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Committee Chairs and Regional Representatives
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Katherine Ashley Capital Lakes Representative kashley@deforestschools.org |
I am happy to be returning to the WSPA Board as the CLASP Representative. I am also very interested in getting to know the school psychologists across my region as a sounding board, a professional resource, and/or networker. Please feel free to contact me. Although I have experience working at all levels over a 24 year career (12 at the high school level), I am currently using all of the domains of practice to support Eagle Point Elementary School and six DeForest Area School District EC/4K partner sites. I am thrilled to team with four other school psychologists in the district as well. I am looking forward to learning and shar-ing with you.
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| Michael Axelrod, Ph.D., L.P., NCSP Professional Standards and Practice Chair (715) 836-5020 |
I am presently the Director of the Human Development Center and a Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. I earned my Ph.D. in School Psychology from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN and have formal clinical training through Father Flanagan’s Girls and Boys Town and Creighton University School of Medicine, both in Omaha, NE. Prior to coming to UWEC in 2008, I held clinical, research, training, and administrative positions at Father Flanagan’s Girls and Boys Town and the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, ME.
My professional interests include helping adults solve problems common to children and adolescents. I’m also interested in promoting the practice of evidence-based school psychology and dispelling myths commonly ascribed to child and adolescent psychology. I’ve written two books (Behavior Analysis for School Psychologists and Great Myths of Adolescence) and have published numerous papers in the fields of clinical and school psychology. I see school psychology as the spearhead for educational reform and believe school psychologists are in positions to provide real assistance to students and their families. My involvement with WSPA has been as a presenter at conferences and now as the Ethics and Professional Standards Chair.
When I’m not being a psychologist, I am a husband (my wife, Angela, is also a school psychologist), father (I have two sons, neither of whom are interested in psychology), and baseball coach (admittedly, I have a lifetime losing record). I enjoy traveling with my family and teaching my dog, Ma-bel – a spirited Welsh Terrier, new skills.
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My name is Leah Braunschweig and I began serving as a representative for the Coulee Region Area Psychologists in the Schools (CRAPS) in the spring of 2018. I am a graduate of the UW-La Crosse school psychology program and am currently a school psychologist for the School District of La Crosse, having completed my internship year in 2015-16. Professionally, I am passionate about equity, school climate, trauma informed care, and transition planning. I am from Pewaukee, Wisconsin and my personal hobbies/interests include enjoying the outdoors (i.e., kayaking, boating, biking, hiking, etc.) and traveling, especially back to Pewaukee to spend time with my family and friends. I am excited to be a part of WSPA and to help bring more information back to the Coulee Region!
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I have been involved with WSPA since I became a school psychologist in 2000. My school psychologist training included the importance of being a member and staying involved in your professional state organization. What I enjoy most about being a school psychologist is working directly with the students and seeing their positive growth. I had worked for the Poynette School District from 2000-2011 as the district school psychologist. I currently work for the Portage Community School District since 2011 as the middle and high school psychologist. I enjoy problem solving at the building, district, and state levels.
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My name is Caitlin Cox. I joined the WSPA Board in 2017 as the Gateway Representative and ISPA Co-Chair. I worked in Racine Unified School District as a school psychologist from 2015-2018. I am continuing my work as a school psychologist in the private sector while I finish my doctorate. My current interests include intercultural competence, trauma, behavioral interventions, and animal-assisted therapy. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling and spending time with my pup, family, and friends. I look forward to more collaboration and networking with school psychologists in the Gateway region, the states, and internationally.
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| Rob Dixon Continuing Professional Development (608) 785-6893 rdixon@uwlax.edu |
I have been on the board since June 2001 and am the current chairperson for the Professional Development Committee as well as NASP Delegate. What I like best about being on the WSPA board is meeting people across state and playing volleyball once a year. I like the variety of the role of school psychologist and how we can make a difference for children. I retired from hockey at age nine. I enjoy bike riding.
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| Neal Eklund |
I am the School Psychologist for the Northland Pines School District in Eagle River, Wisconsin. I’ve been a practicing school psychologist since the 2011-2012 school year. I will be serving as the Northwoods Regional Representative. I am excited for the opportunity that the role has to offer in creating a framework for collaboration amongst school psychologists in the area so that we may be able to share ideas and resources and grow professionally together. Aside from the more traditional roles of a school psychologist, I am passionate about developing Multi-Level Systems of Support to proactively meet the needs of all students. Outside of work, I enjoy the many outdoor recreational opportunities that the Northwoods has to offer.
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My name is Melissa Flucke and I began serving as a co-representative for the Northeast Wisconsin (NEWSPA) region in the fall of 2016 alongside Evan Pagel. I am a graduate of the UW-La Crosse school psychology program and am currently a school psychologist for the Unified School District of De Pere, having completed my internship year in 2015- 16. While my professional passions include cultural competency and inclu-sion, my personal hobbies include running and spending time with family and friends. I am excited to be a part of WSPA and help promote the organi-zation to the NEWSPA area.
