The Blosser Center Staff & Board of Directors

Executive Director

Danielle Schneider

Danielle brings more than a decade of non-profit fundraising and communications experience to The Blosser Center. As a fundraiser, she has engaged with the Portland philanthropic community to raise critical support for a variety of organizations including Portland State University and Open School.

As an active member of her community, Danielle currently serves on the board for Camp Fire Columbia and the Dance Drill Coaches Association of Oregon. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Business Administration from Oregon State University and has completed the Willamette Valley Development Officers Executive Leadership program.

Fellow

Laurie Leason, Accredited Training Fellow AOGPE

Laurie has over 20 years of experience in the field of education. She is a former elementary school teacher who received her M.Ed and her Reading Teacher Certification. Her dyslexia training began in 2006 when both her sons were diagnosed as severely and moderately dyslexic. Laurie obtained as much information and training as possible in regards to dyslexia. She completed her Associate, Certified, Fellow, and Accredited Training Fellow Levels from the Orton-Gillingham Academy and her Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Specialist with the International Dyslexia Association. As an ATF/OGA, Laurie has trained educators in Canada, the United States, Thailand, Australia, Kuwait, Dubai, and Hong Kong.

Clinic Director

Leslie Chester, Certified AOGPE

Leslie Chester brings more than 20 years experience as an Orton-Gillingham tutor. She has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Oregon State University, and a master’s degree from Portland State in Public Health. Leslie worked for many years as a clinical research assistant before being trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach.  She has spent ten years as a classroom teacher, instructing Language Arts and Health. She has worked as a tutor trainer and as director of  The Blosser Center summer school program. She has tutored students, both children and adults, for many years and finds that teaching people to read (and spell) has given her a very rewarding career.

Professional Orton-Gillingham Practitioners

Our Orton-Gillingham practitioners all have extensive training and experience using the Orton-Gillingham Approach. They are either members of the Academy or working towards membership.

Office Staff

Administrative Assistant: Michael Sullivan

Board of Directors

Patty Goldberg
Emily Hoppe
Patty Sullivan, Associate AOGPE
Stephanie Verlinden, Psy.D.