Our Staff
 | Suzanne Hay Program Specialist 503-275-9634 hays@nwrel.org With 10 years' experience as a national meeting and event planner, Suzanne brings organizational skills that ensure Core & More programs run smoothly. She provides administrative support and project management for workshops, conferences, and trainings from pre-event registration and onsite logistics to follow-up evaluation. |
 | Julia Kassissieh Senior Advisor 503-275-9649 kassissj@nwrel.org Julia Kassissieh is a Senior Program Advisor at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory where she directs an intensive technical assistance project with five Memphis City high schools to build district and school capacity to implement a successful SLCs as part of the Recreating Secondary Schools program. Julia brings almost two decades of experience in the field of education as a teacher, administrator, external evaluator, and action researcher. She has contributed to a variety of school improvement efforts including the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative (BASRC) and High Performing Learning Communities (HPLC). Most recently Julia was the School Director of North Oakland Community Charter School, a small school located in Oakland, CA. Julia is a credentialed teacher and administrator and earned a Master's degree from Stanford University's Graduate School of Education. |
 | Francie Lindner Unit Director 503-275-9602 lindnerf@nwrel.org As director of the Core & More program, Francie provides planning, coordination, and development of services to districts and schools, topical institutes, design studios, and other professional development for secondary staff. |
 | Katie Luers Senior Advisor 503-275-0689 luersk@nwrel.org Katie's intensive experience as a site-based coach and trainer covers topics from teacher teaming to instructional program coherence, interdisciplinary unit planning, and SLC best practices. She also is responsible for the development of online tutorials on a wide range of SLC-related issues. |
 | Erin McGary-Hamilton Senior Advisor 503-275-9641 mcgaryhe@nwrel.org A certified principal with 15 years' classroom experience, Erin contributes a strong background in leadership issues and support services. She provides training and technical assistance to high school and middle school staff members on a wide array of topics including SLC best practices and Professional Learning Teams. |
 | Diana Oxley Project Director 503-275-9613 oxleyd@nwrel.org A former faculty member at University of Oregon College of Education with a Ph.D. from Arizona State University, Diana brings depth as both a researcher and coach. She authored the foundational publication Small Learning Communities: Implementing and Deepening Practice. |
 | Mary Rosenthal Senior Advisor 503-275-9618 rosenthm@nwrel.org |
 | Nanci Schneider Senior Advisor 503-275-9557 schneidn@nwrel.org Nanci Schneider brings her practical experience working in schools with teachers and administrators for over 25 years in her roles as teacher, principal, District Staff Development Specialist and School Improvement Director. She also works at the State and University level, and serves as an advisor to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. She currently works with schools who wish to restructure to increase student achievement. Her instructional expertise provides a practical focus for work with small learning communities and integrated curriculum. Nanci has received numerous national awards for her work which include recognition by the White House, the YWCA, University Council of Educational Administration and National School Public Relations Board. |
 | Sara Sellards Program Analyst 503-275-9619 sellards@nwrel.org |
 | Joan Shaughnessy Program Director 503-275-9578 shaughnj@nwrel.org Joan has led NWREL's systemic high school reform work for the past five years, which includes assisting more than 1,000 federal SLC grantees. A national presenter on implementing SLCs and dropout prevention strategies, she authored a guide to whole-school reform efforts for district and school staff. |
 | Johnna Timmes Senior Advisor 503-275-9643 timmesj@nwrel.org Johnna N. Timmes is an accomplished teacher, professional developer and trainer of trainers. Her seventeen years of experience teaching in both inner city and rural communities includes work with K-12 literacy, special education as well as gifted education, project-based learning and integrating curriculum. Johnna’s equity work at the state and national level assists organizations to design policy to support realistic implementation of federal law. Johnna serves on numerous state and community boards and has recently been appointed as an advisor to Oregon Health Sciences University Educational Lecture Series. |
 | Kim Wier Program Advisor 503-275-9617 wierk@nwrel.org Kim serves as the technology support person for the Core & More, overseeing the program's Web site and developing online professional development for teacher teaming. |