Our Board
Kevin Bonner, President
Kevin practices construction law and commercial litigation at Fennemore Craig. He has an Accounting & Finance degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. He has been active in non-profit organizations for 15 years, including United Cerebral Palsy and the United Way. He is also a current Board member of the Federal Bar Association - Phoenix Chapter, and he previously served as President of the Board.
Kevin has been a Board member since 2005. He joined the Board after a positive experience as a parent who received services when Raising Special Kids assisted Kevin and his wife Amy with information about the IEP process for their son, Patrick, who has cerebral palsy. Kevin believes that children with special needs and their families should never feel like they are alone in their journey or feel like they do not know where to turn for information and help. He believes that Raising Special Kids is a tremendous resource to make that a reality.
Elaine Ellis, MD, Vice President
Dr. Ellis graduated from Tulane University Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and completed her pediatric residency in nearby Mississippi at Keesler Air Force Base Medical Center. She received fellowship training at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and at the University of South Florida’s Section for Child Development in Tampa.
Board certified in both pediatrics and neurodevelopmental disabilities, Dr. Ellis boasts nearly two decades of experience in NICU follow-up and developmental pediatrics. In her work, Dr. Ellis’ has seen patients with conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and mental retardation. She has had the privilege of seeing tiny preemies or those children with conditions necessitating a prolonged hospital stay while they are in the hospital for developmental support and then following their development once they are home.
She has been in Phoenix since September 2005, working for Phoenix Perinatal Associates and contracted with Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She is on the North Phoenix regional council for First Things First. She is a member of the Arizona Autism Coalition. The most prestigious award was receiving the T. Berry Brazelton Infant Advocacy Award for early childhood Intervention in 1995.
"Raising Special Kids is a wonderful organization. Nothing can replace the information one family receives from another," she explains. "I am honored to be on the board."
Vickie L. Herd, Secretary
CEO, Extended Family Disability Services LLC
Vickie has been involved in Special Olympics for 27 years including 13 years organizing, fundraising and managing the Special Olympic Pentathlon event. She managed, raised funds for and coached Challenger Baseball for eight years. She was involved in Tempe Union School District Special Education Parent Support Group for seven years. She has organized self-determination classes and social activities for young adults for five years, and she presented at the 2004 Transition Conference “Bases Loaded! Who’s up Next? Successful transition from High School to Adulthood”. She has also completed a six-week course in Developing Capable People, and a training class in Child Abuse Prevention.
Vickie joined Raising Special Kids in 2006. “After Chad was born 24 years ago with Down syndrome, we found out he needed to have open heart surgery. Raising Special Kids (then known as Pilot Parents) partnered us with another family whose son had recently had the same surgery, and they helped mentor us through that emotionally difficult time. I have never forgotten how helpful it was. In the past few years my good friend Leslie Williams reintroduced me to Raising Special Kids. I firmly believe that what Raising Special Kids has done in the past, presently is doing and their future plans are a great service to our community.”
Heather L. Buchta, Treasurer
An attorney with Quarles & Brady LLP, Heather received a B.A., from Kansas State University and her J.D., from Washington University in St. Louis. She and her husband were named one of 2007 AZ FINEST Couples, by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Heather joined the Board of Raising Special Kids in 2003 and has been Treasurer since 2007. “I was looking for opportunities to get involved in the community and Raising Special Kids was embarking upon a journey to expand its presence in the community. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Raising Special Kids. It has been fabulous to see the organization grow and help families across the State. Raising Special Kids provides a solid foundation and resource to help families deal with the unique issues presented by raising children with special needs — and in the process it helps guide families through the road bumps to find what works best for each family.”
Jim Cole
Jim is Director of Technology at KTVK-TV and is a Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer by the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE). He won an Emmy in 1989 for remote production and was awarded engineer of the year in 1994 by the American Women in Radio Television (AWRT). He has volunteered for Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Prevent Child Abuse, the Diocese of Phoenix, Knights of Columbus and the MS Society. He began volunteering with Raising Special Kids in 1993 after contacting the organization when his adopted daughter had a stroke caused by Shaken Baby Syndrome. He joined the Board in 2004.
“I think Raising Special Kids best serves the community by raising awareness of the needs of our special families. We serve those families by staying abreast of the various challenges they face and providing them with the tools to succeed in overcoming those challenges.”
Bob Cox
Bob is President of Nothing But NET in Tempe, AZ. He came to Arizona in 1983 after attending University of California at Berkeley. In 1991 he was a co-founder of J.J. Croney and Associates where he was in actively involved in providing and supporting large network infrastructures in the Southwest. After successfully selling that business in 2002 he embarked and founded Nothing But NET. Nothing But NET is an IT consulting and managed services business that has a primary focus on providing information technology support and services to non-profit organizations.
