The Great Expectations Team
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Jon Aldrich, Songwriter, is Associate Professor-Songwriting at Berklee College of Music. He is the composer, arranger, and performer of numerous television and radio jingles, and has recorded for Capitol and United Artists. Jon has performed on television shows such as Touched by an Angel, General Hospital, All My Children, The Jaime Foxx Show, The Young and the Restless, and Beverly Hills 90210.
- Kimberley Ballard, Messaging, Social Media and Program Development, began her career at NBP in 2003 and has been a development professional for over 15 years. Currently, she is a consultant specializing in communications, branding, public relations, special events and fundraising strategy. Previously, she held positions at the American Cancer Society, New England Division, and the Weingart Center in Los Angeles. Kimberley is a graduate of Boston University.
- Amber Bobnar, Senior Consultant, lives with her husband and nine-year-old son, Ivan, in Watertown, MA, where Ivan, who was born blind and multiply disabled, attends the Lower School at Perkins School for the Blind. Amber is founder and website administrator of WonderBaby.org, a website dedicated to supporting parents and caregivers of children who are blind or visually impaired, with or without additional disabilities.
- Kara Bohnenstiel, Image Description Writer, holds a Master of Fine Arts in Performance and Interactive Media Art from the collaboration-based PIMA Program at Brooklyn College. Since her son, Myat, started losing his eyesight at one year of age, she has advocated for compassion, education and accessibility. Myat, now nine, is totally blind and hearing-impaired. Kara studied audio description under Joel Snyder at American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project. She has written audio description for many children's television shows as well as documentary films for HBO and the Described and Captioned Media Program. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Scott, their braille-reading son and newly-adopted dog, Sorgen.
- Diane Brauner, Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist and Educational Accessibility Consultant, has more than 25 years experience working directly with students with visual impairments/blindness as well as providing professional development for teachers and O & M specialists. Diane also collaborates on educational accessibility projects and provides iPad Accessibility PDs through SAS; and, she works closely with a variety of software and app developers. As classrooms embrace digital learning, Diane¹s personal mission is to ensure that students with visual impairments/blindness and their teachers are successful in the digital classroom.
- Joy Carriger, Program Advisor, is a certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Media Specialist. She holds dual undergraduate degrees in Elementary and Exceptional Student Education. Joy was the first grade teacher at the Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind for 5 years, before changing to her current position as the librarian for the Blind Department serving grades Pre-K to 12. She sponsors a monthly literacy workshop for elementary families that focuses on strategies to keep reading fun for young blind and visually impaired students. She has a Masters in Educational Technology and is an adjunct professor at the University of North Florida. She is a huge fan of the Great Expectations program and is thrilled to assist with this project helping to bring enriching literacy experience to children who are blind or visually impaired.
- Edie Coletti, VP/Information Services, has developed and managed NBP's software, hardware and network infrastructure since 2005. Her primary concern is insuring that data and hardware services are accessible to all employees and that she is able to anticipate as well as meet the user's needs. Edie is a graduate of UMass Boston with a concentration in computer science and technical writing.
- Belen Negron Cookinham, Bilingual Content Advisor and Lyricist, has been working in educational publishing for many years. Her collaborations on lyrics and music with Matt Kaplowitz have been among her favorite projects. She is also a translator, editor, production artist and manager for textbooks and trade books, and has worked for Triumph Learning, Scholastic, McGraw-Hill and Oxford University Press. Belén is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is a long-time member and performer in the Village Light Opera Group.
- Diane Croft, Creative Producer & Cofounder, worked as a publisher at National Braille Press (NBP) for thirty-four years. In that capacity, she founded the first Children's Braille Book Club, established a weekly periodical, Syndicated Columnists Weekly, initiated an early reading program, ReadBooks: Because Braille Matters, and cofounded Great Expectations. Diane is a published author and editor of dozens of publications related to blindness, including the award-winning biography of the inventor of braille, Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius, which has been translated into seven languages. She has been recognized by the blindness community for her contributions to the field with numerous awards.
- Kate Crohan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, is a passionate reader and is devoted to braille. She remembers learning to read; enjoyed books that were read to her and her brothers by her father when they were growing up; and loved reading to her three sons from the time they were babies. Kate still enjoys reading to her grandchildren when they can sit still long enough to listen! Kate has worked as a TVI at The Carroll Center for the Blind and now works at the Perkins School for the Blind. Teaching is a natural extension of her love of braille reading, allowing her to connect braille and technology. One of the joys of knowing braille is what braille makes possible beyond reading — reading recipes and knitting patterns; braille music; recognizing the spelling of words/names; reading labels — the countless small things that enhance every-day living.
