Sue Sawyer, President, CA Transition Alliance
In addition to her role with the Alliance, Sue is
currently a member of the California Community of Practice Leadership Team,
representing the CA. Transition Alliance and has served as a member of the
Consortium on Employment for California Youth (CECY). She is currently working
with the High School Diploma Workgroup to improve the graduation rates for
students who graduate with a diploma, including students with disabilities.
Sue is passionate about the value of career
planning and self-advocacy for every young person. Currently retired, Sue has
directed an Improving Transition Outcomes project, funded through the Office of
Disability Employment Policy. She has a history of participating in the
WorkAbility I program as a project Director, Chair of the Governmental
Relations Committee, Regional Chair and State Advisory Board member. Sue
wrote the resource guides Transition Planning: The Basics and I Want to
Work! I Know I Can.
Vicki Shadd Vice President, CA Transition
Alliance
Vicki currently works as
adjunct faculty at Chico State University and an Administrative Coach for
ACSA.. She is a past Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and
SELPA Special Education Local Plan Area Director. Her work in the area of Secondary Transition
includes Co-Chairing the State SELPA
Transition Committee, Director of WorkAbility I and the Transition Partnership
Program in Glenn County, Chair of the California WorkAbility
Advisory Committee, Vicki's passion has always been and still is that our
job, no matter what our role, is to support students in developing the skills,
attitudes, assets and behaviors they need to be successful in adult life. She
has participated in several regional and statewide leadership roles in the area
of Transition and served on various committees. At the local level she has been
a part of creating and sustaining several collaboratives that focus on
integrating and including youth and young adults with disabilities into larger
efforts which include a multitude of populations, topics and environments.
Carol Kuhling Barrett, CA Transition Alliance
Treasurer
Carol has 41 years of experience in
the field of Special Education as teacher, LD Specialist, and
administrator. After working at
the community college level as both an LD Specialist and teacher of students with
moderate to severe disabilities, Carol’s passion to see students with
disabilities supported in gaining the skills needed to make a successful
school-to-work / life transition grew. WorkAbility and Transition
Partnership Programs were a natural next step.
She retired in 2016 after 23 years of working as the program manager for
Mendocino County Office of Education / SELPA’s WorkAbility and TPP. Over
the past 14 years, she has continued to support the training and professional
development of teachers and professionals who serve transition-aged youth
through her involvement with the CA Transition Alliance..
Elizabeth Zastrow, CA Transition Alliance
Training Chair
Retired Program Specialist,
Lodi Unified School District
Program Specialist, Lodi
Unified School District
Liz's career includes working as special education teacher
of the Deaf and Blind. She served in the United States Peace Corps employed
with the Jamaica Association for the Deaf and the Salvation Army for the Blind.
Upon returning to the United States she joined Lodi Unified School
District where she has worked as a teacher and program specialist. For the past
40 years she has focused on autism spectrum disorders, low incidence
disabilities and secondary transition. She coordinates the State Pilot Transition
Partnership Program (facilitated a student/system change pilot with CDE and
DOR, focusing on mapping to employment, a living wage for all students),
WorkAbility I Program, Paid Internship Program, California Career Innovations.
She is a member of the California Community of Practice Leadership Team,
Self-Determination Committee for VMRC, Statewide High School Diploma Workgroup
and the Statewide Social Security Task Force. She is co-owner of a private
business, STEPS, focused on assisting parents and school districts to work
through the maze of transition.
She is dedicated to continuing this work in retirement,
assisting students and families with Person-Centered Planning and raising the
employment expectations for all students preschool through adult, building the
bridge between preschool and secondary transition.
Jill Larson, CA Transition Alliance Transition
Nuggets Chair
Jill
was a teacher of the Deaf for over 25 years. From 1997-2001 she developed
a School-to-Career Program for the California School for the Deaf in
Fremont. In 2001, she went to work for the California Department of
Education (CDE) where she served as the Secondary Transition Specialist and
facilitated the California Community of Practice on Secondary Transition (COP)
from 2010 - 2015. Jill is now retired, but continues to be passionate
about helping youth transition to adulthood by serving on the Alliance Board.
