About Us
Learn all about the CDS.
CDS Development Teams
University of Minnesota
Institute on Community Integration
Charlie Lakin
Charlie is the director of the Research and Training Center at the University of Minnesota and director of the College of Direct Support project. He has more than 30 years experience in services to individuals with ID/DD as a teacher, researcher, consultant and advocate. He has directed numerous research and training projects and has (co)authored over 200 publications based on that work. He frequently consults with state, federal and international agencies in matters of policy, research and evaluation. Among recognitions afforded Charlie are appointments by President Clinton to the President's Committee on Mental Retardation, the American Association on Mental Retardation's Dybwad Humanitarian Award and the University of Minnesota's Outstanding Community Service Award.
Amy Hewitt
Ms. Hewitt has an extensive background and work history in the field of developmental disabilities and has worked in various positions over the past 23 years including as a residential Program Director and Director of Training. She is currently a Research Associate at the University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration where she directs several federal and state research, evaluation and demonstration projects in the area of direct support staff workforce development and community services for people with disabilities. Ms. Hewitt is a national leader in the area of workforce development and community supports to individuals with developmental disabilities.
Current projects include the College of Direct Support a national training curriculum development project that currently offers training to 100,000+ direct support professionals throughout the United States; Mobilizing for Change - an Administration on Developmental Disabilities field initiated project to develop on-line training curriculum for frontline supervisors (College of Frontline Supervision); Removing the Revolving Door: A Research Based Technique to Resolve the Staffing Crisis in Community Supports to People with Disabilities a national project to develop and implement a train the train technical assistance model in five states to teach others how to effectively work with organizations to reduce turnover and vacancy rates of their direct support employees; and, Kansans Mobilizing for Workforce Change a systems change project in the state of Kansas designed to improve retention and recruitment of DSPs in community human service organizations.
Ms. Hewitt has authored and co-authored many curriculum, journal articles and manuscripts. A book she co-authored entitled, Staff Recruitment, Retention and Training, will be published by Brookes publishing in the Fall 2004. She is a managing editor of Frontline Initiative a national newsletter for DSPs; a contributing editor for LINKS a newsletter of ANCOR and guest editor of Mental Retardation a journal of the AAMR. She is currently a Board member for the Arc Hennepin-Carver and Friendship Ventures. She is a founding member and past Co-Chair of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals and a past Board member of the National AAMR.
Kristin Dean
Kristin has a master's degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Indiana University and has more than 12 years of experience in working with people with disabilities in a variety of settings. In her position with the University of Minnesota, she is using those skills to develop multimedia, web based interactive learning exercises for the College of Direct Support and the College of Frontline Supervision.
John Sauer
John is a Project Coordinator at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) and is intensely involved, as a guardian and advocate, in the life of his sister who has mental retardation. His experience in supporting his sister to move from an institution where she had lived for most of her life to a community supported living program and his efforts to ensure that she receives person-centered supports has given him critical insight into the need for a competent and stable Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce. He has 35 years of experience working in human services as a social worker, policy/program developer, administrator, educator, human resource development manager, trainer, and organizational change consultant.
Mr. Sauer has been employed at ICI for the past 10 years. He has organized and coordinated a statewide taskforce in Minnesota to address direct support workforce issues. In addition, he has developed and supported a pre-service training program for DSPs in Minnesota's community and technical colleges and helped create a Frontline Supervisor specialization track for this educational program. He has co-developed a national online, competency-based, interactive, multimedia curriculum for direct support professionals and frontline supervisors. Mr. Sauer has authored and co-authored several curricula, articles and book chapters. He is a consultant, speaker, and workshop facilitator on many topics related to workforce development and community supports to people with Developmental Disabilities.
Nancy McCulloh
Nancy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education and a Master of Science degree in Information Media - Human Resource Development and Training at St. Cloud State University. She has over 30 years of experience providing quality services to people with disabilities in both community residential and vocational settings. She is member of ARRM, ASTD, ISPI, NADSP and shares her talents as a board member for Friendship Ventures, an organization devoted to meeting recreational and leisure needs for individuals with disabilities through camping and travel experiences. She is a parent and strong advocate of a son with developmental disabilities. As a Project Coordinator for the Institute on Community Integration's Research and Training Center for Community Living she is responsible for developing curriculum for computer and web based training projects. She is responsible for editing the National Alliance of Direct Support Professional's (NADSP) publication, Frontline Initiative.
Traci Laliberte
Traci LaLiberte has worked in the fields of child welfare and developmental disabilities for the past 18 years. She has extensive supervisory experience in child protection and has developed curriculum and facilitated training at local, state and national levels on topics related to child welfare and disabilities. Traci has worked on numerous large scale research and training projects through the University of Minnesota. Most recently she has collaborated on a series of research studies and training curriculum related to the intersection of the child welfare and disability fields. Traci is the Director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare and is affiliated with the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota.
