At the OSEP Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., in July 2017, we celebrated the milestone anniversaries of 244 Parent Center Network people. From 5 to over 20 years, these dedicated individuals have worked tirelessly and from the heart to help support and even be the voices for thousands of children and families around the country.
That so many of you exist and continue to soldier on in your work is wonderful and worthy of acknowledgment. The following is a list of those who have been working in their respective regions for over 20 years. To all, a hearty congratulations, but more importantly, THANK YOU for all that you have done over the years and will continue to do! You are the heart of the Parent Center Network, and the reason so many have been able to receive such incredible help.
Celebrating 10 to 15 Years of Service
Region 1
AFCAMP, CT — Cynthia Bentzion, Sheila Harris
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center — Adrianna Fontaine, Sherri O’Neal
Federation for Children with Special Needs, MA — Becky Rizoli
PIC NH — Mary Grillo
Association for Special Children and Families, NJ — Julie Rikon
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, NJ — Joanne Aidala, Myriam Alizo, Denise Bouyer, Wendy Broadbent, Maria Docherty, Donna Milanowicyz, Mercedes Rosa, Erin Seigh
Advocates for Children, NY — Kim Madden, Kim Sweet
Sinergia, NY — Godfrey Rivera
Starbridge Inc., NY — Laura Arrington
United We Stand of NY — Lourdes Figueroa, Amanda Haught
PEAL Center, PA — Cindy Duch
Vermont Family Network — Karen Price
Region 2
Advocates for Justice and Education, DC — Rochanda Hiligh-Thomas, Berta Mata
Parents Place of Maryland — Bonnie Larrimore, Kelly Meissner
Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center, NC — Shandra Umazar
FIRST Resource Center, NC — Theresa Lindsey, Janet Price-Ferrell
Family Resource Center for Disabilities and Special Needs, SC — Susan Clark
PEATC, VA — Suzanne Bowers, Nichole Drummond
Region 3
Alabama Parent Education Center — Jeana Winter
Family Network on Disability — Sally Dumas, Janis LaBelle, Joseph Labelle, Rich LaBelle
Parent to Parent of Miami — Lauren Bustos-Alban
Parent to Parent GA — Karen Addams, Patricia Lanaspa, Barbara McRay, Stephanie Moss, Yael Shaner, Debi Tucker
Mississippi PTI — Mickey Alford
APNI, PR — María Elena Cruz, Heily Gómez
Partners Resource Network, TX — Kristina Henning, Jon Howell, Charles Noe
Region 4
ASK Resource Center, IA — Susan Gill, Mari Reynolds, Paula Connolly
Family Resource Center on Disability, IL — Elliott Marks
PACER Center, MN — Jody Manning
MPACT, MO — Debby Loveall-Stewart
Michigan Family Alliance — Sherri Boyd, Jeanne Brakhage, Sandee Koski, Michelle Miller, Jessie Morton, Khalilah Obimba, Kelly Orginski
OCECD, OH — Marbella Caceres
WIFACETS — Sandra McFarland, Nelsinia Ramos, Courtney Salzer
Region 5
Raising Special Kids, CO — Dolores Rios Herrera
PEAK Parent Center, CO — Bronwen Buswell, Pam Christy, Patricia Maycott, Rob Schaffner, Jacey Tramutt
THRIVE Center, CO — Yvette Plummer Burkhalter
Families Together Inc., KS — Shannon Garrett, Laurie Gerber
PLUK, MT — Diana Tavary, Sandy Taylor, Libby Wolfe
Parents Reaching Out, NM — Andrea Leon
PTI Nebraska — Graciela Sharif, Connie Shockley
South Dakota Parent Connection — Lisa Sanderson
Utah Parent Center — Jodi Hansen, Michelle Murphey, Tina Persels, Amy Weyrich
Region 6
LINKS Mat-Su, AK — Amber Parker
Stone Soup Group, AK — Amy Westfall
DREDF, CA — Juliet Barraza, Ann McDonald Cacho, Robin Miller, Cheryl Theis
Exceptional Parents Unlimited, CA — Pam Miller, Henrietta Olveda, Nicole Stidham
Matrix Parents Center, CA — Ana Acosta
ParentsCan, CA — Marlena Garcia
Parents Helping Parents, CA — Debbie Drennan, Esmeralda Garcia-Martinez, Janice Tuber
Support for Families, CA — Dennis Lockett, Joe Goyos
Team of Advocates for Special Kids, CA — Karen Alfaro, Suzanne Galindo, Sandra Jimenez, Matthew Johnson, Erica Miller, Paula West Hernandez
NVPEP — Natalie Filipic
FACTOregon — Roberta Dunn, Christy Reese
Celebrating 15 to 20 Years of Service
Region 1
