Board of Directors

Mandy Horton Walker
President

Mandy Horton Walker , recipient of the Dr. Donald Deshler “Making a Difference” Award, has taught students from kindergarten through adulthood in a variety of settings in Florida.  Her career as an Exceptional Student Educator began in public middle school classrooms, sometimes in districts where she was the only middle school teacher trained in and providing Structured Literacy Instruction following the Science of Reading.  Her school assignments and private tutoring spanned all ages from PK through adults with occasional guest presentations to college or university students.  She mentored student teachers for various universities.  She served as the first ESE Instructional Coach in Martin County, Florida School District where she was tasked with leading the successful initial and continuing implementation of a Structured Literacy Approach curriculum in twenty schools for students in grades K-12 with Individualized Education Plans requiring specialized reading instruction.  She became an in-district trainer for that curriculum.  After “retiring”, she trained teachers in schools across the southeast for the publisher of that curriculum for a few years.  She also co-founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those who struggle with literacy, including students with Dyslexia.  

Today, she continues to be passionate about her calling to serve reading strategies to learners, parents, and colleagues. Her focus continues to be on serving learners through nonprofit organizations, including that which she co-founded. These organizations are focused on literacy, especially for those who struggle to achieve.  Mandy believes that every age and every stage of learning is the best. She describes students who struggle with reading as learners with dynamic learning profiles and great gifts.   She is grateful for the opportunity to continue helping serve our beloved communities. 

Mandy’s credentials include a M.Ed., ESE-VE and several areas of certification and endorsement (Elementary Education (K-6), ESE/Varying Exceptionalities (K-12), English (K-12), Gifted Endorsement, ESOL Endorsement, Reading Endorsement).  She has earned and maintains the Wilson Language System Level II and Wilson Dyslexia Therapist (WDT) certification, the University of Kansas – Center for Research on Learning: Strategic Instruction Model Learning Strategies and Content Enhancement Routine Professional Developer (KU-CRL: SIM LS & CER) certificates, and the Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (SLDS/CERI) certification from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI/IDA). 

On a personal note, Mandy, who has two grown children, and her husband, Reed, are delighted with beloved grandchildren who bring joy and excitement to everyone. Mandy also enjoys reading, sewing, gardening, floral arts, walking, and visiting with family and friends.  Mandy is a fourth generation Floridian who loves exploring nature trails and our beautiful coastlines.

Lida Grillo
Treasurer

Lida Grillo is the Elementary Coordinator for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) with Volusia County Schools. She has dedicated 27 years to public education to support students with disabilities and our most fragile learners.

During her tenure as ESE Coordinator, she developed a tiered system of supports for students with dyslexia. She facilitated district wide implementation of Wilson Reading System at the elementary level so that all 46 schools have at least 2 trained teachers. She also created a coaching plan, set up 2 demonstration sites, and provided follow up training with a venue for teacher collaboration.

Lida also designs the district’s ESE professional learning plan for over 150 ESE teachers who are working with students in the general education setting. She included the work of Dr. David Kilpatrick and his book, Equipped for Reading Success.

Lida worked with the district MTSS ELA Committee to implement Dr. David Kilpatrick’s Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) to all kindergarten and first grade students as part of the universal screening process and diagnostic tool for all students with reading disabilities in grades K-5. She assisted the committee with providing teachers with recommended resources to provide intervention to students in need based on the PAST. She also provided training to reading intervention teachers on the importance of phonemic awareness instruction and the relationship between advanced phonemic awareness skills and automatic word reading.

Since the inception of proposed dyslexia legislation, Lida has provided professional learning to various groups across her school district including ESE teachers, general education teachers, reading coaches, district staff, administrators, community members, and parents on understanding the characteristics of dyslexia and ways to support these students. She worked collaboratively with her staff and a state discretionary project to offer training at every elementary school on assistive technology for accessible educational materials. She continues to guide teachers and families with strategies, programs, and supports to assist students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.

