Dr. Donna Berghauser is a Florida licensed and Nationally Certified School Psychologist with over a decade of experience working in school and community settings. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University's inaugural doctoral cohort and is an adjunct professor within their school psychology program. Donna is a Past President of the Florida Association of School Psychologists (2017-2019) and has held several roles with the organization since. Her professional interests include systems change, training and supervision, and culturally sensitive assessment and intervention. In her leisure, she enjoys traveling, visiting local coffee shops, and hanging with her fluffy dog‚ Cosmo.

Heidi Carico received a BA in Psychology from The University of NC at Wilmington in 2001 and a MA in School Psychology from Western Carolina University in 2005. Upon graduation, she worked with Burke County Public Schools as a school psychologist for 10 years. In 2015 she began work at the NC Department of Public Instruction as a consultant for autism and charter schools. Currently, her main professional role is to support educators across the state in understanding autism and implementing evidence-based practices when working with students with autism.

Co-Presenter: Amanda Passmore, MA
Amanda Passmore holds a B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from S.U.N.Y. Cortland. In 2006 she moved to N.C. and began working as a Special Education teacher in the Randolph County School System. In 2010 she became the Autism Specialist for the school district and began working toward her master's degree. She graduated in 2012 from Pfeiffer University with her M.A. in Special Education. In 2015 Amanda transitioned to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in her current positions as a Consultant for Autism.

Dr. Deni is in his 54th year as a school psychology trainer at Appalachian State University. He has been a member of NCSPA since 1976. During his tenure, he has had the privilege of serving as NCSPA President five times. He is the recipient of the NCSPA Jack Bardon Lifetime Achievement Award, now the Dr Jim Deni Lifetime Achievement Award since 2018. In 2022 he was named the Trainers of School Psychologists' (TSP) Trainer of the Year for his Outstanding Contributions and Service to the field of School Psychology. He is an active researcher and presenter at state and national conferences.

Co-Presenter: Chelsea Chapman, Appalachian State University 
Chelsea graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a B.A. in psychology in May 2021. After working as a research assistant at the UNC Mother Infant Studies Lab for two years, she enrolled in Appalachian State University's Master's & Specialist in School Psychology Program. She is dedicated to improving the lives and well being of students in North Carolina.

Marc Giandenoto is a Lead Psychologist in Wake County Public School System. He has been a school psychologist for 28 years and has been part of the District Crisis Response Teams in Edgecombe County and Wake County since internship. In addition to being a PREPaRE 2 Trainer, he is a district trainer for Nonviolent Crisis Intervention.

Alma Harness is the Lead Psychologist at Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). A former special education teacher, Mrs. Harness has been a school psychologist for 24 years. She is a member of the WCPSS Crisis Collaborative and District Crisis Response Team. She has supported the review of and updated Crisis Response Guidance for Alamance Burlington School System as well as for the Wake County Public School System. In addition to being a PREPaRE 2 Trainer, she is a district trainer for Nonviolent Crisis Intervention and Community Resilience Model.

Sandra (Sandy) Glover Gagnon, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Sandy earned her Ed.S. in School Psychology from The Citadel in 1996 and her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 2001. She worked in the public schools in Georgia and South Carolina for 12 years before joining the faculty at Appalachian State, where she has served as a School Psychology graduate trainer since 2002. Sandy teaches Psychology Applied to Teaching to undergraduates and Functions and Ethics of the School Psychologist, Psychoeducational Assessment for Intervention-II, and Advanced Educational Psychology to school psychology graduate students, and is the fall University Internship Coordinator. Sandy's primary research interests focus on child temperament, adult-child relationships, parenting and teaching stress, and preschool social competence. She also studies bullying and correlates of mental health and coping in college students. Sandy is engaged in ongoing work involving INSIGHTS Into Children's Temperaments, an evidence-based preventive intervention program, with a focus on the feasibility of implementation, cultural relevance of the program in rural schools, and treatment fidelity. Sandy was inducted into the Academy of Outstanding Teachers in 2020 and the Academy of Outstanding Graduate Mentors in 2010.

