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Peter Bittel, Ed.D., CCC/SLP
Chief Executive Officer
Peter Bittel is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Futures HealthCore, a company providing special education and clinical services and management to 25,000 students and individuals. Dr. Bittel has more than 35 years of clinical and executive leadership experience in the areas of special education, rehabilitation and developmental disabilities. He has taught on the primary, secondary, college, and graduate school levels.
He is an advocate for people with handicapping conditions and has served on several non-profit boards. He has held several faculty positions including serving as adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American International College.
Dr. Bittel co-founded the Medical Knowledge Institute (www.infomki.org), a non profit foundation committed to promoting healthcare education and training as a human right around the world. Recently, Dr. Bittel’s work on AIDS education and training in Africa through MKI helped to garner a nomination for the prestigious Gates Award for Global Health. MKI is part of a select few organizations awarded this nomination from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, said that "it is a well-deserved recognition for The Medical Knowledge Institute, a grass roots organization that I am proudly associated with. The Founders of MKI, Drs. Robles and Bittel and their international team have helped rethink how we serve people with great disadvantages. MKI is truly making a difference". He is a certified member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) and continues to practice as a speech and language pathologist in addition to his management responsibilities.
Dr. Bittel holds a Masters Degree in Urban History, a Masters Degree
in Communication Disorders and a Doctorate in Organizational
Development.
Erin Edwards, MA, CCC/SLP
President
Erin Edwards is co-founder and President of The Futures HealthCore.
Prior to co-founding Futures, she served as Vice President of
Rehabilitation for a thriving rehabilitation business. Prior to that,
she served as the Director of Clinical Services for a national health
care company. Throughout her career, Ms. Edwards has held several
executive leadership positions in the areas of Early Intervention and
Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities in a variety of clinical
settings including schools, skilled nursing facilities, home care,
outpatient clinics and other community-based programs. Ms. Edwards has
been a practicing speech and language pathologist for nearly 20 years,
and continues to do so in addition to her management responsibilities.
Irene Rule, PTA
Vice President, Director of Finance
Irene Rule has been a part of the Futures’ team for 8 years. In her
role as Vice President, Director of Finance, Ms. Rule is responsible
for organizing Futures' business and financial activities. Prior to
joining Futures, Ms. Rule was a Physical Therapy Assistant for over 20
years, practicing in a wide variety of clinical settings.
Brian Edwards, M.Ed.
Chief Operating Officer
As the Chief Operating Officer, Brian Edwards is responsible for all operational functions of The Futures HealthCore. Mr. Edwards has over 20 years of operations, marketing, IT, recruiting and staff management experience interacting primarily with public and private schools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, and assisted living facilities. Throughout his career, Mr. Edwards has held senior leadership positions with regional and national firms in operations, marketing, sales, client relationship management, and staff management.
Amy Guay, COTA/L
Regional Director New England
In her capacity as Vice President, Regional Director
New England, Amy Guay is responsible for management of clinicians,
contract sites and program development in a variety of clinical
settings. Prior to joining Futures, Ms. Guay held management positions
in both private and public companies that provide therapy services to a
variety of public and private schools, early intervention programs,
programs for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities,
skilled nursing facilities and outpatient clinics. For over 10 years,
Ms. Guay has worked both as a clinician and as a manager of clinical
programs. She has considerable experience in the provision and
management of services to children and adults with special needs.
Executive Vice President, Clinical Programs
In his capacity as Vice President of Clinical Programs, Michael Neiman is responsible for the management of therapists, contract sites, and program development. Dr. Neiman has been a practicing speech and language pathologist for nearly 15 years. In that time, he has provided speech therapy services in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and day habilitation programs. In addition to his clinical experience, Dr. Neiman has been a manager of numerous rehabilitation facilities and is currently an adjunct professor at Elms College in Chicopee, MA. He continues to provide clinical services, in addition to his management responsibilities.
Dr. Neiman holds a Doctorate in Adult Neurogenic Communication Disorders.
David H. Larson, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Dr. Larson holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education and a
Master of Science in Secondary Education both from the University of
Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT and a Doctorate in Curriculum and
Instruction from the University of Connecticut. He began his career in
education as a mathematics teacher in the Trumbull, CT Public Schools.
