Christy LaPaglia is the director of the Cardinal Autism Resource and Education School in Mentor Ohio. She has worked in special education as a teacher, consultant and autism awareness educator for over 20 years. She began her career in the first public classroom in Northeast Ohio designed specifically for children with autism, and recently had the privilege of developing the first public school designed solely for educating students on the autism spectrum.
As a classroom teacher for students with autism Christy saw the need to support families in a way that would allow them to be able to participate and enjoy things that most people take for granted. Christy was always striving to increase recreation opportunities for her students and their families. She started by giving her students and their parents the tools to be able to eat out at a restaurant, attend a movie, event, or ball game. In 2006 Christy took a group of 8 children all of whom had autism and their families to Walt Disney World in Florida. The trip was so successful that Share A Vision was created so many more families could benefit from experiences like this.
Christy has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Kent State University and a Masters in Curriculum and Design from Cleveland State University. She is married to Joe LaPaglia and together they are raising two amazing young men, Christopher and Gianni.
Carly has been working in the field of special education as a residential work, teacher and home care provider for over 9 years. She was hired 5 years ago by Willoughby-Eastlake School District to serve as an intervention specialist in a self-contained autism unit. In addition, she works for Mentor Public Schools as an intervention specialist and administrator for CARES summer program. Carly has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Cleveland State University and a Masters of Educational Administration from Capella University.
Carly recently was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award from Lake County Service Center for her work in special education. Her classroom focuses on teaching independence through community experiences. She has participated in numerous fundraising opportunities for autism awareness. Carly looks forward to joining the Board and hopes to bring more awareness to the organization.
I was born in Cleveland. I have live in Cleveland, Mentor, Massachusetts, Long Island New York, Nashua New Hampshire where I graduated from high school and back to Mentor Ohio. I am an office manager for the accounting firm Bergman, HImmel, Goetz & Prebul Co.,Inc., where i have worked for the past 19 years. I have two children ~ Christopher (27) a kitchen manager and Vickie (25) a probation officer.
I was introduced to Share A Vision through my father, Bill Giffin, who was introduced by his neighbor Pam. While I haven’t always had time to volunteer when my kids were younger, I was always a proud supporter of community organizations. Now that my kids are grown, i have attended Share a Vision’s fundraiser for the past many years. I look forward to helping out more now as a board member.
Leah Siatkowski is a lifelong Mentor resident. After graduating from Mentor High School in 2016, Leah started her career at CARES as a classroom assistant. She has had the opportunity to help the students not only in the classroom, but was also lucky enough to attend the trip to Disney World with her class that was sponsored by Share A Vision. She spent her days at the park with the kids while they enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Leah loves being on the bored of Share A Vision and getting help enrich the lives of others, both on and off the spectrum. In her free time, Leah enjoys spending time with family and friends and traveling.
Pam is first and foremost a mother of three beautiful children including twin girls with autism. Pam is married to a wonderful and supportive husband. Her journey with her daughter’s autism has led her in many different directions.
Pam started as a volunteer in her daughter’s classroom and was then driven to become a substitute classroom assistant in classrooms for children with special needs. Pam has attended the five day TEACCH workshop which gave her an even more in-depth understanding of autism and the power of visuals. Pam was the head fundraiser for the first special needs vacation which was sponsored by Share A Vision.
Because of Pam’s unique talent for reaching out to other parents of children with special needs, she has developed a wide network of parents who all look to her for support and direction. Pam currently serves as a support person to teachers and parents in the Mentor Autism Resource Center.
I was born and raised in Mentor, Ohio and continue to reside here raising my family. I am married with three children – James, Veronica and Elena. I was introduced to Share A Vision through the Sparkle Cheerleaders and Pam Pachinger. My daughter, Elena, was a participant. The supportive parents I met through Sparkles and the special needs community inspired me to reach out and do all I can to reach others. The effect of the emotional support of other parents on this incredible journey is immeasurable.
I am a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University. I am a tax accountant and have worked at Ernst & Young LLP for almost 30 years.