Prior to becoming an ESE Coordinator, Lida was an ESE Program Specialist and provided technical assistance, professional learning, and support to school- based staff and families for supporting students with disabilities. In addition, she collaborated with the district intervention coordinator to create and deliver ongoing training to reading intervention teachers.

Lida had various roles while teaching at the elementary school level.  She was a Reading First literacy coach, reading intervention teacher, and taught students with disabilities grades pre-k through 5. While serving as a literacy coach and intervention teacher, the school was recognized by the Florida Department of Education and Florida Center for Reading Research for significantly increasing reading achievement data.

During her leisure time, she enjoys being outside with her husband, dogs, and cats. She loves listening to the birds, observing wildlife, walking, and hiking. Her favorite vacationing spots include the mountains near Asheville, NC and Bar Harbor, MN. Lida believes that laughter is the best medicine and prefers comedic relief from the everyday stressors of life. 

Krystle Welch
Secretary

Krystle Welch earned her B.A. in Special and Early Childhood Education from Mercer University and her Master of Science with a specialization in Inclusive Education and Reading from Kennesaw State University. She holds a Florida Teaching Certificate with Gifted Endorsement and a Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia from the University of Florida. Following completion of the UF program and demonstrated mastery of the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading (KPS), she earned recognition from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) as a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist (SLDI). 

Over the past two decades, Krystle’s professional journey has encompassed roles as an elementary classroom teacher, special education teacher, gifted education teacher, Title 1 educator, instructional coach, ESE Program Specialist, Support Facilitator, and international educational consultant. Notably, she led the sustained implementation of literacy-based programs and became a certified in-district S.P.I.R.E. trainer.  In that leadership role, Krystle facilitated the study of S.P.I.R.E. for ESSA recognition based on the Martin County School District’s implementation.  She has taught in various public and private school settings and served as a consultant for special education services while living in Cozumel, Mexico. In her current role as founder of Scholar Stride, she directly provides specialized instructional services to children and their families. 

Krystle currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Dyslexia Association–Florida Branch, where she advances the organization’s mission by supporting children and families with language-based learning differences and equipping educators with the knowledge and practices necessary to serve students with dyslexia effectively. After finding success working with students using a multisensory, structured literacy approach to reading, she continues to build her expertise in evidence-based literacy instruction. She believes that sharing her passion and encouraging teachers allows for a greater opportunity to reach more children with the gift of learning to read.

Krystle enjoys traveling to new places, eating good food, and spending time with her  husband and two daughters as well as with her extended family.

Toyka M. Holden
Director

Toyka M. Holden is an educator with over 26 years of instructional experiences. Raised in the Mt. Olive Community, Toyka was instilled with a lifelong dedication to community service and education.  She is the mother of one son, Kyan, and the middle child of Charles and Deloris Holden.

As the Special Areas Program Manager at the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium, she serves as the Project Manager for the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System, through the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services to support the nine regional school districts of the FDLRS PAEC associate center. 

Toyka earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from The University of Florida, a Master of Science in Education from Troy State University Dothan, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from The University of West Florida. With certifications in English (6-12), Reading, Exceptional Student Education, Educational Leadership, and School Principal, she is also certified as a Strategic Instruction Model Content Enhancement Professional Developer through the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.  She serves on the Florida SIM Advisory Council.  Toyka’s educational career includes experience as a classroom teacher, Assistant Principal, and District Resource Specialist. With seasons in the Gadsden County School District, the Jackson Juvenile Offender Correction Center (Dozier II), and the Jackson County School District, she has worked diligently to make education accessible to all learners.  Toyka currently serves as the chaplain for the Marianna Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority Incorporated. 

