Staff Directory

Kathe Matrone Ph.D. CRC
CCER DirectorKathe

Areas of Expertise: Kathe Matrone is the Director of the Center for Continuing Education and also serves as the Technical Assistance Lead for the Region 10 TACE Center. Kathe specializes in the following areas:

  • Cultural Awareness
  • Psychosocial Aspects of Disability
  • Group Counseling
  • Practicum and Internship for master’s students in Rehabilitation Counseling
  • Employment Strategies
  • Foundations of Rehabilitation Counseling
  • Program Evaluation
  • Needs Assessment

 
Relevant Employment and Education: Kathe has a doctorate in Rehabilitation Counselor Education from Michigan State University and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). She has worked in the field of rehabilitation in a variety of roles for over thirty years in Idaho, Alaska, and Washington.

Don Brandon
Project Directordonhead4.jpg

Areas of Expertise: 
Don Brandon is an expert on reasonable accommodation, accessible design and implementation, and systemic program review and evaluation.  He has advanced skill in mediation of ADA disputes in employment and accessibility.  Don is a gifted trainer and motivator of professionals, bringing a down-to-earth style that invigorates and enlightens participants on disabilities issues.

 Relevant Employment and Education:  Don initiated the farthest north independent living center with Access Alaska in 1984 and served as Assistant Director of Programs at the Hawaii Independent Living Center.  He served as the ADA Coordinator and Affirmative Action Officer for the University of Alaska and was serving as the Alaska State ADA Coordinator prior to working for CCER/DBTAC.

Comments about Experience and Expertise:  I most enjoy training and motivating groups to think about the way they think about disability.  I am not out to change people, I love to challenge their thinking and doing, so that they give themselves permission to address behaviors and attitudes that limit themselves and others.  I have vast experience in accessing systems and programs, trouble shooting and brainstorming solutions and drafting and implementing training, policy, and follow-up to ascertain effectiveness of solutions identified.

John Dineen
Training Specialist

Areas of Expertise: John Dineen
John Dineen has thirteen years of experience providing training and technical assistance to community-based providers of employment services in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska. His preferred topics include:

  • Job development
  • Behavior support
  • Job carving
  • Ethics and values
  • Career development and assessment
  • Long-term support
  • Networking with the community
  • Negotiation


Related employment and activities include rehabilitation counseling, group home parent for children with severe behavior disorders, and service on the Board of Directors for a local non-profit.

Relevant Employment and Education: John has earned a M.A. in Human Development  from the University of Kansas and a B.S in Pychology from Montana State University. John has also completed Ph.D. coursework in supported employment at the University of Washington. He has fifteen additional years of experience in the development and management of community-based employment services in university and community non-profit settings. 

John McClure
Training Specialist

Areas of Expertise: John M
John McClure coordinates training and in-service experiences for both state vocational rehabilitation counselors and employees of community rehabilitation providers. He specializes in planning and coordinating national and regional conferences on disability and work issues and arranges and facilitates teleconferences throughout the year on a variety of subjects, including:

  • Blind Residential and Employment Training
  • Psychiatric Disabilities
  • Independent Living
  • Ticket to Work
  • Native American Disability Rehabilitation
  • Migrant Seasonal Farm Worker Disability Rehabilitation
  • Specific disabilities and special populations
  • Methods for developing careers
  • Job specific training
  • Employer relations
     

Relevant Employment and Education: John earned a B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Washington. He has over 18 years experience  as a therapist, case manager, job coach, program supervisor and program director in mental health services.

Barney Fleming, Ph.D., ATP
Training and Information SpecialistBarney1.jpg

Areas of Expertise:  Barney has extensive knowledge and skills in areas of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology.  He specializes in human factors engineering and ergonomics as applied to job accommodation, universal design of products and facilities, accessibility of web technologies and multimedia, adaptive computer technology, and augmentative and alternative communication.

