This page is dedicated to introducing you to the members who serve on the Board. We are most pleased to present this outstanding group of Board members. Each has graciously agreed to serve on the Penn-Del AER Board of Directors for the upcoming term.

Maria Lepore-Stevens, Past-President (Term 2025-2027) has worked as a COMS for the Division for the Visually Impaired in Delaware and Chester County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania. In addition to her work as a COMS, Maria is dual certified as a Certified Adapted Physical Educator and is a professor of adapted PE in Rowan University's in teacher prep program. Maria spends her summers directing Camp Abilities educational sports camps for athletes with visual impairments in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. Maria earned her BS in Health and Physical Education (concentration in Adapted PE) from West Chester University, her MA in O&M from the University of Arizona, and her EdD in Educational Policy, Planning, and Administration from West Chester. Her dissertation research focused on using summer sports camp programming to foster self-determination skills in youth with visual impairments.

Vince McVeigh, Treasurer, (Term 2024–2027) has been involved providing both educational and rehabilitative services to persons with visual impairments for forty years and throughout much of that time have been actively involved in professional organizations serving these populations including AER and CEC. He has served as an officer at the national level for CEC-DVH, the state level for Pennsylvania CEC and have been an active Penn-Del AER member for many years. Vince has recently retired from Chester County Intermediate Unit.

Ashley Popojas, Secretary (Term 2024–2027) is a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist at Western PA School for Blind Children, Outreach Department in Pittsburgh. She provides services to infants, toddlers and preschoolers through early intervention programs and to school-aged students within Westmoreland, Allegheny and Indiana counties. Prior to joining the Outreach Department, Ashley served as a childcare teacher and classroom teacher at WPSBC. Ashley also provides instruction for the University of Pittsburgh, School of Education, and is an Independent Evaluator for the Alliance for Infants and Toddlers in Allegheny County. Ashley proudly earned her Bachelor's Degrees in Corporate Communications and Business Management from Carlow University, followed by an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education. Ashley graduated from the University of Pittsburgh's Vision Studies Program with dual TVI and COMS certifications. Ashley resides in Greensburg, PA, an eastern suburb of Pittsburgh with her husband, son, daughter and two puppies.

Holly Russell, Director at Large (2025-2028), TVI, COMS currently works at Western PA School for Blind Children, serving as the Education Director for the Middle Program. Holly supervises the middle program along with the Orientation and Mobility and Outreach Departments. She also works in the VisAbilities Clinic and is part of a multidisciplinary team working with children and their families to conduct assessments and recommend vision adaptations and services. Holly is serving her second term as Director at Large for the Pennsylvania Delaware Chapter of AER Board of Directors and has served as the president and past president/conference planning chair. In 2016, Holly was honored to receive the Penn-Del AER Richard L. Welsh Service Award. Holly is also a member of PACES-BVI and is the co-chair of the AER Membership Committee. Holly’s greatest joy comes from spending time with family, especially her husband and two daughters.

Becky Knaub (2023-2026) has worked for the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services since 2013. Her career began in the Wilkes-Barre District Office as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist. In 2017 Becky was transferred to the Special Programs Division. Where she assists in creating instructional materials, checking for accessibility on websites and documents, training staff on the use of assistive technology, assisting with the development of Assistive technology and VRT curriculums for programs for Transition aged students and training BEP clients in both VRT and Assistive technology. In 2021, Becky began working as a VR specialist temporary work out of class assignment. Her focus became supporting blind/visually impaired staff who use AT and assisting in all content being accessible before being distributed to OVR staff. Additionally, Becky is often asked to test the accessibility of websites that are being considered by OVR for customers or staff or by other agencies collaborating with OVR. In July of 2022, Becky received a promotion to a VR Specialist. Her title is VR specialist for Accessibility Support. She continues to support staff who are blind and visually impaired who use AT, ensure document accessibility, and test website for accessibility as needed. Becky has a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology with a minor in Spanish from Edinboro University and a Masters degree in Vision rehabilitation Therapy from Salus University. She received her Vision Rehabilitation therapy ACVREP certification in early 2013.

