Staff Members Mesa Valley Vision & Community Program

Staff at Mesa Valley Vision

	Alison Bailey \| Program Director Alison came to Colorado in 1975 because she was lucky enough to get a job teaching at a time when teaching jobs were really hard to get. After being born and raised in Illinois, she knew that she wanted to live in a place that had more sunshine in the winter. That makes her a native, doesn’t it? When she and her husband, David, married in 1995, they combined their two families and began living together with six children, all but two of whom were teenagers! Alison considers the fact that they are still married to be wonderful! Their family continues to expand as they have added two sons-in-law, a grandson and have one son-in-law to be, waiting in the wings. Alison loves traveling and taking long brisk walks with her friends whenever she has the opportunity. Reading is a personal passion of hers, and Cooper, her new very cute grandson, is her newest hobby. Alison attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she studied education, receiving a Bachelor's Degree as well as a Master's Degree in Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties. Her first position in the district was at what is now New Emerson (Columbus Elementary on Orchard Mesa at the time). She was a part of the Title l Reading program for three years, and then taught third grade there. After a friend talked her into applying for a transfer to teach in Fruita, she taught at the old Fruita Building which is now the Civic Center. It was a rather ancient building with wooden floors and creaky sounds when you were there at night by yourself. Alison had to keep the windows open year-round as there was no air conditioning for the warm weather, and in the winter the radiators ran at one temperature – HOT!!! She always had to make sure the students didn’t lean against them when lining up for lunch! In 1982 that staff moved into Shelledy Elementary, which seemed like the Taj Mahal. There she taught a variety of areas, but mostly fourth grade. Although Alison has never done any home schooling, she admires anyone who does. She is honored to be the director of the Vision School, and hopes to be a resource for any family in our program.
	Tom Atkinson \| Financial Administrator Tom Atkinson is the “finance guy” of the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community Program. Coming originally from Palatine, Illinois, Tom moved to Colorado when he was six years old. He grew up in the Denver area, attended high school in Glenwood Springs and in 1996 moved to Grand Junction. He began his college experience at Western State College where he did not earn a degree, but enjoyed the opportunity to ski often. Moving on to Colorado State University, Tom loved the warmer climate and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. He went on to obtain his MBA with a Finance Emphasis from Colorado State University. Tom and his wife, Cathy, who is one of the program’s Resource Consultants, began home schooling their children when the oldest was in third grade. They have successfully graduated three home schoolers - two sons who are currently attending Colorado State University and a daughter who is at Mesa State College. Besides teaching his own children, Tom taught Economics to a high school co-op group. Both Tom and his wife agree that while home schooling was a sacrifice in terms of time and money, they would do it again in a heartbeat! His hobbies include skiing and hunting with his kids, camping, fishing, mountain biking basketball and reading history books.
	Laurajean Downs \| Achievement Coordinator, Resource Consultant Laurajean was born in Massachusetts, but moved to Denver when she was five years old and has lived in Colorado ever since. After obtaining her Bachelor of Science and Teaching Certificate from the University of Colorado in Denver, she taught in a preschool and a public elementary school until her first child was born. When her oldest began kindergarten, Laurajean began home schooling, and 18 years later, she is still teaching her youngest at home. She has home schooled each of her four daughters, three of whom have graduated high school and are currently in college. Because of her educational background and experience, this teacher and veteran home school mom has enjoyed teaching middle and high school writing classes to home schooled students for several years. Besides getting older (we think that was meant to be a joke!), Laurajean claims her hobbies include reading, hanging out with her family, camping, hiking, fishing and doing practically anything outdoors.
	Tammy Erickson-Piper \| Assessment Coordinator, Resource Consultant Tammy is a Colorado native who enjoys the varied seasons and blue-sky days. She moved to Grand Junction to attend Mesa State College and has been happy to call Junction home ever since. After earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, she spent two years in corporate sales and then returned to Mesa State College as the Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life. For eight years her role at the college allowed her to dedicate herself to two of her passions – students and teaching. Her favorite responsibility was training and supervising student leaders. Then, in order to devote more time to her family, she started a home-based, graphic design business. During the last three years she has again been able to pursue her passion for students and teaching as the homeschooling mother of her four children. Tammy is a long-standing proponent of quality education. Her background includes volunteer teaching in art, graphic design, gifted and talented math, literature, history, and reading for district 51 and local homeschool co-ops, and helping with the development of a charter school. Tammy really enjoys working with families as a part-time RC and serving as the Assessment Coordinator for Vision. She loves spending time with her husband, Jeff, hiking, biking and skiing with her family, good movies and popcorn, reading, walking, graphic design, and needle arts.
