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Lara Gold
Founder and President
Lara Gold is a graduate of Illinois State University in Special Education.
She is a former Special Education teacher, adoption advocate and is very involved
in her community. For several years now, Lara has been involved in various
charitable foundations including Children's Memorial Hospital, shelters for
battered women and multiple foundations/organizations working with people with
varying disabilities. Lara taught for several years in the public school setting
with a wide range of children from pre-school through high-school age. Most
of the children she has worked had autism, down syndrome, ADD/ADHD, social/emotional
disorders, behavioral disorders and/or learning disabilities.
Lara has a life-long passion and love for the theater. When she began to teach,
Lara saw how music and the arts really encouraged even her most difficult students
to learn. In several of the schools she’s taught in, Lara directed the school
talent/music productions, always making sure to involve her students one way
or another. Lara is very excited to finally be fulfilling her lifelong dream
of integrating the arts with special needs children.
Being a mother of two amazing
adopted daughters, Lara continues to support many other families throughout
their adoption process.
Mpowered kids is Lara’s dream come true! She truly understands
what it means to lose a dream, and to have an even more amazing one take it's
place!!! |
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Lena Willens
Executive Coordinator & Marketing Director
Lena is an integral part of MPowered Kids, nfp. Having
worked in the sales and marketing industry for over 15
years, her high-energy, enthusiasm and incredible
networking and communication skills are helping to grow
our foundation at a rapid pace.
Lena is on the PTO Board
and co-chairs several committees at her children’s elementary
school. In her not so spare time, she can be found coaching
little league, volunteering and organizing the school lunch
program or heading up a fundraising committee. Lena is
constantly on the go and never looks at what she can't
do; rather how she will do it. This motivation and reliability
is what makes her an amazing partner and cheerleader for
Mpowered Kids! |
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Rosely Kaiser
Special Education Coordinator
Rosely received her BS from NIU, and her Masters and post
graduate work from St. Xavier University.
Her major areas of study have been in all areas of special
education: social, emotional, learning, behavioral, and
academic challenges for children from K-22 yrs. of age. She
has also completed studies in Leadership, and Staff Development
at St. Xavier University. She worked both in the Public,
Alternative, Private and Day Treatment Schools in the Chicago
suburban area.
She is excited to bring her various talents in the arts,
along with fulfilling the dreams of each of her students.
Rosely has been the past president of her Synagogue, Temple
Beth-El - Northbrook, Sisterhood President for seven years,
along with Temple President for two years, an executive member
of a Hurricane Katrina task force and is now president of
a North Shore Hadassah Group.
Rosely is a talented, engaging, creative, compassionate professional,
who will advocate for her students and go that extra mile. |
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Adrienee Vehrs
Social Worker
Adrienne Vehrs, LSW, MSW,
is a licensed social worker with extensive experience working
with children of all ages and numerous diagnoses, including
AD/HD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety
Disorders, and behavior disorders. Adrienne has been
providing clinical and support services to children and families
within lake county public school system for over 11 years. Adrienne’s
experience includes individual and group therapy as well
as implementing and facilitating parent support groups,
peer buddy and peer mentor programs.
As a mother of two
young boys and a parent advocate within the school system,
Adrienne understands the great importance and continued
need for parent support. She understands
how busy schedules and daily routines can become an obstacle
of the much required support a parent needs when
raising a child with special needs. Adrienne’s parent
group experience has allowed her to be witness of the strength
and empowerment that develops from the support of being
around other parents that are struggling/dealing with similar
situations.
Adrienne received her BS from Northern
Illinois University and her MSW (Masters of Social Work)
from University of IL at Chicago, Jane Addams College of
Social Work. |
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Debbie Solomon
Occupational Therapist
Debbie Solomon
is an occupational therapist specializing in pediatrics.
She graduated Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelors
Degree in Psychology in 1993, and a Masters in Occupational
Therapy in 1994. Her focus has always been in pediatrics,
and she currently works at Kidpower Therapy in Highland Park.