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I currently work for the River Falls School District. Some of my professional interests include supporting Multi Tiered System of Supports, data analysis, and Positive Behavior Intervention Support. What I love most about my job is the ability to work collaboratively with students, parents, school staff and community providers in order to facilitate student success. I enjoy being an active participant on a solution focused Student Support Team that includes school staff with diverse expertise. In 2015 I was provided the opportunity to become a Teacher Child Interaction Training (TCIT) coach, which is a language-based behavior intervention. Thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to serving my fellow school psychologists. |
| Jamie Ghere Public Relations Committee gherej@elmsbroookschools.org |
I have been a practicing school psychologist since 2006 and currently work for Germantown School District. Since 2017, I have been co-chairing the Public Relations Committee to help increase awareness about our profession, support collaboration and professional development for WSPA members, and increase communication between our members and those we serve. I am passionate about inclusive practices and continuous improvement for multi-tiered system of supports. I really enjoy problem solving and finding more proactive, efficient, and effective practic-es when I'm working. When I am not doing that though, you'll find me spending time with my family.
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| Kistin Gillespie |
My name is Kisten Gillespie, and I am a bilingual school psychologist currently working for the Lake Mills Area School District. I have had the opportunity to work all over the state of Wisconsin including CESA #11, the Madison Metropolitan School District, and Beaver Dam Unified School District. I have been a school psychologist since 2004. I am originally from a cattle ranch in Montana, and I spend part of my summer going back to work with my family. I have worked with all ages from EC to high school, and currently work as a middle and high school psychologist. I enjoy spending time with friends and family, traveling, scuba diving, hiking, biking and music. Above all, I love being with my daughter, Thea!
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I have been practicing as school psychologist since 2006 in the Parkview School District. As the only school psychologist in my district, I have been working to establish relationships with students, parents and educators to promote academic, behavioral, social and emotional growth in a multi-tiered system of sup-ports. After having my third child, I decided it was time to join WSPA as a regional rep to continue in my journey of growth and to help make a differ-ence in the lives of children in the south-central region and improving how we educate students. I enjoy spending time with my family, partnering with my husband in business ventures, photographing the moments that pass so quickly, working out and doing anything outdoors. |
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| Katie Johnson NASP Delegate (651) 587-6336 johnsonak@amerysd.k12.wi.us |
I am the Wisconsin NASP Delegate and represent our state at the national level. Previously, I worked with the WSPA board as Northwest Region Representative, NCSP Committee Chair and Crisis Certificate Chair. I have been a School Psychologist in Amery, WI since 2002, working at all grade levels. Being a rural school psychologist presents unique challenges, but I love that I get to work with the full spec-trum of children and families. My favorite part of my job is working with parents and teachers to support students in school and at home. In my per-sonal life, I enjoy raising my two boys, and I love to walk and kayak. I am very excited for the opportunity to work on behalf of the students of Wis-consin.
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I started my school psychology career in the School District of Janesville in 1994. I have worked for the Shawano School District since 1998. I have been on the WSPA board since June 1995 and currently serve as the Publications chairperson. Participating on the WSPA board has always been rewarding as it is a great group with which to work, and helping to discuss important topics and make decisions that impact our profession across the state has been truly inspiring. A spe-cial area of interest to me is transition. I enjoy gardening, photography, spending time laughing and having fun with family and friends, and taking vacations with my husband, Dane, and my children, Christopher, Gregory and Jillian. A special talent I have is imitating numerous different animal sounds. |
| Christine Neddenriep Professional Preparation and Training Representative (262) 472-1850 |
I'm happy to continue to serve on the board as the Professional Preparation and Training Representative. I’m a faculty member and Coordinator of the School Psychology Program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Within the field of school psychology, I especially enjoy teaching and conducting research in the area of academic and behavioral interventions. My husband and I live in Libertyville, IL, with our beautiful baby girl, Maggie. |
| Evan Pagel |
My name is Evan Pagel and I began serving as a co-representative for the Northeast Wisconsin (NEWSPA) region in June 2016 alongside Melissa Flucke. I am a graduate of the UW-La Crosse school psychology program and am currently a school psychologist for the Howard-Suamico School District, having completed my internship year in 2015-16. While my professional passion includes mental health, my personal hobbies include traveling and all things outdoors. I look forward to contributing to the WSPA Board and networking with other school psychologists in the NEWSPA region as well as across the state |
| Travis Pinter Crisis Committee Chair (414)438-3677 pinterte@milwaukee.k12.wi.us |
I’ve been a Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) school psychologist since 2004, serving children in preschool through high school settings throughout the city of Milwaukee. I’m currently serving as the Manager of Psychological Services and Allied Health for MPS. Also I’m particularly passionate about the impacts of psychological trauma on our children, and crisis response following death in the school community. I’ve been a member of the MPS Crisis Response Team since 2005, and a facilitator of the team since 2010. |
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I joined the WSPA Board in 2017 and am excited to Chair the Awards and Recognition Committee. I have been a school psychologist since 2008, where I began my career with the Waterloo School District. I currently work for the Madison Metropolitan School District, where I enjoy collaborating with colleagues around the development and maintenance of our multi-tiered system of support, and providing educational and mental health supports for my students. When I step away from work, I enjoy cooking, especially trying out new recipes and ingredients. During my summers I can be found with my husband and two daughters camping, hiking, and supporting all the things my girls enjoy. |
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I am the WSPA Children's Services Committee Chairperson. I went to UW-Whitewater for my Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and for my Masters of Education with an Emphasis in School Psychology. My continuing education has usually been through Viterbo and UW-LaCrosse. I am currently working on my Masters of Educational Leadership through Marian University. My hobbies are spending time with family and friends, going downhill and cross country skiing, bicycling, and traveling. |
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I graduated from University-Wisconsin of Milwaukee and am the school psychologist at Muskego High School for the Muskego-Norway school district. One of my passions is working with students as a mental health provider; so I am excited to join the WSPA board as the chair of the Mental Health committee. I look forward to advocating for access to proper training for my fellow colleagues in order to provide excellent support for our students.
