Summer HeartBeat -- Aug. 2021

Star Staff

Stacey Weaklend (Custodian/JO)

I feel so fortunate to work with Stacey. This summer she offered to help me with a big project. She always comes to work with a smile on her face, not to mention she is extremely helpful. She is a great listener, extremely good with details and is a quick learner. Thanks, Stacey for all your help!

Brenda Abbott (Library Assistant/JO)

Thank Yous

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the kind expressions of sympathy after the loss of my brother. I am very grateful for the kind words, cards, messages and prayers from my Heartland AEA colleagues. The support you have given me is overwhelming.

Christie Crouch (Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant/Assessment Consultant/CA)

Summer HeartBeat -- July 2021

Recognizing Retirees

Happy Retirement to Maureen Schletzbaum! 

Maureen Schletzbaum 

Family & Educator Coordinator 

20 years of service 

Maureen retired on June 30 after 20 years of service to the Agency. Maureen says, “Our daughter Marissa’s business, Straw Hat Farms, will fill up my time as well as our two grandchildren, Grace, 3, and Sam, 1. I have greatly enjoyed my job over the years being able to support educators and families with children who have special needs to be as successful as possible and obtain available resources. Thank you for all the opportunities I have had and friendships I have made over the years.” 

Information Systems Staff & Others Honor Howell at Retirement Reception 

Rod Howell, former Information Systems Manager, was honored with a retirement reception at the beginning of June. Among other celebrants, the Agency’s Information Systems staff gathered for a photo as they sent their former supervisor off into retirement. 

Pictured, front row, left to right: Maureen Whited (Information Systems Support Coordinator/JO), David Kyle (Computer Software Engineer/JO), Chris Hampton (Systems Analyst/JO) and Mien Tran (Systems Analyst/JO). Back row, Doug Schuster (Systems Analyst/JO), Monte Heeren (Database Administrator/Systems Engineer/JO), DeAnna Graham (Systems Analyst/JO), Bryan Carlton (Computer Software Engineer/JO), Sean Boyle (Computer Software Engineer Tech Lead/JO) and Rod Howell. 

Summer HeartBeat

Star Staff

Evelyn VanHouten-VanPelt (Special Education Consultant/AD) 

Evelyn has been an amazing support for us at North Ridge during the COVID-19 situation. She is seriously a lifesaver and a pure gem! 

- April Heitland, North Ridge Elementary principal, Dallas Center-Grimes Schools 

Devon Mau (Custodian/JO) and Dustin Gean (Operations Manager/JO) 

Thank you for keeping our Shelter Care staff and students safe through the work you’ve done over the summer. Your team has gone above and beyond to ensure that the Shelter Care Program is providing a clean, safe and healthy working and learning environment for our staff and learners. Our facility spaces look great and are ready for another great year of school! 

David Hammer (Multimedia Specialist/JO), Marquis Jones (Technology Support Specialist/JO), Aaron Cook (Multimedia Specialist/JO) and Tuan Dao (Senior Network Specialist/JO) 

Shelter Care summer school would not have been possible without the support of our amazing Heartland AEA technology experts. The work put forth to get our virtual summer school programming together utilized a team approach, and this team was collaborative, proactive, caring and responsive throughout the process. Thank you for your assistance with ensuring that students had access to learning at Shelter Care this summer! 

- Meredith Mauro (Shelter Care Administrator/YESS)

 

Name Changes 

Victoria Willoughby from Victoria Heisterkamp 

New Staff 

Kate Courtney (Regional Administrative Assistant/GC) 

Shannon Grundmeier (Family & Educator Coordinator/JO) 

Kim Herbold (Audiometrist/JO) 

Position Changes 

Nichole Coe to Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant from Early Childhood Special Education Consultant 

Kelsey Flynn to Early Childhood Special Education Consultant from Special Education Consultant 

Title Changes 

Tim Blakeslee to Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant from School Psychologist

Kris Gabrielson to Assistive Technology Specialist from Speech-Language Pathologist 

Berrett Rice to Assessment Consultant from School Psychologist 

Births 

Congratulations to Jackie Meyer Martin (Speech-Language Pathologist/JO) and her husband on the birth of their daughter, Kennedy Lynn Martin. Kennedy was born July 2 and weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was 20 inches long. 

