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

Additional Contact Resources

Staff contacts for ESSU offices

ESSU Responsibility List

The ESSU Responsibility 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.

Office of Special Education Newsletters, Listservs and Office Hours

The Exceptional Student Services Unit often communicates with educators via newsletters, listservs and virtual office hours. Learn more about other ways to connect with the Office of Special Education staff.

Office of Special Education Teams & Contact Information

Assistant Commissioner & Administrative Assistant

Special Education Data Team

General Supervision and Monitoring Team

Access, Learning and, Literacy (ALL Team)

Early Childhood Special Education Team

ESSU Fiscal Systems Team

Special Education Dispute Resolution & Guidance Team

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

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Special Education Data

Orla Bolger
Supervisor, Special Education Data Team
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

General Supervision and Monitoring

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

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Access, Learning, and Literacy (ALL) Team

Tanni Anthony, Director / Blind/Low Vision and Deaf-Blind Specialist
Email Tanni Anthony, 303-503-4647

Roberta Curtis
Program Administrator
Email Roberta Curtis
720-456-2601

Krista Berkey
Program Support
Email Krista Berkey
720-661-3013

Lauren Gould
Program Support
Email Lauren Gould
720-467-1474

Berta Schlachet
Program Support
Email Berta Schlachet
303-725-9245

Caitlin Tucker
Program Support
Email Caitlin Tucker
720-660-1881

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Gina Hererra
Supervisor / Significant Support Needs 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

VACANT
Speech Language Pathologist Specialist

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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

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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

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Michael Ramirez, Ed.D.
Supervisor / Equity Projects Specialist
Email Michael Ramirez
720-460-6251

Jody Dickerson, RN, BSN, MN
Brain Injury Specialist
Email Jody Dickerson
(720) 795-2273

Kacy Little Owl
Secondary Transition Specialist
Email Kacy Little Owl
720-827-8283

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

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Early Childhood Special Education Team

Heidi White
Director, Preschool Special Education
Email Heidi White
303-501-0837

Marcia Blum
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email Marcia Blum
720-799-4015

Lucia Di Prima
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email Lucia Di Prima
720-812-1874

Rebecca Browning-Floyd
Results Matter and Early Childhood Specialist
Email Rebecca Browning-Floyd
303-880-3697

Melissa Taucher
Child Find Specialist
Email Melissa Taucher
720-822-6239

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ESSU Fiscal Systems

Vicki Graham, Supervisor, Office of Special Education Budget and High Cost
Email Vicki Graham, 303-866-6442

Lisa Schmit
ESSU Accounting Technician
Email Lisa Schmit
720-916-6123

Special Education Dispute Resolution & Guidance

Candace Hawkins, Esq. Director, Dispute Resolution and Guidance
Email Candace Hawkins, 720-355-1869

Brandon Edelman, Esq.
Supervisor, Dispute Resolution
Email Brandon Edelman
303-704-9138

Ashley Schubert, Esq.
Senior State Complaints Officer
Email Ashley Schubert
720-788-0576

Rachel Dore, Esq.
Senior State Complaints Officer
Email Rachel Dore
720-951-8457

Nick Podsiadlik, Esq.
State Complaints Officer
Email Nick Podsiadlik
720-916-5266

Nick Butler, Esq.
State Complaints Officer
Email Nick
720-402-0333

Lee Sosebee, Esq.
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

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Katherine Rains
Supervisor, Family Engagement and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Email Katherine Rains
720-990-1464

Beth Donahue
Family Engagement Specialist
Email Beth Donahue
720-926-1453

Hannah Phillips
ADR Coordinator
Email Hannah Phillips
720-830-6568

Pahmela Mendoza
Family School Program Specialist
Email Pahmela Mendoza
720-237-4600

David Ramer
Program Support
Email David Ramer
303-866-6943

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TTY (Deaf & Hard of Hearing)

Call 303-860-7060

Find Your Special Education Director

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