Staff Contacts - Office of Special Education

COVID-19 and Special Education

View information for educators and parents to support students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 resources for special education

Assistance for Parents

Parents with questions or needing assistance can contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit.

Special Education

Questions about Special Education or needing assistance please contact the Office of Special Education at:

Phone: 303-866-6757
Email: Parents_ESSUquestions@cde.state.co.us

Young Children (Birth to age 5) or Preschool

Questions about young children (birth to age 5) or Preschool Special Education please contact the Preschool Team:

Phone: 303-501-0837
Email: White_H@cde.state.co.us

Preschool Special Education and Child Find Contacts

Gifted Education

Questions about Gifted Education, please contact Gifted Education Team:

Phone: 303-866-6652
Email: McKinney_R@cde.state.co.us

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Executive Director & Administrative Assistant

Access, Learning and Literacy (ALL Team)

ESSU Fiscal Systems

General Supervision and Monitoring

Professional Learning and Strategic Partnerships

TTY (Deaf & Hard of Hearing) and State Special Education Directors

This list provides the areas of responsibility for the Office of Special Education staff as well as the offices listed below as part of the Exceptional Student Services Unit. ESSU Responsibility List.

Staff contacts for other ESSU offices:

Executive Director & Administrative Assistant

Paul Foster, Ed.D., Executive Director
Email Dr. Paul Foster
303-866-6694

Suzy Shotts, Administrative Assistant
Email Suzy Shotts
303-866-6124

All Team

Tanni Anthony, Director / Blind/Visually Impaired and Deaf-Blind Specialist
Email Tanni Anthony, 303-866-6681

Roberta Curtis
Admin III
Email Roberta Curtis
303-866-6833

Steve Dyer
Admin III
Email Steven Dyer
303-866-6414

Amanda Nieser
Admin III
Email Amanda Nieser
303-866-6121

Janet Zimmerman
Admin III
Email Janet Zimmerman
303-866-6644

Tami Cassel
Supervisor / Speech Language Pathologist Specialist
Email Tami Cassel
303-866-6114

Veronica Fiedler
Specific Learning Disability Specialist
Email Veronica Fiedler
303-866-6863

Heather Hotchkiss
Brain Injury Specialist
Email Heather Hotchkiss
303-866-6739

Amanda Timmerman
E-Learning Specialist
Email Amanda Timmerman
303-866-6969

Kathy Wheatley
E-Learning Specialist
Email Kathy Wheatley
303-866-6986

Gina Hererra
Supervisor / SSN and Deaf-Blind Specialist
Email Gina Herrera
303-866-6605

Bill Brown
Affective Needs / Serious Emotional Disability Specialist
Email Bill Brown
303-866-6712

Krista Klabo
School Psychology and Special Education Evaluation Specialist
Email Krista Klabo
720-284-2524

Gail Lott
Secondary Transition Specialist
Email Gail Lott
303-866-6721

Katie Oliver
Inter-agency Transition Liaison
Email Katie Oliver
303-866-6701

Vacant
APE / OT / PT Consultant
Email Gina Herrera
303-866-6605

Ellen Hunter
Supervisor / Literacy Specialist
Email Ellen Hunter
303-866-6244

Shauna Moden
Supervisor / Deaf Education Specialist
Email Shauna Moden
303-866-6707

Brooke Carson
Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist
Email Brooke Carson
303-866-6691

Vacant
English Learners With Disabilities Specialist
Email Shauna Moden
303-866-6707

ESSU Fiscal Systems

Vicki Graham, Supervisor, ESSU Fiscal Systems
Email Vicki Graham, 303-866-6442

Kim Boylan
Project Support Specialist
Email Kim Boylan
303-866-6690

Lauren Rossini
Special Education Licensing and Reporting
Email Lauren Rossini
303-866-6688

Lisa Schmit
ESSU Accounting Technician
Email Lisa Schmit
303-866-6176

Vacant
Receptionist
303-866-6694

General Supervision and Monitoring

Candace Hawkins, Director, General Supervision and Monitoring
Email Candace Hawkins, 303-866-6213

Jennifer Woods
Dispute Resolution Coordinator
Email Jennifer Woods
303-866-6889

Moira Blake
Fiscal Specialist
Email Moira Blake
303-866-6639

Mary Anne Fleury
Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist
Email Mary Anne Fleury
303-866-6649

Brandon Edelman
Supervisor, Dispute Resolution
Email Brandon Edelman
303-866-6876

Ashley Schubert
State Complaint Officer
Email Ashley Schubert
303-866-6311

Ross Meyers
State Complaint Officer
Email Ross Meyers
303-866-3801

Rachel Dore
State Complaint Officer
Email Lindsey Watson
303-866-6619

Cici Lyman
Program Support
Email CiCi Lyman
303-866-4797

Vacant
Supervisor, Data and IDEA Accountability
Email TBD
303-866-6976

Orla Bolger
Data and IDEA Accountability Specialists
Email Orla Bolger
303-866-6896

Melissa Chaffin
Online IEP and DMS Project Coordinator
Email Melissa Chaffin
303-866-6819

Gloria Durosko
Data and General Supervision Liaison
Email Gloria Durosko
303-866-6885

Alyssa Ohleyer
Accountability Specialist
Email Alyssa Ohleyer
303-866-6308

Kerry Whitmore
Supervisor, General Supervision and Monitoring
Email Kerry Whitmore
303-866-6604

Vacant
DMS/State IEP Specialist
Email Kerry Whitmore
303-866-6604

Vacant
RDA Specialist
Email Kerry Whitmore

Becky O’Malley
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email Becky O'Malley
303-866-6109

Cindy Petersen
Program Support
Email Cindy Petersen
303-866-6106

Megan Tannozzini
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email Megan Tannozzini
303-866-6812

Nick Smosna
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email Nick Smosna
303-866-4640

David Ramer
Program Support
Email David Ramer
303-866-6943

Joyce Thiessen-Barrett
Family School and Community Partnering Specialist
Email Joyce Thiessen-Barrett
303-866-6757

Pahmela Mendoza
Family School Program Specialist
Email Pahmela Mendoza
303-866-6771

TTY (Deaf & Hard of Hearing)

Call 303-860-7060

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