Congratulations to Meghan Rupiper (School Psychologist/JO) and her husband on the birth of their son, Leyton Nicholas Rupiper. Leyton was born June 26 and weighed 10 lbs. 8 oz. and was 21 1/4 inches long. He was welcomed home by his two big sisters. 

Congratulations to Mike Boneshefski (School Psychologist/JO) and his wife on the birth of their daughter Carolena “Lena” Boneshefski. Lena was born June 17 and weighed 6 lbs. and was 20 inches long. 

Congratulations to Nikki Reilly (School Social Worker/AD) and her husband on the birth of their daughter, Atlas “Attie” Mae Reilly. Attie was born June 17 and weighed 7lbs. 13oz. She was welcomed home by her two big brothers.

Summer HeartBeat

Star Staff 
This message was sent by the Creatives Services, Professional Learning and Business Office teams. 

Bryan Carlton




Sean Boyle

We would like to thank Bryan Carlton (Computer Software Engineer/JO) and Sean Boyle (Computer Software Engineer Tech Lead/JO) for the support and expertise they provide with moving data from Creative Services Online and the AEA Professional Learning Registration System to BusinessPlus. We appreciate their availability as problems arise with creating invoices and reconciling payments. More importantly, our customers are receiving invoices with correct quantities and amounts due to their dedication. 

Name Changes 
Rachel Arens from Rachel Wakefield 

Position Changes 
Julie Glass to Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant from Special Education Consultant 

Births 
Congratulations to Judy Cleveland (Technology Support & Inventory Control Specialist/JO) on the birth of her grandson, Jackson Thomas Merritt, who was born on July 24. Jackson weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 19.25 inches long. His parents are Kelly (Judy’s daughter) and Terio Merritt, and he has a big sister, Harper, who is 18 months. 

Discounted Iowa & Iowa State Football Tickets Available for AEA Staff
Bravo Sports Marketing is again offering discounted tickets to both Iowa and Iowa State football games for staff in all of Iowa’s AEAs. These special prices come at no expense to the AEA system – this discount comes solely from Bravo Sports Marketing.

University of Iowa Order Page

Iowa State University Order Page

August Birthdays 
1    Jay Boens 
2    Bryce Carlton 
2    Andrea Richmond 
3    Katie Walton 
5    Christine Esser 
5    Meghan Rupiper 
5    Jeff Weinberg 
5    Paige Wintz 
7    David Hammer 
7    Keri Steele 
7    Jennifer Swanson 
8    Vicki DeMoss 
9    Jen Gilmore 
9    Marcy Swalley 
10  Kaye Lynch 
10  Erin Sawyer 
10  Jean Vesely 
11  Kristi Allison 
12  Mary Cabeen 
12  Sadie Harbaugh 
12  Jana Schneckloth 
13  Teri Hazen 
13  Hope Johnson 
13  Molly Warnemunde 
13  Jessica Williams 
14  Patty Shelton 
15  Valerie Hubert 
15 Angie O’Brien 
15  Amy Pickering 
17  Heather Balzer 
17  Brenda Pierce 
17  Rhonda Weiss 
18  Cindi Ballard 
18  Kris Larsen 
21  Andrea Gach 
21  Shannon Harken 
21  Linda McAtee 
21  Brooke Moeller 
21  Nicole Patton 
22  Kim Pickett 
23  Lisa Lumbard 
24  Jessica Pottebaum 
24  Jenny Sumner 
25  Vicki Sanders 
26  Faye Allen 
26  Carrie Van Zanten 
27  Paige Amundson 
27  Jerica Ballard 
27  Tim Blakeslee 
27  Sandy Darveau 
27  Stacey Warren 
27  Linda Wegner 
28  Trisha Conner 
28  Kristin Orton 
28  Judy Sofen 
29  Shaylinn Crone 
29  Mary Heaberlin 
29  Robin Heuser 
30  Amy Ramsey 
30  Kurt Subra

HeartBeat Summer Edition

Star Staff

This message was sent to Martha Condon (Director of Professional Learning/JO) by Jennifer Gilmore (School Social Worker/IN).