Greg Lazur, President (2025–2027), is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility Specialist at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. He previously served as a state educational consultant with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), following his early career at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. There, he held a variety of roles, including behavior specialist, teacher of the visually impaired, orientation and mobility specialist, and administrator for the residential program. Greg earned multiple degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, including a master’s degree in Early Intervention and Special Education. He is also certified as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and as an Orientation and Mobility Specialist. Currently, he serves as Chair of AER International Division 1, the Leadership Division.

Lachelle Smith (Term 2023-2026) is currently an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Professional Preparation Program for Vision Rehabilitation Therapy in the College of Education and Rehabilitation at Salus University. She is also the founder and sole proprietor of InSights Vision Rehabilitation Services; the practice consisting of clients referred from State, non-profit agencies, and private clientele who seeks her trademark holistic approach to rehabilitation services. Lachelle continues to operate in her practice while teaching at Salus ensuring to bring pragmatic experience to the classroom. In addition, Lachelle is the founder and president of Blind Blessings, Inc., a 501(c) 3, not-for-profit organization created to meet the vision rehabilitation and spiritual needs of those seeking vision rehabilitation services. Lachelle is a 2003 PCO alumni (now Salus University) graduating with a M.S. in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy while achieving the highest honors possible. She holds her certification in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy through ACVREP. Lachelle is committed to the advancement of all individuals who live with disabilities and dedicates her time to serving on Boards and Committees that share that vision, including ACVREP, VRT SME, AER Recruitment and Retention Committee, and Association of Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (AVRT) to name a few. She is enthusiastic about the opportunities available to her in making a difference in the lives of those she serves, whether in the vision rehabilitation field or in the classroom.

Mark Steciw (Term 2025-2028) has worked in the field of blindness and visual impairment for over forty years. He began his professional career as a teacher of students who are blind and visual impaired with additional significant disabilities.  He was also an administrator for programs serving this population. Mark has worked as a pre-school vision itinerant for the School District of Philadelphia. He has had the unique experience of being the low vision educational specialist at the William Feinbloom Rehabilitation Center at the Eye Institute in Philadelphia.  While in that role, Mark was involved in various research projects including contributing to various publications and the development of the Pepper Visual Skills Test for individuals with macular degeneration. He was an adjunct faculty member at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (now Salus University) where he taught courses in the TVI Preparation Program. Mark served as an educational consultant in visual impairments at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) for almost thirty years. During this time, he served on a panel that was responsible for developing the national certification test for teachers of students with visual impairments through the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Mark was the recipient of the Eleanor Long Educator of the Year (ELEY) Award in 1997. Mark has presented at various national, state and regional conferences. He was one of the “founding fathers” of the Summer Academy for Students with Visual Impairments He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Overbrook Friedlander Programs and has previously served as a board member of Penn-Del AER. He has been actively involved as a member of the Penn-Del AER conference planning committee for many years. Mark has been married for forty years and has two children and six grandchildren.

Gregory Gerhart (2023-2026) is an Educational Consultant at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), where he serves on the Blindness-Visual Impairment, Deaf-Blind, and Assistive Technology teams. He leads the statewide initiative on Accessible Educational Materials, working to ensure equitable access to learning for students with disabilities. Gregory supports PaTTAN’s Short-Term Loan program, which provides assistive technology for trial use in educational settings, and collaborates with the AEM Center to deliver braille, large print, and accessible digital formats to eligible students across Pennsylvania. Prior to joining PaTTAN, Gregory worked as an itinerant teacher of students with visual impairments. He holds a master’s degree in special education, a certificate in assistive technology, and is a certified orientation and mobility specialist. As a member of the Penn-Del AER board, Gregory is honored to work alongside passionate professionals to advance the fields of education, rehabilitation, and support services for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Matthew “Matt” Love, (2023-2026) is a Remote Teacher of the Visually Impaired for Allied Instructional Services. He is a 2025 graduate of Kutztown University’s Vision Program and Middle Level Education program. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Special Education: Vision Studies at Northern Illinois University to obtain both the Orientation and Mobility (COMS) and Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist (CATIS) certifications. Additionally, Matt has been involved with Camp Abilities Delaware and Camp Abilities Tucson, which is sports camp for the blind and visually impaired.