- Ann Cunningham, Tactile/Visual Sculptor, has been teaching art at the Colorado Center for the Blind since 1999. She started sculpting stone when she was 15 years old, and later wondered if her low-relief slate pictures could be understood by someone who was blind. Answering that question has guided her for many years. A certified botanical illustrator, Ann contributed illustrations to Rocky Mountain Flora by Dr. Wm. A. Weber, taught botanical illustration classes at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and received the Sydney Parkinson Award from the Botanical Arts and Illustration Program at the Gardens. Ann has created numerous large scale artworks for public and private collections in the U.S. and Canada, including commissions for the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore. All her public art pieces are accessible. In 2012 Ann received the prestigious Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind. Sensational Books!, co-owned by Ann, has published the award winning Sadie Can Count, and manufactures and distributes the Sensational BlackBoard.
- Christopher Downey, AIA, is an architect, planner and consultant who lost all sight in 2008. Today, he is dedicated to creating more helpful and enriching environments for the blind and visually impaired. As one of the few practicing blind architects in the world, Chris has been featured in local, national and international media stories and speaks regularly about architecture using a multi-sensory approach. He also teaches accessibility and universal design at UC Berkeley and serves on the Board of Directors for the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco. He starts each day rowing with the East Bay Rowing Club on the Oakland Estuary before commuting on public transit to his office in San Francisco.
- FableVision, founded by New York Times best-selling children's picture book author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds (Judy Moody, The Dot, Ish) and fellow author & twin brother Paul Reynolds (Going Places, Full STEAM Ahead) - creating & sharing media, interactives, and stories to inspire learning and positive change around the globe.
- Tony Grima, VP/Production and Website Manager, began his career at NBP in 2001, after 11 years with publishing companies such as Houghton Mifflin and Alyson Publications. He runs NBP's publications programs, including the Children's Braille Book Club, ReadBooks: Because Braille Matters! and NBP's bookstore. Tony also maintains the company website, including the accessible online bookstore. He is a graduate of Bates College.
- Dan Houle, Master Chef, Recipe Designer, and Food Science Specialist, studied English Literature at UMass Dartmouth and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. Dan has created the menus and designed the kitchens for restaurants serving French, Cuban, Mexican and Asian cuisines and has been listed in the Michelin Guide for the top 100 restaurants in New York City. He currently owns and oversees three restaurants in New York: Café LULUc, and two Cubana Cafés. Dan has served as a consultant/advisor to the New York branch of the Johns Hopkins Autism Education Program in the areas of socialization and vocational education. Dan also volunteers his time teaching food preparation at a high school in Brooklyn. He has a brother with developmental disabilities.
- Matt Kaplowitz, Creative Director, has been in the world of education publishing and digital media for more than 25 years as a technologist, director, writer, producer, and composer. His work extends into the fields of autism spectrum disorder, speech and language development, cognitive research, blind/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, and emotional disturbance. Bridge Multimedia, which he founded, is currently the largest producer in the U.S. of video description for children's television. Matt has worked on many film, television, theatre, and music productions winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Peabody awards. He is the proud father of Anna, a daughter with vision and hearing loss, and developmental disabilities.
- Deborah Kent, Writer, earned her B.A. from Oberlin College and a master's degree from Smith College School for Social Work. She is the author of two dozen young-adult novels and numerous nonfiction titles for children. She also writes articles and reviews on blindness-related topics, and is the editor of Future Reflections, a magazine for parents and teachers of blind children, published by the National Federation of the Blind. Deborah grew up in Little Falls, New Jersey, where she was the first blind child to attend the local public school.
- Hillary Welch Kleck, Program Advisor, is the mother of Madilyn, who has been blind since birth and is now a student at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. She is also a parent advocate for children with visual impairments through her work with Sensory Sun Educational Technologies, where she develops accessible educational apps for blind children. Hillary is the co-founder of the nonprofit We Perceive, Inc., which promotes accessibility in all areas of children's lives. Hillary holds a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas. She has been a volunteer, parent member, and President of the Arkansas Chapter of NAPVI, and she is currently involved with the Massachusetts chapter, MAPVI. Hillary also serves as a Member of the Corporation and a Technology Committee advisor for NBP.
