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Details for the 2026 All Staff Kick Off Meeting are now available
The 2026 All Staff Kickoff Meeting will be held at the Cedar Falls office beginning at 9:00 am on Wednesday, August 26. This year’s theme is Legacy & Impact. Impact is the immediate effect of your work right now – the teacher you coached yesterday, the family you supported this morning. Legacy is the long-term result of those daily efforts. It isn’t built overnight or created by policy changes; it grows over time through thousands of everyday human connections. Looking back at both our successes and our challenges will give us pride, perspective and a clear roadmap for where we are headed next!

Schedule for the day
- Social time: 8:30–9:00 am
- All Staff meeting, keynote speaker and service award recognition: 9:00–11:30 am
- Sector and team meetings: 11:40 am–1:50 pm
- Discipline and team meetings: 2:00–3:00 pm
Lunch

Lunch will be staggered by team, with some groups starting earlier and others after 12:40 pm. Everyone will have a full hour for lunch, and your teams’ lunch time will be shared during the meeting. Tacos el Pariente will be parked in the lower west parking lot as one option for purchase. (The lower lot is accessed from the main entrance parking lot – this is where you enter the building to get to the elevator or sound booth downstairs). Staff are also free to leave campus and have lunch elsewhere if desired. Thanks for being flexible!

The main parking lot entrance has a turn that takes you into this lower west lot’s entrance. There will be small traffic cones blocking off a couple parking spaces towards this middle island. Please leave those blocked spaces for the foot truck to park its trailer. When you enter through these west doors, you have access to the elevator and the downstairs sound booth.

Other details

Additional team-specific logistics will be provided the day of the meeting, including a quick links document that will feature important resources and links (document will be linked the day of the All Staff – keep checking back). If you have questions, please reach out to your supervisor. We look forward to seeing everyone on August 26 and kicking off another great year at Central Rivers AEA!
August 17, 2026
Updated staff photos will available at the August 26 All-Staff Meeting

With the new school year around the corner, several team members have asked for updated photos. To make it easy, we’ve set up a dedicated photo session during our upcoming All-Staff Kick Off Meeting on Wednesday, August 26. If you need a new photo, just swing by the downstairs studio in the Cedar Falls office anytime in the afternoon, after the morning meeting wraps up, starting at 12:30 pm. Contessa will be available in the studio all afternoon to take your picture. If you need a specific time slot, reach out to Contessa.

August 17, 2026
Reminder about required training for all staff

As we enter the month of August, we wanted to send a reminder that all staff must complete the mandatory AEA-required trainings. Certified staff are allowed to use one of your 2026-2027 contract days to complete the trainings. Simply indicate on your Google calendar, “AEA Mandatory Training Day.”

Once completed, staff are expected to submit their certificate of completion to the HR department using the hr@centralriversaea.org email address. If you have any questions, contact HR.

August 17, 2026
AEA Professional Learning registration is moving to one platform

All Iowa AEAs are moving to one unified professional learning platform this September. The refreshed AEA Learning Online platform will serve as a single hub for all courses, trainings, certifications and authorizations, whether you take them online, virtually or face-to-face. You can continue registering through your local AEA, but all your professional learning will now live under one roof.

Please note that August 31 is a key date related to registering for courses on this newly refreshed platform. Any sessions completed on or before August 31 will wrap up in the existing escWorks system, while any sessions ending after August 31 will be completed on the updated platform. If you have any questions along the way, please review the digital flyer, or contact Bradi Johnson, Educational Services Consultant or Hope Moore, Professional Learning Support Assistant. For general questions regarding the new system, please contact support@aealearningonline.org or call (515) 473-7164. The Central Rivers AEA Professional Learning Department is still here to support you and works closely with the new statewide system.

August 17, 2026
Does your email signature need to be updated?

Earlier this year, we launched new email signatures to ensure brand consistency and digital accessibility. Your signature details – including your photo, title, phone number and office location – are pulled directly from the staff directory. Please take a moment to check your directory listing. If anything is missing or incorrect, please contact your region’s administrative assistant. You will receive an automated email when your signature is updated. Once you get it, refresh your web browser to see the new signature. Here is an example of what the new email signatures look like:

If you need help (such as removing your photo or adding credentials) please contact Contessa Van Buskirk or Phil Hendricks.