Jamie Maffit (2023-2026) is an Associate Professor in Drexel University’s Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies and Director of the graduate personnel preparation programs in Orientation and Mobility. She is a certified Low Vision Therapist and Orientation and Mobility Specialist and works with individuals of all ages in the Philadelphia Metro region. Her areas of interest include working with patients with visual field loss and the use of mobile, assistive technology for individuals with low vision.

Deb Miller, President Elect (2024-2027) is a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and a Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist at the Western PA School for Blind Children in the Outreach Program. She received a BA in Elementary Education from Westminster College and her M.Ed. through the Vision Studies Program from the University of Pittsburgh. She will graduate with her second master’s degree from the University of Utah in May 2024 and will be certified as a Teacher of Students who are Deafblind. Deb began her career in Colorado Springs, CO as a TVI/COMS and worked as a Certified Low Vision Therapist as a part of the Colorado Low Vision Clinic team. She was also a board member of the Colorado chapter of AER. She has been employed with the Western PA School for Blind Children since 2010 as a TVI/COMS. For the past 11 years, Deb has collaborated with the Western PA School for the Deaf where she developed her interest in teaching children who are deafblind. Deb is also passionate about making the Expanded Core Curriculum meaningful to students educated in their home districts. She helped to create the Expanded Core Together program at WPSBC to build a community for students who are blind and visually impaired.

Ashley Spinden (2024-2027) Ashley Spinden works as the Independent Living Services Manager for the Division for the Visually Impaired for the State of Delaware. Her career in Human Services started in 2008 when she began working as a Direct Support professional in residential group homes, supporting adults with physical and mental disabilities, providing them with the tools necessary to be independent at home, in the community and at work. Ashley’s commitment to always being person centered when working with her clients helped her career grow to working at the State of Delaware’s Division of Development Disabilities Services, as an Assistant Program Director in the Day Transition Unit. Ashley is first a wife and mother of 2 compassionate, intelligent, and hardworking adult children. Outside her compassion for working in Human Services, she enjoys cooking, gardening and reading at the beach or anywhere the sun is shining. Ashley strives to make the lives of those she meets better.

Dr. Shawn Musgrove (2024-2027) has been a teacher for the visually impaired for 24 years. She currently is a Teacher for the Visually Impaired for the Indian River School District in Delaware. She has her doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction where she completed her research on the Expanded Core Curriculum. She also serves on the board of directors of the Tether Foundation, which supports health and physical education for youth with visual impairments in Delaware, and is the Director of Operations at Camp Abilities Delaware and their Expanded Core Curriculum expert.

Tessa McCarthy (2025-2028) is an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, where she has been teaching O&M courses for a decade. She is certified as both a teacher of students with visual impairments and an orientation and mobility specialist, with experience as an itinerant teacher and at a school for the blind. Dr. McCarthy holds degrees from the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, and Vanderbilt University, where her dissertation focused on teaching street-crossing skills to blind students using verbal rehearsal and graduated guidance. Dr. McCarthy has been a member of AER since 2003 and a member of Penn-Del AER since 2015. She resides in Pittsburgh with her husband, their nine-year-old son, and two dogs.