Relevant Employment and Education:  Barney has a doctorate in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Iowa.  Prior to joining DBTAC Northwest, Barney was a practicing rehabilitation engineer and principal investigator for a number of research, training, technical assistance and direct service projects involving the application of assistive technology across the lifespan and in multiple environments. He served as Training Director for the Human Development Institute (HDI) at the University of Kentucky overseeing the Graduate Certificate in Developmental Disabilities. He was an Associate Professor in the Center for Biomedical Engineering, has seventeen years experience as a rehabilitation engineering consultant for the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and was adjunct faculty member of the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Katie Cissell
Training Specialist

Areas of Expertise: katie
Katie Cissell has been a training specialist at the Center for Continuing Education in Rehabilitation for over 11 years.  She administers certificate courses in management and supervision for community rehabilitation staff in Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Idaho.  She also teaches classes on how to work with consumer families and how to support people in community jobs. Katie’s adult son, who experiences intellectual disabilities, provides the inspiration for Katie to advocate for all people with disabilities to choose and receive the services and supports that will help them live meaningful lives. Her preferred topics include: 

  • Management Topics in Community Rehabilitation Programs
  • Coaching and Mentoring Staff
  • Frontline Supervision for Community Rehabilitation Programs
  • Ethics and values
  • Performance Management for Staff of CRPs
  • Targeted Marketing and Brochure/Web Design for CRPs
  • Career development and Resume and Cover Letter Writing
  • Working with Consumer Families
  • Issues in Transition from High School for People with Developmental Disabilities
  • Strategic Planning and Facilitation for Organizations and Community Programs

Relevant Employment and Education:  Katie worked for over nine years as an executive director of a community rehabilitation program and knows first hand what it takes to make or break the quality of the services provided. She was responsible for a staff of 160 employees and worked with a large board of directors. Katie  earned a B.S. in English Education from Iowa State University and completed coursework in Public Administration. Katie currently serves on the Board of Directors of a large CRP in the Seattle area.

Laurie Ford, M.A.
TACE Director

Areas of Expertise: Laurie Ford is the Director of  the Region 10 TACE Center, coordinating training and technical assistance activities to VR agencies and their partners in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Laurie

Workshops include:

  • National Certificate in Employment Services; topics included are Specific Disabilities, Funding Streams (VR and Medicaid), Social Security, Dealing with Diversity, Job Modification and Accommodation, Working as a Change Agent, Stress Management
  • Job Placement and Support for People with Psychiatric Disabilities
  • Social Security Work Incentives and Ticket to Work
  • Ethical Issues for Community Rehabilitation Programs
  • Building Your Job Support Toolbox
     

Relevant Employment and Education:  Laurie earned a Master of  Science in Counseling from the University of Oregon.  Laurie has served as the chair of the national CRP RCEP Consortium and has had lead roles in the development of the National Certificate in Employment Services and in the new Ticket to Work regulations.   Before coming to CCER in 1989, Laurie helped develop and manage one of the first supported employment programs for adults with developmental disabilities.  

Paul Dziedzic
Coordinator, CCER Rehabilitation InstitutePaul3b.jpg

Areas of Expertise: Paul is the Coordinator of the CCER Rehabilitation Leadership Institute, which provides leadership training for program managers in vocational rehabilitation and chemical dependency programs. Paul works as a facilitator extraordinaire for both state VR programs and community rehabilitation programs. Paul is in his element when he is helping others figure out “what is success” to them, and strategizing how to achieve that success.

Relevant Employment and Education:  Paul has over twenty years of experience in public service. He is the former Special Assistant to the Governor of Washington on substance abuse issues and the former director of the Washington Department of Services for the Blind, during which time he also served as President of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) . He has also served as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, and as the Executive Director of the Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. He has done extensive work with community groups and organizations both as a leader of community task forces (Issaquah Community Action Network, Washington Association of Broadcaster's Teen Alcohol Task Force and others) and as an advisor (Governor's Community Mobilization against Substance Abuse initiative).

Paul earned a B.A. Magna Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame in Government.

Jo Fleming, Ph.D.
Program Manager Washington Statejo.jpg

Areas of Expertise:  Jo serves as the broker for DBTAC services throughout the state. She works closely with the other staff members at the DBTAC Northwest Regional Office in Mountlake Terrace. Responsibilities include production of the regional newsletter (print and email versions) and other informational products; instructional design; and curriculum development. Jo coordinates ADA training sessions in Washington, matching training needs with appropriate delivery methods and trainers.

