Executive Board

President

Ashley is our current WDEC President and an Early Childhood Diagnostician & ECSE Coordinator for the Racine Unified School District.

Ashley has been working in Early Childhood Special Education for about 15 years in inclusive early childhood settings, including 4k and 5k classrooms and community-based settings such as homes, daycares, Head Start, and private preschools. Ashley is a National Board Certified Teacher (Exceptional Needs Specialist) and a PhD candidate at the University of Northern Colorado. Family-professional partnerships, working with culturally/linguistically diverse learners, and special education law/evaluation practices are some areas that really interest her. Ashley feels that being a part of the WDEC provides a great opportunity to connect with others in ECE/ECSE throughout the state and support advocacy, awareness, and access/engagement for young children and families.

President-Elect

Abby is our WDEC President-Elect and the Data and Continuous Quality Improvement Manager for the Wisconsing Alliance for Infant Mental Health.

Abby Taylor has been teaching and conducting research related to early childhood special education for the last 15 years.  She has been a teacher in inclusive toddler and preschool early childhood settings, a coach to teachers and childcare programs, and is now the Data and Continuous Quality Improvement Manager for the Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health supporting statewide Pyramid Model and Infant Mental Health Consultation or Healthy Minds Healthy Children. Abby is passionate about supporting educators’ reflective practice to foster belonging in early childhood spaces. Abby is motivated by her experiences in the classroom, and her journey learning to advocate for her three children. After being an active member of the national Division for Early Childhood for many years and moving back home to Wisconsin in 2024, Abby is excited to get to know and support ECSE professionals across the state in this new role! 

Secretary

Cathy is the Secretary for WDEC and is a Training and Technical Assistance Specialist for the Early Learning Technical Assistance & Implementation Discretionary Grant. 

Cathy has been working in the Early  Childhood field for 30 years, starting as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher. Before shifting into regional and statewide technical assistance for Early Childhood Special Education 8 years ago, Cathy has served in the Early Care and Education field in multiple capacities. Cathy values the many ways in which the DEC provides its members access to the latest research and information, as well as its opportunities to collaborate and advance best practices for serving children with disabilities and their families. The National DEC Conference is an annual highlight for Cathy. When not supporting adult learners and school district programs, Cathy enjoys time with family and taking spontaneous trips with her husband. 

Treasurer

Sara Jane is our WDEC Treasurer as well as an Inclusion Support Teacher, 4K Coordinator, NCI Coordinator, Nurtured Heart Trainer for the Stoughton Area School District.

Sara Jane has been working in the field of Special Education for 36 years and has taught in 4 states, including Minnesota, Illinois, California, and Wisconsin. 

She was born and raised in Kaukauna, WI, a small town south of Green Bay, and went to school for her undergraduate and graduate degrees in special education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a Packers and a Badger fan!

Jen Kalis is our immediate Past President of WDEC & current Membership Chair.  She is the Early Childhood and 4K Coordinator for the School District of La Crosse. 

Jen has been working in the field of Early Childhood Special Education for 20 years. Jen is a National Board Certified Teacher and holds a masters degree in Special Education. She is currently enrolled in a Principalship program through Viterbo University. Jen has served on the WDEC Board in a variety of roles over the past 15 years including Secretary, Social Media Chair, Vice President and President. Jen loves the personal connections she has made with like minded members in WDEC. Jen is energized by the work with WDEC taking place to promote and support policies and practices for young children with disabilities and their families across the state and nationally.