I was born and spent my formative years in New Jersey.  I moved to Florida to attend the University of Florida and transferred to Florida State University, which makes me a GatorNole!!  I have taught for 25 years, 18 of which have been at Chaires.  My passion is teaching students with disabilities, which encompasses the majority of my teaching career.  Over the years, I have taught preschool, kindergarten, special area(character education), and inclusion, resource, and self-contained exceptional student education in grades Kindergarten through 12. My certifications include Elementary Education(K-6) and Varying Exceptionalities(K-12) and I am endorsed in Prekindergarten Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder.  I serve as a mentor to beginning teachers and supervise student teacher interns.

I have been married for 32 years and my husband teaches Adult Education and GED classes, so education is frequently a topic of conversation in our home!  My son and his wife are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their little girl, my first grandchild!   My daughter is in graduate school, working towards her Masters in Social Work.

When not at work, I enjoy being outdoors, gardening, kayaking, hiking, walking, motorcycling, going to the beach, and playing tennis.  i also enjoy reading, baking delicious treats, and cooking.