Co-Presenters: Mollie Bollinger, Mary Margaret Watson, Hannah Macomson, MA, SSP

Jaime Harris is an award-winning school psychologist and the Co-Founder of NextPath Education, where she leads the development of innovative software solutions designed to meet the needs of schools and educators. With over 15 years of experience in education and data-driven intervention, Jaime has a passion for creating tools that empower educators to capture both qualitative and quantitative data seamlessly, driving student success.

Prior to co-founding NextPath, Jaime was instrumental in the growth of a leading data management platform, which she co-created to help over 230 school districts across 15 states. As Vice President at a prominent education technology company, she supported the development of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) tools and led product management for various data-driven platforms. Her career as a school psychologist spans over a decade, during which she has spearheaded initiatives in data-informed decision-making, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and Response to Intervention (RTI).

Jaime’s work has consistently focused on using technology to streamline workflows for educators, ensuring they have more time for meaningful student interventions. Her presentations draw from this extensive experience, offering practical, time-saving strategies for school psychologists to make data-driven decisions that unlock student potential across academics, behavior, attendance, and social-emotional learning.

Jaime holds a deep belief in the power of partnership with educators and is dedicated to improving systems that give school professionals the tools they need to thrive.

Jennie Hyde, Phd earned a Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology from North Carolina State University and a Master of Arts and Specialist Degree in School Psychology from Appalachian State University. Jennie currently serves as the Lead School Psychologist for Wake County Schools where she serves as the district coordinator for a cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention\ program. Her teaching experience includes serving as an adjunct instructor at North Carolina State University where she taught courses in applied behavioral analysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and school-based consultation. Jennie is actively involved and has served various roles with the North Carolina School Psychology Association (NCSPA), including co-chairing the Fall Conference Committee and participating in the Equity Committee.

Co-Presenters: Brianna Fancy, MA, SSP

Dr. JP Jameson is the Executive Director for CALM America, a Professor of Psychology at Appalachian State University, and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in North Carolina. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, completed a predoctoral internship at the Salem VA Medical Center, and completed a post-doctoral residency at the Baylor College of Medicine and Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas. His research and clinical interests focus on the prevention of suicide through means safety interventions. Additionally, he is involved in numerous community-based research projects both locally and regionally that focus on suicide prevention in school settings. Dr. Jameson is also an avid outdoorsman, a firearms enthusiast, and an NRA-certified Range Safety Officer.

Rebby Kern has dedicated over a decade to advocating for education policies that foster inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ youth, educators, and families. Based in Charlotte, NC, Rebby has profoundly influenced roles such as the Education Policy Director at Equality North Carolina and as an Expert Trainer for the HRC Foundation's Welcoming Schools Program. Their expertise in education policy elevates underrepresented youth and families, with a focus on intersections of race, disability, and LGBTQ+ identities. Rebby ardently challenges systemic oppression through community education and organizing, impacting sectors from tech giants like Google to local yoga studios. As a Race and Gender Justice Educator, Rebby cultivates spaces for critical reflection and transformative learning, guiding participants from passive allyship to active solidarity.Their commitment to social justice also shines through their volunteer work, particularly as Board Chair for Youth OUTright, where they spearhead strategic planning and community engagement initiatives. Recognized for their impactful contributions, Rebby has received accolades including the Carolinas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Impact Award and the Charlotte Pride Young Catalyst Award.As a powerful voice in both local and national arenas, Rebby Kern is a relentless advocate for creating safer and more affirming spaces, ensuring that every environment is a beacon of empowerment and belonging for the most marginalized.

Katelyn Kuchta was a school psychologist within a large, urban school district in Florida for 5 years and within CMS for 6 years. Katelyn has worked in schools across PK-12 with varying service delivery models, expanded her depth of knowledge of EC students with behavioral difficulties, participated on district cross-disciplinary teams, and has presented on a district level to help create a common practice around supporting students with diverse needs.

Co-presenter: Kristen Pashkoff Weber

Dr. Lowe is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UNC Department of Psychiatry. She is board certified in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She primarily works in inpatient child consultation-liaison, inpatient psychiatry, and interventional psychiatry services. Her clinical work is focused on psychiatric assessments and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of treatment needs and settings. She is involved in medical education and is the faculty mentor for the Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC) mental health clinic. She is a member of the UNC Suicide Prevention Institute, and her research interests focus on increasing access to mental healthcare and increasing understanding of interventions for treatment-resistant mental illness in children, adolescents, and adults.