	Rene Knight \| Office Manager I am a Mom to two very wonderful, active children. Jake is a freshman at Junction this year and plays football, lacrosse and basketball. Hailey is starting middle school; she is a cheerleader and my very social girl. So, as you can guess I can mostly be found driving around town in my car after school and work. I have been married to my husband Taylor for 16 years, and our favorite summertime thing to do is boat at Lake Powell. Thanks to all the Vision staff for being so welcoming to me!
	Carolyn Lenderman \| Special Education & Support Learning Specialist Bio Coming Soon!...
	Richard Nunamaker \| High School Guidance Counselor, Science Specialist After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Richard moved to this great state in 1974 and spent the next two years working on his Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. He then moved to Laramie, Wyoming where he obtained his Ph.D. in Entomology and worked for 23 years for the USDA and the University of Wyoming. Richard has a wonderful wife who is a pharmacist at Delta County Hospital and a daughter who is working on her Ph.D. in American Studies at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He came to us from the Delta Vision Home and Community Program where he had worked as a resource consultant for five years, an educator for six years, a guidance counselor for three years and a member of the Board of Stewards for three years. Beginning in August 2008, Richard came on staff with the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community Program as our guidance counselor. Although he came from a very traditional educational background, he believes that the Vision philosophy of learning is a tremendous addition to K-12 education in the United States. An Individual Learning Plan coupled with a compassionate group of people-- including an RC and family members-- offers young people unlimited opportunities with respect to preparing them for a productive life. He looks forward to seeing more Vision-type schools in the future, and very much enjoys following the progress of the graduates from the first schools of this type. His hobbies include photography, fishing, gardening, grape-growing (4-acre vineyard in Cedaredge, CO), hiking and traveling.
	Diane Rino \| Family Advocate Diane and her husband Dean (Dino) have made their home in Grand Junction since 1995. With its nice balance of outdoor and indoor activities as well as the incredibly beautiful scenery, they have found the Grand Valley to be a wonderful place to raise their three children, Capri, Vincent and Adriana. Diane brings very valuable skills to our program with her educational background and life experience. She obtained an Associate’s Degree in Administration of Justice from Golden West Community College as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Secondary Education from Mesa State College. Diane also spent time serving with the United States Marine Corps and received an Honorable Discharge. After obtaining her degree and teaching license, Diane taught reading and writing classes at the secondary level and provided mentoring as well as tutoring to at-risk students to attain their General Equivalency Diploma (GED) and employment skills. In addition, she has taught a number of classes ranging from basic health to post construction clean up. Diane dabbles in a number of very different things in her spare time including raising Staffordshire Bull Terriers, reading, playing ping pong and softball. She also enjoys hiking, snowboarding, boxing, volunteering with a number of organizations and managing her cleaning business! It is no surprise that our Family Advocate believes strongly in the concept the Mesa Valley Vision Home & Community Program. It gives families another choice in public education and encourages a truly individualized learning path for students. Diane considers public education to be one of America’s greatest strengths and is thankful to be a part of the team of dedicated professionals working towards meeting the needs of our learners here at the Vision School.
	Gail Washington \| Elementary Reading Specialist Gail grew up in Tucson, Arizona, attended college and taught there for four years before moving to our great state. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona. Later she pursued her Master’s Degree in Reading Instruction at the University of Northern Colorado. During her years of classroom teaching, Gail taught preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, middle school and high school. She recently retired this past June as a second grade teacher with District 51. Her husband, Rob, a counselor for District 51, will retire this June as well. Gail and her husband are very proud of their daughter, Emily, who lives in Washington, D.C. and is currently a graduate student at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. Always a teacher at heart, this retiree truly enjoys working with the families and children of the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community Program. When she is not working for us, Gail loves to spend her time gardening, hiking and traveling.
	Open \| Math Specialist
	Cathy Atkinson \| Resource Consultant Like her husband, Tom, Cathy is not a “true native,” because she was born in Ohio, but she spent most of her growing up years here in Colorado. She claims to be the lucky gal who got to marry the love of her life - Tom, the “finance guy!” After home schooling their children for fourteen years, Cathy and Tom are on the verge of having an empty nest. Their children are all currently pursuing different careers – their first, a double degree in Molecular Biology/Civil Engineering, their second son a degree in Broadcasting & Journalism and their daughter plans to pursue a degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant. Cathy obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado. In addition to home schooling her own children, she has taught kindergarten, preschool, and middle school, has tutored many children (schooled at home, in public and private schools) and has taught a variety of classes in a home school co-op for several years. In her leisure time, Cathy enjoys scrap booking and photography, reading, knitting, creative, artsy-craftsy type things, camping, walking, and just hanging out with her family.
