2022 Spring Conference Speaker Biographies

Renae W. Aldana
With 25 years of experience, Renae represents public school districts in matters regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and related state law. She provides counsel in all areas of special education, throughout identification, evaluation, IEP, mediation and litigation processes. She has successfully represented school districts in hundreds of special education mediations, special education due process requests and hearings, Section 504 mediations and hearings, DPI and OCR investigations, and U.S. federal district court and 7th Circuit Court of Appeals cases. She previously served as a mediator, IEP facilitator and trainer for the Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System and as an adjunct professor of education law at the Marquette University Law School. She is a Wisconsin School Attorneys Association Past President and Board member and a frequent presenter at state and national conferences.

Matt Bell
Matt’s practice is primarily focused in School Law. Matt has over 15 years of experience in representing school districts. Prior to joining Boardman Clark, Matt worked for the Madison Metropolitan School District for ten years, first as an Associate General Counsel and, most recently, as its General Counsel. Prior to working for the Madison School District, he was an attorney in Michigan working in the special education area. In his time at Madison Schools, he represented the District in administrative hearings, proceedings before all levels of Wisconsin courts, represented the District in mediations, IEP team meetings, manifestation determinations, and Section 504 team meetings, and consulted with district administrators regarding a wide variety of topics, including family law, pupil records, juvenile delinquency, employee discipline, Section 504, ADA, and Title IX. He also provides representation in the areas of discrimination and harassment claims. Prior to his time as an attorney, Matt worked as a school psychologist and director of special education.

Katie Berg MA Ed.
Katie Berg is the Supporting Neurodiverse Students Statewide Coordinator and ES3 Grant Statewide Coordinator for the Department of Public Instruction. Katie has been supporting students for more than 20 years. In the private sector, public education, and statewide through an IDEA Discretionary Grant her experiences include providing one on one therapy, classroom teaching, administration, technical assistance, coaching, along with district and statewide training. Katie has experience working with unique neurodiverse learners focusing on the Social Emotional Learning skills that help students and educators support behaviors that are challenging to adults.

Alissa Darin
Alissa Darin has spent the past 20 years serving in the field of education as a teacher, school counselor, and administrator. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Kinesiology and a Master's degree from Marquette University in Counseling. She holds her National Boards for Professional Teaching in the area of School Counseling and has served on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin School Counselor Association. Alissa is passionate about building and leading teams that support healthy minds and healthy hearts within schools. Additionally, she promotes prevention as a speaker for community groups, conferences and agencies focusing on mental health topics, resiliency and parenting.

Brian Dean
Brian has been an educator for 40 years. His experience as a school social worker led him to work exclusively with special education students for 15 years including at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL and the Des Moines Public Schools. After moving to Wisconsin in 2000, Brian worked as a social worker and AODA coordinator in the Wisconsin Heights and Sun Prairie school districts. Brian arrived at the DPI in 2015 and works on AODA prevention, suicide prevention, school safety and Driver Education. When Brian isn’t walking his dog, he enjoys being entertained by his three grandchildren.

Jaime Dobner
Jaime Dobner is a School Social Worker for the School District of Waukesha.  She has worked primarily at Butler Middle School, but also at 2 elementary schools as well.  Prior to becoming a School Social Worker, Jaime worked as a Social Worker for Waukesha County Health and Human Services in the Family Services Unit.  There she worked with at-risk youth, truancy concerns, the Juvenile Justice system and families.  Jaime graduated from UW- Whitewater with an undergraduate degree in Social Work and then obtained her Master’s Degree from Loyola University in School Social Work.  She has also recently completed the Director of Pupil Services/Special Education program through Cardinal Stritch University.  Jaime has enjoyed working with at-risk youth and their families for the last 20+ years.  She has particularly been passionate about bringing proactive strategies/practices to the school setting at a more universal level, while still supporting students and families on a more intensive level.  

Jessica Frain
Jessica Frain is a School Mental Health Consultant for the Department of Public Instruction. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of WI-La Crosse and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of WI-Madison. Prior to joining DPI, Jess worked as a School Social Worker in WI public schools where her roles included homeless services, AODA intervention, trauma sensitive schools implementation, alternative project-based education, and restorative justice. She is currently a Coordinator for the Wisconsin School-based Mental Health Services Grant and the Coordinator for the Wisconsin School Climate Transformation Grant. As a member of the Student Services/Prevention and Wellness Team at DPI, she also provides technical assistance and training in the areas of Bullying Prevention, Social and Emotional Learning, and Comprehensive School Mental Health.

