Board Members

 

Ann Wiesner, Parent, Chair

Advocating for the needs of a neurodiverse student has taught Ann Wiesner a lot over the last 10+ years.  That experience combined with her over 22 years as an Advocacy and Engagement Strategy Consultant bring a unique skill set to the board.  Ann has extensive experience with strategy development in nonprofits and philanthropy, both in Minnesota and nationally.  She brings a race and gender justice lens to her work and is excited to bring those perspectives to LGA.  She decided to join the Board because she wants all neurodiverse people to be seen as the complex, remarkable, and talented individuals as they are—she envisions a day where places like Lionsgate, inviting and welcoming spaces for neurodiversity of all kinds, are commonplace.  When she is not working with clients, Ann can be found reading, napping, or doing laundry at her home in Minnetonka, where she lives with her husband, two children, dog, and two rabbits.

 

 

Pauline Bangma, Community Member, Vice Chair

Pauline Bangma is new to the board, but education, special education and leadership are very familiar to her. Pauline’s professional career included teaching students with learning disabilities and performing the duties as a special education director for the Rum River Special Education Cooperative and Perch Arts High School. She currently advises and mentors students getting their director of special education license at St Mary’s University. A move to the twin cities after 35 years in Mora, Minnesota provided an opportunity to continue working on behalf of students with disabilities and their families. When asked to consider a position on the Lionsgate board, Pauline researched the school and its mission and found it to be the “right fit”.

 

“I look forward to learning about the Lionsgate community and supporting the stakeholders in the work they do.”

 

 

Janet Ha, Teacher, Board Secretary

Janet Ha sees her role on the Lionsgate Board as furthering her interest in creating a safe space for students to explore their young adult selves, working with knowledgeable and positive coworkers. Janet’s teaching role is a high school case manager at the Minnetonka campus. Her work connects students and their families to school, and by extension, to the transition process. A native of Minnesota, she returned here after living in Japan for six years and then completing a Masters degree at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York.  She discovered a calling working with people with disabilities when her children were in school, beginning in 2007. Janet has been a case manager at Lionsgate since 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

Eve Wolfe, Teacher, Director

Eve Wolfe is in her fifteenth year as a licensed teacher in Minnesota.  She is beginning her sixth school year at Lionsgate, and she is excited to watch her first class of seventh graders walk at graduation this year.  Eve is a Special Education Language Arts Inclusion teacher at the Shoreview campus.  She teaches students in seventh through twelfth grade. Eve attended the University of Minnesota for both her undergraduate and graduate studies.  She has a Bachelor’s of Art in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, and pursued graduate studies and licensure in Special Education: Emotional/Behavioral Disorders and Specific Learning Disabilities.  Eve has previously worked for Minneapolis Public Schools, St. Paul Public Schools, the Learning Disabilities Association of Minnesota, and Robbinsdale Public Schools.  She considers Lionsgate to be her, “forever home,” and she looks forward to participating in the Lionsgate board.  Through this experience, Eve hopes to further engage in developing the vision of Lionsgate: A place to truly belong.

 

 

 

Jeff Nickolas, Community Member, Director

Jeff Nickolas was born and raised in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He developed a passion for serving kids with disabilities while helping at Aberdeen Area Camp Dream Makers, a summer camp dedicated to helping kids with disabilities, over the course of several summers. Jeff moved to Minneapolis in 2016 after graduating from the University of South Dakota. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in finance. He currently works for U.S. Bank as a Quality Control Team Lead. Jeff was seeking out volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities when the Lionsgate Academy board position presented itself. The mission of the school aligns with Jeff’s passion, and he looks forward to being an asset on the Lionsgate Academy board.

 

 

 

 

Rachel Osband, Parent, Director

Rachel is a family law, guardianship, and adoption attorney (and mediator) at Fiddler Osband LLC. She grew up in Wisconsin, attended Carleton College, and then spent some years living on both coasts (not at the same time). After law school, Rachel and her husband returned to Minnesota. Rachel is the mom of two wonderful boys and one adorable springerdoodle. She is thrilled to have found a welcoming, supportive community for her family at Lionsgate Academy. Rachel enjoys hanging with her boys, community involvement, reading, dinners with friends, and travel.

 

 

 

 

Julie Tarshish, Parent (Minnetonka & Lynx), Director

Julie Tarshish has 20+ years of nonprofit experience with expertise in communications and marketing. She has been a parent advocate, helping others navigate the complex county and state paperwork for waivers, and been a member of several school SEAC boards, including at LGA. Julie’s twin sons are middle schoolers: one in Minnetonka and one in Shoreview’s Lynx program. Julie’s lens as a parent of two children on diverse places within the autism spectrum put her in a unique position to help guide LGA as it works to serve the needs of all neurodivergent learners, including those who are nonspeaking and those with higher support needs. Julie is passionate about growing LGA’s impact to include safe, supported family community outings and expand supported opportunities for our students as they age out of school services.

 

 

 

 

Stephanie Claybrook, Teacher (Minnetonka), Director

Stephanie Claybrook is a Minneapolis native, a mixed media visual artist and is one of the art teachers at the Lionsgate Minnetonka campus. She has been working at Lionsgate for 7 years. Stephanie identifies as a neurodiverse person herself and hopes to foster the same love she has for creativity, experimentation and curiosity in the world, in her students. She firmly believes that being different makes you more resilient. Through hard work, Stephanie obtained a Bachelor’s of Art and Masters in Education at the University of Minnesota. She is new to the board and hopes to gain a deeper understanding of how Lionsgate operates and serves its students.

 

 


Kim Busse, Community Member, Director

Kim Busse has been a supporter of Lionsgate Academy for many years.  As a special education teacher and mental health therapist, Kim has recommended LGA to many families since it began.  Kim currently consults with school districts and owns Busse & Reid where she provides individual and family therapy, as well as diagnostic testing, to families affected by neurodiversity.  When Kim isn’t working, she likes to garden, travel, watch football (GO PACKERS) and spend time with her family.  Kim lives with her husband and has 2 adult daughters.  She looks forward to being a part of the LGA community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Board Members

 

2012- 2013

 

 

2011 – 2012

Ron Berger
Marc Berris
Meg Fuller
Hemlal Kafle
Brandy Dougherty
Meta Pautsch
Bob Radspinner
Jonathon Scharlau
Joan Steinmann

 

2010 – 2011

Steven Waisbren
Ron Berger
Brandy Dougherty
Jane Houlton
Meta Pautsch
Bob Radspinner
Jonathon Scharlau
Joan Steinmann
Joe Timmons

 

 

2009-2010

Steven Waisbren
Ron Berger
Brandy Dougherty
Jane Houlton
Meta Pautsch
Bob Radspinner
Jonathon Scharlau
Joan Steinmann
Joe Timmons

 

2008-2009

Brandy Doughtery
Daniel D. Gregory
Mary Griffiths
Michael Reiff
Michael Shapiro
Steven Waisbren
Tamara Phillips
Bernadette Groh
Todd Schwartzberg
Leslie Laub

 

 

 

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