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center — Jane Hampton-Smith, Beth Reel
Federation for Children with Special Needs, MA — Rich Robison
Maine Parent Federation — Anne Bourque, Ann Long
PIC NH — Jennifer Cunha, Michelle Lewis
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, NJ — Carolyn Hayer, Shirley Johnson, Peg Kinsell, Roy Maynard, Geraldine Moore-Neill, Patricia Muhammad, Al Pelham, Michelle Puzio, Joyce Sykes
Advocates for Children, NY — Joanne Buccellato, Liliana Diaz-Pedrosa
INCLUDEnyc, NY — Jean Mizutani
Parent Network of Western NY — Sue Barlow, Kim Walek
United We Stand of NY — Martha Vizcarrondo
Vermont Family Network — Martha Frank, Christine Kilpatrick
Region 2
Parents Place of Maryland — Missy Alexander, Rene Averitt-Sanzone
Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center, NC — Doreen Byrd, Margaret Campbell
Hope Parent Resource Center, NC — Vickie Dieter
Family Resource Center for Disabilities and Special Needs, SC — Beverly McCarty
STEP, TN — Donna Jennings
West Virginia PTI — Brenda Lamkin
Region 3
Arkansas Support Network — Irene Clark, Patricia White
Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center — Laura Nata
Oklahoma Parents Center — Ellen Kimbrell, Sharon Coppedge Long
APNI, PR — Iris Rivera
Region 4
Family Resource Center on Disability, IL — Lynn Betts
OCECD, OH — Sandy Brickner, Angela Ferdinand, Connie Hudson, Barbara Rice, Jeanith Ryle
Region 5
Raising Special Kids, AZ — Joyce Millard Hoie
Families Together Inc., KS — Leia Holley
PLUK, MT — Theresa Baldry, Stephanie Luehr, Bobbie Thurston
Pathfinder Services of ND — Dan Griffith
Utah Parent Center — Cassandra Shaw-Myers, Roz Welch, Sherrie Wignall
Region 6
Matrix Parents Center, CA — Nora Thompson Parents
ParentsCan, CA — Hilda Gutierrez
Parents Helping Parents, CA — Loni Allen, Melanie Allen, Maria Avina, Janet Nunez, Mouna Raad, Rosa Solarzano
Support for Families, CA — Nina Boyle, Juno Duenas, Lisa Yee
Team of Advocates for Special Kids, CA — Elias Alvarado, Laura Martinez
NVPEP — Robin Kincaid, Stephanie Vrsnik
Celebrating 20+ Years of Service
Region 1
Association for Special Children and Families, NJ — Angela Abdul
Advocates for Children, NY — Ana Espada
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center — Kathy Whalen
HUNE Inc., PA — Luz Hernandez
Long Island Advocacy Center, NY — Linda Milch
Maine Parent Federation — Deborah Epperson, Susan Fairfield, Deborah Newcombe
PIC NH — Bonnie Dunham, Charlene Mayo
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, NJ — Diana Autin, Debra Jennings, Patricia Paraskevacos, Maria Rodriguez, Ivonne Santiago
United We Stand, NY — Lourdes Rivera-Putz
Vermont Family Network — Holly Brook
Region 2
KY SPIN — Roberta Alston, Paulette Logsdon, Rhonda Logsdon, Ava Stidham
Parents Place of Maryland — Suzie Shannon, Josie Thomas
Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center, NC — Rachel Bettis, Mary LaCorte, Cheryl Strupe
STEP TN — Karen Harrison
Region 3
Parent to Parent of Miami — Isabel Garcia
Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center — Mary Jacob
APNI, PR — Celia Galan, Diana Lebrón, Brenda Morales, Silka Santiago
Partners Resource Network , TX — Deborah Wilkerson, Gail Wright
Region 4
PACER Center, MN — Virginia Richardson
OCECD, OH — Margaret Burley, Lee Ann Derugen
WIFACETS — Jan Serak
Region 5
PEAK Parent Center, CO — Barbara Buswell, Beth Schaffner, Shirley Swope
Families Together Inc., KS — Tami Allen, Teresa Beaudry, Lesli Girard, Austin Hanson, Lynnea Laing, Darla Nelson-Metzger, Terri Norgren, Connie Zienkewicz
PLUK, MT — Molly Mills
PTI Nebraska — Nina Baker
Utah Parent Center — Jennie Gibson, Gina Pola-Money, Helen Post
Wyoming PIC — Terri Dawson
Region 6
DREDF, CA — Susan Henderson
Exceptional Parents Unlimited, CA — Vicki Benson, Sandy Calderon
Parents Helping Parents, CA — Jane Floethe-Ford
NVPEP — Karen Taycher
Washington PAVE — Sherry Mashburn, Vanessa Lewis
Keep up the amazing work, everyone—you are inspirations to the next group of Parent Center individuals who will follow where you lead!