Katie Morris (2025-2028) is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) at Overbrook School for the Blind, currently in her third year in this role. She provides guidance and support to students with visual impairments, helping them navigate and interact with their environment independently and safely. In addition to her work at Overbrook, she is an active member of the Deafblind Resource Team at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, where she offers specialized Orientation and Mobility services to Deafblind students, ensuring they receive the tailored support they need to develop mobility skills and independence. Before becoming a COMS, she worked as a Special Education Learning Support Teacher for students in kindergarten through third grade, where she developed and implemented strategies to support diverse learners in the classroom. This experience has provided her with a strong foundation in creating inclusive educational environments. She also worked with older adults with visual impairments, helping them maintain or regain their independence through personalized mobility training, enhancing their confidence and safety in daily activities. Katie earned her Master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, where she further developed her expertise in orientation and mobility. Prior to that, she completed a dual major in Special Education and Elementary Education at Kutztown University, equipping her with a well-rounded approach to teaching and supporting diverse learners. She is deeply passionate about inclusive education and empowering individuals of all ages and abilities to live independently and confidently in their daily lives.

Marie Vater (2025-2028) is a TVI and COMS currently working with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit in Pittsburgh. She is also a freelance braille transcriber with a certificate from the NFB/NLS Literary Braille Transcribing Program. She received her B.S. in mathematics from Duquesne University and graduated in 2022 from the University of Pittsburgh’s TVI, COMS, and Master of Education programs, having benefited from Penn-Del’s Student Scholarship. Marie is a born-and-raised Pittsburgher who has only ever wavered in her loyalty to the Steel City when she completed her O&M internship at the Gulf Coast Blind Rehabilitation Center of the Biloxi VA Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. She is passionate about promoting braille literacy, implementing effective strategies for math education for students who are totally blind, and teaching street crossing skills to children and adults with visual impairment. She also cares deeply about encouraging children and adults with visual impairment to become and stay physically active by promoting students’ self-advocacy regarding their inclusion in general education gym classes and neighborhood sports groups, and by volunteering for several local blind sports organizations. Marie is also involved with the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and has a particular passion for working with students who are blind who have autism as an additional disability. One of Marie’s favorite college experiences was getting to tour Spain with a symphony orchestra in which she played. In her free time, Marie enjoys reading poetry (her favorites are E.E. Cummings and Mary Oliver), making greeting cards and doing embroidery, participating in triathlon, raising her houseplants, and supporting the Pittsburgh art scene by attending its summer art festivals and classical and jazz concerts.

Heather Saus (2025-2026) is a student at the University of Pittsburgh, where she is pursuing certification in Orientation and Mobility. She recently earned her certification as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education with dual certification in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Special Education. In August 2025, Heather joined Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments. Prior to this role, she dedicated over 22 years to the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit 7 as a Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, with the past two years focused on teaching students with visual impairments and deaf-blindness. Her passion for the field of visual impairment was ignited through her work with the WIU Deaf-Blind Resource Team, an experience that inspired her to begin a new professional journey. Heather is deeply committed to supporting students with sensory disabilities, placing strong value on collaboration, advocacy, and fostering independence. She is honored to serve as a student representative on the Penn-Del AER Board and looks forward to contributing to the advancement of services for individuals with visual impairments. She is honored to serve as a student representative on the Penn-Del AER Board and looks forward to contributing to the advancement of services for individuals with visual impairments.

Lindsay McCloskey (2025-2028) Lindsay McCloskey is a certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments at Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children (WPSBC) in the Outreach department where she serves school age students throughout the region. Prior to joining the Outreach department, Lindsay served as a classroom teacher, the Curriculum Specialist and CVI Teacher Facilitator at WPSBC. Lindsay helped create the Expanded Core Together program at WPSBC to create a community for her students. Lindsay earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from East Carolina University, followed by a master’s degree from the Reading and Language Arts program at Duquesne University. Lindsay then earned a Visually Impaired PK-12 Certificate and a Supervisor of Special Education Certificate from the University of Pittsburgh. This is Lindsay’s first term on the Penn-Del AER board and considers it an honor to serve the field of blindness and visual impairment.