2021 Board ElectionsTAER will be holding virtual elections for the following board positions:
Please see below for information on the nominees for the 2021 TAER Board. |
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President-Elect |
Kate Borg
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Kate Borg is the Director of Outreach Programs at TSBVI and the Texas Deafblind Project Coordinator. Kate joined TSBVI in 2019 after working at the Utah School for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) and in Prince William County, Virginia. Kate has been an administrator, instructional coach, classroom teacher, and itinerant TVI working with students who are blind, visually impaired, and deafblind. In addition to leading TSBVI’s Outreach mission, Kate has leadership roles within the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) and sits on research grant committees to improve instruction for students with sensory impairment.
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Treasurer II |
Angela Elrod
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Angela Elrod is currently a student in the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment preparation concentration at Stephen F. Austin State University. She is planning on completing the TSVI certification at the end of this school yearhe lives in in Joshua, TX and works in Crowley ISD at the Bill R Johnson Career and Technology Center. She has a B.S. in Mathematics from Texas Wesleyan University and currently teaches Algebra 2, Pre-AP Algebra 2, and Pre-AP Geometry. This is her sixth year in teaching. In the eleven years prior becoming a teacher, she worked for DARS Division for Blind services as a Rehabilitation Assistant and, eventually, as a Transition Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. During that time, she oversaw a caseload budget of over $ 200,000.00. She also worked as an account receivables clerk and managed the monthly billing statements for a small company in Burleson before moving to DARS. Angie is the mother of three grown children, and she has one granddaughter. She loves dogs; she has 4 of them!
-Nominated by Shannon Darst |
Secretary |
Angela Howe
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Angela Howe's 20 years of experience in special education includes teaching in a life skills classroom and serving as a TVI for over 10 years. She has worked in both Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and Grand Prairie ISD. She graduated from Texas Tech with a MEd specializing in deafblindness in May, 2020. Her volunteer experience includes serving on the TAER awards committee in 2020.
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Cheryl Schulik
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I currently serve as the Assistant Director of Special Education at Region 7 Education Service Center. My focus areas and certification include Visual Impairment, Orientation and Mobility, and Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing. Special Education has been my heartbeat for many years and I have a passion to share strategies and coaching to teachers to best impact students with visual impairments and multiple disabilities.
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Board Member-at-Large |
Dawn Adams
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Dawn Adams earned her Bachelor’s degree from SFA and is dually certified in O&M and as a TVI. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University Commerce and has completed additional graduate courses in deafblind education from Texas Tech.
Dawn has been both a TVI and COMS and has enjoyed teaching children of all ages. In addition Dawn is currently the VI consultant at Region 8 ESC. She has been able to support districts in serving students with visual impairments and those who are eafblind. In addition she currently is the chair elect for the AER Low Vision Rehabilitation division. She previously served as secretary for 2 consecutive terms. Dawn also served on the TAER board from 2005-2008 as President-Elect, President, and Past President. She would be honored to serve the local TAER chapter again. |
Laura Hampton
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Laura Hampton is currently an adjunct instructor for Stephen F. Austin State University. She retired from full time service as Teacher for Students with Visual Impairments in 2019 but continues to work directly with students part time. She is committed to supporting students with visual impairments, their families and the professionals that serve them.
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Angela Howe
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see above
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Anissa Lara
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Anissa began her career at home with her children and serving as a volunteer in the classrooms just to be near her own kids. She began teaching music to children (ages 3 months - 6 years old) and was a Teacher’s Assistant in the kindergarten classroom. She discovered her love and passion for working with kids. She became a Stretch-N-Grow coach, teaching children (ages 18 months - 12 years old) the importance of movement within their environment. She started substitute teaching in various classrooms (Kinder, Gen-Ed, Gift and Talented, AP, SPED). in the Mansfield ISD. It was there that she learned about the career of working with students who are vision impaired. She was blessed to be under the direction and leadership of mentors of excellence (Shay Utley and Jill Brown) and professors of excellence at SFA. She obtained her Certificate as a TVI and completed her masters in O&M in Dec 2019. Since August 2017, she has been a TVI and a member of a phenomenal vision team at Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD. In August 2021, she will practice both as a TVI and COMS for her district. She is excited and eager to step out and get more involved on the board at TAER and extend to extend the attitude of excellence by helping others in our community of achievers strive for excellence as we work together to prepare our students with a visual impairment engage in life at the optimum level.
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Heather Munro
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Dr. Heather Munro is an assistant professor in the Visual Impairment/Orientation Mobility program at Stephen F. Austin State University. She is dually certified as TSVI and COMS, with 21 years of service to the field. She earned her BSR and M.Ed. from SFA, and her PhD from Texas Tech University. Prior to joining SFA as full-time faculty in 2014, Dr. Munro worked with adults as an O&M specialist in Austin, and later transitioned to younger populations, working for school districts and cooperatives in the Houston area and around east Texas. She is a frequent conference presenter, a prior recipient of TAER’s Professional Preparation Scholarship, former Chair of Division 9 (O&M), and has authored/co-authored numerous publications. Dr. Munro is a member of TUPVI, AERBVI, Texas Action Committee, AVIT, and PPAG. She and her husband (TAER past-president Dr. Michael Munro) have five children, two twin grandsons, and a life-long dedication to the field of blindness and visual impairment!
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Cheryl Schulik
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see above
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Elizabeth Wallace
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This is my 10th year as a TSVI. I have been married 20 years. We have 5 children, 3 grandchildren and two spoiled dogs. I love my job and enjoy helping students and their families be successful. I am a team player and love to learn. I also was awarded the 2019 Virginia Bishop award.
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