NC CASE BOARD MEMBERS
Jill McKenna
NC CASE President
Jill is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Exceptional Children for Johnston County Public Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Special Education with a concentration in Psychology from Western Carolina University and a Masters of School Administration degree from North Carolina State University. She was a special education teacher at the elementary and middle school levels before transitioning to the role of an EC Program Specialist. Jill accepted her first EC Directorship in July 2013. Since that time, she has had the opportunity to serve as a special education administrator in small, medium, and large sized districts. Jill has been an active member of NCCASE since 2013 and served on the Board since 2019.
Sandy Albert
NC CASE President-Elect
Mooresville Graded School District
Executive Director of Student Services & Exceptional Children’s Programs
Region 6
-
Innovative and collaborative educational professional with over 25 years of experience providing comprehensive educational programming for a diverse population of students.
-
Throughout my career I have worked closely with teachers, administrators, parents and related service providers to provide high quality specialized instruction to students with disabilities
-
Work with a student services (school counselors, social workers, and nurses ) team to provide services for all at-risk students
Previous Experience includes:
-
Director of Exceptional Children: 2015 to 2017, Rowan Salisbury Schools System
-
Director of Exceptional Children: 2012-2015, Mooresville Graded School District
-
EC Program Coordinator/Specialist: 2007-2012, Mooresville Graded School District
-
Principal, Coordinator, Program Specialist 1997-2007, Southeastern Cooperative Educational Program (SECEP), Norfolk VA
-
Foster Care Social Worker: 1990-1997 New York Foundling Hospital, NY
I hold the following degrees: Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, Licensure add-on Curriculum Instructional Specialist, an MS.Ed in Special Education & a BS in Psychology
Amy Ashbrook
NC CASE Secretary
Region 7
School District: Catawba County Schools
Position: EC Director
Years in Education: Educator since 1997
Educational Background:
May 1998-
Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology/Sociology
Minor & Certification in Special Education- Cross Categorical
University of Virginia- Wise, VA
May 2004-
Masters Degree in Education Administration
Appalachian State University- Boone, NC
May 2012-
Education Specialist Degree
Appalachian State University- Boone, NC
December 2018-
Doctorate in Educational Leadership
Dissertation Title: Constructing the Role of the Secondary Special Educator
Appalachian State University- Boone, NC
Professional Background Summary:
Amy has taught special education at all grade levels, as well as serving students with a variety of abilities. She served as an Assistant Principal and Principal for approximately 6 years combined. Additionally, she served as an EC Program Specialist for two years and Assistant EC Director for two years before taking her first EC Directorship in May 2014. She has been an active member of NC CASE since 2006 and served on the board since 2015.
Personally, Amy is the proud mother of two adult sons, one of which has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Amy credits this personal experience as providing her with a better understanding of the personal and academic challenges that students with disabilities face and the importance of capitalizing on an individual’s strengths in order to foster growth. Likewise, this kept her grounded in looking at policy and practices from both a practitioner and parent perspective.
​
Teresa Owens
NCCASE Treasurer
NCCASE Executive Committee
NCCASE Full Board of Directors
NCCASE Higher Education Representative
NCCASE Professional Development Committee (conference co-chair)
Clinical Instructor, Specialized Curriculum High Point University
Years in Education: 45
I earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Special Education from Appalachian State University.
I began my career in Lexington, NC as a teacher of preschool students with disabilities. I was employed by High Point City Schools and Guilford County Schools as a special educator at Ferndale Middle and Northwood Elementary Schools. During the years I worked in the classroom, I was selected as Outstanding Young Educator by the High Point Jaycees, Educator of the Year by the ARC of High Point and Teacher of the Year by Northwood Elementary School.
I moved from the classroom into a supervisory position as a Program Facilitator for Exceptional Children Services and then a Program Administrator for Special Education Services. From 2005 through 2013 I served as Coordinator for Exceptional Children Services in Guilford County Schools. In this capacity I was responsible for the development and support of short and long-range goals and objectives for the improvement of system wide instruction for students with disabilities.
I served as an Ex-officio member of the Exceptional Children’s Parent Advisory Committee, with Guilford County Schools from 2005 – 2013. I served on multiple project teams for the Guilford County School district including PACE (Personalized Achievement, Curriculum and Environment), School Reform, and BAT (Building Advisory Team) for Haynes-Inman Education Center, CJ Greene Education Center, Herbin-Metz Education Center and the Allen Jay Preparatory Academy.
After serving students with disabilities and their families for 34 years as a teacher and an administrator for special education services, I retired from Guilford County Schools in August of 2013 and joined the Stout School of Education at High Point University as a Clinical Instructor. I am also the faculty advisor for Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Student Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). I also serve on the Board of The Piedmont School in High Point as a member of the Trustee Committee.
![t owens[1].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e5d62b_c2ac744fe7de41c590f4565f418268b5~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_330,h_440,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/t%20owens%5B1%5D.jpg)
Mike Marcela, Ed.D.
NCCASE Past President
NCCASE Executive Committee
NCCASE Full Board of Directors
NCCASE Conference Committee
Retired EC Director,Watauga County
Region 7
Years in Education: 34.5
Education:
-
BA from Wake Forest University in Psychology and Elementary Education (1984)
-
MA from Appalachian State University in Special Education (1988)
-
Ed.D. from Virginia Tech in Administration and Supervision of Special Education and Public School Administration (1996)
Work History:
-
Special Education teacher for 10 years (1984-1996): Three years as In-school suspension
teacher at an all special education high school in Winston-Salem, Two years as a self-contained IDMO teacher in at Patrick County High School, Patrick County, Virginia and five years as a self-contained cross categorical classroom teacher at Tharrington Elementary School in Mt. Airy, NC.