Christa Kennard
Director

Christa Kennard completed her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and her Master of Arts in Special Education at the University of Florida. Through a subsequent University of Florida Lastinger Center Teacher Leader Fellowship, she participated on a team of 40 teachers from across the state of Florida that worked to develop action research projects focused on improving the quality of standards-based classroom teaching which was presented at the International Teacher Leadership Conference in Miami, FL. She holds multiple endorsements in English as a Second Language, Prekindergarten Disabilities, Reading, and is a Clinical Educator. She is cross-trained in multiple programs including Lindamood-Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing, UFLI Foundations, IMSE, and S.P.I.R.E. 

Christa has taught in a variety of school settings and served in a variety of roles serving students with diverse strengths and needs. At the district level, she served as an in-district certified trainer for the S.P.I.R.E. curriculum, the ESE Program Specialist for students with intellectual disabilities, and provided professional development to educators across Martin County, Florida.  In her current role as Assistant Principal of the Upper School at the Treasure Coast Classical Academy, she continues to provide a broad array of services to the educational community.  Christa also serves on the board of directors of another nonprofit organization dedicated to providing specialized instruction to students who struggle with literacy, including those with dyslexia.

Christa is dedicated to participating in helping more children achieve literacy while also focusing on  educating the community on the benefits of the structured literacy approach to teaching reading.  

Christa enjoys vacationing with her family, visiting with friends, and enjoying our lovely South Florida lifestyle.  

Alissa Plaisance
Director

Alissa Plaisance is the Director of The Bridge and Student Support at The Christ School in Orlando, Florida. The Bridge is a school within a school for students with dyslexia. It is the only OGA Accredited Instructional Program in the state of Florida and one of nineteen in the United States. Alissa earned a Bachelor and Master of Arts in Exceptional Education from University of Central Florida. She has been trained through the Orton-Gillingham Academy (OGA) and oversees The Bridge and Student Support Center. Before her time in administration, Alissa worked in a variety of educational settings over the past 20 years serving as both a classroom teacher, district level instructional support and assistive technology specialist in Central Florida.  

Aleshia Presha
Director

Alesheia Presha completed her Bachelor of Science degree in English Education from Florida State University.  With a natural love for words and literature, she pursued her passion for teaching students how to read over a span of 27 years. During this time, she has worked as a private tutor, classroom teacher and reading interventionist.

​In her present role as K-3 Reading Interventionist at The School of Arts and Sciences of Tallahassee, Florida (SAS-T), she has dedicated her focus on establishing a strong Tier 1 and Tier 2 instructional base in the classrooms while providing intensive instruction to the lowest performing students in grade K-3. She has helped to develop a strong system of intervention programs through professional development for teachers and supervising campus based, parent volunteer literacy programs.

​In April of 2021, Alesheia completed her coursework and practicum through Mayerson Academy (an IDA accredited program) and is certified at the Practitioner Level for Orton Gillingham Multisensory Structured Reading. In 2022, she has earned the Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist certification from the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (SLDI/CERI). 

Sandi Soper
Director, Historian, Nominating Committee Chairperson

Sandi Soper, recipient of the Sylvia Richardson Award, received her M.S.E. in Special Education from the University of Wisconsin. Her work included serving as a Specific Learning Disabilities Program Specialist for the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, and as an adjunct professor of Special Education at the University of South Florida where she taught Clinical Education, Assessment, Foundations, and Perspectives in Learning and Behavior Disorders courses.  Sandi continues to serve the Sarasota community through a variety of high-impact community outreach missions.  

Sandi is a National Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Professional Developer for the University of Kansas-Center for Research on Learning, and she serves on the State of Florida SIM Advisory Committee.  Currently, Sandi serves as a private educational consultant for Strategic Consulting SS, LLC, in Sarasota.

Sandi has served as the Vice President of the International Dyslexia Association, as well as the President of the Florida Branch of the IDA.  She has chaired numerous IDA and IDA-FL committees and has served on the Executive Committee of the IDA Branch Council.  Additionally, Sandi served as the Editor of the IDA Fact Sheets for many years.  

