2024 DDIA Educator Conference

Heidy LaFleur is a vibrant, positive and common sense leader with an explosive passion for helping people understand trauma, mental health & the critical importance of social emotional learning. She is a forever teacher, former school principal and most importantly, a mother who lives the trauma and mental health cycle with her family. She wakes up every morning to spread the message that our job is to make EVERY day the BEST day for EVERY child. She is the founder of Heidy with a WHY, Inc. where she provides keynote speaking, professional development, consulting & coaching opportunities across the country.

Heidy received her Bachelor of Science in Education at Drake University where she earned a full volleyball scholarship. Her graduate work in Educational Leadership took place at Northeastern Illinois University. She earned her Certificate of Traumatic Stress Studies from The Trauma Research Foundation.

Heidy has authored Hop on the Clue Bus – A Common Sense Guide to Leadership, Those Kids are OUR Kids and Soaring Balloons & Heavy Shackles - Turning Trauma Research into Practice. She was awarded the Double D Award from Drake University, the highest honor bestowed on alumni student-athletes for work in their field of study, the John P. McGovern M.D. Award for Lectureship in School Health, and the ASHA School Health Hero Award. Heidy is a grateful wife of a firefighter/paramedic and proud mother of three beautiful children.

Nancy Mather is a Professor Emerita at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She has served as a learning disabilities teacher, a diagnostician, a university professor, and an educational consultant. She has published numerous articles and books and conducts workshops on assessment and instruction both nationally and internationally. Her most recent book on dyslexia is Essentials of Dyslexia: Assessment and Intervention, 2nd ed. (Mather & Wendling, 2024). She is a co-author of several widely used tests, including the Woodcock-Johnson IV and the Test of Orthographic Competence (2nd ed.). In addition, Dr. Mather and her co-authors have recently completed the Tests of Dyslexia (Mather, McCallum, Bell, & Wendling, 2024), a comprehensive assessment that is designed to help identify dyslexia in individuals of all ages. Dr. Mather recently received the 2023 Samuel Torrey Orton Award from the International Dyslexia Association for her contributions to the field of dyslexia.

Josh Clark is the Head of School at Landmark School, one of the oldest and most prestigious schools for students with dyslexia in the country, located in Beverly, Mass. He previously served as head of The Schenck School in Atlanta, Ga., and the Bodine School in Memphis, Tenn. He began his career as a teacher and administrator at Lausanne Collegiate School, also in Memphis, Tn.

He's involved with several professional organizations and currently serves as the chair of the International Dyslexia Association and is an Expert Contributor to Made By Dyslexia. Josh is a founding board member and treasurer of the Association for LD Schools (ALDS) and serves on the board of the National Association of Independent Schools.

Josh is very interested in promoting the science of reading as a vehicle for education reform and social good. Josh has presented about reading and dyslexia worldwide, including at Lincoln Center in New York City and the Swedish Royal Palace in Stockholm.

Josh is the proud father of two brilliant dyslexic learners and is also made by dyslexia.

Courtney Bentley has served in public education for the past 25 years as a special education teacher, 4th-grade classroom teacher, special education consultant, and school improvement facilitator. This is her 15th year with Keystone Area Education Agency, serving as a Literacy Consultant and Dyslexia Specialist. Courtney received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education at the University of Iowa in 2000, earned her Master of Education from Morningside College in 2010, and was in the first cohort for the Dyslexia Specialist endorsement at the University of Iowa. Her passion is empowering educators with the understanding and skills for top-notch instructional practices and doing what's best for all students in Iowa. Courtney lives in Decorah.

Bambi Boggs is an educator who has spent most of her career as a special education teacher. She was a member of the first cohort of educators who obtained the Dyslexia Specialist endorsement at the University of Iowa and works as the Dyslexia Specialist for the Ottumwa School District. Bambi works tirelessly to educate other teachers about dyslexia and the science of reading. She helps lead the Southeast Iowa Dyslexia Teacher/Preservice Group, and she leads a dyslexia/science of reading team in her district. When she is not advocating or educating, you can find Bambi hiking, gardening or educating herself through reading, webinars and podcasts.

Rebecca Bruno has been working in education for 14 years. She spent the first ten years of her career as a Title I Reading and TAG teacher. Rebecca received her Dyslexia Specialist endorsement from the University of Iowa in 2022. Currently she teaches K-12 Talented and Gifted at Wilton Community School District and provides structured literacy interventions for students with dyslexia in her district. Rebecca and her daughter are both dyslexic. She is a passionate advocate for students with dyslexia and has presented at the University of Iowa Science of Reading Summit and the Decoding Dyslexia Iowa Educator Conference.

Melanie Dalbey is a kindergarten teacher for the Ottumwa Community School District. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University and continued her education at Morningside University, where she earned a master’s degree in education. Melanie has been teaching for 20 years, with 18 years of experience in kindergarten and 2 years in special education.

Katie Greving is the Executive Director of Decoding Dyslexia Iowa and manages the group’s daily operations. She is a co-founder of the organization and served as the board President from 2015 to 2020. Katie works with legislators and policymakers for statewide change, gives educational presentations about dyslexia, and manages the group’s online presence. Katie has a master's degree in Counseling/Educational Psychology and works as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor providing services to college students.  Her dyslexia journey began over a decade ago when she learned one of her children and several family members have dyslexia.   She is passionate about helping parents understand their rights and advocate for their children.