Relevant Employment and Education:  Jo completed her doctorate in Special Education at the University of Washington. She initiated the teacher certification program in severe disabilities at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Louisiana. She spent twenty-two years in Lexington, Kentucky where she divided her time between teaching technology courses in the Special Education Department at the University of Kentucky and serving as Director of Educational Services at ORCCA Technology. ORCCA provides assistive technology products and services to persons with disabilities and electronic media training programs for professional development.

Work Skills:  Jo has taught students with learning and behavioral disabilities, directed teacher training programs in severe disabilities and educational technology, and assisted government and private agencies with professional development multimedia programs. She maintains an interest in instructional and assistive technology and weaves that technology into her technical assistance and training about the Americans with Disabilities Act at the DBTAC Northwest.

Conrad Kuehn
Señor Technology SpecialistConrad

Areas of Expertise: Conrad Kuehn provides IT, web and technical assistance to all staff at CCER. He is often seen at conferences and trainings, working the digital cameras and sleuthing problems with laptops, LCD projectors, and other equipment. Conrad also provides distance learning technical expertise and database management and design for CCER’s two websites. Conrad splits his time between the DBTAC and TACE projects.  When he is not providing IT technical assistance, Conrad enjoys sharing his knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mr. Kuehn is a person with a disability and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor whose years of experience have been invaluable in identifying and arranging various accommodations.

Relevant Experience and Education:  Conrad earned a Masters Degree in Psychology/Human Resource Development from Antioch University and is in the process of completing a Ph.D. in Administration from Walden University.  In his desire to "live in many locations," Conrad went through an amazing number of job titles in just as many cities. He worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor in the worker’s compensation system. His computer expertise arose from his jobs as manager of computer systems in high rise hotels in St. Louis and Seattle.

Tammi Olson
Conference Coordinator

Tammi5B.jpgAreas of Expertise: Tammi has been with CCER for 8 years as the Conference Coordinator. She spends her time making sure everyone at CCER has no worries about their many travels and meeting locations. She is just as comfortable organizing workshops for 20-30 people in attendance as she is at coordinating conferences for up to 350 people, regionally or nationally. She takes care of all registrations and email broadcasts announcing CCER’s conferences and workshops. She has years of experience in ADA compliance as well as arranging site and material accessibility. She also keeps an eye on the day-to-day operations of the CCER offices using her finely tuned troubleshooting skills.  You may receive an email from her, or you may meet her on the telephone.

Relevant Training and Experience: Tammi  graduated from  Everett Community College with an ATA Degree in Business Technology. She is a member of the Chippewa-Bois Fort Indian Tribe.  

 Susan Bonnell
Administrative Specialistsusan

Areas of Expertise: Susan is CCER’s go to person for resolving fiscal and administrative issues.  We couldn’t run the place without her! Susan maintains CCER's fiscal data and reports, safeguards project personnel records, processes and monitors payments to consultants, files for staff reimbursements and handles purchase orders. Just as importantly, she is an unabashed cheerleader for all the good things accomplished by CCER’s multi-talented staff,
Susan serves as the liaison to the UW grant and personnel management staff. This is no small task. She may also answer the phone when the public calls. She ably splits her time between the TACE and the DBTAC.

Relevant Employment and Education: Susan was a budget analyst with Western Washington University, working with state auditors and the office of financial management to report to the legislature and governor.

Miranda Levy, B.A.
Training and Information SpecialistMirandaWeb.jpg

Areas of Expertise: Miranda Levy joined DBTAC Northwest  in July of 2008. As a training and information specialist, Miranda provides answers to questions about accessibility, employment, transportation, and service animals with regards to the ADA. Miranda assists in creating marketing and educational materials for DBTAC Northwest. She also provides training on such topics as Service Animals and travel; and the ADA and Childcare.

Relevant Experience and Education:  Miranda received her Bachelor's Degree in Religion, focusing on Religious Sociology, from Whitman College in May of 2008. Over the past several years, Miranda has become increasingly involved with the disability community through volunteer projects with Epilepsy Foundation Northwest.