Board Of Directors

Jeff Myers :: Chief Executive Officer

Jeff Myers has been involved in the non-profit sector both in Phoenix and in San Diego for the past 16 years. Jeff's career started at the YMCA working for $4.75 an hour as a part-time baseball camp counselor. Working his way up the ladder, he has touched just about every organizational level of the non-profit sector and finds he can relate to staff in support of them achieving their personal and professional goals. Jeff's career has been one of growth, and he has had the fortune of being responsible for some of the biggest programs the YMCA has offered in North America, and even helped open a new branch in Phoenix, AZ.

While in Phoenix, Jeff served on the Downtown Phoenix Partnership board, the ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus Community Advisory Committee and the Phoenix College Downtown Advisory Council. Thanks, in part, to Jeff's determination and direction, the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA had over 40 community partners that were either providing direct services to or working with the YMCA. Jeff looks forward to working with KIT's current board and staff to apply this same philosophy in the greater San Diego region and bring KIT out into the forefront of all sectors within the community.

Torrie Dunlap, CPLP :: Executive Director, National Training Center on Inclusion

Torrie's experience in theatre education led her to a career supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities. It is also Torrie's experience in theatre that makes her a powerful public speaker and dynamic teacher. Torrie holds a degree in theatre from San Diego State University and has won national awards for her arts education programs. She has 23 years of experience working in out–of–school time programs teaching children of all ages and creating curriculum for use by child and youth development professionals and classroom teachers. Torrie has presented keynotes and workshops for conferences and events all over the United States. Currently, she is the co–Chair of the California Afterschool Network Leadership Team, is an advisor to the youth-led I am Norm campaign, is a member of the Advisory Council for the Afterschool Inclusion Project for the California Department on Education and serves on a Technical Working Group on online professional development for the US Department of Education. Torrie was a contributing author for a college textbook titled Inclusive Recreation, published in 2010 by Human Kinetics Publishing. Torrie is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance and was featured as a ThoughtLeader in March/April 2010 issue of Profiles in Diversity Journal. Visit Torrie's blog Inclusion at kidsincludedtogether.blogspot.com and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/torriedunlap.

Sara N. Couron, MPA :: Director of Operations

Sara N. Couron brings over 21 years of experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities to her responsibilities as KIT's Director of Operations. Before joining the KIT staff in 2000, Sara was the co–Executive Director of Area Board XIII, a state advocacy agency which monitors the rights and services of individuals with developmental disabilities. Sara has a strong understanding of the service delivery system for individuals with disabilities from working as a case manager for the San Diego Regional Center, and at an employment program for adults with developmental disabilities. While at KIT, Sara has successfully written, administered and monitored 10 government grants totaling over $1.3 million in funding. She holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from San Diego State University.

Director of Marketing & Public Relations

CJ is an early adopter of technology who loves creating everything from marketing strategy, to assisting with social media integration and public relations. Early in her career, CJ assisted women running for political office to create winning campaigns. As a public servant, she worked with local and regional government agencies to reach out to their constituents and be more responsive.

Danielle R. Dawson, Esq. :: Director of Development

Dani has always had a passion for equality, diversity, and inclusion.  While earning her JD at Chapman University School of Law, she completed an internship at the Edmund D. Edelman Children's Dependency Court and Legal Aid Society of Orange County. Through this experience, she was inspired to advocate for underrepresented children and families, subsequently leading her to work in a Family Law and Estate Planning Firm for nearly two years. Dani was introduced to the world of philanthropy through a close friend and felt she could use her law background to bring a unique perspective to the non-profit sector. Dani joined the prospect research team at Scripps Health Foundation and then put her skills to use in the Marketing and Development Department at The Arc of San Diego.  Dani is an active member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, San Diego Chapter, and is a member of The San Diego Bar Association.  You can follow Dani on twitter at twitter.com/dawson_dani

Amanda Couture :: Learning Support Specialist

Amanda earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and Christian Ministries from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2006, and is planning to begin coursework to earn a Masters in Human Behavior. Rather than being limited to very specific fields in her professional career, Amanda believes her education has prepared her for diverse opportunities to use her talents for the goal of helping others.

Cheryl Fortson :: Administrative Assistant

Cheryl comes to KIT from the San Diego School District after spending over 20 years in the non–profit sector. Cheryl has worked at YMCA Youth and Family Services as well as San Diego Youth Services throughout her career. Cheryl finds working with non–profits rewarding and states "opportunities and experiences should be closed to no one – it is our responsibility to help open doors to full inclusion."

