The Illinois Center for Transition and Work has six Regional Boards that span the state of Illinois. Each board is composed of leaders in transition from school-to-work. Included among these leaders are teachers, administrators, rehabilitation counselors, and other transition professionals with specialized expertise in preparing students with disabilities for work.
ICTW Regional Board members serve as a think tank to solve regional school-to-work challenges. In this role, they assist ICTW with developing practical school-to-work resources that meet regional needs and inform practices across Illinois. They also disseminate information within their region about effective school-to-work practices and gather ideas from the field to inform priorities within the board and ICTW.
2024 Regional Board Members
Region 1A (Northeast)
County: Cook
Patrick Abraham, District Transition Services Coordinator, Township High School District 211
Claire Getzoff, Special Education Teacher, Evanston Township High School
Melissa Hammer, Transition Specialist, Riverside-Brookfield District #208
Aby Karottu, Special Education Teacher, Niles Township High School District 219
Samantha Rosell, Transition Specialist, Thornton Fractional District 215
Malisha Webber, Rehabilitation Services Supervisor, Division of Rehabilitation Services
Jessica Sipovic, ICTW Training Specialist
Region 1B (Northeast)
Counties: DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will
Betty Augustine, Vocational Coordinator, Oswego Community Unit School District 308
Michelle Bank, Transition Coordinator, D120 Transition Center – Mundelein High School
Taryn Chrapkowski, Transition Specialist, Hinsdale District 86
Dede Gill, Assistant Superintendent for Special Services, Huntley Community School District 158
Pam Schweitzer, Pre-Vocational Coordinator/DRS STEP Coordinator, PASEC
Denise Zartmann, Special Education Transition Teacher, Aurora East D131
Jessica Siopovic, ICTW Training Specialist
Region 2 (Northwest)
Counties: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Henry, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lee, Marshall, Ogle, Putnam, Stark, Stephenson, Rock Island, Whiteside, Winnebago
Kim Johnson, Special Education Program Coordinator, Henry-Stark SPED District 801
Lori Kitner, Assistant Bureau Chief of Region 2, Division of Rehabilitation Services
Jeff Kulpa, Transition Teacher, Lighted Way Children’s Development Center
Katie Morford, Transition Specialist, Black Hawk SPED District
Mallory Ploch, Executive Director of Special Education, BMP Tri-County SPED Co-op
Kim Ramsby, Special Education Supervisor, Belvidere District 100
Jessica Strouss, Life Skills & Transition Teacher, Hall High School District #502
Ravi Wilson, STEP Coordinator, Freeport School District 145
Melanie Phelan, ICTW Training Specialist
Region 3 (West Central)
Counties: Adams, Brown, Cass, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Menard, Mercer, Morgan, Peoria, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Tazewell, Warren, Woodford
Meghan Brake, Youth Services Coordinator, Tazewell-Mason Counties SPED Association
Jill Bruington, CTE Principal, Illinois School for the Deaf
Tristin Duffy, Special Education Teacher, Ball Chatham School District 201
Natashia Myers, Rehabilitation Services Supervisor, Division of Rehabilitation Services
Jennifer Shaw, Director of Special Education, Rochester CUSD 3A
Jane Collins, ICTW Training Specialist
Region 4 (East Central)
Counties: Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, McLean, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby, Vermilion
Lisa Allen, Life Skills Teacher/Coordinator, Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School
Mike Bryant, DRS Counselor and STEP Specialist, Division of Rehabilitation Services
Dawn Duff, Vocational Coordinator, Bloomington District 87
Alex Goudy, Special Education Administrator/STEP Coordinator, Vermilion Area Special Education
Kim Harden, Transition Specialist, Eastern Illinois Area Special Education
Dawn Sheppelman, Vocational Coordinator, Normal Unit 5 Schools
Penny Sylvester, Vocational/Transition Coordinator, Kankakee High School District 111
Jim Mayer, ICTW Training Specialist
Region 5/6 (Southern)
Counties: Alexander, Bond, Calhoun, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Johnson, Lawrence, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, St. Clair, Wabash, Washington, White, Williamson
Stacy Becker-Dwyer, Special Education Teacher, O’Fallon Township High School
Abby Clark, Special Education Coordinator, Kaskaskia Special Education Cooperative
Kimberly Fanning, Youth Services Coordinator, Tri-County Special Education
Ashley Holmes, Rehabilitation Services Supervisor, Division of Rehabilitation Services
Becky Jones, STEP Coordinator, Franklin Jefferson Special Education District #801
Denise Jones, Youth Services Director, Tri-County Special Education (Jackson, Perry, Union)
Nicole Birri, ICTW Training Specialist