Mary S. Gerbig
Mary Gerbig serves as counsel to numerous school districts throughout Wisconsin on general school law, special education, and labor and employment matters. The primary client base she serves includes school districts, Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA) and other municipal employers. She has extensive experience with Wisconsin school districts and the correlating regulatory agencies. She has represented school districts in numerous student special education and discrimination hearings and mediations under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Chrissy Hamiel
Chrissy Hamiel has dedicated her practice to assisting schools on all aspects of law surrounding education. As the proud daughter of public school educators, Chrissy has always had a passion for education which uniquely enhances her understanding of, and guidance provided to, schools. Chrissy counsels school districts on challenging legal matters involving students, educators, staff, administrators, and school boards, and has been a leader in providing creative and resourceful solutions to the most challenging issues facing schools today. Chrissy regularly works with clients to tackle the challenges that keep them up at night. On a daily basis, Chrissy advises school districts as to management and operational concerns and her skill set spans the spectrum of the challenges schools face under the current legal and political landscape.

Liz Krubsak
Liz Krubsak is a School Mental Health Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and School Counselor. Prior to joining DPI, Liz worked in roles focused on bridging school and community mental health systems, providing direct treatment services in schools and overseeing a school-community mental health literacy grant. Liz currently coordinates the state School Based Mental Health Services Grant, and provides technical assistance on building and improving Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems. Additional areas of focus include mental health literacy and stigma reduction, advancing educator compassion resilience, and social and emotional learning.

Alana M. Leffler
Alana’s practice focuses primarily on advising public and private schools in the areas of general school law, special education law, and labor and employment law. She counsels clients on topics such as: student discipline; student bullying and harassment; Title IX; open meetings; public records; school board policies; special education mediation and due process; employee misconduct investigations; sexual harassment; employee discipline and dismissal; and issues arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act. Alana regularly presents on topics related to general school law, special education law, and labor and employment law. She has collaborated with public and private schools to train school staff regarding legal requirements and best practices. In addition, she has co-taught graduate-level school law courses/seminars at Alverno College and the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and she has guest lectured at the Marquette University Law School’s Education Law course.

Brittany Meoska, MSE, CPC, ACC
Brittany earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Counseling and worked as a High School Counselor for over a decade. She completed the UW-Madison Certified Professional Coaching Program and now coaches both teens & adults on emotional and mental well-being, confidence, and mindset. She also provides corporate and K-12 educator trainings. Brittany is a Virtual Group Fitness Instructor and teaches a growing number of women how to develop a long-term relationship with movement, specifically focusing on the mental health benefits that exercise provides. Her coaching and fitness instruction philosophy is that “YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!” This belief creates an amazing ripple effect. People who know they can do hard things begin to feel better, stronger, and more empowered in their lives – and that is what creates real change in the world.

Tess O’Brien-Heinzen
Tess is a partner in the School Law Practice Group and provides legal consultation to school districts, charter schools, and postsecondary institutions in a broad range of areas including special education and disability law, policy development, student-related issues, and corporate organization. In addition, Tess is a frequent speaker and provides consultation on the issue of food allergies and the law. Tess is also a member of the Litigation Practice Group, providing litigation support in federal, state, and administrative actions, and she co-chairs the Nonprofit Practice Group, assisting small nonprofits with organization and governance issues.

Kylie M. Owens
Kylie Owens’ unique background provides her with a distinct set of knowledge and experience to best serve Wisconsin School Districts and other public entities. Kylie began her career as a public- school teacher in 2011 at Wahlquist Junior High School in Utah, which provides education to over 1,100 students. This school was part of Weber School District, which employs over 1,600 teachers. Kylie’s successful teaching career ended in 2017 after she decided to attend law school to better serve schools and student from a legal perspective. Before joining Attolles Law, s.c., Kylie worked at a predominant insurance defense firm in Milwaukee where she was a litigator in both state and federal forums. She has extensive experience in the litigation process along with great experience in the negotiation process and alternative forms of dispute resolution. Regarding alternative dispute resolution, Kylie received a certificate from Marquette University Law School in that area and is always working towards the goal of resolving legal conflicts outside of the courtroom in ways that benefit her clients.

Tim Peerenboom
Tim obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Child and Youth Care from The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2002 and went on to earn a Master’s degree in School Psychology from UW Stout in 2003.  He later went on to earn a master’s degree in educational Leadership from Cardinal Stritch University in 2009.  Prior to joining the DPI in August 2019, Tim has had the privilege of serving children, families and communities in a wide variety of roles, locations and settings. During his 18 year career, he has served as a School Psychologist, Autism Specialist and Director of Special Education and Pupil Services.  He has experience working with children aged 3-21 in a variety of public education service models including traditional public schools, a Project Based Learning charter school and even a Montessori school.  He has served in urban, rural and suburban school districts spanning from Portland, OR to Washington, D.C.  Now that he has returned home to Wisconsin, Tim enjoys spending time with friends and family, especially his wife and two children.