Lynn Makor, MA, CAGS is currently the Consultant for Psychological Services and
Coordinator of TBI training within the Office of Exceptional Children at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Lynn’s efforts during the past decade have been targeted on supporting practice that advances equitable evaluation and identification practices for students with special needs, most specifically Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities, Specific Learning Disabilities and Traumatic Brain Injury. Lynn is also responsible for coordination and maintenance of the North Carolina Registry of Approved Providers for TBI, which consists of approximately 25% of the school psychology workforce who have received specialized training in conducting IDEA evaluations for TBI consideration.

Dr. Monahan, a native of western New York, is a nationally certified school psychologist who earned her Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her areas of interest include social emotional learning and behavioral/mental health services within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), suicide prevention and intervention, behavioral threat assessment and management, and mental health crisis response in schools. Dr. Monahan is an assistant professor at Winthrop University in South Carolina, where she currently teaches courses on applied behavior analysis and intervention; legal, ethical, and professional issues in school psychology; psychopathology in childhood and adolescence; and research methods. Previously, as a school district administrator supervising psychological services, she oversaw evaluations and eligibility for special services, led the district's crisis training and response teams, and co-chaired the district's MTSS committee. Dr. Monahan is also an active leader with both the National Association of School Psychologists and the SC Association of School Psychologists.

Dr. Daya Patton is an experienced educator, counselor, and human services professional. Daya holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Hampton University, a Master of Liberal Studies degree from East Tennessee State University, a Master's degree in Education in Counseling from American Military University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Human Services from Walden University. Daya is a Licensed Professional School Counselor, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, Certified Clinical Supervisor, Board-Certified Human Services Professional, and Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Daya is a certified Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid Trainer and served as a clinical supervisor for the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School System. Daya was a Lead School Counselor and served on the District Crisis Team Leadership Team for the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School District. Daya has experience as a case manager for the North Carolina and Tennessee Department of Social Services and as a licensed provider of substance abuse and mental health services for Medicaid recipients. Daya is an Assistant Professor of Human Services and Counseling at Wingate University. Daya serves on the American School Counselor Association Bylaws Committee. Daya writes and presents various topics related to school counseling, addiction and recovery, and mental health at the state and national levels. The North Carolina School Counselor Association and the American School Counselor Association have published some of Daya's research and writings. In her leisure, Daya enjoys traveling and spending time with her young adult daughters.

Beth grew up in western North Carolina and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from UNC Chapel Hill. She began her educational career as a Special Education Teacher in western North Carolina. She taught Developmental Psychology and graduated from Appalachian State University with a Masters and Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology in 2004. She worked as a School Psychologist in Wake and Burke counties in North Carolina. She worked as a Lead School Psychologist in Burke County. She served as the Secretary, President Elect, President, and Past President of the North Carolina School Psychology Association (NCSPA).

In 2011, Beth joined the Cabarrus County team as a District MTSS & PBIS Coordinator. She taught at UNC Charlotte in the Department of Special Education and Child Development and in the Department of Counseling. In 2014, Beth joined the NCDPI state team as an MTSS Regional Consultant. As a regional consultant, she worked with the Southwest, Sandhills, and Northwest regions. In 2018, Beth resumed her long-time passion in social and emotional learning and school mental health; and, in 2019, Beth shifted from a regional consultant to a Practices Lead with a focus on SEL. 

Co-presenter: Megan Lyons, EdD
Assistant Professor, North Carolina Central University
Dr. Megan Lyons is an Assistant Professor at North Carolina Central University and a former Career Technology Intervention Coordinator. She was an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Dayton, an Assistant Professor of Curriculum & Instruction at Western Illinois University, a Career Technology Intervention Coordinator in Fulton County Schools, and an Inclusion teacher in Fulton County. She earned a Bachelor of Science. in Communications Disorders and a Master's of Education in Special Education from Auburn University. She later earned an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from Columbus State University and holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Valdosta State University. Her research interests include social emotional learning and culturally responsive pedagogy. When she’s not working, she enjoys traveling. Her favorite destinations are the Caribbean or the beach.