In 1972, he took a position as an Assistant Principal at Southington,
CT High School and in 1976 as Principal of North Branford, CT High
School. He then held positions as Assistant Superintendent of Schools
in Southington, CT and Superintendent of Schools in Middletown, CT.
Before retiring in 2008, he became Executive Director of the
Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents Association.
John A. Phillips, Jr., Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Dr. Phillips holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biology from
St. Leo College, a Master of Education in Administration and
Supervision from Georgia Southern College, and a Doctorate in
Administration and Supervision from Georgia State University. He has
over forty years of experience as a professional educator and began his
career as a science teacher. He then held positions as an assistant
principal at the elementary and junior high school levels and as a
principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels. In 1984, he
began a twenty plus year career as Superintendent of Schools serving in
Conyers, GA, Austin, Texas, Cartersville, GA and lastly Columbus,
GA.
Frank J. Cleary, Ed.D.
Senior Consultant
Dr. Cleary holds a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New
York at Oswego, a Masters of Science from the State University of New
York at New Paltz and a Doctor of Education from Virginia Polytechnic
Institute in Blacksburg, VA. He has 35 years of experience in the
public schools and served as an elementary teacher and principal in
Catskill, NY, a Superintendent of Schools in Binghamton, NY and
Bridgewater, MA and as an Area Superintendent in Frederick, MD. His
experience also includes serving as a Superintendent at Ft. Bragg
Schools (a Department of Defense school system) in North Carolina.
Before retiring in 2007, he was an adjunct faculty member at the
Appalachian State University in Boone, NC and prior to that he was an
adjunct faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership in
Greensboro, NC. A published author, Dr. Cleary's articles have appeared
in several education journals.
R. Timothy O'Neill , Ed.D.
Senior Consultant
After completing his bachelor’s degree in English at Canisius College, Dr. O’Neill was awarded a United States Office of Education fellowship for graduate study in special education, specifically the education of the deaf. He received is master’s degree from Canisius College also and subsequently taught in a residential school for the deaf. He pursued additional graduate studies in counselor education and continued to provide support for the deaf students in the Buffalo Public Schools as a school counselor and grant administrator. He began his administrative career as a supervisor of special education. His additional responsibilities included the development of PL 89-313 funded programs and the Special Education Training and Resource Center (SETRC). His central office career began as Director of Pupil Personnel Services and Chair of the Committee on Special Education. His senior level administrative career began as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and continued as Superintendent of Schools for fifteen years.
Dr. O’Neill completed his doctoral studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo in educational administration with a concentration in organizational development. He has taught in the Graduate School of Education at Niagara University and in the graduate program in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Douglas W. Rudig , Pd.D.
Senior Consultant
Dr. Rudig holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Design, from the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle Campus, a Masters Degree in Education, from Drake University, Educational Administration Certification, from Northern Illinois University, and a Doctorate in Administration, Supervision, and Curriculum, from the University of Colorado, Denver.
Dr. Rudig began teaching under the National Teacher Corps Program, which focused on disadvantaged youth, in rural Iowa. He also taught Navajo Indian students on their Reservation in Kayenta, AZ. Returning to Illinois, he became a District Coordinator for the Visual Arts. Dr. Rudig entered his first Principalship in 1979, in the foothills of Colorado, at the Gilpin County Public School system, and continued Principal level positions, in Cherry Creek, CO, and in West Hartford CT. After completing his Doctorate degree in 1995, he has served as Superintendent of Schools for 15 years, in three separate School Districts: Ansonia, CT, Brookfield-LaGrange Park, IL, and Elmwood Park, IL.
Dr. Rudig has written and illustrated three children’s books for National Parks, and has done artwork for seven National Parks and Historical Monuments, including the: Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Hot Springs National Park, Monument Valley, Navajo National Monument, and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. He has also created/published a cross-age reading series, entitled Read with Me.
