Executive Board
President:
Dr. Lisa Colwell: Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Bristol-Warren Regional School District. 235 High Street Bristol, RI 02809lisa.colwell@bwrsd.org
Prior to her appointment in the Bristol-Warren Regional School District, Dr. Colwell served as an Administrator of Special Education in Portsmouth, RI and Cumberland, RI. She began her career in education as a special educator at the secondary level and has held teacher and/or teacher leader positions prior to becoming an Administrator of Special Education. She is currently an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University and Peru State College in Nebraska.Dr. Colwell has been a member of the Association of RI Administrators of Special Education since 2005. She has served on various sub-committees and held various roles within the organization. She is currently a Mentor Coordinator and serves as President of ARIASE.
Dr. Lisa Colwell: Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Bristol-Warren Regional School District. 235 High Street Bristol, RI 02809lisa.colwell@bwrsd.org
Prior to her appointment in the Bristol-Warren Regional School District, Dr. Colwell served as an Administrator of Special Education in Portsmouth, RI and Cumberland, RI. She began her career in education as a special educator at the secondary level and has held teacher and/or teacher leader positions prior to becoming an Administrator of Special Education. She is currently an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University and Peru State College in Nebraska.Dr. Colwell has been a member of the Association of RI Administrators of Special Education since 2005. She has served on various sub-committees and held various roles within the organization. She is currently a Mentor Coordinator and serves as President of ARIASE.
Vice President:
Dr. Melissa Denton: Director of Special Education, Narragansett Public Schools. 25 5th Ave, Narragansett, RI 02882mdenton@nssk12.org
Melissa Denton began her career in 1990 as a special educator.at a residential school and in 1991 started her position for Westerly Public Schools. During her 29 years in the field, she has continued to take on new leadership roles. Melissa has worked as a fellow for the RI Dept of Education, been a state induction coach trainer and served on numerous state level committees. In 2015, she became the Director of Pupil Personnel for Westerly Public Schools. Melissa is has served as an adjunct professor for RIC, UCONN and is currently teaching at JWU in the MAT program. Melissa currently started her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Johnson and Wales University. January 1, 2020, she will begin a role as the Director of Student Services for Narragansett School System. In Melissa's spare time she loves spending time with family and can be found the Formula Drift circuit cheering on her son Garrett.
Past President:
Brad Wilson M.S.Ed: Director of Special Education North West Special Education Region7 Rustic Hill Road Glocester, RI 02857bwilson@northwestri.org
Brad had served on the ARIASE Executive Board for 3 years as the Vice President prior to becoming the President in 2018. Currently Brad serves on the Executive Board as the Past President following a 4 year term. Brad started his career in Special Education in 1996 in the beautiful state of Vermont. Brad lives in Barrington RI with his wife, Mary-Kate, who is a special education teacher for Ponoganset, his son, Cole, and his daughter Grace. Brad is currently the Special Education Director for the North West Special Education Region which serves the districts of Scituate, Ponaganset, Foster & Glocester. Recently Brad was honored as the Rhode Island Special Education Director of the year in 2022.
Brad Wilson M.S.Ed: Director of Special Education North West Special Education Region7 Rustic Hill Road Glocester, RI 02857bwilson@northwestri.org
Brad had served on the ARIASE Executive Board for 3 years as the Vice President prior to becoming the President in 2018. Currently Brad serves on the Executive Board as the Past President following a 4 year term. Brad started his career in Special Education in 1996 in the beautiful state of Vermont. Brad lives in Barrington RI with his wife, Mary-Kate, who is a special education teacher for Ponoganset, his son, Cole, and his daughter Grace. Brad is currently the Special Education Director for the North West Special Education Region which serves the districts of Scituate, Ponaganset, Foster & Glocester. Recently Brad was honored as the Rhode Island Special Education Director of the year in 2022.
Secretary:
Dr. Kimberly Carson: Manager of Special Education ComplianceProvidence Schools797 Westminster Street Providence, RI 02903 Kimberly.RothwellCarson@ppsd.org
Kim is a longtime member of the Association of RI Administrators of Special Education (ARIASE) and is currently serving as secretary. In the association, she has served in various roles including: regional representative (northern, wet bay and southern), secretary (twice), vice president, president and past president. She has served as a mentor in the Mentoring Program. She helped to establish the Director of the year program and is active in the annual conferences planning.
Kim is an experienced special education administrator who has worked in several school districts in Rhode Island. Her first job was at Valley Community School, a non-public special education program for students with serious emotional and behavioral needs. She was a DPT for Central Falls School Department and a Department Head in Warwick prior to her journey in special education administration; first as an assistant director in Warwick, and then director in North Providence and North Kingstown. She has worked at the RI Department of Education in between her work in public schools. She has fulfilled many professional development consulting roles over the years. She obtained an undergraduate degree from Salve Regina University, a master’s degree from RI College and a doctorate at Johnson and Wales University. She has taught in all three institutions and has provided Professional Development across RI over the years. She is currently employed as the Special Education Manager of Compliance for Providence Public Schools.
When not at work, you can find Kim and her husband walking the beach, visiting farmers’ markets and enjoying all that RI has to offer.
Dr. Kimberly Carson: Manager of Special Education ComplianceProvidence Schools797 Westminster Street Providence, RI 02903 Kimberly.RothwellCarson@ppsd.org
Kim is a longtime member of the Association of RI Administrators of Special Education (ARIASE) and is currently serving as secretary. In the association, she has served in various roles including: regional representative (northern, wet bay and southern), secretary (twice), vice president, president and past president. She has served as a mentor in the Mentoring Program. She helped to establish the Director of the year program and is active in the annual conferences planning.
Kim is an experienced special education administrator who has worked in several school districts in Rhode Island. Her first job was at Valley Community School, a non-public special education program for students with serious emotional and behavioral needs. She was a DPT for Central Falls School Department and a Department Head in Warwick prior to her journey in special education administration; first as an assistant director in Warwick, and then director in North Providence and North Kingstown. She has worked at the RI Department of Education in between her work in public schools. She has fulfilled many professional development consulting roles over the years. She obtained an undergraduate degree from Salve Regina University, a master’s degree from RI College and a doctorate at Johnson and Wales University. She has taught in all three institutions and has provided Professional Development across RI over the years. She is currently employed as the Special Education Manager of Compliance for Providence Public Schools.
When not at work, you can find Kim and her husband walking the beach, visiting farmers’ markets and enjoying all that RI has to offer.
Treasurer:
Jessica Perry: Director of Special Education Services10 Harris Ave West Warwick, RI 02893jperry@westwarwickpublicschools.com
Bio forthcoming
Jessica Perry: Director of Special Education Services10 Harris Ave West Warwick, RI 02893jperry@westwarwickpublicschools.com
Bio forthcoming