Chris Rice, MA, CAS, is an experienced educator, public speaker, and advocate. Mr. Rice has served as a school psychologist for the last nine years where he has served students ages 3-21 in multiple settings in both Delaware and North Carolina. Currently, Mr. Rice serves as the Advanced Learning Services School Psychologist for the Wake County Public School System. In this role, he is able to advocate for the advanced learning needs of underrepresented students while providing professional learning to educators on a range of topics (twice-exceptionality, gifted identification, SEL needs of the gifted, supporting behavioral health needs, etc.). Mr. Rice is also the Vice President for the North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT) and serves on the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee (PPAC) for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC).

Dr. Tabori currently serves as the Executive Director of Mental and Behavioral Health Services with Guilford County Schools where he also leads the District's Crisis Response Teams and coordinates an American Psychological Association (APA) Approved Doctoral Internship program in School Psychology. Dr. Tabori is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and licensed by the North Carolina Psychology Board. An advocate for children and the fields of School Psychology and mental health, he recently served as President of the North Carolina School Psychology Association (NCSPA), and currently is serving as co-chair of the Innovations in Practicum and Internship subgroup of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Graduate Education Committee. Dr. Tabori is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Wake Forest University and the School Psychology Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has presented numerous times at local, state, and national conferences on a variety of topics including school based mental health, bullying, suicide and threat assessment, crises response, consultation, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports.

Co-presenter: Cheon Graham, PhD
Dr. Graham has over 14 years of experience in special education, psychological assessment, academic interventions, progress monitoring, data analysis, consultation, and program evaluation. Dr. Graham has a passion for helping students be successful, academically and socially, in their life experiences. 

Dr. Wade is a lead school psychologist with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Her research interests are gifted education, parent involvement, advocacy, social-emotional learning, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support at the secondary level. Dr. Wade's work focuses on providing a range of psychological services to support adolescents. Dr. Wade has served on departmental and district-wide committees, such as Student Services Roles & Responsibilities, to ensure equitable access to services for all students. With her consistent and demonstrated leadership skills within school psychology, Dr. Wade was selected as a practitioner of the year for the Metrolina Association of Psychologists in the Schools (2014). In 2015, Winston-Salem State University recognized Dr. Wade as a 40 under 40 honoree. Dr. Wade received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Winston-Salem State University, Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology from Appalachian State University, and Master of Arts in School Counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University. Dr. Wade participated in additional training and is on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Registry of Approved Providers for Traumatic Brain Injury. She is interested in connecting curriculum, instruction, and supervision with her current role. Dr. Wade recently earned a Doctorate in Education from Gardner-Webb University, and she was appointed to the COVID-19 Postvention Student Resilience Taskforce. Professional affiliations include the Metrolina Association of Psychologists in the Schools, the North Carolina School Psychology Association, and the National Association of School Psychologists. Dr. Wade is also a member of the Concord Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Since 2006, Dr. Wade has led her college classmates to raise money to distribute scholarships to students at Winston-Salem State University. Recently, Dr. Wade's family formed the Armstrong Ramseur Scholarship and awarded a scholarship to a student who attends a university in North Carolina. Finally, Dr. Wade believes that service to others is vital for sustainability in our community and participates with organizations like Concord 101 and was selected for the Cabarrus County Schools' Fall 2020 Realignment Study Public Advisory Committee.

Co-presenter: Ladarian Eaton, MS, NCSP
Mr. Eaton is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist practicing in CMS. He has a diverse background in research, leadership, and professional positions. His interests include working with youth and their families to help identify barriers, provide support, and achieve goals academically and socially using a culturally sensitive lens.

Molly Ware, MEd, EdS, is an Assessment Consultant for Hogrefe with more than ten years experience as a practicing school psychologist. Molly has served on the board of the New Hampshire School Psychology Association. During her career in public schools, Molly has been an agent of change supporting students' social-emotional wellbeing, advocating for and developing local school policy improvements (MTSS, Threat Assessment, Inclusive Disability Classifications). While practicing, she specialized in conducting comprehensive evaluations for young children, presenting trainings to colleagues, and collaborating as a leader of multidisciplinary teams to support special education process and procedures. Presently, Molly puts her knowledge to use developing trainings, presentations, and webinars, as well as supporting the standardization of new and adapted assessment tools for Hogrefe.

Co-presenter: Lisa Marquez, MA