Richard
Louis Rosenberg, Ph.D., Liaison, CA Promise
Ph.D.
in Behavioral Disabilities and Educational Administration received from
University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1980. Over 35 years of teaching and
administrative experience. Presently faculty member at California State
University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and San Diego State University, Interwork
Institute (SDSU) as Region Manager with two federal grants - California Career
Innovations (CII) and Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental
Security Income (CaPROMISE). Provide supports and technical assistance to
Chapman University’s Thompson Policy Institute (TPI). Completed 32
years as Career Vocational Coordinator for Whittier Union High School District
(WUHSD) in administrative position responsible for coordination of vocational and
career support for all students with disabilities for seven district high
schools and providing technical assistance for Community Advocates for People’s
Choice (CAPC) adult agency providing supported employment and supported living
services. Board member of the California Transition
Alliance. Developed and participated with a number of Interagency
Systems Change grants linking Education, Rehabilitation, and Developmental
Disabilities services at a local, state, and national.
Anna Bell Holeman, Website/Social Media
Anna
has 31 years working as a Para Educator, Job Coach, Vocational Specialist and
College and Career Development Specialist.
Anna has served as Region Manager with WorkAbility I and also served on
the Advisory Committee for WorkAbility I.
Anna has served on the Mayors Committee for People with Disabilities and
now is on the board for the California Transition Alliance. She has worked with many students to help
them transition from the school system to work and gain independence.

Kristina Lewis is the Region 1 Lead for the CA
Transition Alliance
Kristina
has worked in secondary transition for the last 20 years, currently as a
Program Manager, and previously as a TPP Specialist for Mendocino COE/SELPA
WorkAbility I & Transition Partnership Program (TPP). She holds a M.Ed. in Secondary Special
Education Transition Services. As a
co-lead for the Mendocino Local Partnership Agreement team, Kristina chairs the
Mendocino Interagency Transition Team that supports the successful transition
of adult students exiting 18-22 transition programs. She has contributed to Pennsylvania’s
Transition Discoveries initiative.
Kristina is passionate about supporting students with the tools and
experiences needed to reach their full potential, developing their
self-determination skills, and ultimately helping them feel fulfilled in the
adult world.
Tom Cox is the Region 2 Lead for the CA Transition
Alliance
Dee Torrington is the Region 3 Lead for the CA
Transition Alliance
Dee has
been a special educator for 24 years. She is a Past President of
CARS+, California Association of Resource Specialist and Special
Educator. While President of CARS she served on the California Community
of Practice on Secondary Transition. She was appointed to the One System
Task Force in 2015 and worked on the MTSS subcommittee. Following that,
Dee was given the opportunity to participate on the CTC Task Force in 2016 to
redesign the Education Specialist teaching credential. Dee’s passion has
always been being a support to other teachers in the field and has worked many
years as a teaching mentor through the Teacher Induction Program (formerly
known as BTSA) at the Sacramento County Office Of Education.

Joyce Montgomery is the Region 4 Lead for the CA
Transition Alliance
Joyce
Montgomery, MA Ed, is a Program Manager with Vallejo City Unified School
District and an Adjunct Instructor at Touro University in the Graduate School
of Education. She has 30 years of experience working in public education. She
has successfully implemented collaborative employment transition programs with
the California Department of Rehabilitation, California Department of
Education, Workforce Investment board and local school districts, including
CaPROMISE, CaCareer Career Invocations as her most recent projects. She has
served as region and state advisory for various projects including, CaPROMISE,
Ca Career Innovations, WorkAbility, Transition Partnership Project and previous
Youth in Transition Demonstration Project with Social Security Administration,
Bridges to Youth Self Sufficiency. She has served as a Senate Select Committee
Member of the Blue Ribbon Commission for the Employment of People with Autism
and Developmental Disabilities and has Chaired and served as a member of
various work groups and committees designed to increase the employment of
people with disabilities including the Solano Co. Mayor's Committee for the
Employment of People with Disabilities. Her accomplishments include
publications in peer reviewed Journals, including the Journal of Vocational
Rehabilitation and co-author of a chapter in The Road Ahead, Transition to
Adult Life, a text used in numerous Special Education Credentialing programs at
Universities across the country.
