Meet Our Officers
Connie
Drakeobrien
President
Jen
Madsen
VP of Advocacy
Elaine
Chesebro
Co-VP Programs
Carol
Rogaski
Co-VP of Membership
Diana
Wisniewski
Co-VP of Membership
Joanne
Emery
Co-VP Publications
Loretta
Kumpf
Co-VP of Publications
Kate
Dormann
Secretary
Amanda
Leemasci
Treasurer
Lynne
Henwood
Immediate Past President
Meet Our Trustees
Lenore
Argen
Trustee
Mary
Aruffo
Trustee
Erica
Azar
Trustee
Kristin
Baker
Trustee
Aidan
Cooper
Trustee
Lenore
Cortina
Trustee
Michelle
Falanga
Trustee
Michael
Kaelber
Trustee
Pavithra
Lakshminarayan
Trustee
Karen
Machuca
Trustee
Stacey
Ragin
Trustee
Lenore Cortina
Lenore Cortina, Ed.D. has been involved in gifted education for over 40 years as an advocate, consultant, parent, classroom and gifted teacher, school administrator, and is a retired Faculty Coordinator of the Gifted Education Certificate Program at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. Dr. Cortina has special interest and expertise in equitable gifted identification, professional development for teachers serving gifted learners, primary gifted learners, and the role of the school administrator in delivering equitable and quality gifted programs and services.
Allison Park
Allison Park, M.A.Ed., is a passionate advocate for gifted and twice exceptional children and their families. She holds bachelors degrees in Childhood Education and Special Education and a Masters of TESOL from New York University, where she graduated cum laude and was named a University Honors Scholar. Allison is the author of Z is for Superhero!, which highlights the story of a young boy who is twice exceptional, and invites us to join him on his journey to finding acceptance and friendship in places where he is free to be himself.
Carol Rogaski
Carol Rogaski is a retired G&T teacher with a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT), a Masters of Science in Educational Technology (MSET), and additional graduate-level coursework in research and cognition. She has served on the NJAGC Board of Trustees as Trustee, Secretary, President, Past President, and Co-VP of Membership. While on the board, she has been an active member, co-chair, and chair of a variety of NJAGC committees. Currently, she is excited to be Co-VP of Membership during a period of significant membership growth and enjoys designing the layout for our online publications.
Caron Howick
Caron co-chairs the NJAGC's "Advocating for Your Gifted & 2e Child" group, helping families navigate the challenges of raising gifted and twice exceptional children. She joined the board of trustees in 2024. Her advocacy is driven by her personal experiences as a 2e individual and parent.
Chelsea Clarke
Chelsea Clarke has been teaching for over 10 years and is currently the Gifted & Talented teacher in Roseland, NJ. She works with students in grades K-6, as well as their teachers and families. She received the NJAGC Educator of the Year Award in 2023. Chelsea is also the head chair of the Essex County Gifted & Talented Steering Committee. Through that committee, she is in charge of holding bi-monthly meetings with gifted teachers from all over Essex County as well as planning various competitions for G&T students in Essex County. This is her first year as a trustee and she is very excited to continue her passion of supporting students, families, & teachers in the gifted community!
Connie Drakeobrien
An experienced teacher and advocate of gifted learners, Connie earned her B.A. from Franklin Pierce University and her teaching certification from Centenary University. Throughout her career, Connie has held various roles, including teacher and program coordinator for gifted students, instructor, and coordinator for adult literacy and English Language programs, and she is currently teaching STEM classes internationally. As a self-employed Staff Development Specialist, she has had the privilege of presenting on topics related to Gifted Education to a wide range of audiences both in the U.S. and abroad. She also earned a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology with a focus on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent Development from the University of Connecticut and is currently pursuing further studies at Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education.
Karen Machuca
As the Principal of Scholars Academy in the Orange School District, I oversee gifted education services in grades K-7th. I obtained my Gifted Education certification from Rutgers University and have been in education for over 25 years. Since I am passionate about gifted education, I am currently NJAGC’s Co-VP of Publications in which I edit the Promise newsletters for members and Social Media Chairman to keep members and the community interested about upcoming events. I am the Co-Chair for the NJDOE SGTEAC for programming and service options and Co-Chair for NJPSA Gifted Education committee. Previously, I have been awarded NJAGC’s Administrator of the Year and held the offices of Secretary, Co-VP of Membership, and Trustee.
Kate Dormann
Kate Dormann is currently in her 10th year as a Gifted and Talented educator. She has received the NJAGC Educator of the Year and the NJSTA Impact Award. She has served as Secretary on the NJAGC Executive Board for five years where she is responsible for meeting invites, attendance, and minutes as well as other correspondences. She is also on the nominations committee. She is passionate about supporting gifted students and their families, as well as advocating for 2E students.
Thanks to our Sponsors
We are grateful for the support of our members, partners, and sponsors who are committed to helping the gifted children of New Jersey. With these contributions, NJAGC is able to continue to pursue our mission and expand our reach.
NJAGC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
