Meet your 2024 Planning Committee

Welcome our 2024 Planning Committee members

Hecmarie Tosado Rivera

My name is Hecmarie Tosado Rivera. I hold a master's degree in Orientation and Mobility from the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston). For the past five years, I have served as a TVI (Teacher of the Visually Impaired) and O&M (Orientation and Mobility) in Puerto Rico. Currently, I work at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind as their Orientation and Mobility specialist (COMS). Through social media I raise awareness about Visual Impairment, one post at a time. You can find me on Instagram as ms.tosado_coms for the English-speaking and on Facebook as Ms. Tosado for the Spanish speaking.

Mladena Funtek

Originally from Croatia, Mladena Funtek (Dena for short) is currently working as an O&M Specialist / Rehab Instructor at the NCBI - National Council for the Blind of Ireland. She holds BA and MA in Rehabilitation Studies at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences with an emphasis on Rehabilitation of the Visually Impaired Individuals. After graduating, Dena completed an O&M Specialist training course and foundation course in Low Vision Assessment and Rehabilitation.

Following 2 years of short-term jobs, she spent 6 years working as Rehab Specialist for Croatian Blind Union and provided diverse services supporting individuals with vision impairment and their communities (ILS, O&M, Croatian Braille literacy and transcription, assistive technology, accessibility audits, bespoke Vision Impairment Awareness training…). Dena is very motivated to contribute her academic background, international experience, and practitioner expertise to IOMOS 2023 planning committee. She hopes to act as an ambassador for O&M stakeholders in Croatia and neighboring countries. Her goal is to start cooperation and to work on promoting up-to-date O&M training for professionals and best practices in delivering quality services. Dena enjoys listening-singing-dancing-playing music, reading-watching sci-fi, and exploring the magic behind special visual effects.

Chelsea Schumacher

Hi y’all! I’m Chelsea Schumacher! I am actively a COMS in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area working for an Educational Service Center. I currently work with students of all ages ECI through high school. I received my Masters in Special education and Orientation and Mobility from Texas Tech University in 2020. I am currently working on my PhD in Special Education at Texas Tech with an emphasis in Orientation and Mobility. I firmly believe we have the best job ever as O&M’s!

I love doing life with my husband, my son and our two dogs! We enjoy all things outdoors and spending time together.

Jeremy Hill, COMS

Jeremy Hill works for Guide Dogs Queensland Australia and is the Allied Health Manager for services across the large state of Queensland. He has been an O&M Specialist for over 32 years and 2 years ago acquired his COMs certification. His interests are management of services in rural and remote area, neurological vision impairment and cortical visual impairment in children. Jeremy is the Immediate Past President of the Orientation and Mobility Association of Australasia (https://www.omaaustralasia.com) and is keen to promote the International O&M symposium across his part of the world. Jeremy’s vision is that all people with a vision impairment across the world not only hear about the great work that O&Ms can provide but are also able to access such services.

Sarah Moreau TVI, COMS, CLVT

Howdy, I am Sarah Moreau from Wasilla, Alaska. I was born and raised in the Houston, Texas area. I am an active TVI, COMS and CLVT and have been working with people of all ages throughout the states of Alaska and Texas since early 2009. I am the owner and operator of Arctic Vision, LLC, a consulting company with a program emphasizing a wide range of short term interactive online sessions instructed by innovative and successful blind and visually impaired instructors for persons with a visual disability.

I have enjoyed the experience working with persons with a visual disability in rural Alaska with the use of distance consultation prior to COVID-19 with university support and guidance for ethical practices. I enjoy gathering the community together as the AER Alaska Chapter President, AER Low Vision Division Chair when I am not exploring and going on adventures with my family.

Leaundra Ottmo, TVI/COMS/APE Consultant

I am LeAundra Ottmo. I currently work as a TVI, COMS, and Adapted Physical Education Consultant for a Special Education SSA in Northeast Texas, serving 10 school districts. I earned my degree's at Paris Junior College, Texas A&M University- Commerce, and Stephen F. Austin State University. I have been in education for 10 years, and have loved every minute of it. I have a husband and two kids that keep me on my toes, so there is no downtime for me! We are usually busy 7 days a week with Church, family events, and sporting events! I wouldn't have it any other way!

Molly Pasley

Dr. Molly Pasley is an Assistant Professor in the Visual Disabilities Program at Northern Illinois University. She has taught in public schools across Illinois as a TVI and COMS for 13 years. Molly also provides orientation and mobility services and computer access training to adults with visual impairments through the Department of Rehabilitation Services and Veterans Administration hospital.

Jennifer Reeder, TVI/ COMS

Jenn Reeder graduated from Illinois State University in 2015 as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired. She graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2018 as an ACVREP Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist. She earned her Learning Behavior Specialist I endorsement in 2021 from Western Illinois University. She is currently attending Rockford University to earn her second Master’s Degree in Educational Administration. She teaches in a public school district and also works with adults.

