Ellen Hunter
720-512-8614
Holly Baker Hill
Structured Literacy Coach
Email Holly Baker Hill
720-814-6941
Emily Ottinger
Specific Learning Disability Specialist
Email Emily Ottinger
720-456-5301
Val Rolph
Structured Literacy Coach
Email Val Rolph
720-512-8613
Tamara Viehl
Structured Literacy Coach
Email Tamara Viehl
720-799-3722
Shauna Moden
Supervisor / Deaf Education Specialist
Email Shauna Moden
720-413-0179
Brooke Carson, PhD
Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist
Email Brooke Carson
720-215-8647
Rhonda Danner, M.A.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist
Email Rhonda Danner
720-460-8368
Hunter Smith
Multilingual Learners With Disabilities Specialist
Email Hunter Smith
720-202-2623
Michael Ramirez, Ed.D.
Supervisor, Strategic Partnerships, Equity Projects
Email Michael Ramirez
720-460-6251
Jody Dickerson, RN, BSN, MN
Brain Injury Specialist
Email Jody Dickerson
(720) 795-2273
Gail Lott, Ed.D.
Secondary Transition Specialist
Email Gail Lott
303-501-0347
Katie Oliver
Inter-agency Transition Liaison
Email Katie Oliver
720-413-4006
Cindy Petersen
E-Learning Specialist
Email Cindy Petersen
720-760-0806
Amanda Timmerman
E-Learning Specialist
Email Amanda Timmerman
720-916-4481
Early Childhood Special Education Team
Heidi White
Director
Email Heidi White
303-501-0837
Marcia Blum
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email Marcia Blum
720-799-4015
Rebecca Browning-Floyd
Results Matter and Early Childhood Specialist
Email Rebecca Browning-Floyd
303-880-3697
Mary Morin
Child Find Specialist
Email Mary Morin
720-766-6507
Michele Pugsley
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email Michele Pugsley
720-660-0255
Missy Taucher
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email Missy Taucher
720822-6239
ESSU Fiscal Systems
Vicki Graham, Supervisor, ESSU Fiscal Systems
Email Vicki Graham, 303-866-6442
Lisa SchmitESSU Accounting Technician
Email Lisa Schmit
720-916-6123
General Supervision and Monitoring
Candace Hawkins, Director, Dispute Resolution and Guidance
Email Candace Hawkins, 720-355-1869
Brandon Edelman
Supervisor, Dispute Resolution
Email Brandon Edelman
303-704-9138
Ashley Schubert
Senior State Complaints Officer
Email Ashley Schubert
720-788-0576
Rachel Dore
Senior State Complaints Officer
Email Rachel Dore
720-951-8457
Nick Podsiadlik
State Complaints Officer
Email Nick Podsiadlik
303-548-5597
Nick Butler
State Complaints Officer
Email Nick
720-402-0333
Lee Sosebee
State Complaints Officer
Email Lee
720-926-7945
Tiera Brown, Esq.
State Complaints Officer
Email Tiera
720-813-2281
Gloria Alaniz
Dispute Resolution Coordinator
Email Gloria Alaniz
720-584-4673
CiCi Lyman
Program Support
Email Cici Lyman
720-760-0421
Katherine Rains
Supervisor, Dispute Prevention and Assisted Resolution
Email Katherine Rains
720-990-1464
Beth Donahue
Family Engagement Specialist
Email Beth Donahue
720-926-1453
Vacant
ADR Coordinator
Pahmela Mendoza
Family School Program Specialist
Email Pahmela Mendoza
720-237-4600
David Ramer
Program Support
Email David Ramer
303-866-6943
TTY (Deaf & Hard of Hearing)
Call 303-860-7060
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