The Columbus Team
Special education leaders who understand your needs.
Michele DeSera Bortner, D.Ed.
Dr. Michele Bortner is a national educational consultant for both public and private sectors. Dr. Bortner served Pennsylvania government as the director of the Bureau of Special Education and the director of the Bureau of School Audits. She has worked as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, an adjunct professor of special education and educational administration, an elementary principal and a teacher of children with disabilities. Dr. Bortner is a past president of the PA Association of School Administrators’ Women’s Caucus and continues to serve on its Executive Board.
Email: mbortner@columbusorg.com
Richard M. Campbell M.ED.
Mr. Richard Campbell served as Special Education Director for Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12 in Pennsylvania for 28 years. He coordinated the serving of special education students enrolled in twenty five school districts. He is a licensed psychologist and had a private practice in Hanover, Pennsylvania prior to joining the Columbus team. During his tenure he operated programs for all exceptionalities, as well as developing model programs for the gifted, alternative education students, year around schooling for preschoolers and team assessments. He served as the President of the Intermediate Unit Special Education Directors and held numerous posts negotiating activities between school districts and the Department of Education.
Email: dcampbell@columbusorg.com
Joy Eichelberger, Ed.D.
Dr. Joy Eichelberger has been a teacher, building administrator and director of special education for two urban districts, specializing in developing programs to ensure seamless service delivery for students with emotional disturbance. At the Maryland State Department of Education, she ensured the availability of free and appropriate educational services for all students. As project director for Project FORUM at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Dr. Eichelberger commissioned a policy study on research to practice. Currently Dr. Eichelberger is affiliated with the PA Training and Technical Assistance Network in Harrisburg, Pa.
Email: jeichelberger@columbusorg.com
Martha Fields, Ed.D.
Dr. Martha J. Fields served as executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education from 1993 until 1999, as well as a past president of the organization. Prior to that national role, Dr. Fields served as the assistant deputy state superintendent for the Bureau of Educational Development at the Maryland State Department of
Education (MSDE) from 1987 until 1993 where she was responsible for all instructional divisions of MSDE. From 1979 until 1987, Dr. Fields was assistant superintendent for Special Education for MSDE. She has also worked as a teacher, elementary school counselor and director of special education in two school systems in her native state of Alabama.
Email: mfields@columbusorg.com
Rod C. Gaeta, Ed.D.
Dr. Rod Gaeta has served as a superintendent in the Azusa Unified School District and was chairperson for the East San Gabriel Valley Special Education Local Plan Agency (SELPA) in LA County, California. He served as a teacher, principal and director of special programs. As principal, his school was selected
as a model demonstration site for Special Education Resource Network. His leadership in public and non-public education has reflected continued commitment to children with learning disabilities. Dr. Gaeta was also the recipient of California’s prestigious leadership award "Every Student Succeeds."
Email: rgaeta@columbusorg.com
Carlos Lopez, M.Ed.
Mr. Carlos Lopez has been in education in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania for 32 years. Mr. Lopez has taught in numerous school districts including the Upward Bound Program for East Stroudsburg University. Mr. Lopez served as supervisor of curriculum and instruction, an assistant principal and an elementary principal. Mr. Lopez also served as regional superintendent in the School District of the City of Philadelphia and superintendent of schools for the School District of the City of York. Mr. Lopez now serves as principal of the Roberto Clemente Charter School.
Email: clopez@columbusorg.com
Patricia Lowery, Ph.D.
Dr. Patricia Lowery is recognized nationally for her expertise and experience in the areas of leadership development, collaborative consultation, conflict management and resolution, and design of the instructional, learning and assessment process to maximize student achievement. In her professional roles she has worked directly with children with severe disabilities, mild disabilities, and children with gifted abilities. As a guidance counselor, supervisor of special education, director of special education, and superintendent of both rural and urban school districts, she has received numerous awards for working with diverse groups.
Email: plowery@columbusorg.com
Karl E. Murray, M.Ed.
Mr. Karl Murray served as the coordinator of the Language/Speech and Hearing Disorders Program before joining the California State Department of Education as a consultant for speech and hearing disorders, as coordinator of California’s Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) and as assistant to the state director of special education. In 1990 Mr. Murray retired from the California Department of Education to accept a position with The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), where he directed The National Institute on CSPD Collaboration. In 1996 he moved to the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) where he directed the Networking System for Training Education Personnel (NSTEP) and the Professional Development Leadership Academy: Enhancing Collaborative Partnerships for Systems Change.
Email: kmurray@columbusorg.com
Thomas J. O’Toole, Ed.D.
Dr. Thomas O’Toole has spent his entire career serving the needs of students with speech and hearing disabilities, with over 20 years in administrative or therapeutic positions at Montgomery County Schools, Maryland, where he was director of the Department of Special Education. He is known for his
leadership as president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 1993 and at the Division for Children Communication Development of the Council for Exceptional Children in 1982-1983.Dr.O’Toole is certified as a speech pathologist and has published on speech pathology’s relevance in the public school setting.
Email: totoole@columbusorg.com
Diane Sydoriak, Ed.D.
Dr. Diane Sydoriak joined Columbus in October, 2006, after serving for 16 years as the Arkansas state director of special education. She served as a special education media consultant, state special education supervisor and assistant to the state director of special education at the Arkansas Department of Education from 1973 until 1984.Dr.Sydoriak also worked as a junior high mathematics teacher and high school special education teacher. She is a past president of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education.
Email: dsydoriak@columbusorg.com
Jerry F. White, M.Ed.
Mr. Jerry White joined Columbus in 2005 after serving the Division of Special Education and Early Intervention Services, Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for 28 years. He directed a large staff at MSDE responsible for assisting school systems and state-operated programs with designs to improve the educational performance of students with disabilities. He has also worked as a middle and senior high school teacher, guidance counselor and school administrator. Mr. White has received numerous awards from state and national organizations for his work.
Email: jwhite@columbusorg.com
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