	Kelly Corson \| Resource Consultant I enjoy discovering the world with children, including my own. I have had the privilege of teaching students in special education settings, elementary and high school classrooms as well. Currently, I team teach a writing class for middle-school aged students. I look at educational experiences from a developmental perspective, and I am a strong proponent of hands-on learning opportunities. Story-telling is a thread that runs through much of my own teaching as a home school parent too. I have a background in children’s theatre, child development, nutrition and fitness, and interior design.
	Tracy Creek \| Resource Consultant I'm delighted to be a part of this great Vision team! I'm a homeschooling mother of 7 children, with 3 still at home. I'm married to the famous (or infamous) Banjo Joe. I've taught co-op classes for several years - Biology, Physical Science, Writing, and Drama. I enjoy sewing costumes, reading (of course), and I'm attempting to complete a counted cross stitch project while I can still see the little squares in the cloth!
	Bob Dauk \| Resource Consultant Bob is a Grand Valley native who enjoys golfing, playing basketball, fishing and hunting. His greatest joy is spending time with his family which includes his wife, Wendy, a four-year-old son, two adult married children and five granddaughters. After earning an Elementary Certification from Western State College, Bob went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and a Master’s Degree in Moderate Needs from the University of Northern Colorado. In addition to his work as an RC, Bob is a Behavior Coach for two teenage boys through Ariel Clinical Services in Grand Junction.
	Gail Giandonato \| Resource Consultant Although Gail is not a Colorado native, her grandparents were pioneers in this great state. In 1979, she and her family moved here from California and have lived here ever since. In her “spare time” she enjoys camping and rafting with her family as well as supporting her children in their various sporting, music and other extra-curricular activities. Having coffee with friends is another of Mrs. Giandonato’s favorite pastimes. Gail obtained a Bachelor of Business from Mesa State College. She has home schooled her own children ages 15, 13 and 12 ever since they were old enough to begin school. Before coming on board with the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community program, Gail worked as an RC with the Surface Creek Vision Program in Delta County.
	Jill Hatten \| Resource Consultant Jill, a Colorado native, attended Western State College in Gunnison where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Northwest Missouri State University. Jill worked for many years in public education – as a substitute teacher, reading aide and volunteer. Embarking upon home schooling when her oldest was in 7th grade, Jill says her background in education helped appease curious friends and well-meaning family members. However, she realizes that when it came to educating her own children, her most important qualifications are the love she has for them, the commitment she and her husband have toward their education and the conviction that every challenge can be met and overcome.
	Dolly Hill \| Resource Consultant Ohio is my birthplace and I have lived in Hawaii, California and Colorado. I currently reside in Eckert, Colorado. My passion for education would lead me to be a professional student if it were even semi-lucrative. Instead, I have been a stay-at-home mom, a fruit-packer, a house-cleaner, a rural mail carrier, a private school teacher’s aide and for the past several years, a Resource Consultant and Curriculum Advisor for the Delta VISION Program. My husband, Larry, and I have been occupied in raising our combined family of 10 children whose education included private school, public school, and home school. Our 9 married adult children have blessed us with 32 grandchildren (and still counting). By the time the last one launches, we will have been parenting children in our home for over 40 years. Someday, I plan to have some hobbies…….
	Candace Jahnke \| Resource Consultant Candace is a Colorado native born in Kremmling Colorado. She grew up in ski country, moved to Grand Junction to attend Mesa State College and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. One week later Candace married her husband and started the adventure of married life and raising five children. She has worked with her husband in their Financial Services business for the last 19 years and homeschooled all of her children until last year when her oldest graduated high school from home. Candace’s son has been attending Fruita Monument High School since the fall of 2007. Her youngest children are new to public school; her two middle school age girls attend West Middle School and her youngest is attending Wingate. It has been a very positive experience for them all, but they treasure their years of homeschooling, and miss the days of doing school in their PJs. Candace enjoys hanging out with her kids, spending time on the computer, camping with the family, sketching and painting, playing with her three dogs and four cats, and watching her kids play sports. She loves interacting with the Vision families and building her relationships with all the employees at Vision and is excited to be a part of Mesa Valley Vision HCP's future!