I am looking forward to supporting Share A Vision and its mission. I hope to find ways to expand the support for and visibility of the organization.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
I was born and raised in Mentor, Ohio and continue to reside here raising my family. I am married with three children – James, Veronica and Elena. I was introduced to Share A Vision through the Sparkle Cheerleaders and Pam Pachinger. My daughter, Elena, was a participant. The supportive parents I met through Sparkles and the special needs community inspired me to reach out and do all I can to reach others. The effect of the emotional support of other parents on this incredible journey is immeasurable.
I am a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University. I am a tax accountant and have worked at Ernst & Young LLP for almost 30 years. I am looking forward to supporting Share A Vision and its mission. I hope to find ways to expand the support for and visibility of the organization.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Abby was born and raised in Mentor, OH, graduated from Lake Catholic High School. She received her BA in Communication Studies from Kent State University. After completing college she decided to move to the west side of Cleveland where she now resides with her 3 dogs in Lakewood, OH.
Abby has been actively involved in numerous non-profit organizations in helping raise funds. She learned about Share A Vision from her sister and board member Carly Kumazec. Her career in sales and passion for helping the special needs community is what drove her to Share A Vision. She is honored to join the Board and looks forward to sharing her non-profit experience and fundraising efforts.
Brittni Mejac is a board member of Share-A-Vision. She is the Assistant Director of CARES in Mentor, Ohio and has 10+ years working with autistic children. Some of her favorite times include taking children into the community to have recreational field trips and generalize skills. Brittni also has a family of her own including her husband, Eddie, and three children Luka, Siena and Valentina. Together they enjoy traveling, being outside and having family game nights.
Jessica has been working in special education for over 10 years. Six years ago, Jessica began working at Mentor CARES, which serves the autism population. Jessica graduated from The Ohio State University and received her Masters in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders from George Washington University.
Jessica and her husband Kyle have two children and two golden retrievers. Jessica loves spending time with her family. Jessica is extremely passionate about The Ohio State University. (Go, Bucks!)
Jessica was able to attend a trip with Share a Vision to Disney World in 2019. This was an eye-opening and fantastic trip. Jessica loved helping to prepare her students and families during this trip and seeing her class explore Disney made for an unforgettable experience. Jessica is excited to join the board to continue to share its important mission.
Gayle has just retired from Mentor Public Schools as the Parent Mentor for 15 years. While serving in her capacity for Mentor she was active on many boards and committees within local and state agencies. All of these board and committee appointments were related to families of children with disabilities. She also coordinated and supervised a summer exploration program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. That program has been on-going for 6 years and provides direct instruction to students on the spectrum as well as planned community outings.
Even though retiring, Gayle will still be working part-time for the Lake County Educational Service Center’s, SST-4 team. Her duties as Family Consultant coordinator will encompass educational programming as well as information and resources to parents navigating the world of special education. Gayle will continue to serve as a parent representative on the board of Lake County Family and Children First Council. She now serves as the Council Planning Chair and a member of the Council Steering committee.
Gayle is the mother of three adult children and Nana to her two adorable grandchildren. Gayle’s passion for families of children with disabilities was born out of having her son, Brandon now 31 years old with Developmental Disabilities. She started a parent support group when her son was in Activity school 28 years ago and never stopped helping families. Parents of children with special needs have unique needs and must be recognized for the vast talent and knowledge they bring to decision making for their children’s adult future. Gayle lives in Mentor with her husband Ed of 38 years.
Erica Shields began her nursing career at Cleveland Clinic 28 years ago. Her dedication and passion for helping others has rewarded her with an amazing career journey, with progressive leadership roles that include responsibilities for safety, quality, and nursing practice across various healthcare settings. Currently, she serves as the enterprise Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Emergency Services and Behavioral Health. Erica’s commitment to the nursing profession is evident in her unwavering dedication to patient advocacy, ensuring enhanced quality of care, and adherence to policy compliance. Beyond her professional achievements, Erica is deeply committed to expanding community involvement and enriching the lives of those within the Autistic community, reflecting her dedication to inclusivity and comprehensive care.