Debbie has taken specialty classes in sensory integration,
hand writing, motor control, Wilbarger brushing protocol,
SAMONAS, and therapeutic listening. Besides being an
OT, she is a mom to two girls, 6 and 10, and married to
her husband Gary. She volunteers for Hadassah, as
well as her synagogue, and has held many leadership roles
in these organizations. She looks forward to working
with your children! |
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Julie Kahn
Speech & Language Pathologist
Julie is a Speech Language Pathologist and
her experience encompasses working with children in both
the school and private settings. Julie worked as a Speech
Language Pathologist in the elementary school setting for
eleven years with students in kindergarten through eighth
grade. Currently, She work in a private practice in Highland
Park. Julie has had a lot of experience working with children
on improving their social language skills, and is looking
forward to helping the children in MPowered Kids improve
their social communication skills while engaging in the process
of creating an amazing performance! |
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Jory Mangurten
Education Director
Some of Jory Mangurten’s fondest memories
are of volunteering in her mother’s elementary school classroom.
It is there that she discovered her lifelong passion for
working with and
mentoring children. Jory has a bachelor’s degree in human
development and family studies from the University of Illinois
and a master of arts in teaching (early childhood education)
from National Louis University. Jory has used her skills
in curriculum planning and development to educate young people
in a variety of settings. She has taught preschool in Skokie
and kindergarten through third grade in Evanston. She has
co-directed summer day camps. She also has experience working
with gifted, at-risk, and special needs children. Jory furthers
her love of teaching by tutoring individuals and groups in
all subject areas. She has become more and more devoted to
Starland as her two children have learned and grown through
its programming. They have been inspired and nurtured in
its creative setting, and she hopes that other children may
share their many positive experiences. |
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Laurie Levitt
Creative Director
Even as a child, Laurie Levitt's artistic soul captured
and captivated everything around her. Laurie’s mom gave her
a painter’s perspective, and her dad gave Laurie her first
camera. You could say that creative passion is in her blood.
Laurie started clicking the shutter and the mouse at a very
young age. While still a teenager, Laurie studied with several
renown Chicago photographers - where she learned the critical
difference between taking pictures and creating an image.
As a young adult, Laurie’s work was noticed for its ingenuity,
and she quickly landed in corporate America. Her innovative
products and designs continue to receive industry recognition
and international awards. Through constant experimentation
of light and lens, Laurie pushes the threshold of digital
expression. Her work has been featured on national television
and periodicals. She is a preferred photographer for some
of the best and most recognizable talent agencies in Chicago.
Laurie sees the world through different eyes, and an ordinary
camera. She can picture your soul, if only for a moment.
It is those unique eyes that give her a special perspective
for the special needs kids that bless her life. As a mother
of a special needs child, Laurie fully understands that no
two children are alike. She also understands how scary a
camera can be, or how over stimulating lights are. Laurie
will not beg your child to look into her lens, and she appreciates
the subtle nuance of an image in profile. Her sensitivity
to imagery extends to her sensitivity to all of our children
and their needs.
Laurie devotes her time and creative talent
to MPowered Kids, nfp as a graphic artist, a photographer,
a theater major, a mother, and a friend. |
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Chris Errera
Musical Director
Chris Errera, musical director, perfectly embodies the message
and goals of MPowered Kids. Diagnosed as a diastrophic dwarf,
nothing has or ever will hold Chris back from realizing his
enormous musical potential. At age three he began playing
the piano, studying the Suzuki method until age 15, going
on to study performance and composition under Grammy nominee
and Pulitzer Prize winner, Robert Ian Winstin until age 19.
His
childhood passion progressed to a college education in music
performance and composition, with performance scholarships
to both the Northern Illinois and DePaul University schools
of music. Along the way, Chris gathered many honors, such
as an audience with Mayor of Chicago and the Governor of
Illinois at age 12, the opportunity to perform in Germany
as a member of the Schaumburg Symphony Orchestra, and has
toured as a musician all across Chicago and the country.
Today,
Chris works as a producer for many Chicago-based artists
and is currently putting the finishing touches on his debut
solo album, Evolution. |
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