	Chris May \| Resource Consultant Chris is a Colorado native who, after moving to Arkansas for a few years, moved back to Grand Junction where she has enjoyed living ever since. She and her husband, Doug, have been married for 13 years and are the parents of three active boys, ages 11, 9 and 6. Mrs. May’s hobbies include cooking, baking, reading, skiing and bicycling. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, from the University of Wyoming and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Arkansas. Working for 19 years in education, Chris has taught pre-school, kindergarten, third and fourth grades in both private and public schools. Most recently, she taught non-classical literature for 4th – 7th grades and technology as a volunteer at her boys’ school. She considers her job as an RC for the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community Program to be one of the best jobs she has ever had. Most specifically, she enjoys seeing the various ways parents are meeting the educational needs of their own children and is excited as well as honored to be part of the process.
	Patti Severance \| Resource Consultant Patti was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and spent her growing up years in West Virginia, upstate New York, Wisconsin and North Carolina. She has also lived in Virginia, South Carolina, New Jersey and for the past seven years, here in Colorado, which she loves! After obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Greensboro College in North Carolina, Patti was a public school speech therapist for a year in Richmond, VA, and then returned to school to complete a MA in Speech Pathology at the University of North Carolina. Following those wonderful years, Patti worked as a speech pathologist in two hospitals, in public schools in North Carolina and South Carolina and in a pre-school program for physically challenged children. Patti has also taught teenage girls in a private school, was a foster mom to twin boys for a year, home schooled for a year and has privately tutored students in grades 3-12 in all subject areas for many years. Patti enjoyed being married during most of those years, but is currently divorced. Her motto is
	Linda Skinner \| Resource Consultant Linda is a fourth generation native of Colorado whose
	Lyn Storey \| Resource Consultant Lyn is a homeschooling mother of seven with twenty-two years of homeschool experience. While some of her children attended public schools at one time or another, she has always had children learning at home. She is proud to have graduated five children from homeschool, four of whom have gone on to higher education. Three are married, and she is the proud grandmother of one grandchild. As the wife of a retired air force officer, she has lived all over the world. She and her family moved to Colorado in 2001 and love the camping, skiing, biking, and canoeing opportunities in the Grand Valley. Lyn also enjoys gardening and is an avid reader. Over the years, Lyn has seen a wide variety of aptitudes and abilities in her own children and has enjoyed teaching to their individual learning styles. Her strengths are teaching a large family, meeting the needs of a wide array of learning styles, and being familiar with a variety of curriculum. Lyn has extensive experience using unit studies with younger children and has taught civics, speech, writing, and American history to high school students in a home school co-op. On a formal note, Lyn graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and completed a year of graduate work in counseling at the State University of New York.
	Patty Sullivan \| Resource Consultant Patty and her husband, Dave moved to Colorado from Nebraska and have lived on the Western Slope for the past 23 years. She is another one of our veteran home school moms who taught three sons, and currently her daughter who is still at home, for a total of 25 years to date. Patty’s two older sons are US Air Force veterans. Her firstborn, Zach, served in Iraq and went on to graduate from college after studying radiology. Zach also serves as the worship leader at his church. Patty’s second son, Nathan, is currently working for the federal government in the Washington DC area. The youngest Sullivan son, Andrew, lives in California and works as a property manager. When homeschooling their older children, the Sullivans spent a year on the road visiting 37 states – including three months in Hawaii as well as Canada and Mexico! Later, when one of the Sullivan boys was stationed in Germany, the family was able to spend a month in Europe, traveling to twelve different countries. Patty has also been to Romania, Thailand and twice to China. She feels fortunate that her husband’s past job as an on-the-road physical therapist gave her family abundant flexibility to travel. In addition to traveling extensively as a family, the highlight of the home school experience for Patty was been teaching her children to read and seeing their faces light up at the lower grade levels when a new concept was understood. In addition to homeschooling her youngest, Amy, and treasuring her three beautiful grandchildren, she enjoys scrapbooking and sewing in her free time. Patty says serving as an RC for the Mesa Valley Vision Home & Community Program offers her the opportunity to both give and receive support from enrolled families.