Jane Young , Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Jane Young served as the Superintendent of Schools for the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention from 2000 to 2009, where she led the Department’s school system to recognition in the state’s education accountability system for seven consecutive years. During her tenure, the agency improved outcomes for confined students by utilizing intensive teacher training, expanding accountability of programs, and implementing state-of-the art technology. She has served as an expert witness regarding special education for youth in confinement and has made numerous presentations regarding best practices for educating at-risk youth.
Dr. Young was recognized by the American Correctional Association as the “Best in the Business” in 2000, and was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor that can be granted in the state of North Carolina, in 1996. She served as the chair of The Council on Educational Services for Exceptional Children, the special education advisory council to the North Carolina Board of Education, from 2007 until her retirement from state government in 2009.
Dr. Young began her career in education as a special education teacher, and has also served as a high school administrator and a senior administrator of the state residential school for blind and visually impaired students. She has also held research positions at the University of North Carolina, focusing on services to children with disabilities. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina, where she also earned a Master’s in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Education Administration.
Charles Kyte, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Dr. Charles Kyte has been involved in a wide range of experiences at both the school district and state levels. He has been a teacher, coach, secondary principal, school superintendent and Executive Director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA). He has been active in the statewide dialogue on educational policy issues, serving on legislative policy commissions and working with a variety of groups to promote public education. An accomplished presenter, Dr. Kyte has spoken before numerous education groups, church and retreat groups, college classes, and service clubs. Frequently quoted in the media statewide, Dr. Kyte is considered to be a leading spokesperson on behalf of public education.
Before becoming superintendent of the Northfield Schools in 1989, Dr. Kyte was superintendent of the Eden Valley-Watkins Schools from 1981-1989. He was a high school principal for seven years. In the six prior years, Dr. Kyte taught physics, chemistry, and math, and was a coach and class advisor. After 20 years of service as a Superintendent of Schools, he assumed the role of Executive Director of MASA in 2000.
Dr. Kyte received his Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1987. He holds a Specialist's degree from Mankato State University, a Master's degree from St. Cloud State University, and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota at Duluth. In addition, he pursued post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Arkansas in atomic and nuclear physics. He was a recipient of a Bush Fellowship, participating in the Bush School Executive Fellowship Program.
John W. McGuire, B.S.Ed.
Senior Consultant
John McGuire began his career in education as a special education teacher working with inner city adolescents identified as emotionally disturbed in the city school districts of Rochester, New York and Urbana, Illinois. He served as Director of Private Schools with the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Associate Executive Director with the United Cerebral Palsy Association, Director of Special Programs with the Shenendehowa Central School District, Director of PreK-12 Instruction with the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central Schools, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Programs with the Bethlehem Central School District and Superintendent of Schools with the Greenwich Central School District and Guilderland Central School District, in the greater capital region of upstate New York. In each of his superintendencies, the districts he served were recognized as High Achieving, Gap Closing districts by the New York State Education Department. While at Guilderland, the district was cited as, “a beacon of excellence for the State” by former Commissioner of Education, Richard Mills.
Mr. McGuire served as a faculty member with the New York State Superintendent Development Program, and as Assistant Professor with the graduate program in Educational Leadership at the State University of New York at Oswego. Among his many professional affiliations, he is currently a retired life member of the New York State Council of School Superintendents.
Mr. McGuire earned his B.S. Ed. in Special Education and Educational Psychology from SUNY at Geneseo, New York, his Ed. M. in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign, and completed doctoral study in Special Education Administration at Syracuse University.
Special Education Staff
Jack Kelley, M.Ed.
Director of Educational Services
Jack Kelley worked for Longmeadow Public Schools for 36 years as a teacher, Special Education Administrator, and Director of Special Education. Since his retirement from Longmeadow, he has been interim Special Education Director in Farmington River RSD, Ware Public Schools and Ludlow Public Schools. He is currently the part-time Special Education Director for the Martin Luther King Charter School, an adjunct professor at American International College, and is consulting with school districts. Jack has evaluated special education programs and services and has provided support to a number of school districts as they approached their DOE audits. In addition, he has experience with 504, Title One, Grant Writing, ADA and budgets. Mr. Kelley is certified as a Special Education Administrator and as a Director of Special Education.
Ray Sylvain, M.Ed.