Sheryl Larson
Sheryl A. Larson, Ph.D. is a Research Associate in the Research and Training Center on Community Living/Institute on Community Integration. Ms. Larson earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She has more than 20 years of experience in services to persons with DD as a residential counselor, behavior analyst, social worker, and program evaluator and has worked for the RTC for the last 17 years. Dr. Larson directs projects involving survey and intervention research, secondary analysis of large data sets and research synthesis on topics such as residential services, personnel issues, disability statistics (including analyses of the Minimum Data Set and the National Health Interview Survey on Disability) and community integration for persons with developmental disabilities. She has co-authored several book chapters, journal articles and technical reports on these topics. Dr. Larson is currently a consulting editor of Mental Retardation, a guest editor for several other professional journals and has participated in NIDRR grant review panels. She has provided extensive technical assistance and leadership on the local governmental level, and has provided information and other technical assistance at the state and national levels as well. She has made numerous presentations on recruitment and retention strategies to audiences around the United States and Canada.
Susan O'Nell
Susan has 17 years experience in services to people with developmental disabilities as a direct support professional, foster care provider, trainer, curriculum development specialist, multimedia developer, writer, quality analyst, and consultant. Susan has worked at the Institute on Community Integration since 1995, and has served as a project coordinator, project evaluator, and technical assistance consultant on several projects related to the recruitment, retention, and training of direct support professionals and quality service outcomes for people with developmental disabilities.
Jerry Smith
Jerry Smith is a filmmaker and media producer specializing in documentary and educational programs. He has worked in the field of developmental disabilities for the past 15 years, creating user-friendly, multimedia curricula and strategic communications for self-advocates, community activists, and their allies. He has produced over 60 film, video, and multimedia programs for broadcast, tape, DVD, and web delivery. Acknowledgements include screenings and awards at dozens of domestic and international film & video festivals. Jerry is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
Lori Sedlezky
Lori Sedlezky is the latest addition to the staff at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration. She will be working with the ICI and the College of Direct Support in a leadership role as CDS moves into the aging market, authoring CDS courses and supervising the ICI’s Graduate students. She has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Minnesota and has previously worked at ICI in both early intervention and adult and community services. She was a lead author in the Department of Labor curriculum (Removing the Revolving Door, Supporting an Immigrant Workforce and Peer Empowerment) and has already authored two CDS courses – Personal Support and Home Living Skills. Lori worked at Arc Greater Twin Cities for the past many years where she served in several leadership roles. Her most recent role was in developing, piloting and implementing a new and important program for individuals and families, called the Lifetime Assistance Program.
Marijo W. McBride
Marijo W. McBride, L.S.W., M.Ed., has been involved, on a personal and professional level, in disability issues throughout her life. She coordinates a number of activities at the Institute on Community Integration that includes:
teaching, coordinating the Certificate in Disability Policy and Services, and delivering the Pediatric Rotation in Developmental Disabilities. She has developed and delivered workshops and trainings for parents, consumers and professionals in the areas of self-determination, self-advocacy, person-centered thinking and planning. She has consulted to state, national and international agencies on those topics. Her credits include numerous presentations and publications.
Pam Stenhjem
Pam Stenhjem, MS, has worked in the disability field for 18 years and has been at the Institute on Community Integration for almost 15 years. Pam has directed and implemented a broad array of federal and state grant projects focused on improving outcomes for young adults with disabilities as they make the transition from high school to adult life. Pam has worked directly with young adults and families, as well as educators, community service providers, business partners, and others involved in collaborative initiatives to produce systems change. She has worked at the local, regional, state, and national levels conducting research that includes providing technical assistance to direct service professionals and educators, developing resources, implementing trainings and workshops, collecting data, and developing and implementing evaluations. Topics of professional interest include the overrepresentation of youth of color in special education, involvement of youth with disabilities in the correctional system, community participation, self-advocacy, service learning, and family involvement in the planning process, leadership, and self-development.
Patricia Salmi
Patricia Salmi, Ph.D., ASID, is a Research Associate at the Research and Training Center, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota where she has worked for seven years on projects related to inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities. She coordinates a national emergency preparedness project for people with disabilities, and is creating a research-based website for self-advocates. In addition to being the parent of an adult son with developmental disabilities, Dr. Salmi has taught in special education and has worked as an interior design professional for over 20 years. She has given many invited lectures at national and international interior design and architecture conferences and has been a guest lecturer for graduate and undergraduate courses.