	Preston Thornburg \| Resource Consultant I'm excited to be working with the group at Mesa Valley Vision. I truly am looking forward to the challenges and internal rewards that MVV offers. For the past six years, I have been working for District 51 as a Behavioral/SIED Assistant and

	Alison Bailey \| Program Director Alison came to Colorado in 1975 because she was lucky enough to get a job teaching at a time when teaching jobs were really hard to get. After being born and raised in Illinois, she knew that she wanted to live in a place that had more sunshine in the winter. That makes her a native, doesn’t it? When she and her husband, David, married in 1995, they combined their two families and began living together with six children, all but two of whom were teenagers! Alison considers the fact that they are still married to be wonderful! Their family continues to expand as they have added two sons-in-law, a grandson and have one son-in-law to be, waiting in the wings. Alison loves traveling and taking long brisk walks with her friends whenever she has the opportunity. Reading is a personal passion of hers, and Cooper, her new very cute grandson, is her newest hobby. Alison attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she studied education, receiving a Bachelor's Degree as well as a Master's Degree in Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties. Her first position in the district was at what is now New Emerson (Columbus Elementary on Orchard Mesa at the time). She was a part of the Title l Reading program for three years, and then taught third grade there. After a friend talked her into applying for a transfer to teach in Fruita, she taught at the old Fruita Building which is now the Civic Center. It was a rather ancient building with wooden floors and creaky sounds when you were there at night by yourself. Alison had to keep the windows open year-round as there was no air conditioning for the warm weather, and in the winter the radiators ran at one temperature – HOT!!! She always had to make sure the students didn’t lean against them when lining up for lunch! In 1982 that staff moved into Shelledy Elementary, which seemed like the Taj Mahal. There she taught a variety of areas, but mostly fourth grade. Although Alison has never done any home schooling, she admires anyone who does. She is honored to be the director of the Vision School, and hopes to be a resource for any family in our program.
	Tom Atkinson \| Financial Administrator Tom Atkinson is the “finance guy” of the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community Program. Coming originally from Palatine, Illinois, Tom moved to Colorado when he was six years old. He grew up in the Denver area, attended high school in Glenwood Springs and in 1996 moved to Grand Junction. He began his college experience at Western State College where he did not earn a degree, but enjoyed the opportunity to ski often. Moving on to Colorado State University, Tom loved the warmer climate and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. He went on to obtain his MBA with a Finance Emphasis from Colorado State University. Tom and his wife, Cathy, who is one of the program’s Resource Consultants, began home schooling their children when the oldest was in third grade. They have successfully graduated three home schoolers - two sons who are currently attending Colorado State University and a daughter who is at Mesa State College. Besides teaching his own children, Tom taught Economics to a high school co-op group. Both Tom and his wife agree that while home schooling was a sacrifice in terms of time and money, they would do it again in a heartbeat! His hobbies include skiing and hunting with his kids, camping, fishing, mountain biking basketball and reading history books.
	Laurajean Downs \| Achievement Coordinator, Resource Consultant Laurajean was born in Massachusetts, but moved to Denver when she was five years old and has lived in Colorado ever since. After obtaining her Bachelor of Science and Teaching Certificate from the University of Colorado in Denver, she taught in a preschool and a public elementary school until her first child was born. When her oldest began kindergarten, Laurajean began home schooling, and 18 years later, she is still teaching her youngest at home. She has home schooled each of her four daughters, three of whom have graduated high school and are currently in college. Because of her educational background and experience, this teacher and veteran home school mom has enjoyed teaching middle and high school writing classes to home schooled students for several years. Besides getting older (we think that was meant to be a joke!), Laurajean claims her hobbies include reading, hanging out with her family, camping, hiking, fishing and doing practically anything outdoors.
	Tammy Erickson-Piper \| Assessment Coordinator, Resource Consultant Tammy is a Colorado native who enjoys the varied seasons and blue-sky days. She moved to Grand Junction to attend Mesa State College and has been happy to call Junction home ever since. After earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, she spent two years in corporate sales and then returned to Mesa State College as the Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life. For eight years her role at the college allowed her to dedicate herself to two of her passions – students and teaching. Her favorite responsibility was training and supervising student leaders. Then, in order to devote more time to her family, she started a home-based, graphic design business. During the last three years she has again been able to pursue her passion for students and teaching as the homeschooling mother of her four children. Tammy is a long-standing proponent of quality education. Her background includes volunteer teaching in art, graphic design, gifted and talented math, literature, history, and reading for district 51 and local homeschool co-ops, and helping with the development of a charter school. Tammy really enjoys working with families as a part-time RC and serving as the Assessment Coordinator for Vision. She loves spending time with her husband, Jeff, hiking, biking and skiing with her family, good movies and popcorn, reading, walking, graphic design, and needle arts.
