Board of Directors

COPAA's mission, activities, and finances are overseen by a Board of Directors. The Board is made up of individuals who have been nominated within the organization to serve in these important leadership positions.

Our 2010 - 2011 Board of Directors is made up of the following members:

Officers
Dawn Smith, Esq., Chair
Catherine Merino Reisman, Esq., Vice-Chair
Missy Alexander, Secretary
Selene Almazan, Esq., Treasurer

Board Members
Robert Berlow, Esq.
Sharon Gudger
Franklin J. Hickman, Esq.
Mark S. Kamleiter, Esq.
Sonja D. Kerr, Esq.
Michele Kule-Korgood, Esq.
Jennifer D. Laviano, Esq.
Leslie Seid Margolis, Esq.
Mark Martin, Esq.
Alice Nelson, Esq.,
Diane Willcutts
Jonathan Zimring, Esq.

Interested in serving on the Board of COPAA?

Serving on the COPAA Board is a commitment of time and service. Nominations are made each year in November, with appointments made by the Board of Directors in January. All COPAA members are welcome to apply: attorneys, advocates, parents, and others/professional members. Please note that experience as an active member of a COPAA Committee, workgroup, or ongoing volunteer for the organization is a pre-requisite. (For more information on COPAA's committees, go to www.copaa.org, log in, and click on Committee Information.)

Members of the COPAA Board are charged with the governance of the nonprofit organization, ensuring that COPAA abides by ethical and legal standards, while helping to make our vision a reality. Being a COPAA Board member is a good way to impact the work of COPAA and the special education advocacy community, and is a source of great personal satisfaction.

Board members are expected to be able to commit 8-10 hours a month or more, attend at least four quarterly Board meetings (most are by telephone, and there is an in-person meeting at the annual conference). Board members must have access to email for regular communications. Individuals accepted on the Board serve a three-year term.