Program Manager in Special Education
Mr. Sylvain graduated from North Adams State College in 1974 with a B.A. in Psychology. He began his career in education as an Elementary Special Education Teacher in Haverhill, Massachusetts. In 1975, he moved to Western Massachusetts and took a position as a Special Education Teacher at Ludlow High School. In 1980, he graduated from Westfield State College with a Masters in Special Education and Administration and became the Director of Special Education in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Upon leaving that position, he was the Administrator of Student Services at Pioneer Valley Regional School District. In 1987, he joined the East Longmeadow Public Schools as the Director of Student Services where he remained for twenty years. In East Longmeadow, his responsibilities included Special Education’s Health Services, Title I and Management of the METCO Program. He retired from East Longmeadow Public Schools in 2007.
Richard Judah, D.Ed.
Senior Special Education Consultant
Dr. Judah received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University in Sacramento, a Master of Arts in Psychology and Counseling from Assumption College, and a Doctorate of Education from the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Pennsylvania State University. He is licensed as a Clinical Psychologist and Health Services Provider and as a School Psychologist. Dr. Judah has extensive experience in the mental health field as a psychologist, therapist, professional supervisor, and director of mental health services. His experience also includes working in public schools and other types of educational settings providing assessment, consultation, and clinical services.
He is a Professor of Graduate Studies in the Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling at Union Institute and University and had taught graduate courses in Psychology and Special Education at Fitchburg State College and Assumption College. Dr. Judah has been published in professional journals and books on psychological assessment and behavior management.
Richard Labrie, M.Ed.
Senior Special Education Consultant
Richard Labrie has more than 35 years of educational administrative experience at both the secondary and post secondary levels. His primary areas of expertise include educational needs assessments, program planning and development and program implementation and evaluation. He has earned a Masters Degree in Educational Administration, a Baccalaureate Degree in Educational Administration and graduate coursework in Educational Policy, Research and Administration, as well as law. For 17 years, Mr. Labrie held the position of Executive Director of the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, the largest and most multi purpose of the Massachusetts educational collaboratives. Prior to that, he was Executive Director of the South Berkshire Educational Collaborative in Great Barrington, MA. He has also held research positions with Technical Education Research Centers in Newton and with Public Management Associates in Springfield and Cambridge, MA.
Rose Carr, M.Ed.
Senior Special Education Consultant
Rose Carr holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT and Masters of Arts in Special Education, Learning Disability from Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT. She began her career as a Special Education Teacher in Westhampton, MA. In 1994, she became Administrator of Special Education in North Adams, MA. In addition to her position in North Adams, in 1997 she began consulting for schools throughout Massachusetts where she developed, presented and facilitated numerous professional development activities addressing general and special education collaboration. She is also a Supervisor for Teacher Licensure at Hampshire Educational Collaborative a position that she has held since 2004.
Dominick C. Vita, Ph.D
Senior Special Education Consultant
Dr. Vita holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Psychology and Education from Assumption College, a Master of Arts from Fairfield University and a Doctorate from Heed University. Dr. Vita began his career in education in 1972, as a teacher at Cathedral High School in Bridgeport, CT. He joined the Norwalk, CT Public Schools in 1976, as a school counselor. He then held positions as Assistant Supervisor of Special Education and Principal Administrator, Acting Director of Adult Education, Supervisor of Special Education, and Director of Student Services and Special Education all in the Norwalk, CT Public Schools. In 1992, he took a position as Director of Pupil Services in Fall Village, CT. He then became Superintendent of Schools in Bethany, CT in 1997, and in 2005, Superintendent of Schools in Litchfield, CT where he remained until October, 2008 before retiring.
Mark Francis, Ed.Sp.
Director of Special Education, Michigan Region
Mr. Francis has 24 years of experience working in the field of Special
Education. He has served as a Director of Special Education, both at
the local and ISD level; school social worker, in urban Michigan.
Starting on January 1, 2010, he will serve on the National Council for
Exceptional Children’s National Board for the Division of Autism and
Developmental Disabilities (DADD). As Futures Director of Special
Education Michigan Region, Mr. Francis will bring his depth and breadth
of Special Education to each district project.
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