Elizabeth Ward completed her undergraduate studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, (B.A.) and Master’s of Science degree in Teaching and Learning from Nova Southeastern University.  Elizabeth taught elementary aged students at Nova Southeastern University Lower School in Fort Lauderdale for over a decade. 

 Elizabeth has trained in many multi-sensory, systematic curricula to benefit dyslexic students.  As a University of Florida Master Gardener and National Geographic Educator, she infuses her passion for nature with authentic learning.  

Advisory Council

Karen K. Cole
Advisor

The Honorable Karen K. Cole has always been solution oriented. Early in her 27-year tenure as a judge for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, she brought legal, education and municipal leaders together to look at ways to address illiteracy and juvenile delinquency. The delegation visited Pueblo, Colo., and San Diego, Calif., to observe successful juvenile literacy initiatives. The effort inspired a documentary, “Reading Minds,” that won a prestigious Peabody Award. The unique community collaboration was but one example of Karen’s ability to bring people together to solve problems.

The “opportunity to apply legal and equitable concepts to the art of judicial decision-making” drew her from her successful private practice to the bench. Now, as a full-time dispute resolution professional, she devotes herself to helping parties make the best possible decisions for themselves.

Kelly Farquharson
Advisor

Dr. Kelly Farquharson is a speech-language pathologist, associate professor, and director of the Children’s Literacy and Speech Sound (CLaSS) lab at Florida State University. She studies the cognitive, linguistic, orthographic, and environmental factors that influence how children with speech and language disorders acquire literacy skills. One line of work has examined how working memory, language, and orthography may influence children’s abilities to learn new words, read, and achieve age-appropriate speech production. A related line of work has examined how speech therapy-level variables, such as SLPs’ stress, therapy quality, and IEP goals, may affect the outcomes seen in children with speech and language impairments. As a former school-based SLP, she is interested in determining how these lines of work can be used to create better assessments and treatments for SLPs to use in serving this population of children. Her research is published in the American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, Journal of Communication Disorders, Frontiers in Educational Psychology, Seminars in Speech and Language, Evidence-Based Practice Briefs,and Perspectives in School-Based Issues.

Holly Lane
Advisor

Dr. Holly Lane is an associate professor of special education and director of the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies. She also coordinates the doctoral program in special education and directs the University of Florida Literacy Initiative. Her research focuses on literacy intervention and prevention of reading difficulties through effective early literacy instruction and teacher education. She has conducted studies of tutoring interventions, increasing access to books in the homes of children from low-income families, and teacher knowledge of literacy. She has worked on projects to study reading intervention in juvenile correctional facilities and to develop professional development materials for teachers. Dr. Lane has also been the principal investigator of two doctoral training projects focused on preparing scholars in literacy intervention research.

Milaura Spelman
Advisor

Milaura Spelman is a speech/language pathologist and a reading specialist, with a private practice focusing on children and adolescents in the Orlando, Florida area. Ms. Spelman is nationally certified through ASHA and holds Florida licensure in Speech/Language Pathology.  She is also an instructor at the University of Central Florida, in both the Early Childhood and Development program and the Communication Disorders program. Ms. Spelman is a certified WILSON reading instructor, but also uses various instructional methodologies in working with language/literacy impaired children to help them succeed. In her practice, Ms. Spelman provides comprehensive language/literacy evaluations and 1:1 language and educational therapy for children and adolescents.

Ms. Spelman attended undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida, and received her Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has been a practicing speech/language pathologist for 25 years, and a reading specialist for over 15 years. Ms. Spelman counts herself lucky to have worked with children in various settings, all with various needs. Ms. Spelman previously provided services within several public school programs in Florida, including self-contained programs for children with learning and language based impairment. She also provided services within a specialized pilot program in Hawaii, focusing on the needs of children with autism and significant learning disabilities. Ms. Spelman was previously the supervisor and instructor for the Social Bridges Social Skills program, which focuses on children with social pragmatic difficulties. Ms. Spelman has worked in both private and public educational settings, within varied private settings, and within rehabilitation and hospital networks.

