Boards & Committees

Advisory Board

Employment Advisory Council

Program Council

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board--professional, business and academic leaders from across the country--is dedicated to promoting the education and career opportunities for youth with multiple learning and cognitive disabilities.  Together, the Advisory Board provides a strategic vision to the ongoing development of REACH.

Chair:

Sally Pederson, Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, 1999-2007

Members:

Prisca Chen Marvin, Esq.

Council Member

National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Strokes

Denton, MD

 

Michael Cilek

Broker/Owner

Coldwell Banker Real Estate Professionals

Iowa City, IA

Jim Crawford

Principal Financial Group

Des Moines, IA

James P. Hayes

Attorney

Iowa City, IA

Lori A. Ireland

President of the Ireland Family Foundation

Chapel Hill, NC

John D. Maguire

President Emeritus & Senior Fellow

Claremont Graduate University

Claremont, CA

Joshua Mandelbaum

Law Student

The University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

Gail Richards

Community Leader

Des Moines, IA

Fred Weitz

President/CEO

Essex Meadows, Inc.

West Des Moines, IA

Ex-Officio Members:

Sally K. Mason

President

The University of Iowa

Sandra B. Damico

Dean, College of Education

The University of Iowa

Thomas Rocklin

Vice Provost

The University of Iowa

Employment Advisory Council

Employment Advisory Council members, comprised of local, regional and statewide employers, bring to the REACH Program a broad work experience, knowledge base, and representation of a diverse geographic labor market.

The Employment Advisory Council assists the REACH Program in accomplishing its mission by offering guidance in developing and reviewing curriculum for relevance to current employment expectations and practices, participating in the education and mentoring of REACH students by offering exploration and work opportunities, and assisting in identifying, encouraging, and securing other employment resources.

Chair:

Janis Mendenhall, M.A., REACH Coordinator of Career Development, The University of Iowa

Members:

David Dickey, Branch Manager, Manpower, Iowa City, IA

Sarah Lloyd, Human Resources Generalist, Hy-Vee, Inc., West Des Moines, IA

Jody Shannon , Human Resources Manager, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Coralville, IA

Cindy Seyfer, Associate Director, Student Financial Aid
The University of Iowa

Geoff Wilming, Vice President, Quality Care, Coralville, IA

Program Council

REACH is assisted by an educational Program Council from The University of Iowa and Iowa communities to assure the program is anchored in the best and contemporary research and practice.  The REACH Program Council is comprised of University of Iowa faculty, community representatives, parents of youth with developmental disabilities, University administrators, state governmental representatives, and individuals with disabilities. The Council reflects a unique blend of knowledge, experience, and viewpoints and contributes to program evaluation, assessment, and quality assurance of our total efforts for our students.

Chair:

Len Sandler, J.D., Clinical Professor, College of Law, The University of Iowa

Members:

John Achrazoglou, Ph.D., Director, Educational Technology Center, The University of Iowa

Robert Bacon, M.A., Director, Iowa's University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, The University of Iowa

Larry Bartlett, J.D., Ph.D., Chair, Department of Educational Policy & Leadership Studies, College of Education, The University of Iowa

Mary Ellen Becker, Ph.D., Director, Special Education Services, Great Prairie Area Education Agency, Ottumwa, IA

Sam Cochran, III, Ph.D., Director, University Counseling Services, The University of Iowa

Nick Colangelo, Ph.D., Director, Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, The University of Iowa

Jeff Murray, M.D., Professor, College of Medicine, The University of Iowa

Sonia Ryang, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, The University of Iowa

Peter Hlebowitsh , Ph.D., Chair, Department of Teaching & Learning, College of Education, The University of Iowa

Jay Semel, Ph.D., Director, Obermann Center for Advanced Studies; Associate Vice President for Research, The University of Iowa

Mark Schneider, M.A., Superintendant, Mid-Prairie Community School District, Wellman, Iowa