Board Members
For over three decades, Everyone Reading Illinois has endeavored to improve the lives of those struggling with dyslexia and related disabilities. Dedicated volunteers serve on our Executive Board & Board of Directors, bringing a wealth of background knowledge and passion for our mission. In addition to planning our conferences and workshops, Everyone Reading Illinois board members sponsor panel discussions about dyslexia, provide a simulation experience of what it feels like to learn differently, give presentations to community groups, provide professional development training to schools, maintain an extensive referral list of professional tutors and diagnosticians, advocate for legislative change, and plan the fundraising efforts needed to support these efforts.
Executive Board
Jessica Douglas, Past-president
Jessica has served on the board for 8 years and is currently chair of the fall conference committee. She holds an MS in Educational Psychology, an Ed.S. in School Psychology, and an Ed.D. in Human Learning and Development. She worked as a school psychologist in a suburban school district for 7 years and has been in private practice for 8 years.
Tom parton, PRESIDENT
Tom is a Speech Language Pathologist at MarcFirst Pediatric Clinic in Normal, Illinois.Tom has presented on autism and language/literacy topics at local, state, and national conferences. Tom is on ERI’s Legislative and Spring Conference Committees. Tom participated in the ISBE Reading Instruction Advisory Group and Teachers of Reading Certification task forces. He is past-president of the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association. He retired after 35 years of public school practice.
Shira Raviv Schwartz, Vice-President
Shira is a self-employed Educational Advocate who supports students and families with IEP/504 plans. She coordinates the North Shore Dyslexia Awareness Group and is a former teacher at Lake Forest Country Day School and Anshe Emet Day School. She is a SLANT certified Reading Specialist and parent to a son with dyslexia.
Alison Lambert, Treasurer
Alison has an earlier background in marketing and advertising, with her second career in teaching. When her son was diagnosed with profound dyslexia years ago, Alison went back to school to learn how to best support him. Being passionate about literacy, Alison decided to become a dyslexia therapist in order to better help her son and others like him achieve literacy. She has since gained an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction for Language-Based Learning Disabilities, for which she received the Distinguished Scholar award for placing first in her graduating class. Alison is certified in Wilson Level 2 (as a dyslexia therapist), has completed LETRS, and has trained with LiPS, Visualizing & Verbalizing, Structured Word Inquiry, Multi-sensory Math through ASDEC, and several structured writing programs including Institute for Excellence in Writing. She is completing a Dyslexia Advocacy Certificate, and is ALTA and CERI certified.
Lauren El-mofty, SECRETARY
Lauren is the Director of Student Services at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago. Lauren has spent her career in the field of special education. She has served as a special education teacher and inclusion consultant in the Chicago suburbs, as an independent consultant, and as a teacher, case manager, and school-level special education administrator in the city of Chicago. Lauren received an undergraduate degree in special education from Indiana University and a graduate degree in school administration from UIC.
Board of Directors
Tricia Dolan-Oerke is a working mother of four children that attend school at various levels in Deerfield and receive special education assistance; two of whom are diagnosed with dyslexia. When she’s not home with her family, she is caring for animals and pet parents as a Veterinary Practice Manager at the Animal Hospital of West Lake Forest.
Kait Feriante is a certified Learning Behavior Specialist and Dyslexia Practitioner who is passionate about seeing ALL students, regardless of age, geographical location or socio-economic background learn how to read and write, equipping them to reach and show off their full potential. She has worked in a variety of public, charter, and private school settings for over a decade and has supported diverse learners ages 5-55 in their literacy and self-advocacy journeys. Kait founded Redwood Literacy with the intention of a 50/50 model, using 50% of their services to fund the opportunity for 50% of Redwood’s students impacted by Redwood to receive services for free. Kait also consults with start-up organizations and educational institutions to advise on incorporating groundbreaking structured literacy intervention into classrooms and presenting on Redwood’s 1:5 curriculum that teaches students, parents, and teachers to navigate the unique journey of dyslexia learning
Heather Johnson is the parent of a child with dyslexia, and learned first hand the process of advocating for appropriate services. She has also met with legislators in Springfield regarding the importance of early identification and structured literacy in schools.
Suzanne Knoelk is a Certified Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Interventionist, and Certified Academic Language Practitioner. She has dedicated the past 17 years to the field of education in roles including second grade classroom teacher, tutor, Reading Specialist, Adjunct Professor, and currently District Wide Reading Specialist in Plainfield School District 202. In addition to her current position in Plainfield, Sue developed and teaches courses on dyslexia-related topics at AccesstheWord.com. She is former Vice President of the ALTA Illinois Chapter, and is working on certification as a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She has been a featured speaker for parent support groups and the Illinois Reading Council. Sue has also served on ISBE committees, as a university accreditation review team member for the International Dyslexia Association, and holds a certification as an Instructional Coach from the Chicago Coaching Center. The University of St. Francis is her Alma Mater where she earned a Master of Science degree in Reading.