	Rene Knight \| Office Manager I am a Mom to two very wonderful, active children. Jake is a freshman at Junction this year and plays football, lacrosse and basketball. Hailey is starting middle school; she is a cheerleader and my very social girl. So, as you can guess I can mostly be found driving around town in my car after school and work. I have been married to my husband Taylor for 16 years, and our favorite summertime thing to do is boat at Lake Powell. Thanks to all the Vision staff for being so welcoming to me!
	Carolyn Lenderman \| Special Education & Support Learning Specialist Bio Coming Soon!...
	Richard Nunamaker \| High School Guidance Counselor, Science Specialist After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Richard moved to this great state in 1974 and spent the next two years working on his Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. He then moved to Laramie, Wyoming where he obtained his Ph.D. in Entomology and worked for 23 years for the USDA and the University of Wyoming. Richard has a wonderful wife who is a pharmacist at Delta County Hospital and a daughter who is working on her Ph.D. in American Studies at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He came to us from the Delta Vision Home and Community Program where he had worked as a resource consultant for five years, an educator for six years, a guidance counselor for three years and a member of the Board of Stewards for three years. Beginning in August 2008, Richard came on staff with the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community Program as our guidance counselor. Although he came from a very traditional educational background, he believes that the Vision philosophy of learning is a tremendous addition to K-12 education in the United States. An Individual Learning Plan coupled with a compassionate group of people-- including an RC and family members-- offers young people unlimited opportunities with respect to preparing them for a productive life. He looks forward to seeing more Vision-type schools in the future, and very much enjoys following the progress of the graduates from the first schools of this type. His hobbies include photography, fishing, gardening, grape-growing (4-acre vineyard in Cedaredge, CO), hiking and traveling.
	Diane Rino \| Family Advocate Diane and her husband Dean (Dino) have made their home in Grand Junction since 1995. With its nice balance of outdoor and indoor activities as well as the incredibly beautiful scenery, they have found the Grand Valley to be a wonderful place to raise their three children, Capri, Vincent and Adriana. Diane brings very valuable skills to our program with her educational background and life experience. She obtained an Associate’s Degree in Administration of Justice from Golden West Community College as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Secondary Education from Mesa State College. Diane also spent time serving with the United States Marine Corps and received an Honorable Discharge. After obtaining her degree and teaching license, Diane taught reading and writing classes at the secondary level and provided mentoring as well as tutoring to at-risk students to attain their General Equivalency Diploma (GED) and employment skills. In addition, she has taught a number of classes ranging from basic health to post construction clean up. Diane dabbles in a number of very different things in her spare time including raising Staffordshire Bull Terriers, reading, playing ping pong and softball. She also enjoys hiking, snowboarding, boxing, volunteering with a number of organizations and managing her cleaning business! It is no surprise that our Family Advocate believes strongly in the concept the Mesa Valley Vision Home & Community Program. It gives families another choice in public education and encourages a truly individualized learning path for students. Diane considers public education to be one of America’s greatest strengths and is thankful to be a part of the team of dedicated professionals working towards meeting the needs of our learners here at the Vision School.
	Gail Washington \| Elementary Reading Specialist Gail grew up in Tucson, Arizona, attended college and taught there for four years before moving to our great state. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona. Later she pursued her Master’s Degree in Reading Instruction at the University of Northern Colorado. During her years of classroom teaching, Gail taught preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, middle school and high school. She recently retired this past June as a second grade teacher with District 51. Her husband, Rob, a counselor for District 51, will retire this June as well. Gail and her husband are very proud of their daughter, Emily, who lives in Washington, D.C. and is currently a graduate student at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. Always a teacher at heart, this retiree truly enjoys working with the families and children of the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community Program. When she is not working for us, Gail loves to spend her time gardening, hiking and traveling.
	Open \| Math Specialist
	Cathy Atkinson \| Resource Consultant Like her husband, Tom, Cathy is not a “true native,” because she was born in Ohio, but she spent most of her growing up years here in Colorado. She claims to be the lucky gal who got to marry the love of her life - Tom, the “finance guy!” After home schooling their children for fourteen years, Cathy and Tom are on the verge of having an empty nest. Their children are all currently pursuing different careers – their first, a double degree in Molecular Biology/Civil Engineering, their second son a degree in Broadcasting & Journalism and their daughter plans to pursue a degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant. Cathy obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado. In addition to home schooling her own children, she has taught kindergarten, preschool, and middle school, has tutored many children (schooled at home, in public and private schools) and has taught a variety of classes in a home school co-op for several years. In her leisure time, Cathy enjoys scrap booking and photography, reading, knitting, creative, artsy-craftsy type things, camping, walking, and just hanging out with her family.
