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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
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
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
Lauren Gould
Program Support
Email Lauren Gould
720-467-1474
Berta Schlachet
Program Support
Email Berta Schlachet
303-725-9245
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
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 / 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
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, Preschool Special Education
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
Michele Pugsley
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email Michele Pugsley
720-660-0255
Melissa Taucher
Child Find Specialist
Email Melissa Taucher
720-822-6239
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
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
TTY (Deaf & Hard of Hearing)
Call 303-860-7060
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