Wendi L. Garrison :: Education & Training Manager

Wendi L. Garrison brings over 15 years of experience working in and administrating out-of-school time programs for individuals with and without disabilities. Before joining KIT Wendi was the Recreation Supervisor and Inclusion Specialist at a variety of agencies including Parks and Recreation departments, the YMCA, and Boys & Girls Club.  She worked with many school districts and government agencies to create, fund, and oversee a variety of specialized and inclusive recreation programs, camps, events and activities for youth and adults with disabilities. She served as a member of the Washington Department of Developmental Disabilities Board, The Tacoma Area Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities, and as Washington Recreation and Parks Association District #3 Representative. In addition she has presented cooperative play and inclusion sessions at a variety of conferences, seminars, trainings, and retreats. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Recreation Administration with emphasis in health and special education.

Kelly Jacobson, RYT, AWC :: Military Support Specialist

Kelly Jacobson received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from San Diego State University.  Throughout her time at SDSU, she worked closely with children with differing disabilities.  As a certified yoga instructor, she leads an inclusive yoga class for children of all ages.  She is also certified in Ayurvedic Wellness, which benefits her teaching and communication with clients.  Growing up with a brother with a disability, she feels working to enable the community for genuine acceptance, love and inclusion is deeply important. 

Nili Mathews, CTRS :: Education Specialist

Nili is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with 20 years of experience working with people with disabilities. She has a degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies with an emphasis in Therapy from San Francisco State University. Nili has worked with clients of all ages with various disabilities in many different settings including physical rehabilitation, mental health, residential camping and community recreation. Nili has presented at numerous national and regional conferences and has trained thousands of programs. Nili's experience includes seven years with the YMCA of San Diego County as Inclusion Specialist. As Education Specialist, Nili provides training, training of trainers, webinars, inclusion support, consultations and specialized coaching. Nili is a KIT Master Trainer.

Selena Rauenzahn, MA, BCBA :: Behavior Specialist

Selena is a native Californian and has spent the majority of her life in San Diego County. She is a Special Educator for students with moderate to severe disabilities. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Masters in Special Education, emphasis in Autism. Selena is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Selena has worked with typically developing children and children with disabilities since 1996 as a paraprofessional, behavior tutor, classroom teacher, supervisor, consultant and trainer. She specializes in Applied Behavioral Analysis, modified academic/ behavioral curriculum and inclusion. She has received grants from National Foundation for Autism Research and San Diego Teacher's Fund to facilitate better learning for her students.

Kara Smith, PhD :: Research & Evaluation Specialist

Kara received her BA in Education and History. After completing her MA in Curriculum and Instruction, she began working as a high school History teacher and tennis coach. As her passion for equity in education and opportunity developed, Kara realized her calling to positively affect policy to promote opportunities for all individuals and decided to complete her Doctoral work at Boston College in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation. Since completing her degree, Kara's experiences have ranged from facilitating online professional development training to conducting research and evaluation on large scale, federally funded grants. She has presented research findings at numerous conferences and can be seen published in various educational research and online technology journals.

Michael Seitz :: Digital Content Producer

Michael Seitz received his Bachelor's degree in Advertising from The Art Institute of California San Diego. Having also studied Graphic Design at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Michael is highly skilled at digital and print design, as well as brand optimization. He has lived social media for business for the past seven years and is excited to help KIT grow to a new level digitally. He is extremely excited to be a part of KIT and witness the countless lives that are affected by the mission. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/sdseitz and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/sdseitz

Suzanne Stolz, EdD :: Education Specialist

Suzanne, who is an advocate for inclusion and teaching better ways to conceptualize disability, proudly identifies as a person with a disability. She has worked previously as a high school administrator, English teacher, curriculum specialist for a mentoring program for youth with disabilities, and most recently, as a teacher educator. She has a Masters degree in Curriculum Design and a Doctoral degree in Teaching and Learning from the University of California-San Diego. An active member of Society for Disability Studies, Suzanne pursues research related to the identity development of students with disabilities and has presented at regional and national conferences.

Viviana Hernandez :: Affiliate Coordinator

Viviana comes to KIT with a background in child and youth development. She has over twelve years of hands-on experience and has served as a program specialist, camp counselor, preschool teacher, and camp director in Spain and Germany where she enjoyed working with military families overseas. It was when she served as a program director at a local before and after school program here in San Diego that she first partnered with KIT back in 2003, and embraced the journey to inclusion! Viviana was asked to become an inclusion trainer shortly after continuously attending all of the KIT trainings offered by her organization and applying successful inclusion practices in her program. Since then, she has participated in national conferences as a provider and has conducted inclusion and youth development trainings to other youth professionals in the field. Viviana continues her education to specialize in Youth and Community Leadership at Springfield College School of Human Services San Diego and hopes to be able to support all programs in their journey to inclusion.