	Kelly Corson \| Resource Consultant I enjoy discovering the world with children, including my own. I have had the privilege of teaching students in special education settings, elementary and high school classrooms as well. Currently, I team teach a writing class for middle-school aged students. I look at educational experiences from a developmental perspective, and I am a strong proponent of hands-on learning opportunities. Story-telling is a thread that runs through much of my own teaching as a home school parent too. I have a background in children’s theatre, child development, nutrition and fitness, and interior design.
	Tracy Creek \| Resource Consultant I'm delighted to be a part of this great Vision team! I'm a homeschooling mother of 7 children, with 3 still at home. I'm married to the famous (or infamous) Banjo Joe. I've taught co-op classes for several years - Biology, Physical Science, Writing, and Drama. I enjoy sewing costumes, reading (of course), and I'm attempting to complete a counted cross stitch project while I can still see the little squares in the cloth!
	Bob Dauk \| Resource Consultant Bob is a Grand Valley native who enjoys golfing, playing basketball, fishing and hunting. His greatest joy is spending time with his family which includes his wife, Wendy, a four-year-old son, two adult married children and five granddaughters. After earning an Elementary Certification from Western State College, Bob went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and a Master’s Degree in Moderate Needs from the University of Northern Colorado. In addition to his work as an RC, Bob is a Behavior Coach for two teenage boys through Ariel Clinical Services in Grand Junction.
	Gail Giandonato \| Resource Consultant Although Gail is not a Colorado native, her grandparents were pioneers in this great state. In 1979, she and her family moved here from California and have lived here ever since. In her “spare time” she enjoys camping and rafting with her family as well as supporting her children in their various sporting, music and other extra-curricular activities. Having coffee with friends is another of Mrs. Giandonato’s favorite pastimes. Gail obtained a Bachelor of Business from Mesa State College. She has home schooled her own children ages 15, 13 and 12 ever since they were old enough to begin school. Before coming on board with the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community program, Gail worked as an RC with the Surface Creek Vision Program in Delta County.
	Jill Hatten \| Resource Consultant Jill, a Colorado native, attended Western State College in Gunnison where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Northwest Missouri State University. Jill worked for many years in public education – as a substitute teacher, reading aide and volunteer. Embarking upon home schooling when her oldest was in 7th grade, Jill says her background in education helped appease curious friends and well-meaning family members. However, she realizes that when it came to educating her own children, her most important qualifications are the love she has for them, the commitment she and her husband have toward their education and the conviction that every challenge can be met and overcome.
	Dolly Hill \| Resource Consultant Ohio is my birthplace and I have lived in Hawaii, California and Colorado. I currently reside in Eckert, Colorado. My passion for education would lead me to be a professional student if it were even semi-lucrative. Instead, I have been a stay-at-home mom, a fruit-packer, a house-cleaner, a rural mail carrier, a private school teacher’s aide and for the past several years, a Resource Consultant and Curriculum Advisor for the Delta VISION Program. My husband, Larry, and I have been occupied in raising our combined family of 10 children whose education included private school, public school, and home school. Our 9 married adult children have blessed us with 32 grandchildren (and still counting). By the time the last one launches, we will have been parenting children in our home for over 40 years. Someday, I plan to have some hobbies…….
	Candace Jahnke \| Resource Consultant Candace is a Colorado native born in Kremmling Colorado. She grew up in ski country, moved to Grand Junction to attend Mesa State College and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. One week later Candace married her husband and started the adventure of married life and raising five children. She has worked with her husband in their Financial Services business for the last 19 years and homeschooled all of her children until last year when her oldest graduated high school from home. Candace’s son has been attending Fruita Monument High School since the fall of 2007. Her youngest children are new to public school; her two middle school age girls attend West Middle School and her youngest is attending Wingate. It has been a very positive experience for them all, but they treasure their years of homeschooling, and miss the days of doing school in their PJs. Candace enjoys hanging out with her kids, spending time on the computer, camping with the family, sketching and painting, playing with her three dogs and four cats, and watching her kids play sports. She loves interacting with the Vision families and building her relationships with all the employees at Vision and is excited to be a part of Mesa Valley Vision HCP's future!