Val Wiltse is the Region 5 Lead for the CA Transition
Alliance
Val
Wiltse, M.A. Ed, Program
Specialist, Monterey
County SELPA
My career has spanned 33 plus years preschool
through high school. I have worked with most disability categories
and settings. Transition has always been
a passion for me no matter what age group or population I was working
with. I represent Monterey County on
the California Autism Professional Training and Information Network (CAPTAIN)
as a cadre member. The areas of
concentration in my SELPA Special Education Local Planning Area include
ASD/Moderate/Severe/Low Incidence/Secondary Transition. One of the areas I am
currently implementing is regular reviews and implementation of Secondary
Transition with a focus of moving districts from paper compliance to real
student driven processes. I am a member
of the California Secondary Transition Community of Practice COP. I enjoy my involvement with the Alliance and
the resources we are providing throughout the state.

Margaret St. George is the Region 6 Lead for the CA
Transition Alliance
Margaret
St. George retired in 2019 after 34 years in education. For 26 of those
years she worked in special education as a program specialist, school
psychologist and Workability 1 Director with specializations in Secondary
Transition and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). In retirement she is a
support supervisor for new teacher interns and volunteers with the California
transition Alliance (CATA),
Donna Waddell is the Region 7 Lead for the CA
Transition Alliance
Having
been a Special Education Teacher, a SELPA Program Specialist and parent, it is
important to me that all students are provided with support and instruction
that assists them to be successful adults. Success looks different for each
individual and is defined by the individual's own definition of success. I
often told past students that I didn’t care what they chose as a career as long
as they were happy with their choice. Yes, we need doctors and scientists but
we also need auto mechanics, retail clerks, artists, house painters……
I
was drawn to the California Transition Alliance because of the focus to aid
students, parents, teachers and administrators to look at the strengths rather
than needs/deficits of students. The Alliance has not only been a leader in
Transition Awareness but has also been instrumental in redefining the concept
of earning the high school Diploma. I am hopeful that my role has brought about
a positive change to the population that we serve.
Lee Ramos is the Region 8 Lead for the CA Transition
Alliance
25
years in Special Education as a teacher, Program Specialist and now an
administrator. I have served on the WorkAbility1 state advisory committee
and now serve on the CA Transition Alliance board representing region 8.
Linda O'Neal is the Region 9 Lead for the CA
Transition Alliance
Linda
earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Southern
California and her master’s degree in Special Education from California State
University Los Angeles. She has worked in the education field for over 40 years
and has experience teaching in grades K-12 as a General Education Teacher,
Special Education Teacher and Transition Specialist. Additionally, she
concurrently worked as an Adjunct Faculty Member for the Chapman University
Special Education Department for 25 years.
Linda
is currently the Transition Specialist for the Chapman University Thompson
Policy Institute (TPI) where she provides leadership for the Orange County
Transition Initiative and the Orange County Local Partnership Agreement with a
focus on career pathway work experiences, employment, and post-secondary
education with a goal of promoting adult self–sufficiency and quality of life
for individuals with disabilities. She has been instrumental in the development
of the TPI Transition Website which offers resources for Individuals with
Disabilities, Families, Educators, Service Providers and Business Partners. In
addition, she is a consultant for the San Diego State Interwork Institute and
Regional Center of Orange County.
Tracy Hurd is the Region 10 Lead for the CA Transition
Alliance
I worked as a Special
Education High School teacher in the Corona Norco Unified School District for
21 years. While working at John F. Kennedy Middle College High School, as the
resident Resource Specialist, I realized there was a huge disparity between general
and special education exposure to appropriate college and career readiness
preparation. I became dedicated to providing students on IEP’s with the
resources and tools necessary for a successful post-secondary future..
Geri Fuchigami
is the Region 11 Lead for the CA
Transition Alliance
Geri Fuchigami spent 32 years in public education
(LAUSD) working as a general education teacher, special education teacher,
specialist, and coordinator to develop and
support high quality, rigorous instruction, focusing on students with
extensive support needs. Her passion is in the area of Transition and services
that support students to make smooth transitions to successful independent
post-secondary lives. Geri continues to work with university teacher preparation
programs by supporting teacher candidates. (CSUDH) She has served on state
committees (Autism, High School Diploma) university/college advisories (LMU,
CSUN, CSULB, Harbor College) and professional organizations as well as
presented at many conferences on behalf of students with extensive support
needs. (Cal TASH, TASH, CA Transition Alliance, Regional Center, Department of
Rehabilitation, Bridge to the Future Conf)