Ms. Spelman presents at national and local conferences, in regards to children with language/literacy based impairments and how to implement effective therapy practices when working with those children. She also provides seminars and workshops to public and private schools, community groups, and parent organizations. Workshop topics include dyslexia and reading/spelling disability, dyslexia and dysgraphia simulation activities, language processing and expression disorders, and early childhood speech and language development.

Eric Tridas
Advisor

Dr. Eric Tridas is the Medical Director of the Tridas Center for Child Development and the State Medical Director for Pediatric Health Choice-Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Facilities (PPEC). He is a Developmental Pediatrician who specializes in the diagnosis and management of neurodevelopmental conditions including ADHD, learning differences, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities and other developmental and behavioral problems.

He is Clinical Associate Professor in Pediatrics at the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, a member of the National Joint Committee on Learning disabilities (NJCLD) and Immediate Past President of the International Dyslexia Association. Dr. Tridas is a founder and partner of Tridas, LLC, a software company that developed the Tridas eWriter, an application for web based structured interviews of caregivers and teachers that generates a customized evaluation report and provides hundreds of specific recommendations.

Dr. Tridas has resided in the Tampa Bay area since 1982. He completed his fellowship in Ambulatory Pediatrics with emphasis on Developmental Disabilities at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston. During that time he held an appointment as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University. Dr. Tridas completed his residency in Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.  He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine in 1977.

Dr. Tridas lectures nationally and internationally on topics such as dyslexia, learning disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, executive functions and other behavioral and developmental pediatrics related subjects. Dr. Tridas edited a book for parents titled From ABC to ADHD: What Every Parent Should Know About Dyslexia and Attention Problems.

Philip Ward
Advisor

Phil splits his time between the GrayRobinson Tampa and Fort Lauderdale offices, where he practices as a complex commercial litigator and trial attorney. He has significant bench and jury trial experience, representing a vast array of small, medium, and large private and public companies in litigation, arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution. Throughout his successful career spanning more than three decades, Phil has worked closely with general counsel, corporate officers, shareholders, management, elected officials, trustees, and other professionals with a team approach toward obtaining the most favorable resolution for difficult external and internal problems.

Phil has managed teams of lawyers and paraprofessionals as lead counsel in representations of domestic and foreign companies in a wide array of large exposure complex litigation, arbitrations, and investigations. This experience includes: business disputes involving contractual breaches, fraud, and negligence; corporate defense of whistleblower claims; representation of ERISA plans in employer withdrawal liability arbitrations; coordinating with general counsel and officers in DOL and DOJ corporate compliance investigations; defense of False Claims Act and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters; deceptive trade practices, defense of patent infringement, trade secret, and unfair competition litigation; defense and prosecution of trademark and trade dress infringement, trade secret, and unfair competition litigation; defense of municipalities and police departments in Civil Rights Action; defense of health care insurance companies against physician group fraud; defense of the State of Florida as special counsel in dozens of multi-million dollar condominium association construction claims for hurricane damages; defense of professional liability claims, including legal malpractice, medical malpractice, accountant malpractice, and defense of auditors in securities class actions; defense and civil prosecution of real estate development litigation, including franchise de-branding litigation in the hotel/hospitality industry; defense and civil prosecution of environmental litigation involving toxic substances; product liability defense; corporate defense of anti-dumping penalties levied by DOJ for importation of goods; corporate defense in FLSA collective actions; and all varieties of emergency and time-sensitive matters involving temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions.

In addition to the litigation experience previously mentioned, Phil has significant experience with litigation holds involving electronically stored information (ESI) and corporate compliance with safeguarding same during threats of litigation and pending litigation. Phil has worked with corporate officers and their IT professionals to ensure such information has been protected in compliance with federal and local requirements to avoid unnecessary litigation penalties and unfavorable inferences that would torpedo successful and favorable results in litigation and alternative resolution of disputes.