Connie Burkhart
Connie Burkhart, graphic designer, has worked in higher education settings since 1987. Currently in her work at the Institute on Community Integration, she is responsible for creating and maintaining the visual identity for several ICI projects in both print and electronic formats. Connie has also been the recipient of several awards for her work from the University of Minnesota Communicators Forum: 2002 for poster design; 2003 for e-newsletters and Web design; and 2004 for poster design. Prior to coming to the University of Minnesota in 1997, she worked for North Dakota State University Extension Communication in Fargo, North Dakota. She has a B.S. from North Dakota State University in Interior Design.
Derek Nord
Derek has formally worked in the field of disability services for nearly a decade. In that time, he provided supports to both adults and youth in many different service settings, including community vocational, court ordered residential, and crisis. In addition, he has taken on many different organizational roles, including direct support, supervisory, and training. Currently, Derek is a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration (ICI). There, he works on a variety of projects related to the direct service workforce including authoring and editing courses for and conducting a national evaluation of the College of Direct Support. Derek is also a student at the University of Minnesota, where he is studying for a Ph.D. in Education Policy.
Nathan Perry
Nathan Perry is a Self Advocate and works for the Institute on Community Integration where he is involved with developing databases, maintaining web site links and collecting data for the College of Direct Support. He is also participating in the Alliance for Full Participation. He is working with Advocating Change Together’s “Remembering with Dignity” campaign. He also is on the board of Advocating Change Together “ACT” and the Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota.
Knoxville Team
Bill Tapp
Bill Tapp is the National Director for the College of Direct Support and is also its founder and its biggest cheerleader.
During his nine years as Director of Development and Director of the MyLife Foundation for the Sertoma Center in Knoxville, TN., he came to the realization of the need to create a mechanism for training Direct Care workers and thus was born in his mind and heart the College of Direct Support.
In his CDS position, Bill is responsible for project development, promotion, public awareness and developing team leadership. He is a Trustee for the ANCOR Foundation, a board member for Knoxville's Habitat for Humanity and Kids on the Block. He earned a B.A. in psychology from Tennessee Wesleyan College and an M.A. in educational guidance and counseling from Tennessee Technological University. He and his wife of 32 years, Jeanne, are the parents of two grown sons.
“Without a trained, paid and celebrated workforce in America, our community-based services for individuals with developmental disabilities will continue to struggle. Our focus must be on supporting those who provide critical supports enabling individuals to live the lives they choose,” Bill says. “The CDS provides a proven methodology to build the capacity of the system to provide choice in the lives of those served.”
Jim Hicks
Jim Hicks is Senior Vice President for MC Strategies, where he is responsible for business development within the Southeastern United States, and management of sales staff and client service functions for the region. A corporate officer of the company, Jim also participates in policy development and strategic decision-making. Jim's over 25 years of healthcare experience, including tenure as Senior Vice President for a leading healthcare system, enables him to interact effectively with a variety of decision makers in the healthcare industry to help bring new business opportunities to fruition.
A native and current resident of Knoxville, TN, Jim studied Engineering at the University of Tennessee, where he earned both BSIE and MSE degrees with a specialty in Healthcare.
Prior to joining MC Strategies, Jim was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Baptist Health System in Knoxville, where he managed six operating entities (including two hospitals, a nursing home and a home health agency) with combined budgets of $46 million and over 700 employees.
Previously, as Vice President for Baptist Regional Health Services in Pensacola, FL, Jim was responsible for Corporate Services provided to the system. Jim has also been a Regional Manager for Medicus Systems Corporation, where he directed management consulting services in the Southeast, researched and published a book on total quality management incentives in healthcare and consulted for numerous hospitals
A Professional Engineer (PE), Jim is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, American Institute of Industrial Engineers, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and Healthcare Financial Management Association. In addition, he serves as an Adjunct Instructor for the Masters of Hospital Administration Graduate Program for the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL.
Donna Kosak
Donna is the CDS Program Administrator/Client Support and many people are familiar with her voice. She has more than 10 years of experience working with people with disabilities in various settings. She was one of the principle persons involved in the initial start-up and development of the College of Direct Support curriculum while working at the Sertoma Center in Knoxville, TN.
Donna has been with MC Strategies, Inc. since 2003. She has been the person responsible for doing quality checks of all new content prior to publication to the web since 2003. She is responsible for coordination of all CDS content development projects between the content authors, media developers, content deployment specialists, and applications staff. She also schedules and implements new clients, in addition to conducting onsite seminars regarding CDS implementation best practices, features and advanced functions.
Annie Woodruff
Annie Woodruff is the Contract Administrator/Client Support staff member for the CDS. She has more than 25 years experience working in IT and client support with various companies, Tuscarora Township, a Michigan state governmental entity, and the Knox County School System.