Cheryl Risen

Just wanted to provide you with some quick feedback as Cheryl Risen's (Special Education Consultant/JO) supervisor.

I cannot even begin to tell you how valuable I have found Cheryl's help! She was able to provide Nicole Craun and I with some hands-on coaching that (I believe) made an incredible difference in a mental health course we just re-wrote and piloted a few weeks ago. 

I have learned so much from her! And I am finding myself able to generalize quite a bit of the content she taught me as I am attempting to update another course that I am heavily involved in. 

The adult learning course that the two of you provided a few years ago really opened my eyes to the things "I didn't know that I didn't know." And I believe that this emphasis in quality adult learning in our agency is making a huge difference in the services we deliver. 

New Employees

Megan Hall (Substitute Early Childhood Special Education Consultant/JO)

Meredith Mauro (Shelter Care Educational Program Administrator/YE)

Position Changes

Chris Hampton to Systems Analyst from ERP Support Specialist
Amy Hanken to Special Education Supervisor: Early ACCESS, Early Childhood & Related Services/JO from Early Childhood Special Education Consultant/CA
Amici Hayek to Assistive Technology Specialist from Speech-Language Pathologist
Kristin Orton to Regional Director/AM from Instructional Coach/JO
Kristy Skoglund to Library Clerk from Substitute Library Clerk
Kristi Upah to Chief Student Services Officer/JO from Regional Director/AM

Thank Yous

I would like to thank everyone for the cards, kind words and support following the death of my brother. It was very appreciated.

Kathy Lepage (School Psychologist/JO)

My heart was touched by the outpouring of love, comfort and support through visits, calls, cards, food and especially prayers during the time of my husband Joel’s passing. My family and I truly felt blessed. Thank you, Heartland AEA, for all you do.

Kathy Sexton, recent retiree

Summer HeartBeat

Here's your abbreviated August edition of HeartBeat. Our regular version will be back in September! 

Star Staff 
This message was sent by Brian Whalen (Business Manager/JO) on behalf of the Business Office staff. 

The Business Office would like to thank our Internal Technology staff and Information Systems staff for their support throughout the summer. We appreciate their knowledge and skills with addressing network interruptions and their ability to have us up and running quickly. Thank you for providing excellent service! 

This message was sent by Pam Childers (School Psychologist/JO). 

Jan Morgan

I wanted to commend Jan Morgan (Graphic Designer/JO) on her dedication to service and willingness to go above and beyond her duties. On July 9 Jacquie Potts, Meghan Rupiper and I were teaching a class and shared a poster that teachers could order from our Creative Services Department. One teacher from outside the Heartland AEA area was interested in ordering a couple, so we went to find Jill Crees (Production Facilitator/JO). Since Jill was out of the office, I asked Jan my "Jill question," and she helped me find out from the Print Center what the turn-around time would be (1-2 weeks). Since this teacher was not from our area, she was going to have to come back to pick up the posters. 

The next day, Jan stuck her head in our classroom and mentioned that there was another machine they could use to quickly print the two posters so they would be ready the same day. She took the order from us, and the teacher had her posters at the end of the day! This is just one instance of Jan going out of her way to help—she is an amazing asset! 