Shay Utley, COMS

Shay has been a Certified O&M Specialist for the last 24 years. The last 17 years has been with Mansfield ISD serving students from age’s birth to 22 years of age. The students Shay has served has been very diverse in visual abilities as well as cognitive abilities.

Shay graduated from Stephen F Austin State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Rehabilitation in 1995 before returning to obtain her O&M Certification in 1996. Shay worked with adults the first 6 year of her career at the Lighthouse for the Blind in Fort Worth, TX.

Shay has served on many committees and/or boards on a local level as well as Statewide. Shay is a Developer and Author of the Texas 2 STEPS Evaluation and Curriculum for O&M. This was a project started by a group of O&M Specialists in the North Texas area that saw a need for evaluation and curriculum for age’s birth to five that was specific for O&M. Shay was an integral part of this 6 year collaboration.

Sarah Franz

Sarah graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with B.S. of Science in Rehabilitation, focusing on Orientation & Mobility and special education. Leaving Texas, she moved to Virginia for an internship and is currently finishing up her M.Ed at George Mason University in special education with a concentration in vision impairments and autism. Sarah works at the Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired in Richmond Virginia as a COMS. Sarah also works as an Early Intervention Professional around the Richmond area.

Previously, she has worked as an independent contractor for Allied Instructional Services servicing many parts of Virginia, and has served as the Program Director of Texas Lions Camp. Sarah has participated in various collaborative committees, and ongoing training opportunities, and is also President-Elect for the Virginia chapter of AER. Outside of all things cane travel, Sarah is a huge reader, always has a true-crime documentary on, and has never met a margarita she didn’t like.

Erin Buckley

I attended Boston College for Orientation and Mobility and Rehabilitation Teaching. I have covered all ages- worked with newly blinded adults at the Carroll Center for the blind, with Veterans as the Blind Rehabilitation Outreach Specialst for the VA in Boston, I've done private contracting with school-aged students and now am the Vision Services Supervisor and COMS at the Northshore Education Consortium in Beverly, MA. I am married with 3 adult children Ryan, Sarah and Luke, and a yellow Lab named Woody!

Melody Brown

Melody Brown serves as a Psychometrist that works as an Outreach Provider for the Blind and Visually Impaired at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. Melody holds an Ed.S in Psychometry for Jackson State University; a Master of Science in Visual Disabilities with two specializations from Florida State University: Orientation & Mobility and Vision Rehabilitation Teaching. Melody became a Certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments from the University of Alabama Birmingham. Prior to becoming an outreach provider, Melody had served as a Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist at the Helen Keller School for 15 years. During this time, she also worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in their Vision Science program.

Melody led the Helen Keller School of Alabama through 3 SACS/ AdvancED Accreditations. Melody has reviewed articles for JVIB and been on the University review board for AERBVI. Melody was responsible for bringing Cane Quest to Alabama for the first two times. Melody has also served as a state, national, and international board member of several professional organizations concerning sensory impairments. In the past 12 months, Melody has provided psychometric testing ,O&M Evals, and FVALMAs to over 90 students in over 40 Counties

Rebecca Gardom

Rebecca is a Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist who has been working in the field of visual impairment since 2007. She is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Certified Low Vision Therapist and a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment. Rebecca gained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Her Master’s degree is from the University of South Carolina Upstate. She has served all age groups from birth to older adults with visual impairments. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys singing with her church worship team, hiking, biking, swimming, visiting family and traveling in and out of the country.

Donita Potts

Hello! My name is Donita Potts, I live in Josephine, Texas (northeast of Dallas). I received my Master of Science in Education specializing in Special Education instruction in 2012. I received my certification training for both TVI and COMS through Stephen F. Austin. Prior to working as a TVI, I worked in Garland ISD where I taught Life Skills classrooms from elementary school to high school. I have been working as a TVI (Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments) for 7 years and as a COMS (Orientation and Mobility Specialist) for the last 3 years. I currently work in dual capacity serving the babies and students in Royse City.

I have had the opportunity to sit on numerous ECC committees in region 10. One of my favorite committees I served on was Sports Extravaganza, a statewide event to introduce sports to students with visual impairments no matter what degree of vision loss or physical limitations. One of my passions that started as a Life Skills teacher and continues today as a TVI and COMS is creating active learning environments and helping teachers understand how using the methods of active learning helps provide students with the ability to gain a capacity for “how” to learn.

I love spending time with my family. I have been married for 30 plus years to a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. I have 4 grown children and 4 grandchildrens and one furbaby spice, who thinks she owns us all.

Kassy Maloney, M.S., COMS

Kassy is the owner and founder of Allied Independence, your community-driven online professional development platform that helps Vision Related Service Specialists & TVI’s become better at their jobs without losing their sanity. As an O&M Specialist herself, Kassy’s mission is to support our community so you can make a significant impact on the lives of your students.

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Meet your 2024

IOMOS Planning Committee