Council Membership
State law (NJSA 18A:46-2), provides that the Commissioner of Education shall appoint and work with a council of no more than fifteen members. The members of the Council work in collaboration with the director of the Office of Special Education. In addition, there are several resource representatives from various state agencies. Appointments to the council are made in accordance with guidelines established in P.L. 94-142 and the reauthorized IDEA amendments. Members are appointed for a minimum of two-year terms that can be renewed for a maximum of three terms. Each appointment to the council must be confirmed by the State Board of Education.
Dr. Paul F. Barbato – Chair
Director of Special Services
Dumont Public Schools
25 Depew Street
Dumont, NJ 07628
201-387-3086
ebarbato@dumontnj.org
Debora Esposito – Vice-Chair
Project Co-director: START Engaging Parents of Students with Disabilities in Schools
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network
35 Halsey St 4th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
973-642-8100
desposito@spanadvocacy.org
Mark Brugger
Associated Director of Marketing & Development
Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County
1040 Spruce Street
Lawrence, NJ 08648
609-695-6060
bruggermd@comcast.net
Vikas Jain
Director of Consulting
Cognizant Technology Solutions
500 Frank Burr Blvd.
Teaneck, NJ 07666
925-984-9023
vickyjain@msn.com
Dr. Viviana Litovsky
Director
Westbridge Academy
60 West Street
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
973-429-8110, ext. 147
vivlit@westbridgeacademy.org
Andrea Moore
Learning Disability Teacher-Consultant
Sharp and Forest Elementary Schools
Camden City School District
1033 Cambridge Street
Camden, NJ 08105
AndreaMoore@camden.k12.nj.us
Lonjete Nias
Supervisor of Special Services
Neptune City Board of Education
210 West Sylvania Avenue
Neptune City, NJ 07753
ltgar@aim.com
Kristy Ritvalsky
Parent Member
Inclusion Facilitator
Coalition for Inclusive Education (CIE)
60 Park Place, Suite 208
Newark, NJ 07102
732-613-0400
kristy@njcie.org
Dr. Christopher Shamburg
Parent Member
Professor and Coordinator of the Ed.D. in Educational Technology Leadership
New Jersey City University
2039 Kennedy Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07305
201-200-3078
cshamburg@njcu.edu
Lynda Shanahan
Parent member
Special Education Teacher
Pennsauken High School
800 Hylton Road
Pennsauken Township, NJ 08110
856-662-8500
lynda.shanahan@gmail.com
Susan Vandermark
Parent Member
Special Education Teacher
Riverbank Charter School of Excellence
1300 Hornberger Avenue
Roebling, NJ 08554
609-499-4321
vandermark@riverbank.charter.k12.nj.us
Kerri Walsifer
Parent Member
Director of Special Services
Tinton Falls School District
658 Tinton Falls Avenue
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
732-460-2411
kwalsifer@tfschools.org
Dr. Patricia White
Parent Member
Retired Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College
973-879-2373
patwhiteflatley@comcast.net
Resouce Representatives
Donna M. Holzschuh
CST Manager
New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission
1001 Spruce Street, Suite 202
Trenton, NJ 08629
609-943-3132
donna.holzschuh@jjc.nj.gov
Dawn Mergen
Quality Assurance Specialist
Family Health Services
New Jersey Department of Health
PO Box 364
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0364
Phone: (609) 777-7778
Fax: (609) 292-3580
dawn.mergen@doh.nj.gov
Kelley Michalowski
Director
Office of Education
New Jersey Department of Children and Families
PO Box 710
Trenton, NJ 08625-0710
609-583-3165
kelley.michalowski@dcf.state.nj.us
Eva Scott
Director of Blindness Education
New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired
153 Halsey Street
PO Box 47017
Newark, NJ 07101
973-648-4300
eva.scott@dhs.state.nj.us
Toni Scott
Program Planning and Development Specialist
Program Unit- Youth Services
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
PO Box 398
Trenton, NJ 08625-0398
Toni.Scott@dol.nj.gov