Threase Harms is the President/CEO of Advocacy Strategies, a full service government relations, public affairs, and media consulting firm in Des Moines. She has nearly 30 years of experience providing strategic guidance and hands-on support developing and implementing successful lobbying, public affairs, grassroots and media campaigns of all sizes from national campaigns across the country to smaller campaigns in Iowa communities.  Threase has worked for and represented a variety of businesses, organizations and associations succeeding in passing a number of important bills, assembling strong, statewide grassroots organizations, training advocates on how to be the most effective, securing media to help bring attention to an issue and helping organizations grow up in the government relations arena. 
 
Threase is passionate about the work she does to help everyday Iowans improve their lives and protect them from potential hardships. She pulls from her own life experiences to help policy makers understand her client’s positions and needs. She is proud of the work she does to help others. Threase has her BA in Communication Studies from the University of Northern Iowa and her Masters in Public Administration from Iowa State University. She is also a member of the Windsor Heights City Council. Threase has a son with dyslexia and is grateful for the team at DDIA for helping her navigate the journey.

Chrys Hulton teaches 2nd grade for the Waterloo Community School District. She began her teaching career in 1992 in 2nd grade followed by 25 years of teaching kindergarten. She was a Literacy Coach for seven years before returning to the classroom. Chrys was a member of the first cohort to complete the Dyslexia Specialist endorsement in 2022 at the University of Iowa. Previously, she provided coaching and professional development around implementing structured literacy and the science of reading. Currently, Chrys looks forward to applying all her knowledge of the science of reading and structured literacy within her classroom.

Jen Leffers is a Trainer with Keys to Literacy. Originally from South Dakota, but now residing in Connecticut, Jen started her education career in 2000. She has been a classroom teacher, a Reading Specialist/Coach, a reading interventionist, and an RTI coordinator. Jen has taught a variety of classes for a graduate school of education as well as supervised student teachers. When her children were young, Jen created a “Parent and Me” literacy class for preschool parents and their children to emphasize the importance of literacy and oral language for young children. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education with Middle School endorsements from the University of South Dakota, an ESL endorsement from the University of Utah, and an M.A. from the Applied Educational Psychology: Reading Specialist program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Jen loves to spend time with her boys, read, write, hike, play games, and she is a huge sports fan.

Nina Lorimor-Easley is the Lead Content Creator for Keys to Literacy and is an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Iowa. She has master’s degrees in educational psychology and curriculum development with emphasis on language-based learning disabilities. Nina also completed graduate level certification in dyslexia from the Landmark School. Nina has personal connections to dyslexia and began her professional path in dyslexia advocacy by helping her two sons through school. Nina is a co-founder of Decoding Dyslexia Iowa, served on the Iowa Dyslexia Task Force, is the former co-owner of a private dyslexia intervention center, and authored several of Iowa’s virtual dyslexia training modules with the Iowa Reading Research Center. Nina also currently has a seat on the Iowa Dyslexia Board.

Renee Saarloos became aware of the need for dyslexia advocacy when her son was diagnosed in 2019. She began learning all she could about dyslexia and earned her master's degree in Reading Science from Mount St. Joseph University. Renee currently works as an elementary reading interventionist at a private school and is one of the leaders of the Northwest Iowa Dyslexia Support Group. She is passionate about partnering with parents and educators to raise awareness about how to identify and support struggling readers. Renee lives in Sioux Center with her husband and four children.

Mindy VanZuiden is a private dyslexia tutor, a teacher with the Mid-Prairie Homeschool Assistance Program, and an instructor for Grand View University’s Dyslexia Specialist endorsement program. Mindy taught in the public school system for over 15 years. She holds an undergraduate degree in K-12 Physical Education, a master's degree in Education Leadership, and is a Certified Dyslexia Specialist through the University of Florida. Mindy’s discovery that her youngest son has dyslexia led to the eye-opening realization that she and many of her family members are also dyslexic. She began to educate herself and to teach her children using the Barton Reading and Spelling System. Mindy’s mission is to raise dyslexia awareness not only in her community but for everyone, everywhere. She is married with three children and two large dogs.

Kara Veach is a Literacy Consultant and Dyslexia Specialist with Great Prairie AEA in southeast Iowa. Kara has over 22 years of literacy experience in and out of the classroom. She is a certified Orton-Gillingham tutor and serves as an instructor in the Dyslexia Specialist endorsement program at Grand View University. Additionally, she is a one of the founders and presenters with the Southeast Iowa Dyslexia Teacher/Pre-service Group that provides free, online workshops for teachers and sits on the board for the soon-to-be chartered Reading League Iowa Chapter.

Dr. Tammy Wilgenbusch received her MA in Clinical Psychology from Minnesota State University-Mankato in 1997 and her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Iowa in 2002. She is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, where she has worked as a pediatric neuropsychologist since 2005, working as a staff psychologist prior to joining the faculty. Dr. Wilgenbusch is currently the lead psychologist for the LD/ADHD Clinic, with a specialty in diagnosing dyslexia. She also conducts neuropsychological assessments with children/adolescents with various medical conditions, including seizures, kidney failure and kidney transplant, and children born prematurely. Dr. Wilgenbusch has a passion for teaching and is the Director of Training for Psychology within the Department of Pediatrics. She is the President of the Iowa Branch of the International Dyslexia Association and serves as the psychologist/diagnostician on the Iowa Department of Education Dyslexia Board. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 31 years as well as her two daughters.