Kweku Obed, CFA, CAIA, is a Managing Partner and investment consultant with Marquette Associates, Inc. He is the author of The Stranded Fish: Decision-Making Through the Lens of a Fiduciary, and is an advocate for education and educational initiatives. He is the parent of a child with dyslexia.
Diana Orseske has worked in education for 16 years at a school district in the western suburbs. She spent the first two years as a reading paraprofessional working with children in kindergarten through second grade and since then she has been teaching kindergarten. She has served as a grade level representative and is currently on the reading assessment committee for the district. During her time teaching kindergarten, Diana received her Reading Specialist endorsement from Lewis University. She is currently working on becoming a Certified Academic Language Therapist through the Academic Language Therapist Association. She has tutored students from first grade through high school and recently started a dyslexia tutoring business, Finish Line Tutoring, in the southwest suburbs.
Jennifer Zvi has a Doctorate in Learning Disabilities from Northwestern University and a Post Doctorate in Neuropsychology from UCLA. She was a Learning Disability specialist at California State University, Northridge, working in the Disabled Students Office for 25 years and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Lewis University. She is a Past Co-President of Everyone Reading Illinois.
Kellyn Sirach is a reading specialist in Champaign, Illinois. She is currently working toward her Certified Academic Language Therapy (CALT) certification and is a 22-23 Teach Plus Policy Fellow working on literacy policy in the state of Illinois. She is co-founder of Camp Monarch - Evolving with Dyslexia, Champaign-Urbana's first ever summer camp for students with dyslexia and reading disabilities. In 2016, Kellyn was awarded the 30-Under-30 award from the International Literacy Association. Kellyn is passionate about providing resources and professional development to school districts, teachers, and families to ensure that every single child has the access to learn how to read.
Tara Chapman is seeking her first term. Tara has taught public and private education students for over 35 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction Reading, and an American Montessori Society Elementary I Credential. Tara is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and a Qualified Instructor (QI) through the Academic Language Therapy Association. She is the Founder and Executive Director of The Written Word Center for Dyslexia and Learning, a dyslexia-focused Center in DuPage County. Tara provides Dyslexia Therapy training in Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia, BUILD A K-1 Early Reading Intervention, Rite Flight: A Classroom Reading Rate Program, and Rite Flight: A Classroom Comprehension Program. She has also developed and taught courses in structured literacy for classroom teachers and seminars specifically designed for parents. Tara is serving her second term as the ALTA Illinois Chapter President, an organization she helped establish in 2018.
Lauren Pisick is a parent of twin daughters who have global developmental delays and dyslexia. She is intimately familiar with the challenging path parents navigate to secure appropriate services for their children and address complex learning needs. Lauren earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan, has a law degree from Harvard Law School and is currently a Senior Vice President at Bank of America Private Bank.
Melissa Hostetter is in her 8th year of teaching and currently teaches fifth grade in Springfield District 186. She has a Master’s in Education and is also a Level I Certified Dyslexia Practitioner. Trained in Orton-Gillingham, Melissa tutors at the Children's Dyslexia Center of Springfield. She is also a member of the Dyslexia Task Force in Springfield District 186. Melissa is passionate about improving teacher knowledge around structured literacy and dyslexia.
Mitch Singer is the Assistant Director of Special Education for Northbrook School District #27. Mitch has dedicated the past 20 years of his educational career to working with diverse learners in special education. As part of his responsibilities, Mitch oversees his school district’s Child Find obligations, manages progress monitoring and school interventions and serves as a case manager for students with 504 plans. Over his career, Mitch has taught in various educational placements, including therapeutic day schools, self-contained classrooms, and resource classroom settings. Mitch received his Master’s degree in special education and educational leadership with a special education director endorsement from Northeastern Illinois University.
Dr. Kimberly Melton Lechner is a School Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with Kids First Collaborative, PLLC. Kim spent 15 years working in public schools on behalf of children and their families as a behavior intervention specialist, school psychologist, and assistant director of special education. During her tenure, Kim twice received the Those Who Excel Award in the team category from the Illinois State Board of Education. Additionally, she was honored to receive the Crystal Apple, Champion for Children Award for her work as a student services administrator. Kim founded Kids First Collaborative, a private practice in Wheaton, in 2018. As part of her role at Kids First, Kim supervises a team of school psychologists and clinical therapists who provide psychoeducational evaluations, clinical counseling, and special education consultation services. She also provides evaluations and professional development for school districts. Kim is passionate about supporting families and educators in data-driven and student-focused problem-solving around academic and social emotional needs. She has a special interest in reading and enjoys collaborating with other specialists to bridge the practice gap between high quality assessment and effective intervention.