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Our Board
of Directors |
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LDA-CT board members, October 2009. |
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Board President Carrie Berman holds a BA degree in History from Bates College in Maine and an M.Ed from Teachers College of Columbia University in New York. She is a founding member and
former president of the West Hartford Special Education PTA. She
participated in LDA-CT's Parent Advisory Training program and currently serves as a Parent Advisor. Carrie resides in West Hartford with her husband and three children, one whom is significantly disabled. She is passionate about supporting families with children who have special needs. |
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 Board
Treasurer William J. Bossi, FSA, MAAA, is the president
and managing member of Disability Insurance Specialists LLC,
an insurance consulting and third-party administration firm.
Prior to founding DISpecialists in 1996, Mr. Bossi served three
years as an independent actuarial consultant and 16 years with
The Prudential Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance
Company/CIGNA, Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, and
Monarch Life Insurance Company. He received a bachelor of science
degree in mathematics from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
He received his fellowship in the Society of Actuaries in 1983
and became a member of the American Academy of Actuaries in
1985. He has served on the Society of Actuaries Subcommittee
for Minority Recruiting and has been a speaker at industry meetings.
He is a past president of the LDA-CT board.
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 Board Secretary Judianne Haynes
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Colleen Masse, Vice President of Programs, became involved in LDA-CT when she articipated in the parent advisor training in 2007. She graduated from Bates College in 1992 and University of Connecticut School of Law in 1995. A West Hartford resident, she is the mother of two boys, including one with learning disabilities. Colleen has volunteered as a parent advisor and organized a monthly meeting where parent advisors can share information and support. |
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 Jonathan Collett, Vice President of Finance.
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 Judi
Bunker is a retired special-education teacher for the Capitol
Region Education Council (CREC), where she taught children with
severe developmental disabilities at River Street School in
Windsor. She was a consultant for the school in 2006-2007 and
currently serves as a substitute teacher. She has a master's
degree in preschool special education from the University of
Hartford and certification in special education from Southern
Connecticut State College. In addition to her parent-advisor
work with LDA-CT, she volunteers as a tutor with Catholic Charities
Refugee Program, also serving on the board of that program.
She also volunteers with the Covenant to Care for Children,
giving support to teen mothers and their infants. Her husband,
Roger, is a special education lawyer. She has four children
and nine grandchildren.
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 Julio Chavarro
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 Harriet
"Jeff" Clark graduated from Oberlin College with a bachelor's
degree in psychology and from Central Connecticut State University
with a master's degree in special education. She was a special
education teacher in the Southington school system for 26 years,
serving students in grades K through 12. Her specialty is reading
disabilities, including dyslexia. Jeff has been active in LDA since the late 1970s, serving
as a board member, newsletter editor, annual conference planner,
and president. Since retirement, she has been a parent advisor
and, most recently, coordinator of the parent-advisor training,
recruiter of new PAs, and conference planner.
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 Dahlia Grace is an attorney. From 1997 until June 2009, she worked at
Connecticut Legal Services Inc., where she advocated for clients in the areas of public benefits, employment, landlord-tenant relations, family law, and special education. In July 2009, she began a one-year leave of absence from CLS to serve as a visiting clinical professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law. She received an undergraduate degree in International Business from the University of New Haven in 1994 and a law degree from the Harvard School of Law in 1997. She lives in Hamden with her husband, three elementary-school children, and two cats. She is a native of Jamaica.
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 Stephanie Johnson
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 Ann Seigel is a retired special educator who has an adult son with learning
disabilities, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
and Asperger's syndrome. She has been on the LDA of Connecticut
board for many years and was president during the late 1980s.
She continues to volunteer as a parent advisor for the organization
and represents it on many statewide councils. She lives in West
Hartford.
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Joan M. Shapiro is a wife and mother of three
children, one of whom was diagnosed with learning disabilities
in preschool and recently graduated from college. "LDA of Connecticut
helped me to understand special education law," Joan says. "I
attended the parent advisor classes, discussed academic, social,
and school-related issues with parent advisors, and often got
valuable information necessary to help my son, in and out of
school. I've turned to LDA of Connecticut for guidance regarding
related professionals, school issues, the college process and
employability." Joan graduated with a bachelor of science degree
in economics and finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University
in Madison, New Jersey, and a master's degree in education from
St. Joseph College in West Hartford. She worked as a computer
programmer, systems analyst, and medical practice manager before
retiring and becoming a busy volunteer. |
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