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Our Staff
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Dennis Kane
Executive Director
Dennis Kane
[email protected]
Dennis has been the Director of the VT-HEC since it was founded in 2000. He spent 16 years at the Vermont Department of Education as Director of various teams that included: special education, Title I, health and wellness and other family and education support services. Prior to that Dennis worked at the Barre Town School (VT) starting as a special educator and serving many years as the Director of Student Support Services.
He attended Fairfield University as an English major, Philosophy minor. After 6 years teaching grades 5-8 in Paterson NJ, he came to VT to attend UVM for a Masters in Special Education in the Consulting Teacher program.
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Alicia Beth, Ph.D.
Director of Licensing Programs
Alicia Beth, Ph.D.
[email protected]
Alicia is the VT-HEC Director of Licensing Programs. She is responsible for the implementation of all pathways to initial licensure and endorsement. Prior to her work with the VT-HEC, Alicia was a faculty member in the Core Education department at Landmark College and evaluation specialist for North Country Supervisory Union.
Before moving to Vermont, she worked for the UTeach Institute at The University of Texas at Austin, supporting 50 universities nationwide to implement high quality STEM educator preparation programs. In her time there, Alicia established the UTeach Computer Science program, which provides equitable access to computing education through a universally designed curriculum and strengths-focused professional learning program and community of practice. As part of that effort, she was invited by the White House to participate in a number of working groups in support of President Obama’s #CSforAll initiative.
Alicia began her career as a middle grades special educator; she maintains licenses in both Texas and Vermont.
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Wendy Cohen, M.Ed.
Director of Professional Development and Supports
Wendy Cohen, M.Ed.
[email protected]
Wendy is the VT-HEC Director of Professional Development Programs and Supports. She is responsible for the planning and delivery of our workshops and related courses and supports. Wendy began her work with VT-HEC in 2013 in our TASS (Teaching All Secondary Students) program as consultant, instructor and program coordinator. She continues to serve as an instructor for VT-HEC, using her extensive expertise in a variety of areas including: Standards-Based Learning, Critical Friends, Building & Sustaining Leadership, Collaborative Learning Culture, Personalizing Learning, Action Planning and Program Evaluation.
Wendy began her career in education as a middle school teacher spending nine years teaching Language Arts, Science, Geography and History. She then worked with the Vermont Institutes focusing on standards-based instruction and assessment of Visual & Performance Arts. Since 2004 Wendy has worked with a number of entities across the northeast as a consultant, facilitator, instructor, presenter and coordinator.
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Julie Medose
Director of Operations
Julie Medose
[email protected]
Julie is the Director of Operations for VT-HEC and a member of the VT-HEC Operations Group. She is in charge of all registration, billing, and daily operations.
She brings with her a wealth of administrative and coordination experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Her diverse background also includes firefighting, farming, outdoor education, and motherhood.
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Emma Bay-Hansen, M.Ed.
Operations Assistant & Finance Coordinator
Emma Bay-Hansen, M.Ed.
Emma is the Finance Coordinator for VT-HEC. She is responsible for all course and workshop payments as well as assisting with workshop logistics and daily operations.
Emma has her Master’s in Education and is a licensed 7-12 social studies teacher. She has spent the last six years of her career as an educator in Vermont public high schools. She has also taught college level Foundations of Education dual enrollment courses with CCV.
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Bradley Beth
Coordinator of Mathematics and Science Program
Bradley Beth
Bradley Beth is Coordinator of the Mathematics and Science Program and Associate Professor of Computer Science at Vermont State University, where he teaches courses in the Data Science, Software Engineering, and Information Technology programs. Earlier in his career as a high school educator, licensed through the innovative UTeach Program, he was recognized by the College Board in its Report to the Nation for his work engaging students from underrepresented groups in Advanced Placement computer science courses. While at The University of Texas at Austin, Bradley developed an NSF-funded high school computer science curriculum focused on broadening participation in the discipline. Endorsed by the College Board, this curriculum was later scaled nationally as part of the AP Computer Science Principles program.
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Sue Booth
Office Manager
Sue Booth
[email protected]
Sue is VT-HEC’s office manager. Sue worked for many years at the Vermont Center for Independent Living as the Business Office Coordinator, and most recently in the Epec department at the Vermont Foodbank. For many years Sue was also the owner and director of A Step Above for Dancers, a dance studio in Northfield, and taught at a couple area dance studios as well.
Sue is married to her husband Paul and they have two adult sons. Sue always has a few furry family members as well.
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Lindsey Desrochers, M.Ed.
Operations Support Associate
Lindsey Desrochers, M.Ed.
[email protected]
Lindsey is the VT-HEC Operations Support Associate. She is responsible for supporting the infrastructure and marketing for recorded offerings as well as assisting the facilitation of live and virtual events. Lindsey began her career in education as an early childhood educator teaching in classrooms with preschool through second grade students over the course of fifteen years and also held the role of Head of School at The Bellwether School for three years. -
Manuela Fonseca, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Early Childhood Licensing Program
Manuela Fonseca, Ed.D.