She has been with MC Strategies for almost five years working with contracts and client support. She is responsible for developing client contracts on a state, agency, and individual level, initiation of new client set-ups, scheduling and implementation of new clients, in addition to conducting onsite seminars regarding CDS implementation best practices, features and advanced functions.
Annie will assist Donna Kosak in the coordination of all content changes and deployments and help to ensure all CDS administrators are kept abreast of any changes that affect their use of CDS.
Tom Minter
With Elsevier MC Strategies, Inc. since 1998, Minter has edited and/or written many online healthcare courses for the company. Since the inception of the College of Direct Support in 2002, he has performed final edits of all of the University of Minnesota’s online courses for the College and supplied narration for some of the courses.
Prior to joining MC Strategies, Inc., he worked with Video Interaction as a writer and video script developer, producing over 100 interactive training videos for Levi Strauss and Company. Previously he had produced multi-image programs for Knoxville, Tennessee area institutional clients and served several years as a commercial photographer.
With communications experience spanning 40 years, Minter has written grant proposals, case presentations, promotional materials, support documents, and video scripts for diverse organizations, including the Department of Energy.
Tom Carpenter
Tom Carpenter joined MC Strategies in January of 1997 as Director of Media Development to provide support to the Content Development and Marketing departments of the company from the Knoxville, TN office. In nearly 10 years with MCS major projects include media for College of Direct Support curriculum, production of the American Hospital Association Coding for ICD-9-CM video training series and recording and processing HFMA web-teleconferences for CFOs which are incorporated as MCS WebInservice training lessons.
Prior to joining MC Strategies, Tom was president of Video Interaction LLC, a national company providing complex technical interactive video training materials to the sewn products and apparel industries. In those 15 years major clients developed and nurtured included Levi Strauss & Co and Sara Lee Inc.
Tom King
Tom is the Communications Director for CDS and handles all publications, media relations and internal and external communications. He is the editor of the CDS newsletter, “Connections@CDS,” and developed and updates the content for our website.
He joined MC Strategies/Elsevier and the CDS on a full-time basis in March 2006 and prior to that did consulting work for the company. Prior to coming on board, he was media relations director for Akins/Crisp, a public relations firm, and spent 34 years in the newspaper business, 29 with Scripps Howard. He was the editor of two Scripps Howard newspapers in El Paso, TX., and Redding, CA.
He previously served on the board of directors for the Sertoma Center and its MyLife Foundation and currently is a board member of the Cerebral Palsy Center of Knoxville.
You may contact him at tking@collegeofdirectsupport.com for story ideas and comments. We appreciate your input.
Michelle Kael
The newest member of the College of Direct Support team is Michelle Kael. Her focus is on customer support, working closely with Donna Kosak and Annie Woodruff on implementations and assisting clients. Michelle is a graduate of Tulane University and is very close to earning her Masters in Education from Lincoln Memorial University. Michelle is a former school teacher and has done marketing and promotional work as well.
Atlanta Team
Kevin Finnegan
As Chief Information Officer, Kevin is responsible for all systems development. He also manages hardware and networking systems within the company. Before joining MC Strategies, Kevin was a software designer with Advanced Design Solutions, Inc. Prior to working with ADS, Kevin was a member of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB. At Edwards, he managed the development of computer-based training for missile systems personnel.
Kevin has an A.S. in Missile Systems and an A.A. from Cerro Coso College. He is also a graduate of the Air Force University's Education Development Program.
Donna Hawk
Donna Hawk is the Application Integration Manager for the company and works on a variety of projects, including the College of Direct Support. In her role she manages the five-person Help Desk team and the six-person Applications team. She has been with MC Strategies for 17 years and began as a receptionist. Her team is responsible for all human resource data downloads and also maintains the current computer delivery platform systems for all of the company’s clients.
Pride Hawkins
Pride Hawkins is MC Strategies’ Database Administrator and has been with the company for two years. He manages all of the company’s client and internal databases, and provides reporting and explanations on why the databases do what they do. He manages all of the databases for the College of Direct Support. Pride has a degree in Computer Science from LaGrange College. Prior to joining MCS, he was head of IT services for LaGrange College’s Development office.
Jordan Berkow
In October 2007 Jordan was promoted to the position of Multimedia Manager for E-Learning Content for MC Strategies. He has been on its Content Development team since May of 2004. In September of 2006 he accepted the position of Assistant Manager of Content Development and has been managing the development process of MCS, College of Direct Support, and USA Prepare projects. Jordan's educational background is in Information Technology. He received his Bachelor's of Information Technology with an emphasis in Ecommerce/Database Design in May of 2005 from Clayton State University.