August 17, 2026
Meet our new Regional Administrators & Assistant RAs

We’re excited to welcome two outstanding leaders to our team at Central Rivers AEA: Lexie Denton, Regional Administrator for the Northeast Sector, and Marc Snavely, Regional Administrator for the South Sector.

Lexie Denton, NE Sector

Lexie comes to the AEA from Des Moines where she served as a principal for the last four years. Prior to her role as a principal she was an assistant principal in DMPS for three years. She also spent time in Waterloo, early in her career, as an literacy instructional coach and elementary classroom teacher.

Lexie earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in Elementary Education and Middle Level Education. She then received her Master’s in Education and Reading Endorsement from Morningside University and a second master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Northern Iowa. Lexie and her husband Shonnie live in Elk Run Heights with their son, Kyler, and new baby girl, Layla. Lexie enjoys spending time with her family, watching sports – especially the Iowa State Cyclones, golfing and getting exercise.

Marc Snavely, South Sector

Marc joined Central Rivers AEA as a regional administrator in July of 2026. Before that, he was the shared superintendent at Colo-NESCO and Collins-Maxwell. Throughout his career in education, Marc was also a teacher/coach, activities director, AEA school improvement facilitator, elementary principal and secondary principal.

Marc earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Buena Vista University, majoring in Elementary Education. He received his Master’s Degree, PK-12 Principal, and his ASC Superintendency Certification from the University of Northern Iowa. Marc holds endorsements in reading and driver’s education.

Marc and his wife Kelly live in rural Colo with their son, Max. They also have a daughter, Kerrington and her husband Jacob, who live in Cedar Rapids. Marc enjoys spending time with his family doing various outdoor activities. This includes camping, boating, fishing, biking and going on Jeep excursions.

Assistant RAs

We also want to congratulate Jennifer Seward, Melannie Trees, Kari Christenson and Liz Donnelly, who will serve as part-time Assistant Regional Administrators for the 2026-27 school year!

Jennifer Seward (East Sector)

Jennifer has been a speech-language pathologist with Central Rivers AEA since 2006. Jennifer has served as a related service provider in several school districts and as a specialist in initial evaluations. Jennifer has been in a speech-language leadership role since 2017.

Jennifer earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Iowa, majoring in Psychology. She then earned a Bachelor’s in Communicative Disorders, an education endorsement, and a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa. She then completed her PK-12 Principal/Supervisor of Special Education certification through Viterbo University. Jennifer and her husband, Matt, live in Waverly. She enjoys spending time with her 4 adult children and their families, hiking and camping in the mountains, reading books, gardening and riding her bike.

Melannie Trees (NE Sector)

Melannie has been a special education consultant with Central Rivers AEA since 2021, most recently serving as Discipline Lead and Autism Learning Team Lead. Her background in education includes roles as an instructional coach, special education teacher and general education teacher for Cedar Falls Community Schools. Additionally, she taught elementary special education for Des Moines Public Schools, served as an ECSE teacher at Rainbows United in Wichita, Kansas, and was a preschool teacher for the Greene Community School District.

Melannie earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a reading endorsement from Upper Iowa University. She went on to receive a master’s degree in special education with a consultant endorsement from Morningside University, and a second master’s degree in educational leadership from Viterbo University. Melannie and her husband, Brad, live north of Cedar Falls with their three children: Peyton, McCabe and Hadleigh. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking outdoors, listening to audiobooks and attending her kids’ activities.

Kari Christenson (NW Sector)

Kari has been a special education consultant with Central Rivers AEA since 2009. Throughout her time at Central Rivers, she has served as an Autism Team Lead, provided a variety of professional development opportunities, and served as a shared special education director for multiple rural school districts. Prior to joining Central Rivers, Kari worked as both a special education teacher and a general education teacher for Mason City Community School District.

Kari earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, with a minor in Special Education, from Buena Vista University. She later earned a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning, along with a consultant endorsement, from Morningside College. She also completed her PK–12 Principal/Supervisor of Special Education certification through Northwestern College.

Kari and her husband, Jason, live in Clear Lake with their two dogs, Zoey and Finley. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family – especially her new granddaughter – and shopping for vintage and antique treasures.