-
Graduate Assistant at Virginia Tech (1995-1996)
-
Exceptional Children Program Director for Wilkes County Schools, Wilkesboro, NC from 1996-
December 2003
-
Accountability Specialist for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools in Charlotte, NC from January 2004
to July, 2012.In charge of compliance, parent complaints, state complaints, mediations and due process.
-
Exceptional Children Program Director for Watauga County Schools, Boone, NC from July 2012
-present.
NCCASE:
-
President Elect: 2014-15
-
President: 2015-2018
-
Immediate Past President: 2018-current
Glenda Starr
NCCASE Executive Committee
NCCASE Full Board of Directors
NCCASE Membership Chair
Retired Director of Exceptional Children Programs
McDowell County Schools
Region 7
Years in Education: 37 years
Glenda is the retired Exceptional Children Programs director for McDowell County Schools. She has been in this position since the spring of 2011. Glenda received her Bachelor of Science in Special Education, Cross Categorical and her Master of School Administration from Appalachian State University.
Prior to becoming the director, Glenda was an educational diagnostician and EC program specialist in McDowell. Before working in the EC office, she taught public school for 19 years. Her teaching experience in special education includes middle school, preschool and elementary where she received the honor of being named teacher of the year.
Glenda is a member of the Council of Administrators of Special Education, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Autism Society. Glenda has represented region 7 on the Director’s Advisory Council 2013-2015, as well as serving on several state stakeholder committees.
Glenda is a resident of Marion, North Carolina living in the North Cove community.
She loves family, children, music and special education.
Christy Grant
Immediate Past NCCASE President
Director, Special Education
Nash Public Schools
Region 3
Sam Dempsey
NCCASE Executive Committee
NCCASE Full Board of Directors
NCCASE Policy and Legislation Chair (standing Committee)
Sam Dempsey served as an EC Director/ Special Education Director in NC and TN for over 30 years. He taught at the Elementary, Middle, High School, and University levels. His undergraduate work at Warren Wilson College was followed by graduate level at UT Knoxville and Doctoral studies at Vanderbilt. He has been a member of CEC and CASE for 42 years. He and his wife Dee live in Winston Salem.
Elizabeth Mitcham
Policy and Legislation Chair (standing committee)
Name: Dr. Elizabeth C. Mitcham
NCCASE Board Member Region 6 Southwest Region Representative (2 years)
School District: Rowan-Salisbury School System
Position: Executive Director of Exceptional Children
Years in Education: Educator since 2004
Educational Background:
May 2000- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
December 2010- Master of Arts in Teaching, Special Education
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
December 2015- Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction
Dissertation Title: Teacher Capacity and Attitude toward Data: An Examination of the Association between Teacher Beliefs and Student Performance on the Measures of Academic Progress Assessmen Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, NC
May 2019- School Administration Licensure
Professional Background Summary:
Elizabeth began her career in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as an Exceptional Children’s Teaching Assistant in a specialized behavior support program. She fell in love with serving students with disabilities and then began her journey in special education by becoming an EC Teacher in the same class at Southwest Middle School. She went on to teach Mathematics to a variety of students with different abilities at the same school and later at Community House Middle School where she also served as the Compliance Facilitator. In 2013, she expanded her work in CMS as a Response to Instruction Coach for the district and then as a Math Facilitator. Missing special education too much, Elizabeth chose an opportunity with Union County Public Schools as an EC Program Specialist for the next 5 years. She was named the Director of Exceptional Children for Rowan-Salisbury Schools in February of 2020 where she proudly continues her service.
She has been honored in her career to be named the 2012 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Teacher of Excellence and to serve as the SWEA Job-Alike Chair and Director’s Advisory Council Representative for Region 6.
She lives in Charlotte, NC with her 15-year-old son Drew and is a passionate UNC Tarheel and avid traveler.
Laura Beachum
Dr. Laura Beachum currently serves as the Director of Exceptional Children’s Programs for Union County Public Schools, with over 20 years of experience in education with prior leadership roles in Stanly County Schools, Union County Public Schools, and Norfolk Public Schools. Professional expertise includes program development, instructional improvement, compliance, policy implementation, and community engagement, all grounded in earlier experience as an EC teacher and interventionist.
Educational preparation includes a Doctor of Educational Leadership and Education Specialist Degree from Wingate University, an Advanced Degree in School Administration from The George Washington University, a Master of Education from Regent University, and a Bachelor of Arts from UNC Wilmington. Dr. Beachum is dedicated to advancing opportunities for Exceptional Children, while supporting educators through collaboration, professional growth, and continuous improvement.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
​
​
​
Regional Representatives
Region 1 (Northeast)
Allie Evans: Northhampton County Schools
Region 2 (Southeast)
Joanna Souza: New Hanover County Schools
Sarah Veit: D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy
Region 3 (North Central)
Melissa McFatter: Wilson County Schools
Jenna Regan: Person County Schools
Region 4 (Sandhills)
VACANT
Region 5 (Piedmont-Triad)
Tara Santiago: Guilford County Schools
Region 6 (Southwest)
Elizabeth Mitcham: Rowan Salisbury Schools
Laura Beachum: Union County Schools
Region 7 (Northwest)
VACANT
Region 8 (Western)
VACANT
Governor's Commission
Pam Doak
NCDPI
Carol Ann Hudgins
​