Marge Resan
Marge Resan is a School Administration Consultant from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. She has worked for the department since 2007. Her work focuses on special education legal compliance issues. Marge is the lead consultant for the state IDEA complaint process. Marge was a special education teacher in the Madison Metropolitan School District for several years where she taught many students with disabilities in classroom, community, and vocational settings. She holds a law degree from the University of Wisconsin and has worked as an attorney in the areas of disability and elder law.

Gary M. Ruesch
Gary M. Ruesch is a co-chair and shareholder with Buelow Vetter Buikema Olson & Vliet, LLC. He has over 30 years of experience representing school districts and private schools in the areas of special education law, general school law, and labor and employment law. Gary regularly counsels clients on topics such as student discipline, public records/open meetings, special education due process, employee discipline and dismissal, sexual harassment, employment and employee handbooks, school board policies, severance agreements, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and prohibited practice complaints. Gary has successfully represented clients before various administrative agencies and courts of law. Gary has also written about and presented on subjects related to special education, general school law and labor and employment law. He is a former adjunct professor of law at the Marquette University Law School, teaching the Education Law course. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the NSBA Council of School Attorneys, and a member and former president of the Wisconsin School Attorney’s Association. Gary has been honored by receiving recognition in Best Lawyers in America for over 20 years in the areas of Education Law and Labor & Employment Law-Management. He is also listed in Super Lawyers in the areas of Schools and Education. He is a former member and treasurer of the Greenfield (WI) School Board.

Tammy Stowers-Tonn
Tammy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Sociology, and a Master of Science in Education, School Psychology. She has been employed by CESA 5 for 30 years. She currently serves in the School District of Westfield as their In-District Special Education Director and School Psychologist. Tammy also provides internship mentoring and organizes quarterly networking meetings for School Psychologists in the CESA 5 region. Tammy has two wonderful adult children and lives in Westfield. She enjoys kayaking, traveling and spending time with friends and family. 

Sheila Thobani
Sheila’s practice focuses on general school law, special education law, and employment law. She counsels public and private schools on topics such as: IDEA complaints and due process hearings; IEP and 504 Plan issues; bullying, harassment, and discrimination complaints and investigations; student discipline; School Board Policies; employee and student handbooks; employment contracts; employee discipline; compliance with the Public Records Law and Open Meetings Law; and staff training. Prior to joining Buelow Vetter, Sheila was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Milwaukee, where she served as General Counsel for Milwaukee Public Schools. She advised the District in areas such as litigation, special education, employment contracts, and negotiations with the Office for Civil Rights. She also advised various city departments (including the Milwaukee Police Department and the Department of Neighborhood Services) and represented them in State and Municipal Court and before city tribunals.

Sara Totten
Dr. Sara Totten is currently the Director of Student Services for the DeForest Area School District. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership at Edgewood College in Madison studying principal perspectives of disproportionate placement of Black/African American students in special education programs. Sara earned her Master’s degree in School Psychology, studying the prevalence of psychopharmacology use in preschool populations. She has co-authored articles appearing in the Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, International Journal of Special Education, and the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. She has also blogged for RethinkEd. Sara is currently the president of the Wisconsin Council for Administrators of Special Services (WCASS) and serves as one of the state representatives for the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) national organization. She also serves on the Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance (SAA). In addition to her role as director, Sara has taught a number of courses for Lakeland University’s Master Counseling program.

Emily R. Turzinski
Emily’s practice focuses primarily on advising public and private schools in the areas of general school law, special education law, and labor and employment law. She counsels clients on topics such as: employee and student handbooks; school board policies; student discipline; student bullying and harassment; Title IX; open meetings; public records; special education due process; sexual harassment; employee discipline and dismissal; and issues arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act.

Chad Wade
Chad’s practice is focused on working with school and higher education clients, as well as public and private employers in labor and employment relations issues. Chad regularly works with school district clients on governmental issues, employment relations matters, and education law issues, including pupil special education and disability accommodation matters. Chad is also experienced with public records, open meetings, and other issues that concern school district’s responsibilities as governmental bodies. Chad also provides counsel in a variety of labor and employment matters, including legal compliance and defense of employers under the FLSA, FMLA, NLRA, and employment discrimination laws. He also has experience drafting and implementing a wide range of employment policies from his time as in-house counsel for a Wisconsin municipality. Chad’s primary client base consists of private employers, public school districts, and Wisconsin municipalities. 

Carol Zabel
Carol Zabel has been involved in prevention education since 1990 when working as a Prevention Specialist for Winnebago County Department of Community Programs. With a primary focus on alcohol and drug prevention, she worked closely with community coalitions and school districts. In 1996, she worked for the Kimberly Area School District as the Positive Youth Development Coordinator and AODA Coordinator. Since then, Carol has served at CESA #10 to provide consultation to district AODA Coordinators, School Counselors and Gifted and Talented Coordinators coaching and professional learning opportunities for school staff interested in implementing the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model.