Kelly Perales
kelly.perales@midwestpbis.org

Kelly is the Co-Executive Director of the Midwest PBIS Network, and a Partner at the USDOE Center on PBIS. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Kelly has worked as both a school employed and community employed clinician and administrator. As part of the Center on PBIS, Kelly has provided training, technical assistance, and coaching for school leaders and community mental health providers at the state, regional, and local level. In addition, has led both state and district level implementers in the Interconnected Systems Framework, focusing on the integration of mental health and PBIS. 

Kelly is the Co-Project Director for an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Grant -  ISF-SHINE (School Health and Interventions for Nurturing Excellence); the Co-Principal Investigator for an Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services Model Demonstration Grant - Project EPIC (Enhancing Family-School-Community Partnerships through an Interconnected Systems Framework Collaboration); the lead implementation partner for an Institute for Education Sciences (IES) Randomized Controlled Trial - Improving social, emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning of elementary school students through the Interconnected Systems Framework; and the lead implementation partner for a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute funded project - Project Thrive.  

Brian Meyer
brian.meyer@lake.k12.il.us 
brian.meyer@midwestpbis.org 

Brian is the Director of the Lake County ROE (IL) PBIS program, Co-Executive Director of of the Midwest PBIS Network, and a Partner at the USDOE Center on PBIS. His experience includes general education, higher education, and alt/residential education. Brian leads curricular development for district capacity building, Integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (IMTSS), Classroom Management, Bullying Prevention, and is implementing model demonstrations of the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF).  

At the Lake County Regional Office of Education, Brian is the director of the PBIS technical assistance (TA) team, and is the principal investigator and co-project director of ISF-SHINE (School Health and Interventions for Nurturing Excellence) – a Research Grant funded by the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) office at the US Department of Education. At the Center on PBIS, Brian coordinates TA to assigned SEAs, the National Leadership Forum, the workgroup on Juvenile Justice and Alternative School settings, and internal evaluation of the Center. 

Jennifer Jeffrey-Pearsall
jennifer.jeffreypearsall@midwestpbis.org
jjpearsall@midatlanticpbis.org 

Jenn is an Associate Director with the Midwest PBIS Network, Maryland coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic PBIS Network – PBIS Maryland, coordinator for Maryland DDA PBS (Developmental Disabilities Administration), and an implementation partner with the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration for Positive Supports Minnesota.  Jenn brings over 25 years of experience guiding statewide capacity with departments of education, human services, and juvenile justice; facilitating work with districts and comprehensive schools; supporting efforts in approved private-day schools and youth residential programming; and working with adults supporting community-based organizations.  Her work is lifespan-focused, and prioritizes a public health and ecological approach to conceptualizing how environments can be organized to enhance the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health well-being of students, adults, families, and staff.  

Katie Pohlman
katie.pohlman@lake.k12.il.us 
katie.pohlman@midwestpbis.org 

Katie is a Technical Assistance Director at Lake County ROE (IL) PBIS, and Principal Investigator for an Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services Model Demonstration Grant - Project EPIC (Enhancing Family-School-Community Partnerships through an Interconnected Systems Framework Collaboration). Katie brings experience with both community and school social work.  Her desire to create equal opportunities for all along with her need to be efficient and effective led to her passion to support schools in implementing PBIS.  Katie's current role with the network extends her passion as she facilitates sites to integrate school and mental health systems by enhancing the core features of PBIS through the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF). 

Juan Lira
juan.lira@lake.k12.il.us
juan.lira@midwestpbis.org 

Juan is a Technical Assistance Coordinator at Lake County ROE (IL) PBIS. Juan has worked in education for over 20 years. His experience has been centered in large urban and suburban school districts, though he began teaching in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico and Sal Rei, Boa Vista, Cape Verde. Juan has experience in implementing PBIS as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He brings a school-based practitioner’s lens to the table, along with the knowledge he has gained through experience of initiating and installing PBIS in schools. Juan’s work to improve student outcomes and make schools equitable places for all has led him to recognize and prioritize mental health, social emotional, and behavioral well-being in schools and school systems.  

Ami Flammini
flamminia@roe17.org
ami.flammini@midwestpbis.org

Ami is an Instructional Coach for MTSS & PBIS at ROE 17 (IL), and partners with the Midwest PBIS Network to develop training and technical assistance for Tier 3 systems and person-centered planning interventions. Ami's extended and varied experiences in the field of social work have given her an understanding and deep respect for the role of systems in creating lasting individual and organizational change. Ami has been a leader on integrating trauma-informed practices within a multi-tiered system of supports and is a strong advocate for educator self-care.

Diane LaMaster
diane.lamaster@midwestpbis.org  

Diane is a Technical Assistance Coordinator, and comes with an extraordinary amount of experience in behavior support as a special education teacher, behavior interventionist, and district coach. Her passion for data-based decision-making led her to become a National SWIS Facilitator Trainer and a National TIPS Trainer. Diane's knowledge of data and her fluency with SWIS and PBISApps are invaluable to the Midwest PBIS Network and schools in the state of Illinois.

Alanna Gatesman
alanna.gatesman@lake.k12.il.us
alanna.gatesman@midwestpbis.org

Alanna is a Data Manager at Lake County ROE (IL) PBIS She brings a teaching background in both secondary and special education, along with over a decade of administrative support with the Network, to her current role of Training Data Manager. Her favorite aspect of working with the Network is assisting with the training of staff at the district and school levels in establishing systems that both empower educators and support students at all levels of need. Her diligent work with our Training system and event planning helps Midwest Institutes run smoothly.

Cheryle Kennelly
Cheryle.kennelly@lake.k12.il.us 
cheryle.kennelly@midwestpbis.org  

Cheryle is a Project Coordinator at Lake County ROE (IL) PBIS. She brings more than 20 years of experience as an Administrative Assistant & Meeting Planner to the Midwest Team. Her exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills, combined with her ability to independently multi-task and problem-solve make her a leader in event planning at the national level, and the go-to team member for all things at the local level. 

Patti Leppala-Bardell
patti.leppala@lake.k12.il.us
patti.leppala@midwestpbis.org 

Patti is a Data Manager and Trainer at Lake County ROE (IL) PBIS. Her diverse experience over 20 years working with schools, families, systems, and participating on various regional and state committees and coalitions, provides the passion she brings to the Midwest Team as an advocate for families and youth voice. She worked for the former Illinois EBD Network as a wraparound facilitator and trainer, and with the IL PBIS Network as SFCP/Training Coordinator.  Her sharp administrative and organizational skills are valuable to the Network for training/data coordination and event planning.

Jennifer Norton
Jennifer.norton@lake.k12.il.us
jennifer.norton@midwestpbis.org

Jennifer is a Project Coordinator at Lake County ROE (IL) PBIS. As an art educator in public education and afterschool programming for over a decade, Jennifer brings a teaching and design background to her role of Project Coordinator. Her eye for design, detail, and appreciation of good organization help the team to think in more efficient ways. Jennifer loves all things Recognition, and is inspired by hundreds of Illinois schools being Recognized for their PBIS implementation efforts.