[email protected]
Manuela is the Early Childhood Licensing Coordinator. She has had more than thirty years of experience in the field of early childhood education as a teacher, professor, administrator, and researcher, including as the Early Education Coordinator at the Vermont Agency of Education. She is currently the TA Specialist for Preschool Development Grants at Applied Engineering Management Corp. -
Kara Griswold, M.Ed.
Assistant Director of the Special Education Program
Kara Griswold, M.Ed.
Kara Griswold is the Assistant Director of the Special Education Endorsement Program. She also provides literacy services at a small independent school in Vermont. Prior to her work at VT-HEC, Kara was a Director of Student Services in Addison County. She began her career as a middle and high school special educator and maintains a Vermont license in special education, director of student services, principal, and director of curriculum.
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Pamela Hemingway
Work-Based Learning Program Coordinator
Pamela Hemingway
Pam Hemingway is an educator dedicated to guiding students toward meaningful career and future experiences. Currently, she serves as the Career Development Coordinator at Essex High School—a role established to support the expansion of the school’s internship courses and to serve as a central point of contact for career-related programming within the building. Prior to this role, Pam taught Business Education at Essex High School. Pam has a BS in Secondary Education/Business and a Master’s degree in Education from Trinity College of Vermont. She served as an advisor for the school’s Athletic Leadership Council, co-chaired the NEASC committee, contributed to the Advisory Committee, and co-facilitated the Vermont Internship Professionals Network. Pam is now excited to begin a new professional chapter as the Work-Based Learning Coordinator for VT-HEC. In this role, she looks forward to equipping Vermont educators with the tools and knowledge needed to help students thrive through career-connected learning experiences. -
Jessa Loranger, Ph.D.
Technology and Media Coordinator
Jessa Loranger, Ph.D.
[email protected]
Jessa began working with VT-HEC in 2017. In her current role, she is responsible for implementing systems involving technology and digital media. In the past, she has worked in elementary schools as a literacy tutor and with English language learners, taught college level music courses, and coordinated and promoted arts events. Jessa has a Ph.D. in Music from the University of California.
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Hannah Markos, MFA, M.Ed
Coordinator of NDI Program
Hannah Markos, MFA, M.Ed
[email protected]
Hannah holds an M.Ed from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MFA from Warren Wilson College. She has worked in education in a wide variety of settings and roles serving learners from birth through adulthood, including within Early Intervention, the Massachusetts public schools, and at Berkshire Community College where she teaches education. Before becoming the coordinator of VT-HEC’s Neurodiversity and Inclusion Graduate Certificate Program, she served as Assistant Professor of Education and Academic Coordinator for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Landmark College. -
Jennifer Patenaude, M.A.
Professional Learning and Development Specialist
Jennifer Patenaude, M.A.
Jen Patenaude, MA, is the Professional Learning and Development Specialist at VT-HEC. In this role she acts as special education instructor, presenter, internship supervisor, and curator of professional development on a multitude of topics for both general education and special education teachers.
Prior to her work with VT-HEC, Jen worked for North Country Supervisory Union for more than twenty five years as a special educator, evaluation specialist, instructional specialist and MTSS/EST Coordinator PreK-12. She has also served as adjunct faculty for the Vermont State Colleges, presented nationally on topics related to MTSS, and has provided coaching and professional learning opportunities for general education and special education staff throughout Vermont as an independent consultant.
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Joy Wilcox, M.Ed.
Director of Special Education Programs
Joy Wilcox, M.Ed.
[email protected]
Joy has worked for the VT-HEC since its inception and is an essential member of the VT-HEC Operations Group. She also currently coordinates the Special Education Endorsement program and is an instructor of graduate courses in that program.
She supervises practicum students and has been a Consulting Teacher/Learning Specialist in Vermont schools for over 40 years.
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Susan Yesalonia, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Health Education Program
Susan Yesalonia, Ed.D.
[email protected]
Susan has taught health education at all levels throughout her career. She is a graduate of SUNY Cortland (BS) and Ohio University (MS), and started her career as an Athletic Trainer in Woodbridge, NJ. When she moved to Vermont in 1983, she began teaching health and physical education for Northfield and Montpelier school districts. From 2005 and 2011, Susan taught in the Norwich University Physical Education Teacher Education Program, preparing new health and physical education teachers. In 2011 she moved her work to the Agency of Education, initially in Educator Quality and moving to the Proficiency-Based Learning Team in 2017, taking on the role of Health and Physical Education Specialist. Susan has served on the SHAPE VT boards for several years, as well as serving as the Vermont representative on SHAPE America’s Eastern District Association boards. Susan has taught courses for VT-HEC in the health education program and is the program’s coordinator.