VT-HEC Staff
Dennis Kane
Director
ennis 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.
contact: [email protected]
Alicia Beth, Ph.D.
Director of Licensing Programs
licia 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.
Contact: [email protected]
Wendy Cohen, M.Ed.
Director of Professional Development and Supports
endy Cohen 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.
contact: [email protected]
Julie Medose
Director of Operations
ulie 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.
contact: [email protected]
Joy Wilcox, M.Ed.
Director of Special Education Programs
oy 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 VT-HEC Special Education programs.
contact: [email protected]
Jessa Loranger, Ph.D.
Technology and Media Coordinator
essa Loranger began working with VT-HEC in 2017 as the Operations Assistant. She is responsible for assisting with workshops and daily operations, as well as coordinating and implementing new technology efforts. Jessa has worked in elementary schools as a literacy tutor and as an aide to English language learners, taught college level music courses, and coordinated and promoted various arts events.
contact: [email protected]
Emma Bay-Hansen, M.Ed.
Finance Coordinator
mma 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.
contact: [email protected]
Jen Patenaude, MA
Professional Learning and Development Specialist
en 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.
contact: [email protected]
Seth Marineau
eth Marineau has worked with the VT-HEC since 2005. He helps coordinate the VT-HEC’s online learning opportunities and provides technical support to our various programs. Seth also teaches middle and high school French at Stowe Middle High School. He has teaching experience at the middle school, high school and university levels and has served as a school administrator. His academic interests include second language acquisition, rural education and the historical foundations of school change initiatives.
contact: [email protected]
Lindsey Desrochers, M.Ed.
Operations Support Associate
indsey Desrochers 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.
contact: [email protected]
Sue Booth
Office Manager
ue Booth 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.
contact: [email protected]
VT-HEC Program Coordinators
Manuela Fonseca, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Early Childhood Licensing Program
anuela is the Early Childhood Licensing Coordinator. She has had over 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.
contact: [email protected]
Hannah Markos
Coordinator of Neurodiversity and Inclusion Certificate Program
annah 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 and the Massachusetts public schools. She is an Assistant Professor of Education at Landmark College and teaches education at Berkshire Community College as well.
contact: [email protected]
Kim McKellar
Coordinator of Work-Based Learning Program
im is the Coordinator for the Work-Based Learning program at VT-HEC and has worked for VT-HEC for over 10 years in roles that included Operations Coordinator and Online and Technology Support Coordinator. Since 1995, she has been coordinating and developing various non-profit educational organizations and programs in Vermont, with a particular focus on experiential education. She is the Mentor and Work-based Learning Coordinator at U-32 Middle and High School, helping to coordinate U-32’s self-designed and mentored-learning programs.
contact: [email protected]
Joy Wilcox, M.Ed.
Director of Special Education Endorsement Program
oy currently coordinates the Special Education Endorsement program and is an instructor of graduate courses in that program. She supervises practicum students and is a member of the VT-HEC Operations Group. She has been a Consulting Teacher/Learning Specialist in Vermont schools for over 40 years.
contact: [email protected]
Susan Yesalonia, Ed.D.
Coordinator of Health Education Program
usan 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 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.
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VT-HEC Board of Directors
Dillon Burns
illon is the Mental Health Services Director at Vermont Care Partners, the trade association for Vermont’s d
esignated agencies for community mental health services. Dillon provides statewide policy support to program directors of adult, children, and family mental health services, and acts as a liaison to the Vermont Department of Mental Health and other state agencies and advocacy partners. A licensed social worker with a degree from UVM’s graduate program in Social Work, Dillon previously worked at Washington County Mental Health as an Early Childhood and Family Mental Health Clinician and as Coordinator of the Children’s Navigation Program. She maintains a very small private practice serving children and families. Dillon lives in Calais, Vermont, with her family. Before working in the mental health field, Dillon owned an independent bookstore in Northfield, Vermont.
Randi Lowe 
andi grew up in Massachusetts and earned an undergraduate degree in education and psychology from Smith College. Additionally, she holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from Boston College and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Vermont. Before returning to Vermont in 2013, Randi held teaching and leadership positions in Vermont, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Idaho. In 2020, Randi became the Superintendent of BRSU where she is an advocate for innovative and inclusive programming in which every child thrives. Randi enjoys walking, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and curling up with a great book.
Alicia Lyford
licia Lyford is currently the Principal of East Montpelier Elementary School where she has served since 2010. Prior to that, she spent nine years as a Special Educator working with students in Grades K – 8 in the Montpelier School District. She received her Master’s Degree through the Woodruff Institute at Castleton University, and is licensed as a Special Educator, Principal, and Director of Special Education. Alicia lives in Orange with her husband, three children and yellow lab.
Ric Reardon
ic Reardon is the Director of Education at Castleton University. In that capacity, he oversees graduate and undergraduate teacher preparation programs and Master’s degrees in Special Education, Educational Research, and School Leadership. He also directs the Castleton Center for Schools, a professional development center that offers workshops, institutes, symposiums, teacher trainings, and over 350 graduate level courses each year for Vermont’s teachers, administrators and support staff. He is also involved with a number of consulting projects around the state on topics such as special education best practice, leadership, collaborative teaming, and systems change. He has been a special education teacher, district inclusion coordinator, assistant professor of special education, and a Director of Special Education for a local VT supervisory union. He has a Bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education and a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Special Education. He and his wife live in Rutland and they have two grown children working in NC and NH.
Sarah Tetzlaff, M.Ed.
arah Tetzlaff is the Assistant Principal of Rutland Town School where she has served since 2012. Prior to that, she worked in the corporate world in Boston, MA before moving back to Vermont to teach Family and Consumer Sciences at Mt. Abraham Union Middle and High School and later at Rutland High School and Allen Street Campus (K-12). Sarah earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Castleton University and Woodruff Institute and obtained her health and special education endorsements from VT-HEC. Sarah lives in Orwell, Vermont with her husband and daughter. She is an avid horseback rider, enjoys many outdoor activities, gardening and cooking. Recently she has served as member and clerk of the Orwell Village School Board.
Andrea Wasson, M.Ed.
ndrea has worked in the field of special education in Vermont for 36 years, most recently as the Director of Special Education for the Central VT Supervisory Union. She is a graduate instructor, presenter, and practicum supervisor for the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VT HEC) Special Education Licensing program and an internship supervisor for the University of Vermont. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from MS State University and a Master’s degree in Special Education and Leadership from the University of Vermont. Andrea lives in Essex Junction, VT.
Vicki Wells, Ed.D.
icki has been Assistant Superintendent of Student Services in Addison Central School District for over 14 year
s. Prior to that, she worked for the Agency of Education as a special education consultant for close to 10 years. Past positions include the Assistant Director of special education in Addison Northeast, a classroom teacher in Shoreham, a combined multi-age teacher and special educator in West Haven, and a paraprofessional in Williston. Before moving to VT, Vicki was a self-contained teacher in Danvers, Mass for students identified with language-learning and behavioral disabilities. Vicki graduated from Castleton State College in 1986 with a degree in elementary education and special education. She received a Master’s Degree from UVM in Educational Leadership then went on to receive a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from UVM. Vicki currently lives in Middlebury with her husband of almost 30 years.