Liz Donnelly (South Sector)

Liz has currently been serving as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Discipline Co-Lead at Central Rivers AEA, and has served as a direct service provider for various districts for Central Rivers AEA since 2021. Prior to that, she served as a direct service provider at Grant Wood AEA for nine years. During her time at Grant Wood AEA, she also participated in the Organizational Leadership Program and served on a Region Leadership Development Team.

Liz earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communicative Disorders, an education endorsement, and a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa. She then completed her PK-12 Principal/Supervisor of Special Education certification through Viterbo University. Liz and her spouse Tom live in Cedar Falls. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, golfing and other outdoor activities.

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to both Lexie and Marc, and a congratulations to Jennifer, Melannie, Kari and Liz! We are confident they all will bring valuable insights and leadership to their new roles for 2026-27.

August 17, 2026
Welcome aboard: meet the newest Central Rivers AEA team members

We would like to welcome incoming staff for the 2026-27 school year. We are so excited you’re joining our Central Rivers AEA team!

Sandy Anderson, Early ACCESS Educator

Maddy Baridon, School Social Worker

Melissa Berger, Special Education Consultant

Madison Bracy, SLP-A II

Sydney Burke, Speech-Language Pathologist

Billie Buss, Work-Based Learning Coordinator/Consultant for Ed Services

Alexia Carew, virtual Speech-Language Pathologist

Gretchen Clevenger, Special Education Consultant

Amanda Coan, Learning Support Specialist (Literacy Focus)

Kelly Cota, Consultant for Educational Services (Behavior Focus)

$Rachel Coulter, Consultant for Educational Services (Math Focus)$
Rachel Coulter, Consultant for Educational Services (Math Focus)

Kristin Detamore, School Social Worker

Kristy Droll, Educational Assistant (River Hills School)

Diana Fonseca-Zamora, Early ACCESS Educator

Julie Fricke-Foss, Special Education Consultant

Bibiana Fuzer da Silva, SLPA II

Lindey Hedrick, Ed Assistant – River Hills School

La’Tysha Hill, Ed Assistant – River Hills School

Kaia Houg, Early ACCESS Educator

Nicki Jass, Special Education Consultant

Cassie Kennedy, Educational Assistant (Brookhaven Shelter)

Jill Kraai, Teacher of Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Karen Krumwiede, Early ACCESS Educator

Lily Kurt, Speech-Language Pathologist

Laura Lester, Special Education Support & Data Technician

Lindsay Mathis, Educational Assistant (CIJDC)

Kylee McGurk, SLPA II

Teresa Moery, School Psychologist

Laura Negen, Learning Support Specialist

Dustin Patterson, Special Education Consultant

Zoe Pepper, School Technology Specialist I

Jessica Pfantz, Early ACCESS Educator

Megan Reisinger, SLPA

Sarah Schutt, Learning Support Specialist

Ellen Schweppe, Early ACCESS Educator

Emily Soldwisch, Special Education Consultant

Brienna Sterzinger, School Psychologist

Rebekah Van Gorp, Early ACCESS Educator

$Megan Vanderloop, Learning Support Specialist (Math Focus)$
Megan Vanderloop, Learning Support Specialist (Math Focus)

Amber Jenniges, Special Education Support & Data Technician

Genevieve Shafer, School Social Worker

August 17, 2026
Remember to update any important information with HR
Welcome back to the new school year! Did you move over the summer? Admin assistants/HR would like to remind everyone to update their information! Please go into Class Link > My Assignments and update the following:
- Telephone number
- Van mail delivery location (this is very important; you can receive van mail in a location of your choice – meaning a school you serve or one of the AEA offices).
Contact your administrative assistant with questions or if you see any incorrect information regarding your role or assignment.
August 17, 2026
Updated workers’ compensation provider & injury reporting process

Central Rivers AEA officially transitioned our workers’ compensation carrier from EMC Insurance to Risk Administrative Services (RAS). While our commitment to workplace safety remains unchanged, this shift updates the process for reporting any job-related injuries. Moving forward, if you experience a work injury, please inform your supervisor immediately and contact the new OnCall Nurse line at 1-855-736-9482. The nurse line provides immediate medical guidance to help you get the appropriate care right away. As always, if you or a coworker face a serious or life-threatening emergency, go directly to the nearest emergency room or call 911. For further details, forms or answers to frequently asked questions about our coverage, please visit the workers’ compensation section on our staff intranet site.

August 17, 2026

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