- Lisamaria Martinez, Program Advisor, is the Director of community Services at the LightHouse for the Blind in San Francisco. She is an active member in the blindness community and serves on various boards and committees such as the National Federation of the Blind of California and the California School for the Blind Community Advisory Committee. Lisamaria is a voracious reader and consumes three to five books a week-mostly reading mysteries and pop fiction books. She enjoys sharing her passion for books with her four-year-old son who is beginning to learn to read in preparation for his new brother. In her spare time, Lisamaria enjoys yoga, dancing, running, cycling, gardening, cooking, crocheting and loom knitting.
- Karen Nagle, Program Advisor, Karen grew up in Connecticut. Legally blind from birth, she received services from a teacher of the visually impaired. Wanting to give back, Karen has been working as a TVI for ten years and currently services students in Salem, MA where she lives with her husband and two children.
- Melissa A. Riccobono, Program Advisor, grew up in Wisconsin and received a BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2001, and an MS in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis on school counseling in 2003. She moved to Baltimore with her husband, Mark, and worked as a counselor in an elementary school in Dundalk, MD until 2007. Melissa is a past-president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. She is currently serving as president of the Maryland Parents of Blind Children. Melissa and Mark have 3 children; Austin (8), Oriana (4), and Elizabeth who is 2. Oriana and Elizabeth are both blind.
- Jill Robbins, Describer, WGBH's Media Access Group, has written descriptive audio for programs such as Downton Abbey, Sherlock, American Experience and Arthur. Jill worked previously as a transcriber at National Braille Press, and as a teacher of students with visual impairments at the Carroll Center for the Blind. She holds an M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University and is a graduate of the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard.
- Wendy Sapp, Ph.D., Content Advisor, has over 20 years of experience working with people with visual impairments and blindness, including those with additional disabilities. She holds state certification as a teacher of students with visual impairments and is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS). In addition to working with children with visual impairments and their families, she collaborates with organizations such as Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins, and American Foundation for the Blind to improve opportunities for children with disabilities. For the past 5 years, she has also worked with Bridge Multimedia to provide video description for children with visual impairments.
- Janet Ulwick-Sacca, Program Advisor, has over 30 years experience working with children with visual impairments, specializing in assistive technology and teaching/adapting STEM subjects for students in public school settings. She has taught graduate courses at the University of Massachusetts and Utah State University in Assistive Technology, Math, Science, Tactile Graphics Production, and Early Literacy, and has worked with Educational Testing Services on research projects since 2006. Janet is the recipient of several awards for excellence in service to students with visual impairments. She is also co-founder of ViStars, Inc., an after-school enrichment program for students with visual impairments, and serves as assistant coach for the ViStars Goalball Team.
- Yokasta Urena, Bilingual Content Advisor, is a certified Teacher for the Blind and Visually Impaired and holds a Master's Degree in Childhood Education grades 1-6. She is currently pursuing an additional certification in Special Education in New York City. Yokasta currently teaches an Integrated class comprised of both typically developing and visually impaired pre-schoolers at the New York City Lighthouse Guild's Integrated CDC program. She is an advocate for students with vision loss as well as a member of the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI). Yokasta is a single mother of an 11-year-old daughter. Both Yokasta and her daughter are legally blind due to Leber's Congenital Amaurosis.
- Brenda Wilson, Writer, has been a writer and producer of children's educational media for over 20 years. After graduating from USC Cinema, she developed, wrote, and produced award-winning network TV children's specials. She then produced the first interactive series sent via satellite into classrooms, and held writer/producer positions at Disney, Scholastic, TV411, SpaceKids.com, and was VP Content at Sally Ride Science. Brenda loves the challenge of reaching out to hard-to-reach children. For struggling readers, she wrote and produced over 100 videos for a reading intervention program, and wrote 60 books and a website for girls who weren't convinced that science was cool.
- Kesel Wilson, Editor and Programs Manager, joined NBP in May 2016 as Editor and Programs Manager. Kesel brings a wealth of experience in the publishing industry, having worked at firms as diverse as Scholastic, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, C&T Publishing, and, most recently, the Pearson Technology Group. She will co-manage existing braille literacy programs, such as the Great Expectations and ReadBooks! Programs, as well as manage the popular Syndicated Columnists Weekly and Our Special magazines. She hopes to expand the NBP catalog to include more science and technology offerings. Kesel is a graduate of the University of Maine.
