CDE Closure - Memorial Day
CDE will be closed on Monday, May 25 for the Memorial Day holiday.
Contact Us
Need Help? Assistance for Parents or Families about...
Additional Contact Resources
Staff contacts for ESSU offices
ESSU Responsibility List
The ESSU Responsibility List provides the areas of responsibility for the Office of Special Education staff as well as the offices listed below as part of the Exceptional Student Services Unit.
Office of Special Education Newsletters, Listservs and Office Hours
The Exceptional Student Services Unit often communicates with educators via newsletters, listservs and virtual office hours. Learn more about other ways to connect with the Office of Special Education staff.
Office of Special Education Teams & Contact Information
Executive Director & Administrative Assistant
Paul Foster, Ed.D.,
Assistant Commissioner, ESSU
Email: foster_p@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-926-4033
Suzy Shotts,
Administrative Assistant
Email: shotts_s@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-926-4033
Special Education Data
Orla Bolger
Supervisor, Special Education Data Team
Email: bolger_o@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-921-0524
Josh Fails
Online Project Coordinator (DMS) & Data Consultant
Email: Fails_j@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-618-0538
Annie Haberkorn
Special Education Compliance Data Specialist
Email: haberkorn_a@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-968-0425
Jennifer Ivan
Administrative Assistant III
Email: ivan_j@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-766-0605
General Supervision and Monitoring
Kerry Whitmore
Director, General Supervision and Monitoring
Email: whitmore_k@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-456-0397
Nick Smosna
Supervisor, General Supervision and Monitoring
Email: smosna_n@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-548-5597
Julie Rottier-Lukens
Supervisor, Special Education Director Liaison
Email: rottier-lukens_j@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-829-9221
Teresa Ashton
Special Education Compliance Consultant
Email: ashton_t@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-916-7548
Karen Brif
Fiscal Monitoring Specialist
Email: brif_k@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-910-0309
Erin Frank
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email: Frank_E@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-812-3207
Becky O’Malley
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email: omalley_r@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-895-5108
Nadine Penn
Charter & Private School Special Education Compliance Monitor
Email: penn_n@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-795-2352
Hannah Prokop
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email: Prokop_h@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-284-8144
Amber Pryor
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email: pryor_a@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-868-4769
Zack Van Sant
SPED Monitoring and Technical Assistance Consultant
Email: Van_sant_z@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-668-2609
Access, Learning, and Literacy (ALL) Team
Tanni Anthony,
Director / Blind/Low Vision and Deaf-Blind Specialist
Email: anthony_t@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-503-4647
Krista Berkey
Administrator III
Email: Berkey_K@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-661-3013
Lauren Gould
Program Support
Email: gould_l@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-467-1474
Aaron Haywood
Program Support
Email: haywood_a@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-918-7108
Angela Harris
Program Support
Email: harris_angela@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-926-4238
Jeannette Herreria-Schultz
Program Support
Email: herreria-schultz_m@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-925-1782
Gina Hererra
Supervisor / Significant Support Needs and Deaf-Blind Specialist
Email Gina Herrera
303-253-0451
Bill Brown
Affective Needs / Serious Emotional Disability Specialist
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000
Hannah Mackie
Speech Language Pathologist Specialist
Email Hannah Mackie
720-697-4545
Tamara Viehl
Supervisor / Literacy Specialist
Email: viehl_t@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-799-3722
Emily Ottinger
Specific Learning Disability Specialist
Email: ottinger_e@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-456-5301
Val Rolph
Structured Literacy Coach
Email: rolph_v@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-512-8613
Cheryl Thompson
Structured Literacy Coach
Email: thompson_c@cde.state.co.us
Krista Klabo, Ed.S., NCSP
Supervisor / School Psychology and Special Education Evaluation Specialist
Email Krista Klabo
720-284-2524
Jody Dickerson, RN, BSN, MN
Brain Injury Specialist
Email: dickerson_j@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-795-2273
Kacy Little Owl
Secondary Student Success Specialist
Email: little_owl_k@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-827-8283
Katie Oliver
Interagency Workforce Specialist
Email: oliver_k@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-413-4006
Amanda Timmerman
E-Learning Specialist
Email: timmerman_a@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-916-4481
Shauna Moden
Supervisor / Deaf Education Specialist
Email: moden_s@cde.state.co.us
720-413-0179
Brooke Carson, PhD
Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist
Email: carson_b@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-215-8647
Rhonda Danner, M.A.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist
Email: Danner_R@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-460-8368
Hunter Smith
Multilingual Learners with Disabilities Specialist
Email: smith_h@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-202-2623
Early Childhood Special Education Team
Heidi White
Director, Preschool Special Education
Email: white_h@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-501-0837
Marcia Blum
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email: blum_m@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-799-4015
Lucia Di Prima
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email: DiPrima_l@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-812-1874
Rebecca Browning-Floyd
Results Matter and Early Childhood Specialist
Email: Browning-Floyd_R@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-880-3697
Carie Mitchell
Early Childhood Special Education Specialist
Email: mitchell_c@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-955-3360
Melissa Taucher
Child Find Specialist
Email: taucher_m@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-822-6239
ESSU Fiscal Systems
Vicki Graham,
Supervisor, Office of Special Education Budget and High Cost
Email: graham_v@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-237-7541
Lisa Schmit
ESSU Accounting Technician
Email: schmit_l@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-916-6123
Special Education Dispute Resolution & Guidance
Brandon Edelman, Esq.
Director of Special Education Dispute Resolution
Email: edelman_b@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-704-9138
Ashley Schubert, Esq.
Supervisor of Special Education Dispute Resolution
Email: Schubert_A@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-788-0576
Nick Butler, Esq.
State Complaints Officer
Email: butler_n@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-402-0333
Tara Carone, Esq.
State Complaints Officer
Email: carone_t@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-812-1348
Rachel Dore, Esq.
Senior State Complaints Officer
Email: dore_r@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-951-8457
Lee Sosebee, Esq.
State Complaints Officer
Email: sosebee_l@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-926-7945
Gloria Alaniz
Dispute Resolution Coordinator
Email: alaniz_g@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-584-4673
CiCi Lyman
Program Support
Email: lyman_s@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-760-0421
Katherine Rains
Supervisor, Family Engagement and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Email: rains_k@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-990-1464
Beth Donahue
Family Engagement Specialist
Email: phillips_h@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-926-1453
Nancy Jones
ADR Coordinator
Email: jones_n@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-955-2784
Pahmela Mendoza
Family School Program Specialist
Email: mendoza_p@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-237-4600
Hannah Phillips
Administrative Assistant
Email: phillips_h@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 720-830-6568
David Ramer
Program Support
Email: ramer_d@cde.state.co.us
Phone: 303-866-6943