“Raising Special Kids is a wonderful organization that provides the resources to help families address and understand the challenges that are presented to them. By serving the community Raising Special Kids provides invaluable resources to assist families of children with disabilities.
Blanca Esparza-Pap
Community and Public Relations Manager for KTVK 3TV, Arizona’s Family and KASW CW6 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Esparza-Pap manages all community and public relations activities on behalf of the stations including advocating for community organizations in the 3TV newsroom. A graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in Journalism, Esparza-Pap has primarily worked in the field of community and media relations focusing in the areas of high-tech, healthcare, local government, politics and education. Her career has taken her from Arizona to Washington, DC working for organizations such as the Intel Corporation, Phoenix Baptist Hospital, City of Phoenix, Bush-Cheney ’04 and the U.S. Department of Education. In her spare time, Esparza-Pap enjoys spending time with her husband Jesse and their 2-year-old daughter Isabella.
Jodi Knobel Feuerhelm
Jodi is a partner in the firm of Perkins Coie Brown & Bain, where she practices in the areas of construction and commercial litigation. She graduated summa cum laude from Florida State University and received her J.D. from the University of Utah in 1985, where she was Order of the Coif and an editor of the Utah Law Review. She also serves as a Judge Pro Tem for the Maricopa County Superior Court and is on the State Bar of Arizona's Ethics Committee. She is on the Management Committee for the Phoenix office of Perkins Coie Brown & Bain and is actively involved in community organizations, currently serving as President of the Board of Directors of Raising Special Kids and on the Board of the Arizona Center for Disability Law.
Jodi first became involved in Raising Special Kids when her son Daniel, now 15, was diagnosed with autism more than ten years ago. Through parent-to-parent matching, Jodi was put in touch with other families who had older children with autism, who had been through the "system" and could provide valuable information and insight. She began volunteering and joined the Board of Directors in 2003. The past five years have been an exciting time for Raising Special Kids, as it has steadily increased the training and services that it is able to provide to families throughout Arizona. As we head into the next five years, our goal is to continue to serve and meet the changing needs of families who have children with disabilities and special health care needs.
Elizabeth Freeburg
A Vice President and Investment Manager within Wells Fargo Private Client Services, Elizabeth Freeburg has been in investment management since 1986. She manages approximately 150 accounts and 150 million in assets focusing on guidance and strategies for asset allocation recommendations for Personal Trust and Investment Management accounts. Elizabeth has a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science, Finance from Illinois State University.
Her interest in children, families and disability issues are reflected in her commitment to varied community organizations including Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, and Junior Achievement. “I want to help families obtain the resources they need to be happy and successful. Raising Special Kids does that,” she said.
Karen Hinds
Karen Hinds received her Bachelors degree in Special Education from Arizona State University and holds a Masters degree in Educational Counseling at the University of Phoenix. Karen began her experience working with individuals with disabilities at the Tempe ARC. Karen has worked at McClintock High School in Tempe as a teacher for individuals with emotional disabilities, and at Desert Vista High School teaching students diagnosed with Mental Retardation and Learning Disabilities. She is currently an educational guidance counselor in charge of implementing all 504 plans within the school setting.
During her work as a Special Education Teacher at Desert Vista, Karen developed an innovative process for students with disabilities to empower themselves through the use of student driven presentations at IEP meetings to express their strengths, weaknesses, transition goals and celebrations. Karen also participates in Arizona Special Olympics as Head of Delegation and Coach for TUHSD and City of Tempe; and she is a Best Buddies Sponsor at Desert Vista High School.
Awards she has received include:
2001 - Tempe, Arizona Council of Exceptional Students Teacher of the Year
2001- Award of Excellence for the Tempe Union High School District
2002- ARC of Arizona Teacher of the Year
Shirley Kaufman
Recently retired from a long career as a lawyer, Shirley was in-house counsel at a major airline; and an executive overseeing Human Resources, Labor Negotiations and Relations, and Corporate Communications at a major and a fractional airline. She received a Bachelors and a Juris Doctorate from Arizona State University.
“I am the aunt of a very special niece with Cerebral Palsy. Jodi Feuerhelm, a colleague and friend, knew of my passion for children, including special kids, and invited me to learn more about Raising Special Kids.”
Shirley has been associated with Raising Special Kids since 2006 and is new to the board. “I think Raising Special Kids can serve the community by raising community awareness, and providing early support to families who are blessed with a special child but do not know where to get their questions answered or to find support,” she said. “By lobbying for laws and funding of programs for our special kids, Raising Special Kids can help to ensure our children can achieve their highest potential and live happy lives. Especially important is to reach into parts of our community that may be challenged with a language barrier, or another significant factor that makes it more difficult for them to find help.”