	Chris May \| Resource Consultant Chris is a Colorado native who, after moving to Arkansas for a few years, moved back to Grand Junction where she has enjoyed living ever since. She and her husband, Doug, have been married for 13 years and are the parents of three active boys, ages 11, 9 and 6. Mrs. May’s hobbies include cooking, baking, reading, skiing and bicycling. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, from the University of Wyoming and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Arkansas. Working for 19 years in education, Chris has taught pre-school, kindergarten, third and fourth grades in both private and public schools. Most recently, she taught non-classical literature for 4th – 7th grades and technology as a volunteer at her boys’ school. She considers her job as an RC for the Mesa Valley Vision Home and Community Program to be one of the best jobs she has ever had. Most specifically, she enjoys seeing the various ways parents are meeting the educational needs of their own children and is excited as well as honored to be part of the process.
	Patti Severance \| Resource Consultant Patti was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and spent her growing up years in West Virginia, upstate New York, Wisconsin and North Carolina. She has also lived in Virginia, South Carolina, New Jersey and for the past seven years, here in Colorado, which she loves! After obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Greensboro College in North Carolina, Patti was a public school speech therapist for a year in Richmond, VA, and then returned to school to complete a MA in Speech Pathology at the University of North Carolina. Following those wonderful years, Patti worked as a speech pathologist in two hospitals, in public schools in North Carolina and South Carolina and in a pre-school program for physically challenged children. Patti has also taught teenage girls in a private school, was a foster mom to twin boys for a year, home schooled for a year and has privately tutored students in grades 3-12 in all subject areas for many years. Patti enjoyed being married during most of those years, but is currently divorced. Her motto is
	Linda Skinner \| Resource Consultant Linda is a fourth generation native of Colorado whose
	Lyn Storey \| Resource Consultant Lyn is a homeschooling mother of seven with twenty-two years of homeschool experience. While some of her children attended public schools at one time or another, she has always had children learning at home. She is proud to have graduated five children from homeschool, four of whom have gone on to higher education. Three are married, and she is the proud grandmother of one grandchild. As the wife of a retired air force officer, she has lived all over the world. She and her family moved to Colorado in 2001 and love the camping, skiing, biking, and canoeing opportunities in the Grand Valley. Lyn also enjoys gardening and is an avid reader. Over the years, Lyn has seen a wide variety of aptitudes and abilities in her own children and has enjoyed teaching to their individual learning styles. Her strengths are teaching a large family, meeting the needs of a wide array of learning styles, and being familiar with a variety of curriculum. Lyn has extensive experience using unit studies with younger children and has taught civics, speech, writing, and American history to high school students in a home school co-op. On a formal note, Lyn graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and completed a year of graduate work in counseling at the State University of New York.
	Patty Sullivan \| Resource Consultant Patty and her husband, Dave moved to Colorado from Nebraska and have lived on the Western Slope for the past 23 years. She is another one of our veteran home school moms who taught three sons, and currently her daughter who is still at home, for a total of 25 years to date. Patty’s two older sons are US Air Force veterans. Her firstborn, Zach, served in Iraq and went on to graduate from college after studying radiology. Zach also serves as the worship leader at his church. Patty’s second son, Nathan, is currently working for the federal government in the Washington DC area. The youngest Sullivan son, Andrew, lives in California and works as a property manager. When homeschooling their older children, the Sullivans spent a year on the road visiting 37 states – including three months in Hawaii as well as Canada and Mexico! Later, when one of the Sullivan boys was stationed in Germany, the family was able to spend a month in Europe, traveling to twelve different countries. Patty has also been to Romania, Thailand and twice to China. She feels fortunate that her husband’s past job as an on-the-road physical therapist gave her family abundant flexibility to travel. In addition to traveling extensively as a family, the highlight of the home school experience for Patty was been teaching her children to read and seeing their faces light up at the lower grade levels when a new concept was understood. In addition to homeschooling her youngest, Amy, and treasuring her three beautiful grandchildren, she enjoys scrapbooking and sewing in her free time. Patty says serving as an RC for the Mesa Valley Vision Home & Community Program offers her the opportunity to both give and receive support from enrolled families.
	Preston Thornburg \| Resource Consultant I'm excited to be working with the group at Mesa Valley Vision. I truly am looking forward to the challenges and internal rewards that MVV offers. For the past six years, I have been working for District 51 as a Behavioral/SIED Assistant and