Name Changes 
Kelsey Flynn from Kelsey Dewes 
Christina Imsland from Christina Glaub 
Brooke Moeller from Brooke Hamann 
Jennifer Swanson from Jennifer Etnyre 

Birthdays

August

2 Bryce Calton

2 Andrea Richmond

3 Katie Walton

5 Christine Esser

5 Meghan Rupiper

5 Jeff S. Weinberg

5 Paige Wintz

7 David Hammer

7 Keri Steele

7 Jennifer Swanson

8 Vicki DeMoss

9 Jennifer Gilmore

9 Marcy Swalley

10 Cassie Frericks

10 Kaye Lynch

10 Erin Sawyer

10 Jean Vesely

11 Kristi Allison

11 Candice Green

12 Mary Cabeen

12 Sadie Harbaugh

12 Jana Schneckloth

13 Teri Hazen

13 Hope Johnston

13 Molly Warnemunde

14 Patty Shelton

15 Bob Brown

15 Valerie Hubert

15 Angie O’Brien

15 Amy Pickering

16 Hayley Henderson

17 Heather Balzer

17 Brenda Pierce

17 Rhonda Weiss

18 Cindy Ballard

18 Kris Larsen

21 Andrea Gach

21 Shannon Harken

21 Linda McAtee

21 Brooke Moeller

21 Nicole Patton

22 Sheri Haupert

22 Kim Pickett

23 Lisa Lumbard

24 Jessica Pottebaum

24 Jenny Sumner

25 Vicki Sanders

26 Faye Allen

26 Evan Pavlik

26 Carrie Van Zanten

27 Paige Amundson

27 Jerica Ballard

27 Tim Blakeslee

27 Sandy Darveau

27 Stacey Warren

27 Linda Wegner

28 Trisha Conner

28 Kristin Orton

28 Judy Sofen

29 Shaylinn Crone

29 Mary Heaberlin

29 Robin Heuser

30 Amy Ramsey

30 Lesley Stucker

30 Kurt Subra

September
1 Megan Schultz

1 Megan Weaver

1 Raymond Wynter

2 Kathleen Brandt

2 Shelley Payne

4 Jennifer Burns

4 Audrey Walker

5 Kristen Bloch

5 Shannon Jensen

8 Tracy Silzer

8 Courtney Thomas

9 Kathy Cole

9 Jessica Johnston

9 Mackenzie Nilles

9 Heather Vander Beek

10 Holly Long-DeWolf

10 Carol McDaniel

10 Diane Royer

11 Alyson Halley

11 Emily Sweeney

HeartBeat - Summer Edition

Star Staff 
This message was sent by Angie Dugger (School Psychologist/AD). 

                         

                              Emily Donovan

Jen Gilmore

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Emily Donovan (School Social Worker/AD) and Jen Gilmore (School Social Worker/IN) on the Challenging Behavior & Autism Team. As a first-year school psychologist trained out-of-state, I knew very little of ABA principles and application within a school setting. After completing their "Survey of Applied Behavior Analysis Principles and Applications" three-part series, I have gained invaluable knowledge and practice in supporting some of our most vulnerable students. Their skills, patience and passion for student advocacy are inspiring. I've especially appreciated Emily's dedication to going above and beyond in supporting districts helping them to feel more confident in addressing behavioral concerns. Also, I've learned so much from her at our regional behavior consultation meetings and hands-on assessment experiences within the regional school setting. Coming from another state, I know these are all very unique training experiences not available to most practitioners, so I appreciate them that much more. I feel honored to have learned from these amazing behavior analysts/trainers! Thank you, Emily and Jen!! 

Happy Anniversary! 

Happy one-year Heartland AEA anniversary to our chief administrator, Jon Sheldahl! You made it! 



New Employees 
Jadie Boens (Director of Special Programs/YES)
Erin Hadley (Substitute Shelter Care Teacher Associate/YESS) 

Position Changes 
Shara Garner-Holderness to Regional Administrative Assistant (Shelter Care Program) from Substitute Shelter Care Teacher Associate 

Title Changes 
Tony Chiaramonte to Director of Human Resources from Human Resources Manager 

Births 
Congratulations to Jenny Padgett (School Psychologist/AD) and her husband, Jordan, on the birth of their daughter, Maya Ruth Padgett. Maya was born June 23 and weighed 7 lbs. 14.1 oz. and was 20.5 inches long.