Michael Remus
Michael Remus has been a general education teacher, special education teacher, school principal, college instructor, special education director for a school district, state special education director for the State of Kansas, and is also the parent of four children, two of whom have disabilities. Currently he is Director of Special Education for Deer Valley Unified School District in Phoenix, Arizona. Most of his professional career has been in the classroom and in training parents and educators on how special education works. He has worked in six educational systems with varying numbers of students, schools and geographic areas and guided them in doing systems change. He continues to consult with school districts and parent groups across the United States, provide individual assistance and training to parents and educators, and serves as a speaker upon request. He is co-author of seven books for parents on how special education works, two training curricula based on the book, two effective practices manual on special education for schools, a toolkit with the administrative tools needed to make inclusive education successful and a Disability Awareness Activity Packet for teachers.
Gabriela Sanchez Orozco
Susan Voirol
Susan is Transition Coordinator for Tempe Union High School District. She has a Bachelors Degree in Human Development/Family Studies from Indiana University and a Masters Degree in Social Work from Arizona State University.
Susan is a member of the Arizona Transition Leadership Team and has been on the Transition Conference Planning Committee since 2004. These transition teams work towards increasing awareness, improving outcomes and assisting in making the lives of individuals with disabilities more successful. She has extensive knowledge and experience in working with a number of State agencies that assist individuals with disabilities, including Vocational Rehabilitation and the Division of Development Disabilities. She is also involved with ‘Building Partnerships for Youth’ which focuses on collaborating and combining resources for Arizona’s Youth, and she completed internships with the State’s Mental Health provider (Value Options) and Banner Desert Hospital.
After a longtime familiarity with Raising Special Kids as a resource for the population she serves, and an introduction to the Board by former Board President, Leslie Williams, Susan joined the Board of Directors in 2005 “Raising Special Kids has a proven track record on how they have positively influenced and made differences in the lives of the individuals and their families that have been affected by a disability. I believe that the programs and workshops that they offer are extremely beneficial and effective to individuals and families. The staff and volunteers open their arms, unconditionally, to those in need of their knowledge, services and expertise. Raising Special Kids is a powerful resource to this community.”
Tim Watters,
Colliers International
Joyce Millard Hoie
Executive Director
Raising Special Kids
As Executive Director since 2000, Joyce directs the activities of a comprehensive parent center in its mission to improve the lives of children with disabilities by providing families with information, training, advocacy, parent support, and leadership development. Joyce is committed to promoting effective partnerships with our state and community agencies, professionals, volunteers, donors, corporate sponsors, and many others who help Raising Special Kids support families. Joyce came up through the ranks as a parent volunteer when the organization was first known as Pilot Parents, and served one term on its Board of Directors. After living in Virginia for four years, she moved back to Arizona to become Executive Director.
Joyce currently serves on several boards and state commissions including First Things First, Arizona’s statewide initiative for early childhood health and education. Recent board appointments include the Organization of Nonprofit Executives, Arizona’s Autism Coalition, and the national board of Parent to Parent USA. Before joining Raising Special Kids, she earned a graduate degree in public administration and started her career in higher education administration. Joyce is married and the mother of four children, including one son with autism.
Advisory Council
Mary Allare, MD Neonatologist
Jack Alspaugh, Gary Insurance Company
Linda Cannon, Cannon & Associates
Donna Cox, Capitol Mortgagebanc
Kristin Donaldson, ASU Office Of Public Affairs
Kim Edwards, Kim Conway & Associates
Jill Estep, The Colony Group
Kelli Fawcett, Arizona Woman Magazine
Conrad Greene, Assest Based Capital
Brad Harper, Trigon Executive Assessment Center
David Hirsch MD, Pediatrician
Mary Holman, Comerica Bank
Gail Howard, Policy Advisor for Int'l Affairs and Transportation, Office of the Governor
Dan Kessler MD, St Joseph's Hospital
Ellen Leibow
Danielle Martinez, ABR, GRI, e-Pro
Rosie Martinez, KPHO Channel 5
Katie Mclaughlin, Mclaughlin & Associates
Susan Morris, Southwest Performance Group
Charlie Rahill, Parent
Rich Randall, Tri-Core Engineering
Michael Remus, Deer Valley USD
Susan Riedel, Modern Woodmen Of America
Carolyn Sechler, Sechler CPA , PC
Mary Slaughter, Consultant
Bill Spain, Provident Partners Companies
Don Storrs, Wolz's Florist
Debbie Voll, Paradise Valley Unified School District
Leslie Williams, LHW Communications