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I have been the SWWSPA Regional Rep since June 2011. I feel it is important to be active in WSPA because it allows school psychologist to be current and aware of the initiatives and policies that impact the children we work with. It is also a great way to interact with other school psychologists and learn what other people are accomplishing in their roles and districts. I been a school psychologist in the Kickapoo School District in Viola, WI since 2010. I enjoy the small, rural school atmosphere because it allows you to get to know all the students, staff, and community members. My husband and I live in Westby, WI with our American Bulldog, King. In my free time, I enjoy swimming, biking, running, and reading. |
| Sara Soleymani-Alizadeh ISPA Chair MASP Regional Representative (414) 393-2803 |
I joined the WSPA board September 2011 as the ISPA representative. I’m Co-chairing this Role. This role allows me to be involved with ISPA which I really enjoy. Meanwhile, it gives me an opportunity to contribute to WSPA as well. This year, along with my role as the ISPA representive, I will represent Milwaukee school psychologists and hopefully increase Milwaukee’s involvement in WSPA. I really believe in WSPA’s dedication to increasing professional development and wanted to take a more active role in that. Farsi is my first language. I’m addicted to traveling and can’t seem to ever save money because of all the trips I take. I’m a pretty serious poker player. No worries, there are no future plans of me quitting school psychology to become a professional poker player. However, so far, I’ve been able to make money playing poker rather than lose… hope that continues. |
| Tammy Stowers-Tonn Convention Planning Committee Chairperson (608)697-2235 stowerst@westfield.k12.wi.us |
I’ve been a practicing school psychologist since 1991 for CESA 5. In 2009, I received my Director of Pupil Services license, and have been serving in a dual role as a Director and School Psychologist since that time. I enjoy mentoring and providing supervision to School Psychologists participating in their internship year. The wealth of information, and genuine excitement they bring to the field is refreshing. I also coordinate school psychologist networking meetings for the districts within the CESA 5 areas. Topics for these meetings focus on current issues affecting our overall roles in the districts. I was welcomed onto the board as Convention Chair for WSPA in 2017. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family playing board games, going to movies and relaxing by the pool. I also enjoy traveling, kayaking, hiking with friends. |
| Kristi Thoreson, M.S. Ed., Ed. S. PINES Rep (715)490-8333 ktthoreson33@gmail.com |
I have been a school psychologist since 2002. Currently I’m working at North Lakeland Elementary, a unique pre-K through 8th grade school that is literally in the middle of the woods of the Northwoods. Additionally I’m a member of the psychology faculty at Nicolet College in Rhinelander. I’ve filled three different school psychologist roles on a very limited basis over the last three years in the Northwoods due to school psychologist shortages. I’m interested in advocacy for school psychologists and in networking school psychologists in rural areas. When not doing something with the word psychology in it, I like to be out on the lake with my family. |
| Jennifer Vogelsberg Public Relations Co-Chair (608) 582-3500 ext. 2311 Jennifervogelsberg@getschools.k12.wi.us |
I am a School Psychologist in the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District in Galesville, Wisconsin. I’ve been a practicing school psychologist since 2010. I am excited for the opportunity that the PR role has to offer in promoting our profession and increasing collaboration amongst school psychologists across the State so that we are able to share ideas and resources and grow professionally together. I am very passionate about mental health and trauma-related work. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, traveling, being outdoors, and all things music. |
Jayme Vought |
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Hi, my name is Chris Weins. I am the Regional Rep from the Suburban area. Entering this school year, I have been a school psychologist for the School District of Cudahy (just south of Mil-waukee) since 2005. I'm a graduate of the UW-Whitewater School Psychology program. My current interests in the field are focused on systems change and the implementation of interventions within a MLSS. Outside of work my wife and I have three boys. |
VACANT: Lake to Lake Region
wspamanager@gmail.com
WSPA Manager-Don Juve
Onalaska, WI 54650