The Channel

On Thursday, May 22, Central Rivers AEA staff will come together for our annual All-Staff Meeting and Retirement Celebration at the Cedar Falls office. This end-of-year gathering is a time to reflect, recognize colleagues and reconnect across teams. The day begins with coffee and social time, followed by a morning of celebration and updates:

• 9:30 am – Social time
• 10:00 am – Welcome by Dr. Debra Rich, Central Rivers AEA Board President and keynote from Stan Rheingans, Chief Administrator  (Zoom link for remote participants)
• 10:30 am – Retirement celebration: Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR and the HR team will lead a recognition of this year’s retirees and their many contributions.
• 11:00 am – Lunch (provided)

In the afternoon, teams* will shift into focused meetings:

• 12:00 pm – Special Education & Ed Services team meetings
• 12:45 pm – Break
• 1:00 – 3:00 pm – Discipline team meetings: staff will meet by discipline in assigned rooms or via Zoom.
• Afternoon team meetings schedule

*Please note: Traveling to Cedar Falls is optional for support staff – Administrative assistants, receptionists, van drivers, IT, Business Office, HR and Creative Services – who are not required to attend afternoon meetings.

We look forward to seeing many of you in person or online as we celebrate the year and look ahead together!

Want to share a memory, kind words or a thank-you with our 2025 retirees? We’ve set up a Padlet for each retiree where you can leave a message. Just click the link below for the person you’d like to recognize. There’s no deadline, so take your time – your message will mean a lot and help make their retirement even more meaningful. Thank you for helping us celebrate their years of service and the difference they’ve made! If you have any questions or need further assistance accessing the Padlets, reach out to Ashley Samek or call 319-273-8280.

• Carol Byrne, Speech-Language Pathologist
• Lynn DeBerg, Speech-Language Pathologist
• Jackie Fober, School Social Worker
• Michelle Haberman, School Social Worker
• Ann Hogan, Educational Assistant – Brookhaven
• Diane Knode, Educational Assistant – NIJDC
• Theresa McRae, Speech-Language Pathologist
• Dr. Leslie Moore, Leadership Coach
• Monte Phillips, School Social Worker
• Linda Schumaker, School Social Worker
• Rusti Sparks, Special Education Consultant
• Cam Treloar, Speech-Language Pathologist
• Kristine Williamson, Occupational Therapist

Congratulations to our River Hills staff who are also retiring!

(River Hills retirees have a separate celebration, so no Padlet is available, but we celebrate them just the same!)

• Linda Girsch, Educational Assistant
• Kathy Williams, Administrative Secretary
• Gary Whitmore, Educational Assistant

We’re excited to welcome two outstanding leaders to our team at Central Rivers AEA: Hannah Hanson, Regional Administrator for the South Sector, and Ryan Christoffer, Regional Administrator for the Northwest Sector.

Hannah brings more than a decade of experience in special education and leadership. Most recently, she served as the shared Special Education Director for Union and Charles City Community School Districts. She is passionate about building systems that support all learners, especially in the areas of social-emotional and behavioral development.

“Central Rivers AEA has always felt like home to me,” Hannah shared. “I’m excited for this opportunity to expand my role and look forward to supporting our dedicated staff and districts as we continue to make a positive impact on education in our community.” Hannah also contributes to the agency’s crisis response team and is a trained mediator, adding valuable depth to our leadership team.

Ryan joins us from Waterloo Schools, where he most recently served as Principal of Lincoln Elementary. With a strong background in school leadership, Ryan has also held roles as curriculum coordinator, assistant principal and classroom teacher. His strengths in instructional leadership, collaboration and systems thinking will be a great asset to our agency and the districts we serve.

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to both Hannah and Ryan! We are confident they will bring valuable insights and leadership to their new roles for 2025-26.

We would like to welcome nine incoming early ACCESS educator, school social worker, special education consultants and SLPs for the 2025-26 school year!

We’re always looking for ways to celebrate the impact of our work – and that starts with the students we serve.

Do you know a student who’s made big strides in their learning or reached a milestone thanks to the support you or your team provided? We’d love to share their story as a way to highlight Central Rivers AEA services and the powerful results they lead to.

If you have a story in mind, complete this quick Google Form to get started. Let’s keep shining a light on the difference we’re making together! For questions, please reach out to Contessa Van Buskirk, Communications Specialist.

Open enrollment for insurance benefits is open from April 28 to May 23. All eligible employees — including those retiring or resigning but keeping coverage through July or August — must complete the process, even if you’re not making changes or are declining coverage. This is your once-a-year opportunity to update your benefits without a qualifying life event. Any changes you make will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Please log into our benefit enrollment system (EASE), to complete your elections for 2025-26. This icon/link can be found within the HR/Business Folder on the employee dashboard. View the detailed instructions to log in. See the rate changes for 2025-26.

For questions, please look over the 2025 Insurance Benefits update presentation or contact Kevin Klobassa, Benefits Specialist, at benefits@centralriversaea.org.

Join us in thanking our amazing board members during School Board Recognition Month! Serving almost 62,000 students, 5,000 educators and over 500 staff members, these nine dedicated volunteers are the backbone of the agency, setting the course for all we do! Help us thank them for their dedication and commitment to Iowa’s students and our agency staff by sending them an email of appreciation.

• Nicole Lovik-Blaser, Director District 1
• Dr. Deb Rich, Director District 2 – President
• Kathryn Enslin, Director District 3
• Dr. Darshini Jaywardena, Director District 4
• Dr. Mary Stevens, Director District 5
• Maureen Hanson, Director District 6 – Vice President
• Dr. Tony Reid, Director District 7
• Bryan Burton, Director District 8
• Dennis Craun Jr., Director District 9

If you’re leaving the agency, please make sure to return all tech items issued to you during your employment. This includes:

• iPads
• Portable and stationary monitors
• Presentation clickers
• Extra laptop chargers
• Laptop bags
• Any other related equipment

Where to return items:

• Cedar Falls office: Help Desk
• Marshalltown office: Terry Davis
• Clear Lake office: Front desk – Patsy Luker or Laura Rinnels

Additional Notes:

• Hotspots: Return directly to Laura Rinnels at the Clear Lake office.
• Laptops & chargers:
  • Most staff: Include your laptop with your tech return.
  • River Hills & Youth Shelter/Detention Center staff: Return laptops directly to your supervisor.
• Other items (e.g., fobs, keys): Return to HR at the Cedar Falls Office or your closest AEA office.

Important:

Label each item with your name on a sticky note. If you have any questions, contact the Help Desk or call (319) 273-8231.

Interested in completing one micro-credential this year? If you finish it by May 30, 2025, you’ll receive $250! To qualify, your work must be submitted, reviewed and meet all the requirements by the May 30 deadline – so we encourage you to submit early to allow time for review. Have questions?

• For INspired Leadership micro-credentials, contact Dr. Leslie Moore.
• For help with logistics or other micro-credentials, reach out to Angie Gansen.

Support for your wellbeing

Would you like support in getting more of what you want and less of what you don’t in your personal or professional life? If so, Central Rivers AEA offers 1:1 core energy leadership coaching sessions* with certified well-being coach, Dr. Leslie Moore, via Zoom. All sessions are confidential and scheduled by you when you send Dr. Moore a Google Calendar invitation. Just select “private” on the calendar invite. Reach out to Dr. Leslie Moore with questions. *Sessions are available now through June 24!