Dora Wedekind :: Digital Content Producer

Dora comes to KIT with a rich background in both education and design. She earned a degree in art from UC Berkeley and studied Web & Media Design at Coleman University. She has received recognition for her work, including the Berkeley Art Alumni Group Award, New Genres Award and three consecutive Best in Design awards from Coleman University. Her professional memberships/affiliations include AIGA, The eLearning Guild and SD Flash Users Group.
Dora has a decade of experience working in a variety of capacities with children ages 4-11. In 2008 she started her own business teaching elementary aged kids how to make comic books. While working at an Early Intervention program for two years, Dora had the privilege of witnessing the tremendous joy that comes to a family when their child has made progress reaching their potential through support of those around them. Dora is excited to contribute to KIT’s continued success and be an active participant in inclusion education!

Janet George :: Education & Training Specialist

Janet George graduated from Texas Woman's University with a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation in 1988. She attended graduate school at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and is certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification. She is also certified by the North Carolina Institute for Child Development Professionals and endorsed as an Adult Educator. Janet has varied experience in physical rehabilitation, assisted living, and community based non-profit organizations where her focus and passion has always been on access to community and inclusion. Janet formed a relationship with KIT in 2006 and was instrumental is increasing inclusion efforts in out-of-school time programs in North Carolina before joining the KIT team full time in October 2011.

MaryPaz ChavezVara :: Trainer

MaryPaz ChavezVara became a teacher for children with learning disabilities in Mexico City and worked for 5 years in this field before moving to this country. In the past five years, she has conducted trainings and/or workshops for agencies like WestEd/PITC–Partners for Quality, Kids Included Together (KIT), YMCA, StoryQuest, East Coast Migrant Early and Head Start, Washington State Migrant Council, Parent Institute for Quality Education, Logan Heights Family Health Center, Chula Vista and San Ysidro School Districts. For 15 years she worked with the H.O.P.E. Infant Family Support Program, serving families with children with special needs from birth to three years of age. And for the last 2 years she has been participating in Project MENTOR, supporting childcare providers in their professional growth. Her mantra is a quote from Natasha Josefowits: "If the best of me can make more of you, then the best of you will reflect on me."

Janel Lauer, MPH, OTR/L :: Trainer

Janel has been involved with individuals with disabilities for most of her life and became passionate about inclusion after spending a summer working as an inclusion aide at a day camp. She received her Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN. She has worked with children with disabilities and their families in a variety of settings, including clinics, homes, schools, and community sites. Janel recently completed her Masters in Public Health at the University of Washington and is looking forward to opportunities to advocate for the health and well–being of all children and families.

Phyllis Vokey Long, MFT :: License #43695, Child Development Specialist

Phyllis Vokey Long has over 25 years of experience in early childhood serving in multiple roles from parent volunteer to teacher to administrator and adjunct professor of Child Development. Phyllis served as Program Coordinator for SDSU Faculty/Staff Children's Center for 10 of those years. As the mother of 4 children and the grandmother of four, Phyllis can identify with the growing pains, joys and challenges faced by parents as well as professionals. Phyllis has applied her years of experience with children and families toward her current career as a Marriage and Family Therapist with Helix Counseling Associates, and as Trainer and Consultant for Kids Included Together.

Alissa Marotto, MS :: Trainer

Alissa Marotto received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She completed her Master of Science degree in Child Development at San Diego State University in August of 2007, with her thesis: "Inclusive After-School Programs: Examining Parent Perceptions of Program Quality and Child Experience". Alissa is from western Massachusetts, where she gained experience working as a dance instructor, a swim instructor for a summer camp that embraced inclusion, a preschool teacher, and a research assistant focusing on projects related to early childhood and autism. Alissa has served as a child care counselor for children with social emotional disorders, a graduate teaching and research assistant, a behavioral tutor for children with autism, and a Pre-K teacher. Alissa served on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Association for the Education of Young Children (SDAEYC) and was the co-chair of the SDAEYC Special Needs Committee.

Mary Shea, EdD :: Trainer

Having served in nearly every capacity at KIT over the past 14 years, Mary continues to be an active trainer and also lends her expertise as an organizational and leadership consultant. She brings her 37 years of experience to ensure that all children have opportunities to be included and supported in their neighborhoods and community programs, not just in San Diego, but across the country. Mary has a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy, a Master's degree in Maternal and Child Health, and a Doctoral degree in Education Sciences and Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego. She regularly represents KIT at regional and national conferences and has been a keynote speaker at several conferences. She has also published or co-published articles in several school age publication including School Age Notes & Afterschool Matters) as well as in early childhood special education, and recreation journals.